Sunday, August 31, 2003
Doing lab readings now
Have engineering lab tomorrow. 20% weightage.. heavy.. cannot afford to mess up.. doing readings now and listening to assortment of songs.. Then have programming lab on tuesday.. sigh.. hate labs.. so much emphasis on on the spot performance..
I just realised something abt myself just now.. I can do things like on the surface.. I can plan, discuss stuff and ad lib stuff on a general level, but on a level which involves calculation and specific facts.. I just crash and burn.. I can explan what polarization is, why I think that the Lee Kuan Yew is a shrewd person but I can't do the small nitty gritty details, and that is why I'll probably flop things like lab.
Have engineering lab tomorrow. 20% weightage.. heavy.. cannot afford to mess up.. doing readings now and listening to assortment of songs.. Then have programming lab on tuesday.. sigh.. hate labs.. so much emphasis on on the spot performance..
I just realised something abt myself just now.. I can do things like on the surface.. I can plan, discuss stuff and ad lib stuff on a general level, but on a level which involves calculation and specific facts.. I just crash and burn.. I can explan what polarization is, why I think that the Lee Kuan Yew is a shrewd person but I can't do the small nitty gritty details, and that is why I'll probably flop things like lab.
When it rains..
it pours.. well not literally.. like I said in the previous blog, things tend to clump together.. its some weird event horizon thingy.. like yesterday had many things (see 2 posts down), today also. Had baptism towel duty, after that realised that had to take the amp and stuff from the chapel cause SSS was having a play in the chapel so worship for YAG was in the sanctuary, so quite rush moving stuff back and forth. Then after that had tutorials and lab readings to do. Then found out Yimin is leaving Tuesday night where the band is also having prac on Tuesday night.. story of my life.. when it rains it pours..
it pours.. well not literally.. like I said in the previous blog, things tend to clump together.. its some weird event horizon thingy.. like yesterday had many things (see 2 posts down), today also. Had baptism towel duty, after that realised that had to take the amp and stuff from the chapel cause SSS was having a play in the chapel so worship for YAG was in the sanctuary, so quite rush moving stuff back and forth. Then after that had tutorials and lab readings to do. Then found out Yimin is leaving Tuesday night where the band is also having prac on Tuesday night.. story of my life.. when it rains it pours..
Saturday, August 30, 2003
An Observation
Has anyone noticed how when there's nothing to do there's really nothing to do, but when something comes up, everything tends to congregate on the same day? Case in pt would be today.
Oh bugger... its raining.. this does put a major damper on a lot of things.. like bbq for one.. hard to bbq in the rain..
Fascinating.. time to play by ear..
Has anyone noticed how when there's nothing to do there's really nothing to do, but when something comes up, everything tends to congregate on the same day? Case in pt would be today.
Oh bugger... its raining.. this does put a major damper on a lot of things.. like bbq for one.. hard to bbq in the rain..
Fascinating.. time to play by ear..
After the brief hiatus
Haven't been able to update the blog for a few reasons. 1) was sick. 2) was hoping to put up the second short story before updating anything.. but turns out it takes more time than expected. heh. oh well.. 3) tutorials. yes. endless flow of them.. can't seem to get ahead of them.
It's been a long week. Being sick, having tutorials, meeting up new people and familiar people whose names u can't remember.. haha. quite sad.
The band's having a performance in around 2 weeks-ish time. All interested , its on the band webpage. See the site link. Absolutely Serious.
The venue is "The Third Place"
Today is a packed day. Lucky I have use of the car.. or at least I think I do.. hmm.. well have to transport stuff to B-cubed's house, then have worship prac, then go back to the BBQ at B-cubed's house. [(Joel's translation): B-cubed- B^3 or B to the power of 3. Brainless Bimbotic Buckethead (contributed by Joel) or Brainless Bimbotic Barbie (contributed by Ade) Other translations: Jane, J.A.N.E, breadhead, crazy snake lady, Abomination which causes personal desolation, }
Then was just informed yesterday that celebrating grandma's birthday today also.. means I'll probably disappear halfway during the bbq, go over.. then if possible go back to bbq again.. whew.. tired just typing that
Sunday (aka tomorrow), I'm up for baptism towel duty. Means I have to towel of the baptism canidates.. Doubt I can mess it up. :D .. and guess who is my counterpart for the female side? Badabingbadaboom : its B-cubed. [Another interesting thingy, BBQ according to Ade is Barbie-killed. Combined with above understanding of Barbie, tonight is going to be so much fun!! haha ]
Haven't been able to update the blog for a few reasons. 1) was sick. 2) was hoping to put up the second short story before updating anything.. but turns out it takes more time than expected. heh. oh well.. 3) tutorials. yes. endless flow of them.. can't seem to get ahead of them.
It's been a long week. Being sick, having tutorials, meeting up new people and familiar people whose names u can't remember.. haha. quite sad.
The band's having a performance in around 2 weeks-ish time. All interested , its on the band webpage. See the site link. Absolutely Serious.
The venue is "The Third Place"
Today is a packed day. Lucky I have use of the car.. or at least I think I do.. hmm.. well have to transport stuff to B-cubed's house, then have worship prac, then go back to the BBQ at B-cubed's house. [(Joel's translation): B-cubed- B^3 or B to the power of 3. Brainless Bimbotic Buckethead (contributed by Joel) or Brainless Bimbotic Barbie (contributed by Ade) Other translations: Jane, J.A.N.E, breadhead, crazy snake lady, Abomination which causes personal desolation, }
Then was just informed yesterday that celebrating grandma's birthday today also.. means I'll probably disappear halfway during the bbq, go over.. then if possible go back to bbq again.. whew.. tired just typing that
Sunday (aka tomorrow), I'm up for baptism towel duty. Means I have to towel of the baptism canidates.. Doubt I can mess it up. :D .. and guess who is my counterpart for the female side? Badabingbadaboom : its B-cubed. [Another interesting thingy, BBQ according to Ade is Barbie-killed. Combined with above understanding of Barbie, tonight is going to be so much fun!! haha ]
Friday, August 22, 2003
As promised...
From: TAN KIAT AN
Date: 20/08/2003 06:14:00 PM
Heading: Default Heading
Topic: National service.??
National service had the purpose of building up a credible force to protect our country and at the same time help in the integration of the various races..Thus building up the national identity..
but, shouldn't the females be required to do the same? so that we can have better integration and ultimately a larger force? besides, shouldn't our society be based on equality??
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From: LAW WANQI
Date: 20/08/2003 07:17:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
well, I believe that NS actually helps to form a stronger bonds among the NS guys esp as they were made to suffer together under the same situation. But somehow I feel that its still best to leave National Service to the guys.Well, if girls would like to serve their country by joining the Army, by all means go for it. However, the idea of getting girls to do NS by age 18 really daunt me ..
Firstly, I disagree with you that both genders are equal in today's societies. If both genders are equal, then how can you explain the disparities between the salary of a male and a female, which by a female gets a lower pay than a male with the same qualifications. I think that regardless of how advanced we are in this contemporary society, male and females will never be equal.
Take for instance the physical build of a male and a female. A guy obviously has a bigger and stronger physical build than a girl. Of course guys will be more suitable for physically training etc. How can you get a girl to do strenuous training when she doesn't have half of the strength of a man. I stress that National Service should be optional for girls.The girls can choose to go for NS or simply reject it.
Not only that, if the girls are to do NS, who are going to look after the young and old- the children and the elderly. Are they going to fend for themselves in times of war? Well, there's a old saying that "the men will go and fight the war while the women will stay at home and look after the young and old". I think it's still true till today.
Moreover, girls are more emotional than guys on a general scale.So if you send the feminine females to the battlefield to fight or kill the enemies,I doubt we all have the guts or the heart to do it. Girls on a general scale are ruled by their emotions while guys are not pretty much so. Thus I don't agree its a wise choice to send girls to NS.
So what if girls are to do their NS and it happened that the girls perform better than the guys,is this going to hurt the guy's dignity or pride? How about some guys who are unable to undergo physical trainings but downgrade to clerks doing Administrative stuffs while they realise that "the once inferior" females are undergoing tough jungle training? Is that going to make their ego feel better?? I'm afraid not! So are we telling them they are worse than girls??
So in a nutshell,it's best to leave NS to the guys, afterall its still their job. Cheers
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From: LIM YU-WEN,JOEL
Date: 20/08/2003 11:15:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
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Sorry just wanted to comment on your last sentence.. "So in a nutshell,it's best to leave NS to the guys, afterall its still their job."
Sounds like a cop-out to me.
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From: LIEW SOON HOCK
Date: 21/08/2003 12:02:00 AM
Topic: Re: National service.??
sounds like a storm brewing up here...i would like to add my opinion to the topic too..
well, I believe that NS actually helps to form a stronger bonds among the NS guys esp as they were made to suffer together under the same situation. But somehow I feel that its still best to leave National Service to the guys.Well, if girls would like to serve their country by joining the Army, by all means go for it. However, the idea of getting girls to do NS by age 18 really daunt me ..
Firstly, I disagree with you that both genders are equal in today's societies. If both genders are equal, then how can you explain the disparities between the salary of a male and a female, which by a female gets a lower pay than a male with the same qualifications. I think that regardless of how advanced we are in this contemporary society, male and females will never be equal.
I think gender equality should not be looked upon as the physical differences between the two sexes. It is an unchangable fact that males n females differ physically. However, when we talk about gender equality, i feel it is the rights dat both sexes have dat we are discussing. moreover, the lady mentioned abt higher pay. well, the reason behind this is that as guys spend precious time going thru NS, this is the govt's way n society's way of repaying guys for their effort n time. So the pay scale is nt gender biased, but jus to giv guys a bit more for 2.5 yrs of their time.
Take for instance the physical build of a male and a female. A guy obviously has a bigger and stronger physical build than a girl. Of course guys will be more suitable for physically training etc. How can you get a girl to do strenuous training when she doesn't have half of the strength of a man. I stress that National Service should be optional for girls.The girls can choose to go for NS or simply reject it.
The physical differences as above. well, as recent papers hav published, a lot of pple hav suggested dat gals can go thru a shorter period of NS, and oso take up positions like nurses. i believe quite a no. of pple in this forum hav raised up this possibilty, n i hav to say i am quite for this suggestion. well, i tink being nurses, gals sure dun need that much strength as guys , do they?
Not only that, if the girls are to do NS, who are going to look after the young and old- the children and the elderly. Are they going to fend for themselves in times of war? Well, there's a old saying that "the men will go and fight the war while the women will stay at home and look after the young and old". I think it's still true till today.
Moreover, girls are more emotional than guys on a general scale.So if you send the feminine females to the battlefield to fight or kill the enemies,I doubt we all have the guts or the heart to do it. Girls on a general scale are ruled by their emotions while guys are not pretty much so. Thus I don't agree its a wise choice to send girls to NS.
So what if girls are to do their NS and it happened that the girls perform better than the guys,is this going to hurt the guy's dignity or pride? How about some guys who are unable to undergo physical trainings but downgrade to clerks doing Administrative stuffs while they realise that "the once inferior" females are undergoing tough jungle training? Is that going to make their ego feel better?? I'm afraid not! So are we telling them they are worse than girls??
so what if gals can do better then guys? there wud surely be some events dat gals do better than guys, like shootin, and vice versa. Truth is, NS is more than jus abt individual egos. its supposed to be the defence of your country. so wat if some guys cant take it dat gals r better? den they hav all the more incentive to prove themselves, right?
So in a nutshell,it's best to leave NS to the guys, afterall its still their job. Cheer
wat can i say abt this sentence?? guess it speaks for itself....
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From: SOH JING HOW
Date: 20/08/2003 08:38:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
I think national service for women may not be feasible. I am not going into the physical aspects because some girls out there are really fitter than the guys. If girls should be recruited into the army, most of them could only fill the admin posts. Even if they are combat, it's lightly to be a position of command. Basically, I feel it is illogical to train so many female soldiers and when there is a real war, none of them are fielded. Yes, they may take over admin posts, but how many of them are able to fight at the frontline where manpower is in high demand. They may insist on going to fight, but what if they are taken POWs. Nowadays, pschycological warfare takes an increasingly important role in deciding the victor. With reference to Gulf war2, having pictures of tortured male POWs is already invoking lots of emotions. And the female POW who received massive media coverage.
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From: LAU RONG JIA
Date: 20/08/2003 08:45:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
I guess we shouldn't look at National Service in such a narrow definition i.e. going to serve the army. I read somewhere that in Switzerland, ladies have the choice of "National Service" too. They can choose to serve in hospitals as nurses. I think this is quite a good idea since the argument has always been that women should stay behind to look after the young and old. Admendments can always be made to include females into National Service. Of course, the choice is up to the individual.
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From: LAW WANQI
Date: 20/08/2003 10:46:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
May i know if there's any shortage of nurses here in Singapore? Moreover it takes quite a bit time to train a nurse. How long do you think our "National Service" will take? 5 years?
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From: LIM YU-WEN,JOEL
Date: 20/08/2003 11:11:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
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"May i know if there's any shortage of nurses here in Singapore? Moreover it takes quite a bit time to train a nurse. How long do you think our "National Service" will take? 5 years?"
To answer your qns. Yes there is a shortage of nurses in the country. I have a friend who's a nurse and works in a hospital. If there were more nurses, shift-work could be divided more evenly and thus lighten the burden for the current staff nurses in all the hospitals.
If women were to be drafted as nurses, they don't have to be trained in every area of medicine. They can be streamed, just as the men when drafted are streamed, no 1 NSF learns everything there is to learn. And to put it succintly, army medics are trained within months. The training is intensive but it can be done. 5 years is an overexageration.
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From: CHUA DINGHE,KEVIN
Date: 21/08/2003 01:03:00 AM
Topic: Re: National service.??
Let's put it this way, if our males citizens are being trusted with the responsibility to kill an enemy to defend our nation, all trained within the time span of 2.5yrs, I don't see why our females counterparts cannot be trained into qualified nurses within the same time frame (since we are emphasising on equality, at least in terms of our resonsibilities to the nation). Unless of course you regard killing another human being as being too trivial as compared to healing the sick and injured. Even military elites like the commandos and naval divers are being sourced out and trained from fresh recruits from scratch (and they are in no way inferior), so I don't see why females cannot be deployed in highly qualified areas within the medical field given the resources and proper training and regard it as their national service.
I recognise the modern role of a woman must take in our society also but that does not necessary mean they can shun away from the responsibility of serving the nation. Do spare a thought for the modern man as he has a role of his own to perform outside his service to the nation as well.
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May i know if there's any shortage of nurses here in Singapore? Moreover it takes quite a bit time to train a nurse. How long do you think our "National Service" will take? 5 years?
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Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 1:06 AM
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From: SEOW KIAN CHIEW
Date: 20/08/2003 11:00:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
Sinagpore is still now essentially a patriarchal country. This is evident from various aspects such as National Service policy, the Constitution and laws which is more favourable to women, wage differences between men and women, women representation in politics etc. All these is mainly due to Asian traditions and cultures which see men as leaders, protectors and defenders and women as care-givers.
I don't think it is now feasible to draft women into the armed forces in the near future as it may start an outcry in a still rather conservative society. It is interesting to note that in many other Asian countries which have NS such as Taiwan and South Korea, women are not drafted along with men while in western countries such as Israel and Switerland, women are treated on more equitable terms as men in terms of NS policy.
Feminists will certainly feel that the exemption of NS sort of relegate women to second-class citizens. Together with poor represenation of women in top sectors in both politics and the economy, they may feel that women are "othered" (to borrow a phrase from Simone Beavoir). As Singapore starts to get increasingly modernized and the feminist movement starts to take root in Singapore, there is possibilities that NS for women may happen in a few decades from now.
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Remark: owner edited this posting on 20/08/2003 11:10 PM
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From: SEOW KIAN CHIEW
Date: 20/08/2003 11:18:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
well, in response to Wanqi, women need not to be trained to become professional nurses. A good knowledege of first aid and emergency care in times of war will suffice. In fact, SAF medics are trained in abt three months if i am not wrong..
I think currently besides the cultural factors, logistic is also a problem to women serving NS. Already large parts of Singapore are demaracted as military camps and training area. If another half of the population are needed to serve NS, another large chunk of land must definitely be set aside which Singapore could ill-afford.
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Remark: owner edited this posting on 20/08/2003 11:31 PM
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From: CHOO YANPING
Date: 21/08/2003 12:12:00 AM
Topic: Re: National service.??
Hello,
I guess what u can say about NS is that, yes, it's true that it has the "purpose" of building up internal security and increase national identity. But, think of it this way, that is just a declared aim of National Service. I guess those who have been through NS would have some comments about what goes on behind the scenes of NS in terms of whether it helps to integrate the ethnicities or build up national identity.
That aside, is Singapore an equal society? I thought we were supposed to be a "democratic" country, where society should theoretically be more liberal? Or is the term 'equal' used correctly in the question then?
Lastly, on the issue of gender, I've always felt that the reason why NS was devoted mainly to guys was because females were needed to support the economy. In fact, if this reason was not mentioned before implementation, Lee would have passed out the law for both sexes to join NS. If an entire cohort of 18 yr olds were to go for NS, there would be a delay in time for the working population to maintain or improve the economy. But of course, if there's a solution to the problems like culture or land inadequacy as what Kian Chiew has said then NS for both sexes would be a possibility.
Yah, anyway, that's what I've gathered so far. Please feel free to make comments! =)
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National service had the purpose of building up a credible force to protect our country and at the same time help in the integration of the various races..Thus building up the national identity..
but, shouldn't the females be required to do the same? so that we can have better integration and ultimately a larger force? besides, shouldn't our society be based on equality??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 12:16 AM
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From: LIM YU-WEN,JOEL
Date: 21/08/2003 10:01:00 AM
Topic: Re: National service.??
"Lastly, on the issue of gender, I've always felt that the reason why NS was devoted mainly to guys was because females were needed to support the economy. In fact, if this reason was not mentioned before implementation, Lee would have passed out the law for both sexes to join NS. If an entire cohort of 18 yr olds were to go for NS, there would be a delay in time for the working population to maintain or improve the economy. But of course, if there's a solution to the problems like culture or land inadequacy as what Kian Chiew has said then NS for both sexes would be a possibility."
Interesting bit here about the economy. Personally, I'm not an economist, but isn't saying that the economy of Singapore is maintained or improve by ppl 18-21 of age quite a leap? I mean we have other people working. The senior citizens are also working now. Retirement ages are being increased. Meaning it is possible to still maintain/improve the economy with current resources. And there is a current job shortage now with unemployment and the likes. One would say that having women serve NS ( in the form of nursing) might in fact take the load of the economy during the lean times. And as mentioned earlier, solve the crisis of shortage of nurses or health careworkers. Remember it could also be in the form of social workers helping in homes for the handicapped, aged .. etc.
As for Lee ( I assume you meant SM Lee? ) Well things have changed from then. Time to review the original concept.
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From: LAW WANQI
Date: 21/08/2003 10:33:00 AM
Topic: Re: National service.??
Hi all, I also think that by sending the girls to "National Service" could possibly incurred a higher cost for the Government. This could simply result in some deficit in the Govt resources which could be detrimental to our economy esp in this period when the country's economy is not doing really well.Also, I agree with Yanping that by sending gals to NS could possibly cause a shortage of labour force which could have harmful effects towards Singapore's Economic growth. Our country's economy is already not doing well in these few years, by sending the whole cahoot of guys and girls for NS doesn't seem to help the economy, only worsen it. So I suppose the Govt would not implement the rule to send girls out to serve the country right now. We might have to wait for say 5-10 years time or maybe longer, who knows?
I feel that since NS is compulsory for all guys, I don't really sees that NS make them more loyal to their country or aids to build up a national identity among them. Some of my guy friends told me that in times of warfare, they would be the first to run,not say stay behind and defend the country. Since NS is mandatory, I think there is no 100% guarantee that all NS men who have been through NS will definitely feel more for Singapore, they may feel that it is more of a chore rather than a role that they should perform.Perhaps only a minority of guys would feel the opposite way, but how many will reciprocate to the real objective of NS?
By sending girls to learn basic first aid is not a bad idea, they can help out in the Army in times of war and for civil defence as well. Perhaps the Government could make first aid courses compulsory for females in Secondary Schools or Junior Colleges? Then at least the guys won't complain that life is unfair for them cos they have to serve the nation while girls can jus "shake legs" at home. Kekeke...
Tats my 2 cents worth of tots...
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Hello,
I guess what u can say about NS is that, yes, it's true that it has the "purpose" of building up internal security and increase national identity. But, think of it this way, that is just a declared aim of National Service. I guess those who have been through NS would have some comments about what goes on behind the scenes of NS in terms of whether it helps to integrate the ethnicities or build up national identity.
That aside, is Singapore an equal society? I thought we were supposed to be a "democratic" country, where society should theoretically be more liberal? Or is the term 'equal' used correctly in the question then?
Lastly, on the issue of gender, I've always felt that the reason why NS was devoted mainly to guys was because females were needed to support the economy. In fact, if this reason was not mentioned before implementation, Lee would have passed out the law for both sexes to join NS. If an entire cohort of 18 yr olds were to go for NS, there would be a delay in time for the working population to maintain or improve the economy. But of course, if there's a solution to the problems like culture or land inadequacy as what Kian Chiew has said then NS for both sexes would be a possibility.
Yah, anyway, that's what I've gathered so far. Please feel free to make comments! =)
-------------------------
National service had the purpose of building up a credible force to protect our country and at the same time help in the integration of the various races..Thus building up the national identity..
but, shouldn't the females be required to do the same? so that we can have better integration and ultimately a larger force? besides, shouldn't our society be based on equality??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 12:16 AM
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From: SEAH YI LING,ELAINE
Date: 21/08/2003 03:49:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
Whatever the arguments for or against national service, one can't deny the fact that Singapore society is gendered-constructed. There will always be dissent in one case or another.
I thought it a salient point raised about whether NS helps serve to construct an identity. It appears to be more in theory than in practice. It may be institionalised, but it is the people that make up the institution and it is often hard to really see what is going on behind people's minds. Ultimately it is the individual's choice, to be stayers or quitters when it comes to the crunch. Why, even an ang moh (who wrote the book Proud to be Singaporean or something along this line), is proud to be offered Singapore citizenship status and proud to be identified as a 'Singaporean'. I'm sure he didn't do NS. I guess identity is really something that is quite intangible and i woud think that NS doesn't so much as define an identity as help contribute to it.
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I feel that since NS is compulsory for all guys, I don't really sees that NS make them more loyal to their country or aids to build up a national identity among them. Some of my guy friends told me that in times of warfare, they would be the first to run,not say stay behind and defend the country. Since NS is mandatory, I think there is no 100% guarantee that all NS men who have been through NS will definitely feel more for Singapore, they may feel that it is more of a chore rather than a role that they should perform.Perhaps only a minority of guys would feel the opposite way, but how many will reciprocate to the real objective of NS?
-------------------------
I guess what u can say about NS is that, yes, it's true that it has the "purpose" of building up internal security and increase national identity. But, think of it this way, that is just a declared aim of National Service. I guess those who have been through NS would have some comments about what goes on behind the scenes of NS in terms of whether it helps to integrate the ethnicities or build up national identity.
That aside, is Singapore an equal society? I thought we were supposed to be a "democratic" country, where society should theoretically be more liberal? Or is the term 'equal' used correctly in the question then?
-------------------------
National service had the purpose of building up a credible force to protect our country and at the same time help in the integration of the various races..Thus building up the national identity..
but, shouldn't the females be required to do the same? so that we can have better integration and ultimately a larger force? besides, shouldn't our society be based on equality??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 12:16 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 3:51 PM
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From: CHEONG PENG TAT
Date: 21/08/2003 03:50:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
National Security is everyone's responsiblity. Therefore women will have to play a part in total defence too. Since there has been so much movement on the equality of the sexes, should not women be given the fair chance to participate in national service too? (whether or not the process is enjoyable to them or not) Definitely, we should not expect the women to participate in physical activities like the men, but i am sure they can help out in the healthcare and administrative sectors. Serving national service is a experience that you will only know when you actually partipate in it. Therefore including the fairer sex in national service will allow them to develop a sense patrotism in them !
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From: TAN KIAT AN
Date: 21/08/2003 03:56:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
I don't think that should be a major point for consideration in reviewing long-term policies.There are always ups and downs in the economy and saying that it would increase the burden of the economy thru the implementation of such policies would not be justifiable. I mean, are we going to cut down the spending on internal security or reduce the government funding for tetiary education just because the economy is not doing well??
As these issues are long-termed and needs time to mature, changing it abruptly would be even more detrimental in the long run.
Regarding on the part on whether singaporeans( specifically the males) would stay on to protect the country in times of war, nobody knows..just as what the govt had asked singaporeans months ago: '' are you a stayer or quiter?""
I personally feel that most will stay. I mean, when you see a stranger trying to break into your house, would you go over and stop him or will you leave quickly upon seeing the person??
There are always many people who wil tell you that they will fled when war comes but would he bear to leave behind whatever he had build up over the many years and not at least put up a fight??
Just my personal tots.. feel free to comment...
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From: LIM YU-WEN,JOEL
Date: 21/08/2003 04:26:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
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The economy is not doing well because there AREN'T enough jobs to go around as most companies are down sizing and not because we do not have enough workers. If that were the case, there wouldn't be unemployment now would there? So in fact by sending a whole cohort of males and females into service ( be it military or healthcare) might increase government spending in terms of salary, logistics. But it might also improve healthcare as nurses/health care workers won't be so tired due to long shifts, meaning better health care barring unforeseen circumstances.
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Hello,
I guess what u can say about NS is that, yes, it's true that it has the "purpose" of building up internal security and increase national identity. But, think of it this way, that is just a declared aim of National Service. I guess those who have been through NS would have some comments about what goes on behind the scenes of NS in terms of whether it helps to integrate the ethnicities or build up national identity.
That aside, is Singapore an equal society? I thought we were supposed to be a "democratic" country, where society should theoretically be more liberal? Or is the term 'equal' used correctly in the question then?
Lastly, on the issue of gender, I've always felt that the reason why NS was devoted mainly to guys was because females were needed to support the economy. In fact, if this reason was not mentioned before implementation, Lee would have passed out the law for both sexes to join NS. If an entire cohort of 18 yr olds were to go for NS, there would be a delay in time for the working population to maintain or improve the economy. But of course, if there's a solution to the problems like culture or land inadequacy as what Kian Chiew has said then NS for both sexes would be a possibility.
Yah, anyway, that's what I've gathered so far. Please feel free to make comments! =)
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National service had the purpose of building up a credible force to protect our country and at the same time help in the integration of the various races..Thus building up the national identity..
but, shouldn't the females be required to do the same? so that we can have better integration and ultimately a larger force? besides, shouldn't our society be based on equality??
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Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 12:16 AM
From: TAN KIAT AN
Date: 20/08/2003 06:14:00 PM
Heading: Default Heading
Topic: National service.??
National service had the purpose of building up a credible force to protect our country and at the same time help in the integration of the various races..Thus building up the national identity..
but, shouldn't the females be required to do the same? so that we can have better integration and ultimately a larger force? besides, shouldn't our society be based on equality??
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From: LAW WANQI
Date: 20/08/2003 07:17:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
well, I believe that NS actually helps to form a stronger bonds among the NS guys esp as they were made to suffer together under the same situation. But somehow I feel that its still best to leave National Service to the guys.Well, if girls would like to serve their country by joining the Army, by all means go for it. However, the idea of getting girls to do NS by age 18 really daunt me ..
Firstly, I disagree with you that both genders are equal in today's societies. If both genders are equal, then how can you explain the disparities between the salary of a male and a female, which by a female gets a lower pay than a male with the same qualifications. I think that regardless of how advanced we are in this contemporary society, male and females will never be equal.
Take for instance the physical build of a male and a female. A guy obviously has a bigger and stronger physical build than a girl. Of course guys will be more suitable for physically training etc. How can you get a girl to do strenuous training when she doesn't have half of the strength of a man. I stress that National Service should be optional for girls.The girls can choose to go for NS or simply reject it.
Not only that, if the girls are to do NS, who are going to look after the young and old- the children and the elderly. Are they going to fend for themselves in times of war? Well, there's a old saying that "the men will go and fight the war while the women will stay at home and look after the young and old". I think it's still true till today.
Moreover, girls are more emotional than guys on a general scale.So if you send the feminine females to the battlefield to fight or kill the enemies,I doubt we all have the guts or the heart to do it. Girls on a general scale are ruled by their emotions while guys are not pretty much so. Thus I don't agree its a wise choice to send girls to NS.
So what if girls are to do their NS and it happened that the girls perform better than the guys,is this going to hurt the guy's dignity or pride? How about some guys who are unable to undergo physical trainings but downgrade to clerks doing Administrative stuffs while they realise that "the once inferior" females are undergoing tough jungle training? Is that going to make their ego feel better?? I'm afraid not! So are we telling them they are worse than girls??
So in a nutshell,it's best to leave NS to the guys, afterall its still their job. Cheers
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From: LIM YU-WEN,JOEL
Date: 20/08/2003 11:15:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
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Sorry just wanted to comment on your last sentence.. "So in a nutshell,it's best to leave NS to the guys, afterall its still their job."
Sounds like a cop-out to me.
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From: LIEW SOON HOCK
Date: 21/08/2003 12:02:00 AM
Topic: Re: National service.??
sounds like a storm brewing up here...i would like to add my opinion to the topic too..
well, I believe that NS actually helps to form a stronger bonds among the NS guys esp as they were made to suffer together under the same situation. But somehow I feel that its still best to leave National Service to the guys.Well, if girls would like to serve their country by joining the Army, by all means go for it. However, the idea of getting girls to do NS by age 18 really daunt me ..
Firstly, I disagree with you that both genders are equal in today's societies. If both genders are equal, then how can you explain the disparities between the salary of a male and a female, which by a female gets a lower pay than a male with the same qualifications. I think that regardless of how advanced we are in this contemporary society, male and females will never be equal.
I think gender equality should not be looked upon as the physical differences between the two sexes. It is an unchangable fact that males n females differ physically. However, when we talk about gender equality, i feel it is the rights dat both sexes have dat we are discussing. moreover, the lady mentioned abt higher pay. well, the reason behind this is that as guys spend precious time going thru NS, this is the govt's way n society's way of repaying guys for their effort n time. So the pay scale is nt gender biased, but jus to giv guys a bit more for 2.5 yrs of their time.
Take for instance the physical build of a male and a female. A guy obviously has a bigger and stronger physical build than a girl. Of course guys will be more suitable for physically training etc. How can you get a girl to do strenuous training when she doesn't have half of the strength of a man. I stress that National Service should be optional for girls.The girls can choose to go for NS or simply reject it.
The physical differences as above. well, as recent papers hav published, a lot of pple hav suggested dat gals can go thru a shorter period of NS, and oso take up positions like nurses. i believe quite a no. of pple in this forum hav raised up this possibilty, n i hav to say i am quite for this suggestion. well, i tink being nurses, gals sure dun need that much strength as guys , do they?
Not only that, if the girls are to do NS, who are going to look after the young and old- the children and the elderly. Are they going to fend for themselves in times of war? Well, there's a old saying that "the men will go and fight the war while the women will stay at home and look after the young and old". I think it's still true till today.
Moreover, girls are more emotional than guys on a general scale.So if you send the feminine females to the battlefield to fight or kill the enemies,I doubt we all have the guts or the heart to do it. Girls on a general scale are ruled by their emotions while guys are not pretty much so. Thus I don't agree its a wise choice to send girls to NS.
So what if girls are to do their NS and it happened that the girls perform better than the guys,is this going to hurt the guy's dignity or pride? How about some guys who are unable to undergo physical trainings but downgrade to clerks doing Administrative stuffs while they realise that "the once inferior" females are undergoing tough jungle training? Is that going to make their ego feel better?? I'm afraid not! So are we telling them they are worse than girls??
so what if gals can do better then guys? there wud surely be some events dat gals do better than guys, like shootin, and vice versa. Truth is, NS is more than jus abt individual egos. its supposed to be the defence of your country. so wat if some guys cant take it dat gals r better? den they hav all the more incentive to prove themselves, right?
So in a nutshell,it's best to leave NS to the guys, afterall its still their job. Cheer
wat can i say abt this sentence?? guess it speaks for itself....
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From: SOH JING HOW
Date: 20/08/2003 08:38:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
I think national service for women may not be feasible. I am not going into the physical aspects because some girls out there are really fitter than the guys. If girls should be recruited into the army, most of them could only fill the admin posts. Even if they are combat, it's lightly to be a position of command. Basically, I feel it is illogical to train so many female soldiers and when there is a real war, none of them are fielded. Yes, they may take over admin posts, but how many of them are able to fight at the frontline where manpower is in high demand. They may insist on going to fight, but what if they are taken POWs. Nowadays, pschycological warfare takes an increasingly important role in deciding the victor. With reference to Gulf war2, having pictures of tortured male POWs is already invoking lots of emotions. And the female POW who received massive media coverage.
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From: LAU RONG JIA
Date: 20/08/2003 08:45:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
I guess we shouldn't look at National Service in such a narrow definition i.e. going to serve the army. I read somewhere that in Switzerland, ladies have the choice of "National Service" too. They can choose to serve in hospitals as nurses. I think this is quite a good idea since the argument has always been that women should stay behind to look after the young and old. Admendments can always be made to include females into National Service. Of course, the choice is up to the individual.
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From: LAW WANQI
Date: 20/08/2003 10:46:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
May i know if there's any shortage of nurses here in Singapore? Moreover it takes quite a bit time to train a nurse. How long do you think our "National Service" will take? 5 years?
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From: LIM YU-WEN,JOEL
Date: 20/08/2003 11:11:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
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"May i know if there's any shortage of nurses here in Singapore? Moreover it takes quite a bit time to train a nurse. How long do you think our "National Service" will take? 5 years?"
To answer your qns. Yes there is a shortage of nurses in the country. I have a friend who's a nurse and works in a hospital. If there were more nurses, shift-work could be divided more evenly and thus lighten the burden for the current staff nurses in all the hospitals.
If women were to be drafted as nurses, they don't have to be trained in every area of medicine. They can be streamed, just as the men when drafted are streamed, no 1 NSF learns everything there is to learn. And to put it succintly, army medics are trained within months. The training is intensive but it can be done. 5 years is an overexageration.
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From: CHUA DINGHE,KEVIN
Date: 21/08/2003 01:03:00 AM
Topic: Re: National service.??
Let's put it this way, if our males citizens are being trusted with the responsibility to kill an enemy to defend our nation, all trained within the time span of 2.5yrs, I don't see why our females counterparts cannot be trained into qualified nurses within the same time frame (since we are emphasising on equality, at least in terms of our resonsibilities to the nation). Unless of course you regard killing another human being as being too trivial as compared to healing the sick and injured. Even military elites like the commandos and naval divers are being sourced out and trained from fresh recruits from scratch (and they are in no way inferior), so I don't see why females cannot be deployed in highly qualified areas within the medical field given the resources and proper training and regard it as their national service.
I recognise the modern role of a woman must take in our society also but that does not necessary mean they can shun away from the responsibility of serving the nation. Do spare a thought for the modern man as he has a role of his own to perform outside his service to the nation as well.
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May i know if there's any shortage of nurses here in Singapore? Moreover it takes quite a bit time to train a nurse. How long do you think our "National Service" will take? 5 years?
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Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 1:06 AM
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From: SEOW KIAN CHIEW
Date: 20/08/2003 11:00:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
Sinagpore is still now essentially a patriarchal country. This is evident from various aspects such as National Service policy, the Constitution and laws which is more favourable to women, wage differences between men and women, women representation in politics etc. All these is mainly due to Asian traditions and cultures which see men as leaders, protectors and defenders and women as care-givers.
I don't think it is now feasible to draft women into the armed forces in the near future as it may start an outcry in a still rather conservative society. It is interesting to note that in many other Asian countries which have NS such as Taiwan and South Korea, women are not drafted along with men while in western countries such as Israel and Switerland, women are treated on more equitable terms as men in terms of NS policy.
Feminists will certainly feel that the exemption of NS sort of relegate women to second-class citizens. Together with poor represenation of women in top sectors in both politics and the economy, they may feel that women are "othered" (to borrow a phrase from Simone Beavoir). As Singapore starts to get increasingly modernized and the feminist movement starts to take root in Singapore, there is possibilities that NS for women may happen in a few decades from now.
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Remark: owner edited this posting on 20/08/2003 11:10 PM
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From: SEOW KIAN CHIEW
Date: 20/08/2003 11:18:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
well, in response to Wanqi, women need not to be trained to become professional nurses. A good knowledege of first aid and emergency care in times of war will suffice. In fact, SAF medics are trained in abt three months if i am not wrong..
I think currently besides the cultural factors, logistic is also a problem to women serving NS. Already large parts of Singapore are demaracted as military camps and training area. If another half of the population are needed to serve NS, another large chunk of land must definitely be set aside which Singapore could ill-afford.
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Remark: owner edited this posting on 20/08/2003 11:31 PM
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From: CHOO YANPING
Date: 21/08/2003 12:12:00 AM
Topic: Re: National service.??
Hello,
I guess what u can say about NS is that, yes, it's true that it has the "purpose" of building up internal security and increase national identity. But, think of it this way, that is just a declared aim of National Service. I guess those who have been through NS would have some comments about what goes on behind the scenes of NS in terms of whether it helps to integrate the ethnicities or build up national identity.
That aside, is Singapore an equal society? I thought we were supposed to be a "democratic" country, where society should theoretically be more liberal? Or is the term 'equal' used correctly in the question then?
Lastly, on the issue of gender, I've always felt that the reason why NS was devoted mainly to guys was because females were needed to support the economy. In fact, if this reason was not mentioned before implementation, Lee would have passed out the law for both sexes to join NS. If an entire cohort of 18 yr olds were to go for NS, there would be a delay in time for the working population to maintain or improve the economy. But of course, if there's a solution to the problems like culture or land inadequacy as what Kian Chiew has said then NS for both sexes would be a possibility.
Yah, anyway, that's what I've gathered so far. Please feel free to make comments! =)
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National service had the purpose of building up a credible force to protect our country and at the same time help in the integration of the various races..Thus building up the national identity..
but, shouldn't the females be required to do the same? so that we can have better integration and ultimately a larger force? besides, shouldn't our society be based on equality??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 12:16 AM
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From: LIM YU-WEN,JOEL
Date: 21/08/2003 10:01:00 AM
Topic: Re: National service.??
"Lastly, on the issue of gender, I've always felt that the reason why NS was devoted mainly to guys was because females were needed to support the economy. In fact, if this reason was not mentioned before implementation, Lee would have passed out the law for both sexes to join NS. If an entire cohort of 18 yr olds were to go for NS, there would be a delay in time for the working population to maintain or improve the economy. But of course, if there's a solution to the problems like culture or land inadequacy as what Kian Chiew has said then NS for both sexes would be a possibility."
Interesting bit here about the economy. Personally, I'm not an economist, but isn't saying that the economy of Singapore is maintained or improve by ppl 18-21 of age quite a leap? I mean we have other people working. The senior citizens are also working now. Retirement ages are being increased. Meaning it is possible to still maintain/improve the economy with current resources. And there is a current job shortage now with unemployment and the likes. One would say that having women serve NS ( in the form of nursing) might in fact take the load of the economy during the lean times. And as mentioned earlier, solve the crisis of shortage of nurses or health careworkers. Remember it could also be in the form of social workers helping in homes for the handicapped, aged .. etc.
As for Lee ( I assume you meant SM Lee? ) Well things have changed from then. Time to review the original concept.
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From: LAW WANQI
Date: 21/08/2003 10:33:00 AM
Topic: Re: National service.??
Hi all, I also think that by sending the girls to "National Service" could possibly incurred a higher cost for the Government. This could simply result in some deficit in the Govt resources which could be detrimental to our economy esp in this period when the country's economy is not doing really well.Also, I agree with Yanping that by sending gals to NS could possibly cause a shortage of labour force which could have harmful effects towards Singapore's Economic growth. Our country's economy is already not doing well in these few years, by sending the whole cahoot of guys and girls for NS doesn't seem to help the economy, only worsen it. So I suppose the Govt would not implement the rule to send girls out to serve the country right now. We might have to wait for say 5-10 years time or maybe longer, who knows?
I feel that since NS is compulsory for all guys, I don't really sees that NS make them more loyal to their country or aids to build up a national identity among them. Some of my guy friends told me that in times of warfare, they would be the first to run,not say stay behind and defend the country. Since NS is mandatory, I think there is no 100% guarantee that all NS men who have been through NS will definitely feel more for Singapore, they may feel that it is more of a chore rather than a role that they should perform.Perhaps only a minority of guys would feel the opposite way, but how many will reciprocate to the real objective of NS?
By sending girls to learn basic first aid is not a bad idea, they can help out in the Army in times of war and for civil defence as well. Perhaps the Government could make first aid courses compulsory for females in Secondary Schools or Junior Colleges? Then at least the guys won't complain that life is unfair for them cos they have to serve the nation while girls can jus "shake legs" at home. Kekeke...
Tats my 2 cents worth of tots...
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Hello,
I guess what u can say about NS is that, yes, it's true that it has the "purpose" of building up internal security and increase national identity. But, think of it this way, that is just a declared aim of National Service. I guess those who have been through NS would have some comments about what goes on behind the scenes of NS in terms of whether it helps to integrate the ethnicities or build up national identity.
That aside, is Singapore an equal society? I thought we were supposed to be a "democratic" country, where society should theoretically be more liberal? Or is the term 'equal' used correctly in the question then?
Lastly, on the issue of gender, I've always felt that the reason why NS was devoted mainly to guys was because females were needed to support the economy. In fact, if this reason was not mentioned before implementation, Lee would have passed out the law for both sexes to join NS. If an entire cohort of 18 yr olds were to go for NS, there would be a delay in time for the working population to maintain or improve the economy. But of course, if there's a solution to the problems like culture or land inadequacy as what Kian Chiew has said then NS for both sexes would be a possibility.
Yah, anyway, that's what I've gathered so far. Please feel free to make comments! =)
-------------------------
National service had the purpose of building up a credible force to protect our country and at the same time help in the integration of the various races..Thus building up the national identity..
but, shouldn't the females be required to do the same? so that we can have better integration and ultimately a larger force? besides, shouldn't our society be based on equality??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 12:16 AM
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From: SEAH YI LING,ELAINE
Date: 21/08/2003 03:49:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
Whatever the arguments for or against national service, one can't deny the fact that Singapore society is gendered-constructed. There will always be dissent in one case or another.
I thought it a salient point raised about whether NS helps serve to construct an identity. It appears to be more in theory than in practice. It may be institionalised, but it is the people that make up the institution and it is often hard to really see what is going on behind people's minds. Ultimately it is the individual's choice, to be stayers or quitters when it comes to the crunch. Why, even an ang moh (who wrote the book Proud to be Singaporean or something along this line), is proud to be offered Singapore citizenship status and proud to be identified as a 'Singaporean'. I'm sure he didn't do NS. I guess identity is really something that is quite intangible and i woud think that NS doesn't so much as define an identity as help contribute to it.
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I feel that since NS is compulsory for all guys, I don't really sees that NS make them more loyal to their country or aids to build up a national identity among them. Some of my guy friends told me that in times of warfare, they would be the first to run,not say stay behind and defend the country. Since NS is mandatory, I think there is no 100% guarantee that all NS men who have been through NS will definitely feel more for Singapore, they may feel that it is more of a chore rather than a role that they should perform.Perhaps only a minority of guys would feel the opposite way, but how many will reciprocate to the real objective of NS?
-------------------------
I guess what u can say about NS is that, yes, it's true that it has the "purpose" of building up internal security and increase national identity. But, think of it this way, that is just a declared aim of National Service. I guess those who have been through NS would have some comments about what goes on behind the scenes of NS in terms of whether it helps to integrate the ethnicities or build up national identity.
That aside, is Singapore an equal society? I thought we were supposed to be a "democratic" country, where society should theoretically be more liberal? Or is the term 'equal' used correctly in the question then?
-------------------------
National service had the purpose of building up a credible force to protect our country and at the same time help in the integration of the various races..Thus building up the national identity..
but, shouldn't the females be required to do the same? so that we can have better integration and ultimately a larger force? besides, shouldn't our society be based on equality??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 12:16 AM
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Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 3:51 PM
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From: CHEONG PENG TAT
Date: 21/08/2003 03:50:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
National Security is everyone's responsiblity. Therefore women will have to play a part in total defence too. Since there has been so much movement on the equality of the sexes, should not women be given the fair chance to participate in national service too? (whether or not the process is enjoyable to them or not) Definitely, we should not expect the women to participate in physical activities like the men, but i am sure they can help out in the healthcare and administrative sectors. Serving national service is a experience that you will only know when you actually partipate in it. Therefore including the fairer sex in national service will allow them to develop a sense patrotism in them !
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From: TAN KIAT AN
Date: 21/08/2003 03:56:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
I don't think that should be a major point for consideration in reviewing long-term policies.There are always ups and downs in the economy and saying that it would increase the burden of the economy thru the implementation of such policies would not be justifiable. I mean, are we going to cut down the spending on internal security or reduce the government funding for tetiary education just because the economy is not doing well??
As these issues are long-termed and needs time to mature, changing it abruptly would be even more detrimental in the long run.
Regarding on the part on whether singaporeans( specifically the males) would stay on to protect the country in times of war, nobody knows..just as what the govt had asked singaporeans months ago: '' are you a stayer or quiter?""
I personally feel that most will stay. I mean, when you see a stranger trying to break into your house, would you go over and stop him or will you leave quickly upon seeing the person??
There are always many people who wil tell you that they will fled when war comes but would he bear to leave behind whatever he had build up over the many years and not at least put up a fight??
Just my personal tots.. feel free to comment...
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From: LIM YU-WEN,JOEL
Date: 21/08/2003 04:26:00 PM
Topic: Re: National service.??
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The economy is not doing well because there AREN'T enough jobs to go around as most companies are down sizing and not because we do not have enough workers. If that were the case, there wouldn't be unemployment now would there? So in fact by sending a whole cohort of males and females into service ( be it military or healthcare) might increase government spending in terms of salary, logistics. But it might also improve healthcare as nurses/health care workers won't be so tired due to long shifts, meaning better health care barring unforeseen circumstances.
-------------------------
Hello,
I guess what u can say about NS is that, yes, it's true that it has the "purpose" of building up internal security and increase national identity. But, think of it this way, that is just a declared aim of National Service. I guess those who have been through NS would have some comments about what goes on behind the scenes of NS in terms of whether it helps to integrate the ethnicities or build up national identity.
That aside, is Singapore an equal society? I thought we were supposed to be a "democratic" country, where society should theoretically be more liberal? Or is the term 'equal' used correctly in the question then?
Lastly, on the issue of gender, I've always felt that the reason why NS was devoted mainly to guys was because females were needed to support the economy. In fact, if this reason was not mentioned before implementation, Lee would have passed out the law for both sexes to join NS. If an entire cohort of 18 yr olds were to go for NS, there would be a delay in time for the working population to maintain or improve the economy. But of course, if there's a solution to the problems like culture or land inadequacy as what Kian Chiew has said then NS for both sexes would be a possibility.
Yah, anyway, that's what I've gathered so far. Please feel free to make comments! =)
-------------------------
National service had the purpose of building up a credible force to protect our country and at the same time help in the integration of the various races..Thus building up the national identity..
but, shouldn't the females be required to do the same? so that we can have better integration and ultimately a larger force? besides, shouldn't our society be based on equality??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remark: owner edited this posting on 21/08/2003 12:16 AM
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Whoo haa!!
Man I love to do online debates on the NUS forums.. Its so refreshing to just throw ideas and pts in the air and watch what happens. Also fun to rebutt people's points.. Keeps the mind sharp. Currently I'm having this debate abt "Women having to serve National Service"
Very interesting. Do YOU all think that women should serve and why? Remember it need not be in the military. Could also be service in the area of healthcare or socialwork.
I'll try to cut and paste the various pts here when the debate dies down.
Man I love to do online debates on the NUS forums.. Its so refreshing to just throw ideas and pts in the air and watch what happens. Also fun to rebutt people's points.. Keeps the mind sharp. Currently I'm having this debate abt "Women having to serve National Service"
Very interesting. Do YOU all think that women should serve and why? Remember it need not be in the military. Could also be service in the area of healthcare or socialwork.
I'll try to cut and paste the various pts here when the debate dies down.
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
Ok spoke too soon..
now the stupid blogspot is down.. all the blogs are down.. very odd.. dunno what they are doing also..
now the stupid blogspot is down.. all the blogs are down.. very odd.. dunno what they are doing also..
Finally it is up!!!
Darn blogger has been down for 2 days.. finally its up.. yay! can edit stuff :D
Darn blogger has been down for 2 days.. finally its up.. yay! can edit stuff :D
Monday, August 18, 2003
Before I forget
Thanks for the comments I got from people who've read my first attempt at a short story. So far 3 ppl have commented.. but all.. dunno why never leave comments here.. haha.. oh well.. nm duly noted from all.. also basically a background origin thingy for the story. its abt road rage or road bullies and how they get retribution? haha.. story is similar to something that I encountered a while back..
Thanks for the comments I got from people who've read my first attempt at a short story. So far 3 ppl have commented.. but all.. dunno why never leave comments here.. haha.. oh well.. nm duly noted from all.. also basically a background origin thingy for the story. its abt road rage or road bullies and how they get retribution? haha.. story is similar to something that I encountered a while back..
ITs Sunday
Just went to the Hillsongs concert today. Not bad. Very impressive. But one thing that is nagging me is that its not so much a service or worship session.. more like a worship concert.. personal opinion of course. all entitled to agree/disagree.. its a very concert feel to it. not that I've been to any concert. But was still about worshipping God I guess..albiet differently.. also like to add something from today's bible study.. basically how the songs we sing nowadays tend to focus more on the "I", "me" "my".. lots of the newer songs have a lot of self emphasis.. well I was thinking about it the whole day.. even during the concert.. basically I guess Hymns have better lyrics and more God centred but also partly because back then God was quite distant unlike how He is potrayed nowadays which is a personal God which has given rise to more "personal" worship songs. But I think its always good to have an even mix.. guess that's what was nagging me also.. Hillsongs had very few songs that were purely God centered.. The speaker we heard today during the Bible study was the speaker from last year's Go Forth Missions talk which talked abt Cat and Dog Theology.. which to summarise is cats are most believers who believe that God should/must do things for us, that the bible is basically about us.. where as dogs are like well real life dogs .. where they want to please God.. because they know that He is God. Also another thing is that God does things to bring Glory to Himself.. To glorify His name. Not to please us and do stuff for us. He isn't some vending machine or genie in a lamp. So like it was concluded, its not why we are disappointed with God at times but rather how we disappoint God more often than note..
hmm.. darn quite wordy..basically be more God centered in all aspects. Glorify Him. Because that's what we were made for.
Just went to the Hillsongs concert today. Not bad. Very impressive. But one thing that is nagging me is that its not so much a service or worship session.. more like a worship concert.. personal opinion of course. all entitled to agree/disagree.. its a very concert feel to it. not that I've been to any concert. But was still about worshipping God I guess..albiet differently.. also like to add something from today's bible study.. basically how the songs we sing nowadays tend to focus more on the "I", "me" "my".. lots of the newer songs have a lot of self emphasis.. well I was thinking about it the whole day.. even during the concert.. basically I guess Hymns have better lyrics and more God centred but also partly because back then God was quite distant unlike how He is potrayed nowadays which is a personal God which has given rise to more "personal" worship songs. But I think its always good to have an even mix.. guess that's what was nagging me also.. Hillsongs had very few songs that were purely God centered.. The speaker we heard today during the Bible study was the speaker from last year's Go Forth Missions talk which talked abt Cat and Dog Theology.. which to summarise is cats are most believers who believe that God should/must do things for us, that the bible is basically about us.. where as dogs are like well real life dogs .. where they want to please God.. because they know that He is God. Also another thing is that God does things to bring Glory to Himself.. To glorify His name. Not to please us and do stuff for us. He isn't some vending machine or genie in a lamp. So like it was concluded, its not why we are disappointed with God at times but rather how we disappoint God more often than note..
hmm.. darn quite wordy..basically be more God centered in all aspects. Glorify Him. Because that's what we were made for.
Friday, August 15, 2003
Week 1 has passed
First week has passed.. not too bad.. still alive.. but not really an accurate guage considering the longest day has been 4 hrs of lectures.. realised that morning lectures are super "siong".. need more sleep.. hopefully can sleep in a bit tomorrow. sunday is def out. Been quite a good week. Thursday played badminton for 1 hr with Vincent.. Man I need the exercise.. Friday (namely today) watched League of Extraordinary Gents with Lyndon, Mich, Kevin, Johnny and Marnchi.. not bad.. second time watching .. although given the first time was downloaded and a bootleg of a guy filming the movie in the cinema.. oh well my debt to my conscience is paid. :D
First week has passed.. not too bad.. still alive.. but not really an accurate guage considering the longest day has been 4 hrs of lectures.. realised that morning lectures are super "siong".. need more sleep.. hopefully can sleep in a bit tomorrow. sunday is def out. Been quite a good week. Thursday played badminton for 1 hr with Vincent.. Man I need the exercise.. Friday (namely today) watched League of Extraordinary Gents with Lyndon, Mich, Kevin, Johnny and Marnchi.. not bad.. second time watching .. although given the first time was downloaded and a bootleg of a guy filming the movie in the cinema.. oh well my debt to my conscience is paid. :D
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Eventful day of sorts
There was a murder in my faculty today. Nope I'm serious, this isn't the start of another short story. A lecturer from the engine fact was stabbed in the throat this morning by a fellow technician of the same fac. Still dunno who the victim was. Might have lectured me in year 1. Anyway another lady was slashed by the slasher too before he was arrested. Kinda scary and un-nerving if you think about, considering that I was thinking of going over to the admin block (where the murder was committed) to draw money in order to buy notes at that exact moment but decided to borrow from my fren because I was too lazy to walk all the way to admin block. I might be making a mountain out of a mole hill, but I'm quite thankful that I didn't go over. My fren actually saw the female victim bleeding when he was waiting outside the LT for a fren.
Scary eh...
There was a murder in my faculty today. Nope I'm serious, this isn't the start of another short story. A lecturer from the engine fact was stabbed in the throat this morning by a fellow technician of the same fac. Still dunno who the victim was. Might have lectured me in year 1. Anyway another lady was slashed by the slasher too before he was arrested. Kinda scary and un-nerving if you think about, considering that I was thinking of going over to the admin block (where the murder was committed) to draw money in order to buy notes at that exact moment but decided to borrow from my fren because I was too lazy to walk all the way to admin block. I might be making a mountain out of a mole hill, but I'm quite thankful that I didn't go over. My fren actually saw the female victim bleeding when he was waiting outside the LT for a fren.
Scary eh...
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Epilogue
The drive back was uneventful. This time he noticed that there were other cars driving about now. It was as if the whole incident never happened. He reached home, parked his car and took the lift up. He unlocked the door and before he closed the door, he heard a raspy voice say “What took you so long?”
And Edward could only think, at least I won’t have to worry about the proposal being rejected again.
Ok now.. so how was that? This is the first story I've actually finished. Hope it wasn't too cheesy and stuff. I actually intended to add more stuff.. especially characterisation for the Edward's character but then I realised that since this is a short story and I didn't really like the Edward's character so oh well..
I think I need work on facial descriptions too..
Anyway leave comments. I need the critique.
The drive back was uneventful. This time he noticed that there were other cars driving about now. It was as if the whole incident never happened. He reached home, parked his car and took the lift up. He unlocked the door and before he closed the door, he heard a raspy voice say “What took you so long?”
And Edward could only think, at least I won’t have to worry about the proposal being rejected again.
Ok now.. so how was that? This is the first story I've actually finished. Hope it wasn't too cheesy and stuff. I actually intended to add more stuff.. especially characterisation for the Edward's character but then I realised that since this is a short story and I didn't really like the Edward's character so oh well..
I think I need work on facial descriptions too..
Anyway leave comments. I need the critique.
Part 3
Then he thought of an idea. He decided he wasn’t going to run from the black car, that he was going to stand up to the driver of the black car. He left the idea at that. Then he focused intently on the road in front. Since the driver of the black car was somehow able to read his thoughts, he decided to focus his thoughts on something else while executing his plan. He floored the accelerator and watched as the needle hit 120 and higher. At this speed, it would be impossible for him to make any sharp turns, he could only drive straight. He took a glance at the rearview mirror. The black car had sped up too, and was no longer just keeping pace with Edward, it was gaining quickly and soon it was beside Edward’s car. The windows of the car were black. Similar to the kind used by celebrities who want to avoid attention. However there was something unusual about it. It did not appear to reflect the streetlights off it, as if the ebon windows themselves were some sort of black hole.
Edward wound down his car window and shouted at the black car. “Why are you doing this to me? I already apologized. What more do you want from me?” Then the window of the black car came down and he saw the driver of the black car.
The driver had silver hair. It was combed back and curled upwards at the nape of his neck. He had a very long face which gave him bird-like features. Then he flashed a grin at Edward. His teeth were stained and jagged, and Edward thought he saw things squirming in his mouth. The driver then said “ I want you.” Then he licked his lips with his black tongue that looked like a leech.
“Oh yeah?!” Edward shouted back, his body juiced up with adrenalin “Well GO TO HELL!” and he suddenly pulled his hand brake which caused his car to spin and he stopped it after it spun 180 degrees and quickly sped off into the nearest lane. The driver of the black car looked stunned. Edward glanced back and saw that he lost the black car. And then he threw his handphone out the window. “I can get a new phone tomorrow. Right now I just want to go home and sleep.”
Then he thought of an idea. He decided he wasn’t going to run from the black car, that he was going to stand up to the driver of the black car. He left the idea at that. Then he focused intently on the road in front. Since the driver of the black car was somehow able to read his thoughts, he decided to focus his thoughts on something else while executing his plan. He floored the accelerator and watched as the needle hit 120 and higher. At this speed, it would be impossible for him to make any sharp turns, he could only drive straight. He took a glance at the rearview mirror. The black car had sped up too, and was no longer just keeping pace with Edward, it was gaining quickly and soon it was beside Edward’s car. The windows of the car were black. Similar to the kind used by celebrities who want to avoid attention. However there was something unusual about it. It did not appear to reflect the streetlights off it, as if the ebon windows themselves were some sort of black hole.
Edward wound down his car window and shouted at the black car. “Why are you doing this to me? I already apologized. What more do you want from me?” Then the window of the black car came down and he saw the driver of the black car.
The driver had silver hair. It was combed back and curled upwards at the nape of his neck. He had a very long face which gave him bird-like features. Then he flashed a grin at Edward. His teeth were stained and jagged, and Edward thought he saw things squirming in his mouth. The driver then said “ I want you.” Then he licked his lips with his black tongue that looked like a leech.
“Oh yeah?!” Edward shouted back, his body juiced up with adrenalin “Well GO TO HELL!” and he suddenly pulled his hand brake which caused his car to spin and he stopped it after it spun 180 degrees and quickly sped off into the nearest lane. The driver of the black car looked stunned. Edward glanced back and saw that he lost the black car. And then he threw his handphone out the window. “I can get a new phone tomorrow. Right now I just want to go home and sleep.”
Part 2
He frantically replied to the sms with one hand, the other hand keeping the steering wheel steady. “Who r u?” After sending the message, he looked up at his rear view mirror. The black car was still on his tail, but it had slowed down to a constant speed, it was as if the driver of the black car, didn’t want to catch up with him. Not yet anyway. The reply came shortly “I am someone you shouldn’t have messed with.”
Edward started to panic. He felt his body stiffen. He replied “How did u gt hold of my no?” At the same time, he tried to think of a way to escape from the black car. The road was clear (which was a good thing before) but now proved to be Edward’s undoing. He could not hope to escape the black car by weaving in and out of traffic. And there were no small roads that he dared to drive into for fear that it might lead to a dead end. And as luck would have it, there were no traffic police patrolling this night. And he dared not stop for fear of what would happen to him if he did.
Another message came. “It’s easy. It comes to me when I concentrate on something, Edward.” And before Edward could reply, another message arrived. “And right now, you have all my attention. So you headed back to your apartment?” and yet another message arrived. “Or are you trying to find out how to ditch me? Well I could always go and find Jess. I’m sure she’ll lead me to you.”
Edward felt his blood turn cold. He decided to talk to the driver of the black car personally. He dialed the number. However instead of a dial tone, he got an automated reply saying “The number you dialed is not a valid number.”
He then replied to the sms“ Look, I’m really sorry. I was hvg a really bad day & decided to hve sme fun & take it out on u. Nthg personal”
The reply came quickly. “ Well I’m having fun now. And it is personal. =).” Normally a smiley face would be reassuring, but in this case, it gave the message an eerie feel.
“Look,” Edward replied “I made a mistake. How can I make it up to you?” This time there was no reply. “Hello?” Still no reply. He looked at his rearview mirror. The black car was still there. He was now thinking how to get out of this predicament. He had more than enough fuel to drive round the country 2 more times, however how long could he keep this up? And he had a hunch the black car didn’t have to re-fuel.
He frantically replied to the sms with one hand, the other hand keeping the steering wheel steady. “Who r u?” After sending the message, he looked up at his rear view mirror. The black car was still on his tail, but it had slowed down to a constant speed, it was as if the driver of the black car, didn’t want to catch up with him. Not yet anyway. The reply came shortly “I am someone you shouldn’t have messed with.”
Edward started to panic. He felt his body stiffen. He replied “How did u gt hold of my no?” At the same time, he tried to think of a way to escape from the black car. The road was clear (which was a good thing before) but now proved to be Edward’s undoing. He could not hope to escape the black car by weaving in and out of traffic. And there were no small roads that he dared to drive into for fear that it might lead to a dead end. And as luck would have it, there were no traffic police patrolling this night. And he dared not stop for fear of what would happen to him if he did.
Another message came. “It’s easy. It comes to me when I concentrate on something, Edward.” And before Edward could reply, another message arrived. “And right now, you have all my attention. So you headed back to your apartment?” and yet another message arrived. “Or are you trying to find out how to ditch me? Well I could always go and find Jess. I’m sure she’ll lead me to you.”
Edward felt his blood turn cold. He decided to talk to the driver of the black car personally. He dialed the number. However instead of a dial tone, he got an automated reply saying “The number you dialed is not a valid number.”
He then replied to the sms“ Look, I’m really sorry. I was hvg a really bad day & decided to hve sme fun & take it out on u. Nthg personal”
The reply came quickly. “ Well I’m having fun now. And it is personal. =).” Normally a smiley face would be reassuring, but in this case, it gave the message an eerie feel.
“Look,” Edward replied “I made a mistake. How can I make it up to you?” This time there was no reply. “Hello?” Still no reply. He looked at his rearview mirror. The black car was still there. He was now thinking how to get out of this predicament. He had more than enough fuel to drive round the country 2 more times, however how long could he keep this up? And he had a hunch the black car didn’t have to re-fuel.
Part 1
It had been a long day at work, all Edward wanted to do was to get back to his apartment, take a nice hot shower and just call it a night. On the way to the car park, he thought back on the events of the day. First his alarm clock failed to go off thus making him late for work, then his manager was on his back all day regarding the project proposal. The proposal was actually all ready for submission but the half-wits up in the higher levels of the company decided to implement some last minute “changes”, and like all good hierarchies, the effect trickled down to Edward’s manager and unto Edward himself. It was because of the last minute changes that Edward had to stay in the office way after office hours had ended. It was also because of the last minute changes that he had to cancel his date with Jess. He had been looking forward to having dinner with her all day, the only bright spark in a day of gloom and darkness. However things didn’t turn out as planned. All he wanted now was to go home.
The drive home was quite smooth. Everyone was back in their warm and comfy homes unlike him. Edward then decided he wanted to reach home fast and since traffic was light, he decided to ignore speed limits and such. So there he was, going at 120 on a 60 km per hour road. And oddly enough, stopping at the occasional red light. Blasting on his radio was his own cd compilation of heavy rock songs or as he liked to call it, “Stuff to listen to when it’s a bad day”. It felt good. As if the loud music had this therapeutic effect on him. All was good until he encountered a black volkswagon beetle of sorts. The reason why he could not be sure that it was a volkswagon was because it didn’t have the usual markings of a volkswagon beetle. In fact the only reason why the name volkswagon beetle came to mind was because of its small size. Anyway there it was moving at what Edward estimated to be 20km/h ( a gross exaggeration on his part anyway) and hogging 2 lanes. Edward decided to have some fun and at the same time vent some of his day’s frustrations on this unfortunate driver.
He stepped on his accelerator and proceeded to tailgate the pseudo-volkswagon. He horned at the car, he flashed his headlights, but nothing seemed to faze the driver of the pseudo-volkswagon. The driver (and car) were still tottering along the road. So he decided to pull off a last ditch daring stunt. He overtook the black car and went in front of it. Then he suddenly stepped on his foot brake, bringing his car to a sudden stop. This finally brought about a reaction from the black car. The car stopped abruptly too.
“Hyuk hyuk” Edward chuckled to himself and stepped on his accelerator and sped off. “Now that was fun.” Then Edward heard a familiar beep that indicated he had just received an sms. He checked his phone and there was an unfamiliar number. “Hmm probably a wrong number” he thought, but he checked it anyway.
It read “Look behind you” He looked up to see his rear-view mirror and saw the headlights of the black car. It had caught up with him somehow and it was now no longer moving at 20km/h. He checked his own speedometer. He was traveling at 100km/h and the car behind him was slowly catching up…
It had been a long day at work, all Edward wanted to do was to get back to his apartment, take a nice hot shower and just call it a night. On the way to the car park, he thought back on the events of the day. First his alarm clock failed to go off thus making him late for work, then his manager was on his back all day regarding the project proposal. The proposal was actually all ready for submission but the half-wits up in the higher levels of the company decided to implement some last minute “changes”, and like all good hierarchies, the effect trickled down to Edward’s manager and unto Edward himself. It was because of the last minute changes that Edward had to stay in the office way after office hours had ended. It was also because of the last minute changes that he had to cancel his date with Jess. He had been looking forward to having dinner with her all day, the only bright spark in a day of gloom and darkness. However things didn’t turn out as planned. All he wanted now was to go home.
The drive home was quite smooth. Everyone was back in their warm and comfy homes unlike him. Edward then decided he wanted to reach home fast and since traffic was light, he decided to ignore speed limits and such. So there he was, going at 120 on a 60 km per hour road. And oddly enough, stopping at the occasional red light. Blasting on his radio was his own cd compilation of heavy rock songs or as he liked to call it, “Stuff to listen to when it’s a bad day”. It felt good. As if the loud music had this therapeutic effect on him. All was good until he encountered a black volkswagon beetle of sorts. The reason why he could not be sure that it was a volkswagon was because it didn’t have the usual markings of a volkswagon beetle. In fact the only reason why the name volkswagon beetle came to mind was because of its small size. Anyway there it was moving at what Edward estimated to be 20km/h ( a gross exaggeration on his part anyway) and hogging 2 lanes. Edward decided to have some fun and at the same time vent some of his day’s frustrations on this unfortunate driver.
He stepped on his accelerator and proceeded to tailgate the pseudo-volkswagon. He horned at the car, he flashed his headlights, but nothing seemed to faze the driver of the pseudo-volkswagon. The driver (and car) were still tottering along the road. So he decided to pull off a last ditch daring stunt. He overtook the black car and went in front of it. Then he suddenly stepped on his foot brake, bringing his car to a sudden stop. This finally brought about a reaction from the black car. The car stopped abruptly too.
“Hyuk hyuk” Edward chuckled to himself and stepped on his accelerator and sped off. “Now that was fun.” Then Edward heard a familiar beep that indicated he had just received an sms. He checked his phone and there was an unfamiliar number. “Hmm probably a wrong number” he thought, but he checked it anyway.
It read “Look behind you” He looked up to see his rear-view mirror and saw the headlights of the black car. It had caught up with him somehow and it was now no longer moving at 20km/h. He checked his own speedometer. He was traveling at 100km/h and the car behind him was slowly catching up…
New use for this blogging space
It's been a while since I blogged on my other blog and even longer since I've use this one.. last time I tried to use this I nearly killed my computer.. but hopefully it works better this time now
Well tentatively I will use this to just write short stories albiet what my friend michelle does on hers now and then. :D
It's been a while since I blogged on my other blog and even longer since I've use this one.. last time I tried to use this I nearly killed my computer.. but hopefully it works better this time now
Well tentatively I will use this to just write short stories albiet what my friend michelle does on hers now and then. :D
