Good System? Bad System?

It has been a long while since I had written here. I have been very busy and I foresee even more so for the following days or weeks. However, I decide to write this piece because I need to anchor my thoughts to some point in the universe, lest my mind wonders and I cannot focus my work.

There have been some critical articles and commentaries on Singapore's political and education environments or systems, most notably Joanne Leow's Journalism and Jiujitsu and those about the sad news of a 11-year-old boy’s suicide due to exam and parental stress.

It kinds of made me question: Is Singapore really this bad? Has it always been bad or has it turned bad? Have we adopted a bad system or has the model turned on us? Do we really need to change the system or is there a better system to go to?

It bothered be a bit for a while. Then it dawned on me. There is no such thing as a good or bad system. There is only a balanced or unbalanced system. A balanced system is one that benefits most people, not just an elite few.

Our political system has been a one to find a balance in pushing directed policies to improve our standard of living versus accommodating ideas and emotions from everyone on the ground. And our education system is one that balances absorbing knowhow that directly impacts our economy versus knowledge that liberates our environment.

A balanced system can in time becomes unbalanced and vice versa. So it needs taking time to tweak whatever system we have got. In a time when we no longer have any blueprints to follow or role models to emulate, we just have to hold on to what we have now and start tweaking.

Hopefully Singaporeans can find the patience to do that and not just be critical, resigned, or contented to the place that is so small yet is a home to so many people...

《麻将》

东南西北中发白
一直等你的到来

梅兰菊竹一同栽
春夏秋冬就不开

万紫千红一色彩
蓝筒青索我不爱

四喜三元没大牌
一吃一碰胡小台

《獨自出走》

望著前方上坡的斜路

用那蹣跚步伐堅持爬

彷彿妳就在高處   揮舞著雙手
用笑容鼓勵   我不放棄繼續追逐

面著一望無際的大海

才知世界是如此遼闊

彷彿妳就在遠處   等待我回家

告訴妳我要帶妳去的地方

我獨自出走著   在孤單的旅途

陌生的街道   陌生的人   隻身在漫步

獨自出走著   在遙遠的國度

我看到四季變換中的妳

有如春花般   柔和又婉奕

走過無數千山和萬水

還是沒能把思念放下

彷彿妳就在此處   一路上陪伴

只想彼此依賴分享未來的生活

回到逃避不了的時候

我依舊對伊人有愛戀

可是妳卻在別處   冷漠的回應

沒有表示就是最好的拒絕

我獨自出走著   在孤單的旅途

熟悉的街道   熟悉的人   寂寞的腳步

獨自出走著   回到原來的家

我把四季的妳埋在心裡

有如秋葉般   只留在苑林

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