tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post8514266462442674808..comments2024-03-18T10:55:52.127-07:00Comments on Wink <br>and the world surprises you: Financially poor but academically above average Singapore studentsWinking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-60656799102701138142012-02-16T18:12:35.072-08:002012-02-16T18:12:35.072-08:00Hi Xianlong,
Thanks for visiting and commenting ...Hi Xianlong, <br /><br />Thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog again.<br /><br />Uni degree is so not useful as one progress further in life, because one would have one's network, work experience and other life achievements to open doors. When one first step into the job market, one needs something for that foot-in-the-door. <br /><br />In Singapore 20 years ago, the easiest door opener was a degree/diploma in a relevant field. At least that was my experience and I believe many of my peers. IMHO, many of my peers felt that their lives improved as a result of past policies, so they still buy the "be grateful" tune and swallow the dominant political party's bullshit. My ex-colleague is one such example. You can see our FB exchange on the url below.<br />http://winkingdoll.blogspot.com/2011/05/facebook-one-citizen-sheep-attempts-to.htmlWinking Dollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-29397343079915496512012-02-16T10:40:58.353-08:002012-02-16T10:40:58.353-08:00I also consider Uni degrees as toilet paper. This ...I also consider Uni degrees as toilet paper. This mindset has alienated me from main stream society as 'they' consider me a loser.<br /><br />I was deemed a failure by an unknown marker in UK during 'o" levels when i got D7 for my english. I got B3 during my prelim. How it plunged from B to a failure D is still a mystery to me till this day.<br /><br />I went to poly since JCs don't accept failures in english- D7 already pull down entry score a lot.<br /><br />Being deem a failure by someone i never met means i cannot write on my blog? Do readers care about my english? Is my fate decided by that unknown sucker? No, my fate is decided by the free market. Nobody gives a shit what english grade Lucky Tan got either.Xianlonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18126812922321444916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-6750704060255879352011-11-24T13:49:29.690-08:002011-11-24T13:49:29.690-08:00http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/changin...http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/changing-rules-for-success.html?ref=magazine<br /><br />The average Sinkee should read that and weep.<br /><br />And to answer your questions:<br /><br />1. No, none of my posts are directed at you. You're an atypical Singaporean and I celebrate atypical-ness.<br /><br />2. I don't have a definition of what is an ah beng or an lian, only that you'll know one when you see one! If LIFT calls himself an beng (in one of his recent posts), then there's nothing you can use to properly define one.CKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-87131015665577589452011-11-22T01:43:03.358-08:002011-11-22T01:43:03.358-08:00Hi CK,
If you're hitting directly at me, that...Hi CK,<br /><br />If you're hitting directly at me, that I'm not streetwise, just say so lah! Don't need to beat about the bush or hit at the average Singaporean. I would readily admit that I'm not the sharpest tack when it comes to being streetwise -- I even told a young colleague recently that I admire her street-smarts even though I'm almost twice her age. That said, I am lucky in that I have friends who come through for me when I need help. It makes me happy and grateful to have all this wonderful social support in my life.<br /><br />Back to your statement, I don't know your definition of "ah beng" and "ah lian". Unless and until you define the terms...<br />e.g. "ah lian = bo tak chek = no O-levels", <br />your sweeping statement is merely an opinion which can neither be proven or disproved. In other words, it is "empty talk" 口说无凭 ["mouth speaks without evidence"]. <br />If you would kindly define what you mean by "ah beng", "ah lian" and "streetwise", then we have some basis on which to discuss further using empirical proof or observational counter-example to disprove.Winking Dollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-22911061706062683252011-11-21T15:26:25.104-08:002011-11-21T15:26:25.104-08:00I like how you're getting defensive. ;)
The t...I like how you're getting defensive. ;)<br /><br />The truth hurts.CKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-41077330939016074572011-11-21T15:06:04.366-08:002011-11-21T15:06:04.366-08:00Hi CK,
I wouldn't comment on your opinion sin...Hi CK,<br /><br />I wouldn't comment on your opinion since I don't know your precise definition for "ah bengs", "ah lians", and "streetwise". <br /><br />In general though, sweeping statements using "only" and "always" often find themselves contradicted by the appearance of a single counter-example.Winking Dollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-78565204003249220292011-11-21T15:03:21.409-08:002011-11-21T15:03:21.409-08:00Hi LIFT,
Thanks for dropping by to read my blog a...Hi LIFT,<br /><br />Thanks for dropping by to read my blog and commenting. Yeah, I agree with you about the streetwise part. Some people in North America still think that Singapore is some ulu village in China.<br /><br />In my case, 20+ years ago, somewhere during the panel interview, I explained that my parents have 5 children, all of whom were expected to make it to the university (and all were indeed offered local university places). As family resources are limited, (and given the paternalistic norms) female offsprings and the elder siblings are expected to give up their chance if we could not obtain money for our own education. I was the second in the family to be offered a place in the local university, after my elder sister who opted for a bursary-with-bond to pay her way through university. As a female offspring, it was either I get the loan or I start my working career. So later when the panel asked me the final question, again about what would happen if I did not get a loan, I felt desperate and exasperated that they did not understand that my situation. Anyway, it seems that my spontaneous outburst worked, they stopped asking me further questions and told me to wait for a letter on their decision.Winking Dollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-37059705924532068572011-11-21T12:33:49.782-08:002011-11-21T12:33:49.782-08:00Only ah bengs and ah lians are streetwise. The ave...Only ah bengs and ah lians are streetwise. The average Sinkee is a dumb fuck when there are no 10 year series to refer to.CKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-30548504306425837052011-11-21T02:48:35.821-08:002011-11-21T02:48:35.821-08:00Hi WD. Nice post. All I can say is that I was luck...Hi WD. Nice post. All I can say is that I was lucky enough that back in the 90s, my university still had Singapore on the list of 'developing Commonwealth countries' thus I was able to get a scholarship on that basis. As you've probably figured out by now, I'm quite good at learning the rules of a system, finding loopholes and exploiting it ... so when I did the interviews, yeah I really played on the fact that my father came from a small village in Malaysia and I kept using that to paint the image of an idyllic kampong with palm trees by the beach - rather than Orchard Road as we know it. I guess the bottom line is this: one needs more than sheer academic excellence to get through life - you need to be streetwise.Limpeh Foreign Talenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14608910232359247437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-58973871884408722632011-11-21T02:16:39.513-08:002011-11-21T02:16:39.513-08:00Hi CK,
Thanks for visiting and commenting. I woul...Hi CK,<br /><br />Thanks for visiting and commenting. I would agree with you on "screw the university education" in the context of the current Singapore economy, i.e. from 2000's onwards.<br /><br />20+ years ago, in the late 1980's and early 1990's, Singapore was a very different place. The cost-benefit analysis tilted heavily towards getting a university education as a quick and easy way for a financially poor student to break out of poverty. At least it has paid-off pretty well in my case.<br /><br />Things are very different now, of course, given the impact of Singapore's open door policies towards foreign workers. Add to that the current global economic instability and the growth of internet culture, I would agree that the rules of survival is now drastically different.Winking Dollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-17856282656326511642011-11-21T00:44:39.916-08:002011-11-21T00:44:39.916-08:00I would say screw the university education. Why pa...I would say screw the university education. Why pay for extra education when you can't be sure you'll have a job after it? Look at the US and Europe and see how screwed their graduates are. They are already calling them the lost generation.<br /><br />Fucking Asians have to grow a brain to realise that university is not worth the cost-benefit analysis, and grow a pair so that they'll have the balls not to follow the crowd.CKnoreply@blogger.com