Monday, January 31, 2011
I don't need words, I need action
lowtide blogged @
12:07 am
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Don't be surprised if I become mad some day
You know sometime back when I was still studying and staying at NUS, I use to take long journey buses, like to Bedok for home and Katong for tuition.
And I used to see some weird/crazy people on buses. The most vivid one is actually the auntie who will stamp both her feet loudly on the bus floor. The bus uncle actually thought some engine parts exploded/spoilt that he stopped the bus and checked it, until I pointed out to him that it was that auntie who stamped her feet loudly on the bus floor.
She has this straight-looking dazed look in her eye. And upon alighting the bus, she will keep pointing and grumbling to thin air, seemingly to complain about some people in her work and her stress. Even when she crossed the road from Kent Ridge Terminal.
And what's the most frightening part? I can feel myself gradually getting to that level. Now, I can get easily irritated over the seemingly the smallest things. Especially in situations of over-crowdedness.
One, Public Transport. I get extremely irritated by the crazy squeeze, and even more so against people whom in this context, made things much worse. I can list them down easily.
- The person (usually an auntie) who has a lot of 'swinging' stuff, e.g. side-sling bags, shopping bags etc who does not realise their bags are actually knocking into my legs. And keep banging on the back of my knees.
- The person who wants to get pass you to the exit, but his/her mouth got *****, he/she can't say 'excuse me.' He/she has to 'hint' you by again using the same tactic: use his/her bags to bang the back of your knees to ask you to make way. Is saying 'excuse me' so damn hard?
- The person who keeps fidgeting on the seat, can't sit still. Have to move his/her elbows in and out of the pockets to check his/her handphone every 5 seconds. Elbows you, swings the whole row of seats, vibrates the floor in the process. Hello? Do you have scorpions in your underwear or what? And if you need to use your handphone constantly, why put it back into the pocket in the first place?
- The person who coughs/squeezes/yawns openly, without ever attempting to cover his/her mouth. You feel some wind flying into your face or into your hair. Seriously.
- The person (usually old) who keep making that lip-gum twitching voice. Seriously can anyone with a little knowledge of biology tell me what function does that action ( + sound) perform? Other than to irritate people?
Two. Right at home. Family members who choose to start unpacking their goods when all is quiet from 10-11pm onwards. You want some peace and quiet after a hard day at work, you can't get. Family members who talk loudly at home despite knowing that there are people already sleeping. Family members slamming the door in and out, in and out.
At the beautiful seating area downstairs brought about by the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, people sit there at 1-2am. Talking loudly, with the voices resonating to the rest of the capark, affecting at least 2 blocks of residents. Not just your typical guitar-playing you-know-whos. Also the uncles with their deep, piercing, distance-travelling voices.
Things got so bad that at the void deck of my house 2 days ago, the you-know-whos talked and laughed loudly at my house even when it was 12-plus. I couldn't get into sleep with their constant loud laughters. I lived at 10th floor and I could still hear them. For the first time, I whipped out my iPhone, checked the Bedok Police Station's number, and called the police to chase them away. Hope this will serve a lesson to them, and the residents of our 2 blocks will get less of such nonsense now.
Really. I become so easily irritated now, and I'm swallowing all the anger. It does not help that even people near me refuse to listen to me, and all I say is like shit in a shit pile - worthless. Anger swallowed after anger, I'm afraid one day I will just snap, and become that auntie I've mentioned.
The worse thing is, in this society you're not allowed to show your anger. Being angry means you're a baddie, you're uncool. When in the first place you talk calmly about your displeasures, people don't listen. And you're not allowed to get angry too.
So end result? You swallow until someday you snap.
And become that auntie in question. For more serious cases, become a registered resident of hougang chalet.
But will people listen to you? Na, "being themselves" is more important than caring for you, a pathetic little stranger. You can go crazy for all I care, "being myself" is an absolute non-mover.
lowtide blogged @
1:02 pm
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Caught
Of course, life is always full of dilemmas. Ideally we'll want something that is challenging yet not too tough to make us collapse, something we're good at yet we can learn everyday, something that stimulates our senses yet does not stress us, making us feel bad. Something that pays to the maximum of our potential yet does not take out the maximum of our time, something with great energetic colleagues who can be friends yet does not provide stiff competition for promotion, something that allows you to travel out of the office but does not require you to use any labour. Or something which allows you to travel out of the country but does not make you miss home.
Yes, IDEALLY.
How we navigate and compromise through these 'ideals' depends on your personal utility function and recognition of the constraints. We love money yet we also love free time. We love capable colleagues yet we also love to be the best amongst peers. We love stimulating work yet we also love to slack mentally.
Are there jobs which fulfils all the ideals? Yes definitely, but I guess it's really bloody damn hard to find.
I'm glad I kinda know my utility function and the compromise I'm willing to make, but of course deep down we're trained to look for the imperfections rather than what you already have. Deep down the want to 'run' faster than others to make up for what I'm lagging, yet understanding that nothing can be brought into the coffin and there is no point having time to earn money but no time to spend that. And of course your health, mental health and time with your loved ones, who probably wouldn't be around much longer.
Personal pride vs Personal contentment.
Material Satisfaction vs Overall Well-being.
Not easy, not easy, but life's too short to be caught up with all these.
lowtide blogged @
10:04 pm
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Factors of production
The rise of communism was brought about by the war between the bourgeoisie and the poletariat, basically people who own the factors of production and people who are the factors of production, basically owners v.s. workers.
That was a time when there was a huge surplus of labour, resulting in wages on a race to the bottom, with workers paid 'subsistence wages', money just enough to let them survive. Nothing more, nothing less.
That was a time of disgruntlement, and people had enough of working so damn hard just to make enough to survive. Work was just to buy food to power the body, so the body can continue to work and suffer. Utterly meaningless.
That was a time when people who own resources were laughing their ways into the banks, as the high revenue together with bare minimum costs meant huge profits.
Basically, that was a time when winners take all, and losers have no shit left.
The current times are gradually resembling those times. Looking at the auntie, who, crouching her back everyday, clears our office trash bins everyday, cleaning the toilet diligently while smiling at us when we walk past. The office people, supposedly educated and working in an air-conditioned, comfortable environment, cannot even use the toilets like human beings to make her job easier.
Is the auntie's worth to society much much much lower than us? Is the auntie's job way way way easier than us? Is working on a crouching body, all 85 years of it, for more than 8 hours per day, bearing all these dirt and stench left by these animals, worth only $400 per month? If that is not 'subsistence wages', what is? What does the sterling 14%-16% GDP growth mean to her?
For people who bought land, houses and properties while there were slightly rich many years ago, they have really struck it. With increasing 'average' purchasing power, retailers are able to sell at increasing prices to consumers. With increasing prices, lessees are able to charge increasing rents to tenants retailers. With increasing rents, lessors are able to sell their properties at increasing prices to lessees.
Who profits?
Lessors who sell the properties at higher prices. Lessees who rent their properties at higher rentals. Powerful retailers who are able to increase revenue faster than their rents. People who are owners of the factors of production.
Who loses?
People who are the factors of production. The worker/consumer who faces increasing prices. The retailer who faces increasing rents. If your income can't keep up with the increased prices, good luck to you. If your revenue can't keep up with the increased rent, good luck to you.
All these are scarily similiar to those times. The 'haves' having it all, and the 'have nots' having nothing at all. The people who own the factors of production laughing their ways into the banks, while people who are the factors of production churning their tired bodies along.
Take a look at these happy lessors and lessees. And take a look at these struggling retailers and workers.
The divide is getting wider, day by day..
lowtide blogged @
10:16 pm
