I just came back from dinner at Nando's with two friends. Just found out not long ago that my house area has a few nice restaurants! Dunkirk isn't that ulu afterall :) There's even a cinema that's about a 15 min walk away only!
Anyway, over dinner we got talking about the schools that we've been to, us being all from Singapore. We've more or less had similar education... from Dunman, Raffles Girls.. Hwa Chong, Victoria, Raffles.. despite the seemingly huge differences between these institutions, we're able to relate to each other very well. Started talking about how good and bad each of our experiences were in those schools.. how we felt when we 1st went in..the "culture" shocks, the adjustment, how stupid some of us thought the orientation activities were (but mainly because the very same ones are introverts by nature).. and the strict discipline in a particular school that moulded the students into conformers. Somehow the distinction became a 华校 versus English School type of teachings. How the chinese schools tended to be more traditional, less open to new ideas, strict and less vocal, whilst the english schools were the liberal ones. But then, we also had a stereotype of 华校生 being more down to earth, connected to the heart-landers, humble, nice, whilst the english educated being too faw away and sometimes give the impression of being cocky n arrogant. Note the word "stereotype".. this by no means is pointing fingers at any group of people who may fall into one of those category. In fact, im a cross-over myself.
It's quite refreshing discussing about these education issues.. all of us being experts in the field.. each of us having our own theory of what's our ideal school to be like. Just like how psychology is a course which most of us can relate too.. it is afterall a course about US, HUMANS.
Rewinding back to yesterday, my fren from Boston came to visit. It was really nice chatting and talking to him. We spoke about all sorts of topics.. and it was quite a pleasant surprise to know that he is grappling with issues and questions that i am currently facing. It's nice to know that im not the only one out there feeling confused about the questions and not knowing what the right answers are. At the end of the day, i know i can't ever convince everyone to my way of thinking/belief, but as long as i am convinced myself, and i don't find myself contradicting everytime the issues crop up in thought/discussions, then i think i would have found my answer to the questions. I know i have reached the point where i can't kid myself to continue in old ways, that i need the courage to face up to what i think is right and should be the way. 21 years old. The beginning of a new kind of life. The kind where i have to make my own decisions, and be able to justify myself.
But i still wish for the "hobbit" way of life, where people are happy-go-lucky, cheerful and busk in songs and dance and food, and most importantly being peaceful folks. No matter what, that's what i want to strive for! It's important to live in a harmonious and secure society.. it's very very important to me.
Back to tonight's discussion about the schools that we went to, i want to give credit again to Raffles Junior College. For it taught me how to believe in myself, to believe that we can all achieve the dreams that we dream. But more importantly, it taught me how to go about doing that. I have to begin with the end in mind. And along with that, I will reap what i sow.
Anyway, over dinner we got talking about the schools that we've been to, us being all from Singapore. We've more or less had similar education... from Dunman, Raffles Girls.. Hwa Chong, Victoria, Raffles.. despite the seemingly huge differences between these institutions, we're able to relate to each other very well. Started talking about how good and bad each of our experiences were in those schools.. how we felt when we 1st went in..the "culture" shocks, the adjustment, how stupid some of us thought the orientation activities were (but mainly because the very same ones are introverts by nature).. and the strict discipline in a particular school that moulded the students into conformers. Somehow the distinction became a 华校 versus English School type of teachings. How the chinese schools tended to be more traditional, less open to new ideas, strict and less vocal, whilst the english schools were the liberal ones. But then, we also had a stereotype of 华校生 being more down to earth, connected to the heart-landers, humble, nice, whilst the english educated being too faw away and sometimes give the impression of being cocky n arrogant. Note the word "stereotype".. this by no means is pointing fingers at any group of people who may fall into one of those category. In fact, im a cross-over myself.
It's quite refreshing discussing about these education issues.. all of us being experts in the field.. each of us having our own theory of what's our ideal school to be like. Just like how psychology is a course which most of us can relate too.. it is afterall a course about US, HUMANS.
Rewinding back to yesterday, my fren from Boston came to visit. It was really nice chatting and talking to him. We spoke about all sorts of topics.. and it was quite a pleasant surprise to know that he is grappling with issues and questions that i am currently facing. It's nice to know that im not the only one out there feeling confused about the questions and not knowing what the right answers are. At the end of the day, i know i can't ever convince everyone to my way of thinking/belief, but as long as i am convinced myself, and i don't find myself contradicting everytime the issues crop up in thought/discussions, then i think i would have found my answer to the questions. I know i have reached the point where i can't kid myself to continue in old ways, that i need the courage to face up to what i think is right and should be the way. 21 years old. The beginning of a new kind of life. The kind where i have to make my own decisions, and be able to justify myself.
But i still wish for the "hobbit" way of life, where people are happy-go-lucky, cheerful and busk in songs and dance and food, and most importantly being peaceful folks. No matter what, that's what i want to strive for! It's important to live in a harmonious and secure society.. it's very very important to me.
Back to tonight's discussion about the schools that we went to, i want to give credit again to Raffles Junior College. For it taught me how to believe in myself, to believe that we can all achieve the dreams that we dream. But more importantly, it taught me how to go about doing that. I have to begin with the end in mind. And along with that, I will reap what i sow.
posted by Zig | 10:45 PM
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