Can we Debate?

Debating in Singapore

"Singaporean were conspicuously absent from the First Asia-Pacific Chinese Debate Tournament yesterday", says the Straits Times. NUS and NTU field foreigners. The director of the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall was quoted as saying: "We don't have a culture of debating here in Singapore".

That's a very telling statement. Do you know why we don't have a culture of debating in Singapore? I think we do have a culture of complaining. We are a people of whiners and complainers. I suspected I'm one of them. It is so easy to whine. Just open your mouth, it comes out as naturally as saliva. Then you feel better after the vomit all the rubbish words.

I suspected we have a culture of debating, only in the kopitiam (coffees), not in public. You don't want people to knock on your door, or someone checking on your tax declaration, or pig head on your door, free paintwork on your door, or email saying "We know what you need last summer". "Why create trouble by opening your big CB mouth", the Chinese have this saying. "You think you are going the change the world with your mouth!", the skeptic says.

Moreover, the government has been doing a fine job managing our lives in every aspect. Don't worry. If there's anything we missed out, they will remind us. At the MRT station, they remind us every 15 seconds to stand behind the yellow line. We are reminded how to be romantic with a Romancing Singapore campaign. Don't worry. With campaigns after campaigns, we will know what to do.

What the point of debating? The management are the creme-la-de-creme (whatever). Their one year pay is more than your lifetime pay. Obviously they know something you don't know. So do you think they want your opinion? Sorry, here I am whining like a pig again. I think I like to go for an extreme makeover, if there is one here, so that I would utter only the good things.

Childrens are the Best Teachers

Marie, my 4-year old daughter, is pretty sensitive about criticism. She says, "Don't say bad things about me". Marie, Sarah and myself were having dinner together one day. Both love to talk while eating. They take such a long time (half to one hour) to eat that the food go cold. They hate to hear the truth that they were slow eaters.

So I rephrased the verdict, "You are fast, she is faster, and daddy is the fastest".
"Hey I didn't say any thing bad about you. I say good things about daddy. Daddy is the fastest!".

My children are my greatest teachers.
I'm their student.
My heart is humbled in their presence.