:MY DaY MY WaY:

Wednesday, August 08, 2007 I am currently writing this entry at a computer terminal within my training institute. It is not that I am very free, but that the gap between lessons borders on the extreme at times. In spite of these arrangements, I can consider myself lucky, as I do not have to rent a hostel to ride out the 6-7 hours that some of my cohort has to go through. I just need to wait 3 hours. for which I am supposed to count my blessings. ~ ~ Earlier, I had to attend to a function which is honestly just one other avenue for spreading the nationalist propaganda. For the student population, this will mean yet another day of public vacation, plus one more on Friday, which I will miss out this year. The institute hosted a catwalk of sorts, and it was fortunate the weather was not inclement, for there were no tentages or anything which could have sheltered the audience. Being the practical person that I am, I chose to plug in to music, picked a nice bench in the shade and half-slept through the event to lunch. Lunch was not that great, but at least it was provided. ~ ~ The event itself was an attempt to unite the scores of students and staff who turned up in red waves (which was a welcome sight from the pink gory legions the day before), and wave cute fluttering flags. I still wished the lesson which was supposed to be held in the morning had gone on, so I had a more valid reason to arrive earlier. The nationalist agenda crescendoed into a chorus of songs and the anthem, which I would have stood up (for a presentation of the false self) if I were still in my previous position. This time, I had better things to do, since a good song was coincidentally playing. ~ ~ We had little kids telling us what is the significance of red and white. Red is for blood and white is for purity, which is rudimentary enough. It is fair game to appreciate and relate in context, the colors which make up the social fabric of the nation, but perhaps a nation would be borne more of bloodshed, which is incidentally red, and of deaths, incidentally white. So we need to see the wholeness of being for its own sake, rather than focus on specific images which certain viewpoints would have one consider, and filter the unsavory. ~ ~ Another incident occurred in a class, where we were looking at the significance of the nation's birthday and agenda. Most of my coursemates adopted viewpoints which I perceived to be anti-establishment. We questioned the necessity of the day itself, and of the various purposes, which needed to be reinforced for a sturdy nationhood. I do not doubt the integrity and purposefulness of the need for solidarity, especially of a young nation. What I would argue, is for a simple logic to be upheld. The confrontational stance is often attractive to the educated (enough) and (self) liberated, and creative ways of boycott were mooted, which I think are just ways to draw attention to a particular agenda. I would argue that elaborate (negative) ways of celebrating the nation's birthday be encompassed into a dinner which congregations, marches and yells hold no meaning. I do not advocate television dinners, and the nation's birthday is not significant enough for me to change my habit. I would have still given my trusty television set a rest, so that I can catch some really bad movies later at night. It is too hard to think of deviant ways to show displeasure, therefore there is no need to trouble ourselves too much, or try to be alternative. This is unless we have the finances to physically get out, which a friend's student had the privilege of, and to Korea, of all places. Thinking about it, it is a fair deal, since the day before was a celebration and the rest of the week are school vacations. Now these people who plan ahead are the really intelligent ones, since it is neither peak (holiday periods) nor crap (examination periods) timing. ~ ~ So in order not to take tomorrow seriously, first skip the nation, if we have not done so already; second, have a good family dinner somewhere the red and white masses cannot harrass you with shrieks and howls, and if all fails, just switch off the (damned) television (there is not even autonomy since I do not have cable) and just concentrate on having a good dinner and dessert with your family. I value that more than any other construct which threatens to rob one of family time, a precious commodity indeed. weijie froze in time on 8.8.07

_______________ My Profile .......... Weijie 25 wishlist: _______________ My Friends .......... Brother Jane Florence Phyllis Allan Wai Yeung Yingyi Tianwei Chrismeen Yanni Jiong Teck Caifang Jeslin Joyce Angie Evangeline Joan Rachel Benson Jovin Regent 1-3 blog Regent 1-6 blog Regent 1-9 blog _______________ My Links .......... Friendster _______________ My Tagboard ..........