Friday, May 16, 2008
Had a good dim sum buffet at Miramar Hotel on Wednesday with a few of my class people. It says alot when you're the earliest group to arrive for brunch and the last to leave. The restaurant probably made a loss just from serving us because the fact is that pe people eat alot no matter where they go. After 1 week of camp, you can imagine how hungry we are. I remember reading somewhere in Simon's blog way back where he had lunch there with his class people so I proposed the idea to my friends as well. $15 per peson for 30 items on the menu is really a good deal. Just don't expect excellent service and really high-end food. Towards closing time, they were practically chasing us out by saying "The lights are going to be switched off soon". This is why Singapore has a long long way to go in terms of service standards.
Headed to town to walk around for while and there you have it, I was heading towards the escalator for the adidas shop and saw Simon. He was in the area scouting for stuff for his law foc. It was nice to see familiar faces in town, something I don't do often. Seeing him makes me realize it's really been quite a while since I last met Tong and Gerald as well. Jeff is down under studying so he won't be back for some time.
Channel U is starting to produce some really good documentaries and I'm starting to become a big fan of the travel show hosted by Belinda Lee. She travels around the world in search of Singaporeans who have made their homes in inaccessible and developing countries. From the rural areas of China to the grasslands of South Africa, she's doing a good job. Last night's show brought her to Lijiang in search of this Singaporean who had set up a hotel/restaurant there. Joe (they call him), really takes care of his employees and in this particular episode, he drove one of them back to a remote village to deliver crutches to the girl's father who has difficulty walking.
For the past 40 years, he's been depending on a branch that was self-made for support and you could tell that he's really touched by his daughter's gift. He was transformed instantly into this small boy who was amazed at the crutches and spent a long time playing with them. They were certainly not well-off and live in poverty. The girl's income supports the whole family and that's why she works very hard in order to give her parents a good life. What she did next made me teared. She sang a song that she had composed for her mother. Halfway through the song, she broke into tears herself, overwhelm with emotion. That is only understandable, considering you probably see your mother once every 6 months?
It just made realize how fortunate we are living in Singapore. Living in the security of own comfort zones and we don't face the problems of natural disasters that other countries have. Neither do we have to go out to work at a very young age to support our family or facing the prospects of being separated from your family too. My first impression of that family was that they don't need money or material possessions to be happy. They just want their family to be safe and united. Singaporeans have so much to learn from these people.
I find that as I get older, I've found the inner peace within me, the things I want in life are so different from that of my friends. Cars, credit cards and good food are not really on the top of my agenda. My friends know I live a simple life and I prefer the company of good friends for example over fine dining. It's probably difficult to find a girl that really understands my needs, which is why my last one didn't work out. Why option will a date choose? Taking the mrt or being ferried by car? It doesn't take long to make a decision really. I like sports and the outdoors while some girls I know can't even stand being in the sun for even a hour.
Time will tell the difference.
