Wednesday, August 30, 2006

How much does ten cent worth?


The debate in importing foreign talents has turned on. We have a deficit in the population and there is a need to augment it by actively encouraging a policy of selective immigration , otherwise in the future we will face a demographic nightmare in the shape and form of the law of minimum.

The debate in cost of living is on-going. Cost of living is a tremendous subject to grapple with, especially when there isn't an obvious social safety net to help to battle the loss of income.

The fear of majority of the foreign talents who have no root nor heart to stay on to help the local, but only grab the goodies and go is something real. The 1999 Asia financial crisis was the major setback of the Singapore economy in the recent years. Foreign talents packed up and left. The local weathered the storm.

We sank in multi-million dollars to fund John Hopskin. We have yet to measure the true return. We sank in huge sum of money to perform fire work every national day and other occasions. How could this money be channeled to help people to weather the rising living cost?

Is 10 cent fare rise considered a lot?

In the 1970s when I was a poor student, I felt the impact of every 10 cent rose in bus fare and every 5 cent rose in coffee on my daily life, let's alone the 50 cent rose of hawker food and 50 dollar rose in tuition fee. How to minimize the impact? Alighted two bus stop earlier to save that 10 cents, drank less ate less to save that 50 cents. Having said that, tuition fee could not be avoided. Study was the way to get rid of poverty.

In the 1980s when I returned to school as a mature student funding my own study to realise a childhood dream, I still felt the impact of 200 dollar rose in tuition fee. I drew from reserve, which was the CPF saving to finish the university education.

Am I complaining? From a macro-level, controlled cost rise is beneficial to the society. The upper rung would benefit most from it. The rich would become richer. This is the fact of life. From a micro-level, you have to take care of those who are directly facing the impact. To them, every 10 cent counts. This is the opposite fact of life.

How about the middle income group who is sanwiched in between? The policy that makes the rich richer does not apply to them. The policy of subsidizing the town council charges and utility bills does not apply to them either. They better to be on their own.

To survive on your own. I thought that is the right sentiment. Does anyone owe you a living? Probably not. 自力更生, self-reliance, that was what my dad told me when I was young. I am passing the same message to my children. Equip yourself with the right skill, knowledge and passion, there you go. Passion, Passion, Passion. With passion, you will see light at the end of the tunnel. That definitely worth more than 10 cents.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

你快樂嗎


你快樂嗎﹖

人生不如意之事常八九﹐又要面對許許多多的是非無奈﹐有多少人能快樂起來﹖

為甚麼這麼多人比我富有﹖為甚麼這麼多人比我高高在上﹖為甚麼這麼多人比我跑得更快更遠﹖為甚麼草總是對岸的比較蔭綠﹖為甚麼春天老是遲遲不肯到來﹖

你是否嘗試從另外一個角度來對待生命﹐直面人生﹖簡單一點地說﹐當你坐擁一片藍天的時候﹐你快樂嗎﹖你真的會快樂嗎﹖

你能擺脫人生無常﹐日月星辰與宇宙體系的束縛嗎﹖如果不能﹐你的快樂只是假象虛幻。你並不快樂。所以你覺得人生不如意之事常八九﹐充滿無奈。

在慈善醫院﹐窮鄉僻壤﹐有默默耕耘的一群。他們並不富裕﹐不過他們把追求名利富貴的精力挪出來﹐把愛心奉獻給世界。他們是現代的南丁戈爾。快樂在于有能力付出﹐快樂原自內心。

那天機緣巧合碰見一位曾經有工作來往﹐但並不熟絡的朋友。他說他的阿姨已經過世了﹐她打不過癌細胞。去世前那段日子過得很平靜﹐心情悠祥﹐還問起我。

可是我怎麼都記不起她的樣子。

他說那天在裕廊我繞道載了他一程去接他的阿姨﹐過後由于時間迫切﹐怕等不到德士﹐我又繞道把他們載到中央醫院。

似乎有這一回事﹐可是印象很模糊﹐我只好抱歉一笑。人年紀逐漸大了﹐對曾經發生過的身邊事已不太在意﹐對‘人來人往’的事也看得比較淡薄。

他說想起來已經是十年前的往事了。十年風雨幾番新﹐那時他的阿姨就因為這件事萌起求生的勇氣。十年抗戰的過程﹐使他在阿姨的生命中得到啟發﹐今天他是一個義工﹐把快樂帶給不幸的一群。

他說我認為所做的是小事一宗﹐可是影響深遠﹐改變了他的阿姨和他﹐也改變了他所接觸的許多人。

很感謝他分享這一段心路歷程。能夠付出本身就是一種快樂。能夠聆聽對方由衷的故事也是一種快樂。

快樂由自心中。只有超越時空﹐超越利益﹐快樂才會快樂。願你也是快樂世界的一份子。