minority
02-12-13, 09:10
https://www.facebook.com/notes/willy-chang/a-plea-to-singaporeans-and-by-extension-any-educated-bloke-from-around-the-world/639705136070639
A plea to Singaporeans, and by extension, any educated bloke from around the world
December 1, 2013 at 10:03am
My family is from Taiwan. Strictly speaking, I have Taiwanese blood in my veins. Of course, to my Chinese friends, we can debate at a later date about the sovereignty of Taiwan. My parents came to Singapore about forty years ago, partly with the aims of expanding the family business, and partly because Lee Kuan Yew was adamant about attracting foreign investments to a shitty island infested with Malaria.
Now, mind you, I am born and bred as a Singaporean. I was born in Singapore, I grew up in Singapore, I received the majority of my education in Singapore, and I executed my duty as citizen in the armed forces. I am, by birthright, and by identity, a pureblooded Singaporean.
And this brings me to the purpose of this message. As a citizen of a nation-state comprised of immigrants, I am ashamed to admit that quite a few of my fellow citizens reject immigrants. To all Singaporeans who bitch endlessly about the so called ‘foreign talent’, shame on you. Shame on you for possessing this irrational xenophobia. There. I said it. I don’t care how much flaming I get from otakus who jerk off in front of a monitor while reading and responding to stupid Youtube comments. Shame on Singaporeans who used to be immigrants and then reject immigrants.
And since I’m being frank, I’m going to say a big royal **** You to all the Singaporeans who bitch about military service and how immigrants don’t have to sacrifice. I did my two years and however many months in the army. I’m going to spend five years on my PhD in Physics. Now I’m going to start a new chapter in the business world. So what. I’ve spent seven years doing something that’s irrelevant to what I’m going to do next. I survived. The years spent in your youth ain’t that important. I’m still here. I’m still surviving. And pretty well mind you. So, seriously, if you have what it takes to make the cut, you make the cut. Don’t blame immigrants on your incompetence. Don’t glorify your existence as a citizen and expect fluffy kittens to fall from the sky. You, are, not that important. And while we’re on the topic of military service, seriously, don’t make it sound so hard. The Israelis, and mind you, I’ve known quite a few, are ok. They bomb the Palestinians and they fight Hamas. They all serve. And you know what? They are a strong mother****ing state. And they make better science than Singaporeans. So suck it up. Please.
Now, on a more somber note. Why am I saying this? Because I’m returning soon, and I wish Singapore was better. I’ve spent more than a decade overseas. As a kid I spent three years in Taiwan. As an adult I've spent four years in New York, three years in Boston, and soon to be two years in Copenhagen. Has it made me less Singaporean? No. Surprisingly, I feel more strongly about Singapore. I feel more patriotic. Living abroad really puts things in perspective. Different culture, different society, different food. And I’ve come to realize just how much Singapore has accomplished.
Let’s start off with Taiwan. Yes I know a lot of my friends like to go to Taipei for a weekend holiday (you know who you are, don’t lie). You meet some hot Taiwanese chick, you let them rub one out for you, you have fun in a club, and you feel like a ****ing baller buying bottles in Taipei. And you know why you can afford ****ing bottles in Taipei? That’s because the Singaporean economy works. You earn three, if not four times more than a Taiwanese graduate straight out of college. Yes it’s fun. But do you want to live there? As a kid I’ve seen the paranoia my parents had. The triads, the mafia, the underground world. That is real in Taiwan. You get robbed on the streets by two blokes on a moped, and you get paint splashed on your office walls because your relative owes money. I still recall the time when my family checked into a hotel in the middle of the night because it was too dangerous to stay at home. For all my love of Taiwan and my heritage, I am ashamed to say that the country absolutely doesn’t work. Especially with the politics and the dumb hicks from the south who want independence. No. China is a ****ing million times stronger than you. They want you back as part of China, you can’t help but suck cock.
Now, onwards with Copenhagen. To all my Danish friends, I know Denmark is great. It works. But sorry, no, it is not for me. I’ve felt the cultural difference. I know Copenhagen is ranked one of the happiest cities in the world, but unfortunately that is not for me. The taxi drivers speak flawless english, everyone makes enough money, and everyone survives just fine. But, still no. To me, the perfect metaphor of Copenhagen is the fact that the most expensive car I’ve seen in your city is a Maserati. Mind you, not the Quattroporte. The baby Maserati. Yes, I can understand that a society where everyone wants just enough can work. But no, I miss the life of a city. I miss the craziness, the debauchery, the vibrancy of a society where everyone is struggling to the top. To me, a place is not alive if people aren’t striving to be the best, the most famous, the wealthiest, the shit, the G. I miss a city full of immigrants. I miss the journeys I had to a sketchier part of town and eat ****ing delicious tacos made by illegal Mexican immigrants. The Danish society, is too insular. I have to make my own Asian food. When egg salad with curry powder is like the most popular shit, you know that the culture is lacking in spices, and lacking in immigrant culture.
And then there’s America. What do I feel about it. The pre-tertiary education, honestly? Is shit. In college at Columbia University, I’m surrounded by ****tards. At Harvard? I’m surrounded by ****tards. Don’t care what you think. Harvard, on average, has the best mother****ing students in the world. End of story. It works, because it has the name. You attract the best talent you have around the world, and by the law of large numbers, you get superior students on average. But still, a lot I meet, are hopelessly braindead. And that brings me to the education system in Singapore. It ****ing works man. Really. You walk in on Calculus at Columbia University (ranked number 10 or 12 or who knows in the world), and you feel like god. God. You just ****ing solve integrals. You shit integrals. ‘A’ levels in Singapore has taught me so much. I hear some dumb jock bitching about how he’s taking four classes this semester and he can’t cope? I’m like bitch please, I’m taking seven and I’m drinking my ass off on weekends. So much for Ivy League.
But still, I’m of the opinion that the U S of A has the best mother****ing colleges and universities in the world. Why? Because they have talent. The variance is large, but the mean is good. To the scientists, the second moment is ****ed up, but the first moment is good. Real good. To all you dipshits who argue against immigration, let me present you with some Physics PhD rational thought. In any society, in any metric you wish, you have X percent of good people, Y percent of the mediocre, and Z percent of imbeciles. You can try to raise the average, but that’s a long long long process. The easiest way out, is by importing the good people. So, in a global economy, you want to be competitive? You attract the best. Then you raise the value X, and be superior. Don’t argue. That’s just simple statistics. Don’t buy it? Read a book and learn some natural sciences and mathematics.
America, and more specifically New York City, is until this day, my favorite place on earth. Don’t argue. America is the strongest nation on earth. Yes they ****ed up with Wall street. Yes they like to bomb people for no reason. But really, you cannot argue with the might of USA. You still watch Hollywood. You buy iPads. No, Samsung is shit. Your life, is dependent on America. Most of the tech in the world, you owe it to America. For all the shit I give Americans, man, the country works. I hated Boston. I initially hated New York. The subway smells like piss. You don’t get reception on your cell. The roads **** up your BMW M3 suspension (yes I’m talking about you my friend). But man, it was so good.
I’m willing to admit, that America, is synonymous with life. You smell it. That people are willing to work hard. That if your colleague works twelve hours a day, you work fourteen. Because you’re hungry. You want success. As a young person, you cannot ask for more. You’re not eighty, so suck it up, and work your ass off. America works. It just does. Why? Because they attract the best around the world. They get the Jews, the Nazis, the Indians, the Chinese. ****ing Silicon Valley wants to build an offshore platform to house foreign talent because America doesn’t issue enough work permits. You, go, to, the, moon. With foreign talent. With immigration. Please Singapore, open your eyes. I want Singapore to be the New York City of Southeast Asia.
I’ve met so many people in my time abroad. I’ve made so many friends from around the world. Chinese, Indians, Trinidadians, Jamaicans, Koreans, Japanese, Russians, Ukrainians, Turks, Germans, French, Austrians, Danes, Italians, Armenians, Finns, Jews, Israelis, half white, half yellow, half many things. Make Singapore the metropolis of the world. The Athenians did it, the Romans did it, the English did it. The greatest empires on earth accepted immigrants as part of their state.
Until this day, NYC holds a special place in my heart. It is, my second home. I want Singaporeans, wherever they are from, whoever they are, and whatever the color of their skin, to identify themselves as Singaporeans, much like how New Yorkers identify themselves as New Yorkers. New Yorkers band together and help each other out. You don’t have to serve in the American Army to identify yourself as a New Yorker. Through thick and thin, they help each other, because New Yorkers accept immigrants. My best friends are Jewish, Ukrainian, French, Trinidadian, I mean, the list goes on. I love eating their food, understanding their culture, and teaching them about my culture. I speak with taxi drivers from Haiti, I’ve played chess with an english teacher from Myanmar in Union Square, and I've fed my Jewish friend pork (kong bah bao!) and watched him pop his shellfish cherry. I eat at K-town, St. Mark’s Place, Jamaica plain, and all over NYC. I love tapas, Mexican, middle-eastern, Korean, damn I love anything that I can put in my mouth.
Please. I want tapas to not be the ‘new thing’ in Singapore, but the norm. I want Singaporeans to be so worldly that they no longer line up in front of Krispy Kreme and La Duree. Be accepting of immigrants, and take them into your city. Live! And let life flourish! When people of different cultures come together, it is a wondrous thing.
It is simply magnificent!
A plea to Singaporeans, and by extension, any educated bloke from around the world
December 1, 2013 at 10:03am
My family is from Taiwan. Strictly speaking, I have Taiwanese blood in my veins. Of course, to my Chinese friends, we can debate at a later date about the sovereignty of Taiwan. My parents came to Singapore about forty years ago, partly with the aims of expanding the family business, and partly because Lee Kuan Yew was adamant about attracting foreign investments to a shitty island infested with Malaria.
Now, mind you, I am born and bred as a Singaporean. I was born in Singapore, I grew up in Singapore, I received the majority of my education in Singapore, and I executed my duty as citizen in the armed forces. I am, by birthright, and by identity, a pureblooded Singaporean.
And this brings me to the purpose of this message. As a citizen of a nation-state comprised of immigrants, I am ashamed to admit that quite a few of my fellow citizens reject immigrants. To all Singaporeans who bitch endlessly about the so called ‘foreign talent’, shame on you. Shame on you for possessing this irrational xenophobia. There. I said it. I don’t care how much flaming I get from otakus who jerk off in front of a monitor while reading and responding to stupid Youtube comments. Shame on Singaporeans who used to be immigrants and then reject immigrants.
And since I’m being frank, I’m going to say a big royal **** You to all the Singaporeans who bitch about military service and how immigrants don’t have to sacrifice. I did my two years and however many months in the army. I’m going to spend five years on my PhD in Physics. Now I’m going to start a new chapter in the business world. So what. I’ve spent seven years doing something that’s irrelevant to what I’m going to do next. I survived. The years spent in your youth ain’t that important. I’m still here. I’m still surviving. And pretty well mind you. So, seriously, if you have what it takes to make the cut, you make the cut. Don’t blame immigrants on your incompetence. Don’t glorify your existence as a citizen and expect fluffy kittens to fall from the sky. You, are, not that important. And while we’re on the topic of military service, seriously, don’t make it sound so hard. The Israelis, and mind you, I’ve known quite a few, are ok. They bomb the Palestinians and they fight Hamas. They all serve. And you know what? They are a strong mother****ing state. And they make better science than Singaporeans. So suck it up. Please.
Now, on a more somber note. Why am I saying this? Because I’m returning soon, and I wish Singapore was better. I’ve spent more than a decade overseas. As a kid I spent three years in Taiwan. As an adult I've spent four years in New York, three years in Boston, and soon to be two years in Copenhagen. Has it made me less Singaporean? No. Surprisingly, I feel more strongly about Singapore. I feel more patriotic. Living abroad really puts things in perspective. Different culture, different society, different food. And I’ve come to realize just how much Singapore has accomplished.
Let’s start off with Taiwan. Yes I know a lot of my friends like to go to Taipei for a weekend holiday (you know who you are, don’t lie). You meet some hot Taiwanese chick, you let them rub one out for you, you have fun in a club, and you feel like a ****ing baller buying bottles in Taipei. And you know why you can afford ****ing bottles in Taipei? That’s because the Singaporean economy works. You earn three, if not four times more than a Taiwanese graduate straight out of college. Yes it’s fun. But do you want to live there? As a kid I’ve seen the paranoia my parents had. The triads, the mafia, the underground world. That is real in Taiwan. You get robbed on the streets by two blokes on a moped, and you get paint splashed on your office walls because your relative owes money. I still recall the time when my family checked into a hotel in the middle of the night because it was too dangerous to stay at home. For all my love of Taiwan and my heritage, I am ashamed to say that the country absolutely doesn’t work. Especially with the politics and the dumb hicks from the south who want independence. No. China is a ****ing million times stronger than you. They want you back as part of China, you can’t help but suck cock.
Now, onwards with Copenhagen. To all my Danish friends, I know Denmark is great. It works. But sorry, no, it is not for me. I’ve felt the cultural difference. I know Copenhagen is ranked one of the happiest cities in the world, but unfortunately that is not for me. The taxi drivers speak flawless english, everyone makes enough money, and everyone survives just fine. But, still no. To me, the perfect metaphor of Copenhagen is the fact that the most expensive car I’ve seen in your city is a Maserati. Mind you, not the Quattroporte. The baby Maserati. Yes, I can understand that a society where everyone wants just enough can work. But no, I miss the life of a city. I miss the craziness, the debauchery, the vibrancy of a society where everyone is struggling to the top. To me, a place is not alive if people aren’t striving to be the best, the most famous, the wealthiest, the shit, the G. I miss a city full of immigrants. I miss the journeys I had to a sketchier part of town and eat ****ing delicious tacos made by illegal Mexican immigrants. The Danish society, is too insular. I have to make my own Asian food. When egg salad with curry powder is like the most popular shit, you know that the culture is lacking in spices, and lacking in immigrant culture.
And then there’s America. What do I feel about it. The pre-tertiary education, honestly? Is shit. In college at Columbia University, I’m surrounded by ****tards. At Harvard? I’m surrounded by ****tards. Don’t care what you think. Harvard, on average, has the best mother****ing students in the world. End of story. It works, because it has the name. You attract the best talent you have around the world, and by the law of large numbers, you get superior students on average. But still, a lot I meet, are hopelessly braindead. And that brings me to the education system in Singapore. It ****ing works man. Really. You walk in on Calculus at Columbia University (ranked number 10 or 12 or who knows in the world), and you feel like god. God. You just ****ing solve integrals. You shit integrals. ‘A’ levels in Singapore has taught me so much. I hear some dumb jock bitching about how he’s taking four classes this semester and he can’t cope? I’m like bitch please, I’m taking seven and I’m drinking my ass off on weekends. So much for Ivy League.
But still, I’m of the opinion that the U S of A has the best mother****ing colleges and universities in the world. Why? Because they have talent. The variance is large, but the mean is good. To the scientists, the second moment is ****ed up, but the first moment is good. Real good. To all you dipshits who argue against immigration, let me present you with some Physics PhD rational thought. In any society, in any metric you wish, you have X percent of good people, Y percent of the mediocre, and Z percent of imbeciles. You can try to raise the average, but that’s a long long long process. The easiest way out, is by importing the good people. So, in a global economy, you want to be competitive? You attract the best. Then you raise the value X, and be superior. Don’t argue. That’s just simple statistics. Don’t buy it? Read a book and learn some natural sciences and mathematics.
America, and more specifically New York City, is until this day, my favorite place on earth. Don’t argue. America is the strongest nation on earth. Yes they ****ed up with Wall street. Yes they like to bomb people for no reason. But really, you cannot argue with the might of USA. You still watch Hollywood. You buy iPads. No, Samsung is shit. Your life, is dependent on America. Most of the tech in the world, you owe it to America. For all the shit I give Americans, man, the country works. I hated Boston. I initially hated New York. The subway smells like piss. You don’t get reception on your cell. The roads **** up your BMW M3 suspension (yes I’m talking about you my friend). But man, it was so good.
I’m willing to admit, that America, is synonymous with life. You smell it. That people are willing to work hard. That if your colleague works twelve hours a day, you work fourteen. Because you’re hungry. You want success. As a young person, you cannot ask for more. You’re not eighty, so suck it up, and work your ass off. America works. It just does. Why? Because they attract the best around the world. They get the Jews, the Nazis, the Indians, the Chinese. ****ing Silicon Valley wants to build an offshore platform to house foreign talent because America doesn’t issue enough work permits. You, go, to, the, moon. With foreign talent. With immigration. Please Singapore, open your eyes. I want Singapore to be the New York City of Southeast Asia.
I’ve met so many people in my time abroad. I’ve made so many friends from around the world. Chinese, Indians, Trinidadians, Jamaicans, Koreans, Japanese, Russians, Ukrainians, Turks, Germans, French, Austrians, Danes, Italians, Armenians, Finns, Jews, Israelis, half white, half yellow, half many things. Make Singapore the metropolis of the world. The Athenians did it, the Romans did it, the English did it. The greatest empires on earth accepted immigrants as part of their state.
Until this day, NYC holds a special place in my heart. It is, my second home. I want Singaporeans, wherever they are from, whoever they are, and whatever the color of their skin, to identify themselves as Singaporeans, much like how New Yorkers identify themselves as New Yorkers. New Yorkers band together and help each other out. You don’t have to serve in the American Army to identify yourself as a New Yorker. Through thick and thin, they help each other, because New Yorkers accept immigrants. My best friends are Jewish, Ukrainian, French, Trinidadian, I mean, the list goes on. I love eating their food, understanding their culture, and teaching them about my culture. I speak with taxi drivers from Haiti, I’ve played chess with an english teacher from Myanmar in Union Square, and I've fed my Jewish friend pork (kong bah bao!) and watched him pop his shellfish cherry. I eat at K-town, St. Mark’s Place, Jamaica plain, and all over NYC. I love tapas, Mexican, middle-eastern, Korean, damn I love anything that I can put in my mouth.
Please. I want tapas to not be the ‘new thing’ in Singapore, but the norm. I want Singaporeans to be so worldly that they no longer line up in front of Krispy Kreme and La Duree. Be accepting of immigrants, and take them into your city. Live! And let life flourish! When people of different cultures come together, it is a wondrous thing.
It is simply magnificent!