<Gonna do this on my own...>

Monday, April 02, 2007

I got sort of into a talk with my family about the future of Singapore, of what to come in the next 20 years.

'Watch out on how you have to survive then. The Indians and the mainland Chinese are so competitive that they are gonna hold the high paid jobs. Look at them, they're everywhere!' quips my dad.

'Yeah, the Chinese may have brillant IQ, but ZERO EQ,' says my bro, who has probably seen them first hand in his school.

'Exactly. Cos you know why, it's a culture shock for them. They come from poor families and they are expected to just do well when they are sent here. So naturally, everything is so new to them,' reasons my mom.

At this juncture, I shared my 2 cents.
'Bottom line is, if you're Elite, you sure survive.'

My parents immediately objected. 'You dont have to be Elite what..'

My grandfather joins in and shares: 'Hey u know, that debate show, the Arena. Wah I say, that UWC college with the angmoh nang win against Hwa Chong eh..'

'Yeah you look, the foreigners are beating us. So in order to have that same level, the govt makes it such our education system produces elites,' I said.

'Not necessarily ok,' my mom gestures that I think before I speak.
Actually I did.

'Look at all the China chinese! They are getting all the scholarships, the no.1s in schools and getting the good jobs. If this carries on, we are gonna become communist!' I joked.

'Julian, shut up if you don't talk sense,' my mom sighs.

My brother gives me a funny look before he carried on the conversation.
'I got minister's son in my school. Doesnt really live up to his dad's reputation.'

My parents are interested and they enquire.
'Oh what about him?'

'Well he comes to school everyday.... in this checkered like jacket. Like his grandfather gave it to him like that. And he.. just studies and studies.. like... ,' my brother tries to be polite but...

'a geek ah?,' my mom ends it for him.

'Yeah. Like ok, he won Physics Olympiad award, good for him. But like...' my brother again tries to be polite..

'WAHH Physics Olympiad? Good what!,' my dad says.

'Aiyah, i think its because u know, his dad is minister status, so he must be like... THE minister's son. all rounder, good in sports, studies...' my mom continued.

I chip in: 'Olympiad? Don't tell me that's gonna land you in a future job..'

Both my parents look at me and in unison, 'WHO SAYS?'

My brother: 'Yeah, like a scientist or something. I mean, the award will be like irrelevant if he applies for a business job like both of you (our parents)'.

My mom doesn't agree: 'Doesn't matter. It's a high international award that won't go unnoticed ok.'

Still unchanged from our weekly football game, my dad decides to go bathe. He tries to end the convo by bringing it back to the original topic.

'Whatever it is, you 2 (me and my bro) lead good lives. You dont need to think bout your next meals or next pay. Those China chinese are like that now. Sure, Singapore is well advanced now and China is still catching up. But dont get complacent. That job that u so dearly want may be eyed by that competitive and smart china chinese...' my dad says.

And so I decided to end it my way :p
'Like that, if the Chinese are so smart, they sure find a way to resurrect Mao Zedong and under his leadership, China will thrive under him, overtake the USA as the next Superpower and proclaim Communism as the next best thing. In short, we all die.'

My bro, my grandpa and my parents look at me for a few seconds. My dad laughs while my mom looks at me with a frown. ;D