Essence of Chinese and the relevance to modern Singapore

This is the 2^nd post of the day, I shall write in English, because of the audience that I am addressing the issue to. Well, studying Chinese seems to be a chore to many people, especially many students whose 1^st language at home is English and not Mandarin. 1^st Language means that after you were born, the language that you had in contact with mainly and had used most commonly. Many people do not realize that they are descendents of the “dragon”, i.e 龙的传人, that they are Chinese and this is a fact that cannot be changed. Yet, they prefer to cling on to a language and culture that does not originate from their roots.

Now, what is the difference between English and Mandarin in Singapore? Do you know that English is just a “Tool” Language, i.e “工具用语”, meaning we learn English mainly for conversation in school, at work, for economic purposes and other instances when we need to interact with people of other countries and culture. Currently, I feel that the main reason why Chinese has become a language that many dreads, is because of the fact that it is being taught in schools as a “Tool” language too. Just because China is on the rise, people are starting to learn Chinese just for future interaction and business opportunities with the Chinese PRCs.

What many lack to envision is that, Chinese in itself has more than 5000 years of culture and richness in it, and to us, it is a “Soul” Language, i.e “灵魂用语”. What does this mean? Do you realize that when speaking Chinese or dialects, it actually brings us closer and easier to bond through interacting with this medium, just like Malay Language is to Malays etc. This “Soul” Language is a platform for people to build up their personal character, their personal beliefs, like filial piety, respect etc. If you look at how the current society has evolved, how the media has influenced our kids, you would have realized that this is due to the loss of a crucial culture. What is our identity? A Singaporean Identity? What is that?

In the west, they do not teach you to respect your parents and teachers, they do not teach you that you cannot go out there, pull out your gun and shoot at people. The moral values, and the festive seasons that the Chinese inculcate and celebrate differ so much from what the Westerners practise. We have Qing Ming, where we pay respect to our ancestors, but they only pray to a particular God in which they believe in. (No offense) In general, Westerners have a weaker sense of family ties as compared to Asians. And if you compare Singaporeans to them; Yes, we are moving towards this trend of talking back to our parents, wanting freedom, wanting more time of our own.

Now as you are reading this, you may be wondering if this is going to continue to bore on, well, let me just quote a case that I hear today. This is a case which happens almost everyday, and is no longer something new, but something worth our concerns. It seems like some students have been engaging in silly acts, involving daring sexual acts in their school uniforms. And were caught by members of the public who took down photos and videos of their “shameless acts”.

Why do all these happen? What is the root cause of these problems? I will only blame it on MEDIA, and the general societal views (already influenced much by the western society) on these issues. What is exactly wrong with the above scenario? Is having sex wrong? Is watching pornography online wrong?

I am sure all of you reading this may hold similar views as myself. If you are of legal age (above 16), and having a proper male/female relationship, and both parties are able to agree upon the responsibilities and consequences of having sex, able to understand the implications if one party were to get pregnant or contract sex diseases, then it may seem to be engaging in responsible sex. In these recent years, it is very common to see teens engaging in these so-called “shameless acts”, and it is wrong in the following ways:

1. They are minors, not of a legal age to assume responsibility for their foolish acts.
2. They are wearing uniforms representing their schools, and in the process, damaging the school’s reputation in the public’s perception.
3. This is the most worrying! THEY ONLY DO IT OUT OF FUN, AND DO NOT KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTS.

Due to globalisation, which brings about the convenience of accessing pornographic materials, students are very much exposed to these things that they are curious about, especially at their puberty age. The loss of our “Soul language”, Mother tongue and the culture to be responsible people, is something that is worth our reflections, especially young parents today. If you want to give birth, pls assume the responsibilities of a parent and teach the right values.

Final Advice: A moment of FUN, A lifetime of REGRETS.

PLEASE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTS!

Tip of day: Embrace Chinese as your foundation, and enjoy yourself when learning the language. Only when you enjoy doing something, then it will not be a chore.