Some rare pics taken during John Coutis's session before the staff came up to me n stopped me from taking more pics -.-"
Had a super tiring but enriching day! Was late for Loral's session...think she mentioned somthg abt how she used to work with Robert Kiyosaki...well, her style certainly reminds a leechie of Robert ;p learnt many useful tips from her...she helped a writer n a publisher sell their books o.O an uncle commented tt she is too aggressive which would b more suitable for the US mkt rather than in Asia where one is expected to show humility o.O" well, what's wrong with being more vocal in expressing what one wants? i prefer to use the term "go-getter"...Loral's go-getter personality resonates with a leechie! =) i learnt tt many ppl dont get what they want cos they nvr ASK!
It was also the first time tt i heard mr. Tony Blair speak live =) we were told tt no photography is allowed for this particular session...heard tt many ppl bot the NAC tickets simply cos they wanna hear him live o.O although leechie isnt into politics, i still appreciate the 10 points tt he shared =)
Waited for many donkey hours before the other keynote speaker finally appeared on stage ---> John Coutis! I was touched to tears during his session! many of us r rather self-absorbed n too caught up with complaining abt all the seemingly minor imprefections of our lives...n we failed to appreciate how fortunate we r compared to others in worse situations...juz like how we complain abt som bad hair color job (a leechie is guilty here)...when there r ppl out there who hav lost all their hair due to cancer...john's v.optimistic despite his condition...n tt alone deserves our respect...(btw, nobody said anythg abt how photography wasn't allowed in this session...so i was rather surprised when a staff came up to me, telling me tt photography's not allowed...i was trying to take som pics of the giant screen cos my phone camera cant zoom onto john -.-")
To be continued...doze off several times while blogging...
"The biggest adventure that you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams." ~ Oprah Winfrey
Update: leechie went to my cutie stylist to trim my fringe yest...n guess what?such coincidence tt both leechie n my cutie stylist were in cutie pink yest! (btw, leechie lurves cutie guys to wear pink..keke) ;p but guess what was the first phrase tt came outta his mouth? o.O" he saw me pressing down my fringe...n was like "cannot down press ONE!" an amused leechie wonders if there r any digits on top of my leechie head? ~ nvm, juz my lame leechie joke -.-" btw, he's really cute...i can actually feel my heart beating abit faster when he bended ovr to trim my fringe *blush blush* n guess what? i didnt realize tt my eyeliner had already smudged n i had "panda eyes" until after the haircut!!! >.< bet i looked damn yucky n funny -.-"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My leechie mum says tt there r lotsa similarities between this cheryl yang's character n leechie -.-" well, perhaps not many guys know how to appreciate smart n pretty ladies with strong opinions? ;p btw, go-getter would b a better term to use ya ;p
leechie was this close to Robert Allen n could reach out n touch the sleeve of his blazer o.O but the arm as seen in this pic aint my leechie arm...my leechie arm aint this muscular hor -.-"
Wanna express my gratitude towards my leechie idol, ms. Elim Chew of 77th Street for the ticket to attend this year's National Achievers' Congress =)
Came in late n miz the first hour of Jordan's talk n miz his intro abt his background...Jordan is otherwise known as "the wolf of wallstreet"...didnt know tt he was scheduled to b the first speaker...otherwise, i would try to reach earlier mah...his interesting rise n fall n rebuilding life story is to b made into a movie, starring leonardo dicaprio soon...gotta watch this movie manz! o.O
Spike gave useful tips on turning around biz n life...but it's juz tt his tonality kinda make som ppl feel sleepy...turned my head n saw several dozing heads o.O"
Took som pics of Robert Allen but he no wanna give leechie his autographed million dollar note! guess he only gave to those who signed up for his seminar? but i couldnt make it cos it was over Vesak day period -.-" guess what? my fren, kacey, helped leechie get his autographed million dollar note! YAY! =D
"Excuse me,do u wanna b a model?" leechie was walking in orchard when somone who claimed to b a talent scout asked me this...she sounded like a PRC lady n asked if i could speak chinese...gave me a namecard n kept asking for my contact details o.O" of course, i refused to give my contact details (well, i believe any brands keen in a leechie would know how to contact me...) n excuse moi, leechie aint som impressionable sweet young thing who only thot of making it in the limelight -.-" btw, there have been so many recent reports of scams tempting impressionable young gals with the lure of som glamorous modelling assignments -.-" i was rather surprised to come face-to-face with such a "talent scout" in the streets when i juz read the following articles posted by my fb fren Tuck Loong this afternoon o.O" the public shld be made more aware of such scams -.-"
You can't make it if you're inhibited This is what one 'modelling agent' told a JC student before lingerie shoot By Maureen Koh
April 11, 2010
Anyone can claim to be a professional photographer or a talent scout. And all it takes is an e-mail account and a contact number for someone to post recruitment ads on the Internet.
Searches across popular advertisement websites and even Facebook in the past week easily tossed up about 50 such ads.
The lines vary slightly but some were explicit in what was required of the applicants: "Willing to pose in artistic nude shoots (sic)" or "must wear sexy lingerie/underwear".
Most listed age requirements as between 18 and 23.
If these are bogus advertisers, they may lure young, impressionable and aspiring models, like junior college student Jasmine T, 18.
Responding to a Facebook ad seeking part-time models for overseas assignments last August led her to meet a man who introduced himself as a Singapore-based agent for two lingerie brands.
On a photoshoot with him, she was asked to wear "very revealing" lingerie. Even though she later changed her mind and asked for her photos to be returned, they later turned up on a social escort website.
http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,236598,00.html
We slept with him as part of our training Victims of bogus photographer had sex with him to get more modelling jobs By Maureen Koh
April 11, 2010
When they saw the online advertisement for part-time models, the young wannabes felt it was their way into the glamorous world of runways and fashion shoots.
Add to that the prospects of earning up to $700 for each assignment, and it was too much for Sara and Karen to resist.
What the young women didn't realise was that the "modelling agency owner" who auditioned them was a fake.
By the time he was exposed, they had not only posed nude for him, but also had sex with him based on the promise of more jobs.
Last month the bogus modelling agency owner, Tan Eng Hwa, 35, was jailed four years on charges including cheating and criminal intimidation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My leechie mum says tt there r lotsa similarities between this cheryl yang's character n leechie -.-" well, perhaps not many guys know how to appreciate smart n pretty ladies with strong opinions? ;p
A pity tt i didnt see this cutie Hello Kitty bag at the Anteprima Private Event
Cutie Miss Marc bookmark from one of L'Officiel mag's promos
My leechie fringe was so long tt it kept poking me in the eye...was looking for a decent stylist who can handle my natural curls without giving me an unintented asymmetric fringe -.-" my requirements r really simple...i juz wanna a horizontal line fringe like vivian lai's =) finally got an appointment to get my fringe trimmed...heard abt the long waiting time at this particular salon...so i called before making my leechie appearance...the salon was pretty small in size as compared to som spacious ones tt i've been to...saw a guy cutting an "obasan-trying-to-look-young"'s hair...so i asked if he's the guy tt i'm looking for...took a seat next to this obasan...i was rather concerned as i looked at her frizzy n golden color hair...to think tt i thot tt my hair look frizzy...well, let's juz say tt i'm really glad tt i dont hav her hair ;p mr.stylist's hair also looked abit dry n frizzy to me...perhaps due to his frequent color jobs? o.O" anyway, i gotta admit tt i was abit hesitant n worried as i sat next to tt obasan...cos i dont wanna my leechie hair to turn out like hers...so frizzy n golden n so old ah-lian -.-" i actually walked outta another salon earlier in the week cos i didnt hav confidence in tt stylist to entrust my fringe to him -.-" learnt tt this obasan had her hair rebonded too...she did rebonding n such light golden hair coloring...no wonder her hair looks so dry n frizzy -.-"
Anyway, mr.stylist was done with this obasan soon n came ovr to attend to my leechie hair...i told him abt my stubborn curls...n gotta admit tt i was rather stressed as he began trimming...hmmm...but i gotta say tt leechie is impressed with his spoken english =) cos many stylists tt i came across dont understand much english n i always hav probs trying to convey whatever i hav in mind -.-" he didnt press down my fringe to trim it...which was what many crappy stylists did -.-" ok, let's juz say tt i might b going back for fringe trim on a regular basis if i cant find a better choice...but his salon doesnt use Redken products so i'm abit hesitant to go there for a color job...sorry, call me snobbish but once i hav tried somthg good, i think i would prefer tt brand...btw, i gotta say tt nobody from Redken or Loreal Singapore paid me to say this ;p btw ladies, mr.stylist is quite cute too...his sister, whom i initially mistook for his wife, was staring at a leechie...do i look v.weird? -.-"
Pop ovr to Anteprima for the private event...thx Li Xuan from L'Officiel mag for the kind invitation =) thx her for the Ed. Pinaud eyeshadow palette...now i have a complete set of 6...keke =) on my way to the boutique, i happened to see many other similar kind of private events organized by other mags for the other boutiques at ION...seems like it's the "IN" thing to do these days...well, these events look glamorous on the surface...whereby the guestlist is by-invitation only...but most ppl dont really see the hard work n effort put in behind all the glossy stuff to make sure tt everythg runs smoothly n tt the event turns out the way tt u wanna it to b...happening with all the right crowd...trust me, i totally understand the hard work n sweat behind all the glitz n glam...cos i've been organizing events too...the last few days prior to the events r usually the most stressful days manz...but when u see everyone enjoying themselves at ur events, u'll feel tt all ur hard work is definitely worth it! =) Many thanks to all our past event particpants for making our networking events so happening! =)
Btw, i was rather glad tt i didnt see the usual bunch of beauty bloggers who happen to appear at almost most beauty or fashion events in town at this Anteprima private event...so i guess this one is slightly more exclusive...guess such invitations is one of the perks of being a blogger? ;p Anteprima extended a storewide 20% discount for this private event...there were plenty of new arrivals...saw som cutie small heart-shaped plastiq pouches but i didnt really see anythg tt caught my leechie fancy though...they had a fashion show whereby the models were doing their catwalks within the boutique itself...n most of those models were towering over a leechie! o.O" we were served with wine n nice light treats as we checked out the new arrivals =) thx Li Xuan from L'Officiel once again for my new experience at the Anteprima private event =)
Update: wanna hear a joke? there's this particular event organizer who smsed n called me today...she pretended to b a guy in her sms...but too bad, i knew who she is...then she pretended to help her guy fren ask abt my Labour Day Networking event...this aint the first time tt she's trying to spy on my events...well, a leechie aint tt dumbo...i can see thru all her antics...first she tried to copy my ads...then she kept calling me to spy on my stuff...i'm really tired of her antics...pathetic -.-" a leechie has far better things to do than to waste my precious leechie time on such a pathetic loser -.-" btw, she tried to organize events in the past but heard tt the response for her events was so bad tt she had to give ppl huge discounts to beg ppl to come...cant understand y cant she juz focus on her own stuff rather than keep spying on me n my events? -.-" well, i received enquiries abt the identity of this particular organizer...well, let's juz say tt her name begins with M...n the name of her so-called "dating consultancy" starts with D...n there's Z at the end of the first word...go figure ya ;p leechie is disgusted with her dirty antics -.-" so Ms. M, pls get outta my elite uncaring face! -.-"
Leechie likes this fri late nite show with the cutie prince ;p Se7en is soooooooo cutie n sweet n caring in this show...i'm having a crush on him manz @.@" my fren tells me tt such sweet korean guys belong to the reel world n dont exist in reality...ouch -.-"
Many thoughts ran through my leechie mind as i read through the following article...i attended a neighbourhood primary sch near my home n wanted to enrol into another neighbourhood sec sch near my home...but my pri.6 form teacher had better ideas for a leechie...she psycho-ed a leechie to enrol into the girls' sch tt she previously studied in...saying tt the standard there was much closer to my standards...whatever tt meant -.-" being an obedient student tt i was, i took her advice...
But i had such a culture shock when i got there...i dont wanna name tt sch (u can go google the schools tt jeanette aw attended...we went to the same sec sch, jc n uni) well, i wouldnt say tt all the gals there were bitchy...but i certainly felt the hostility when i topped the class...year after year...(well, my primary school form teacher said somthg abt this school being closer to my standards...oh really eh? ;p) a classmate even confessed to me tt she was really upset tt she couldnt beat me to displace a leechie from being the top kid in the class...i actually bumped into an ex-classmate a couple of years ago...n i was really surprised tt she was still v.keen to compare our lives...anyway, we took v.different paths...so i really dont understand what's the basis for comparisons manz -.-" besides, i hav nvr treated any of those gals as my competitors before...i'm my own biggest competitor...as i wanna constantly outperform myself!!!
Anyway, i still rem our chinese teacher used to tell us tt we were not from a neighbourhood school n so had to perform better than those lousy neighbourhood school students...n our english teacher used to tell us..."even if u dont wanna study n can only think of marrying a rich guy...even the rich guy would expect u to speak good english!" n she would often correct us if she heard us speaking Singlish...well, i guess ms.boomz-to-shingz didnt attend our sch ya? ;p
Hmmm, i would like to think tt i kept a rather low profile during those sec school days...such tt my chemistry teacher, who was the vp then, was rather surprised to learn tt i was the top student ;p i guess i looked a nerdy ah-lian then? lol ;p anyway, one thing tt i was damn pissed abt was the silver award tt i received for my O levels grades...cos i was the top student n expected them to give me a gold award...so my leechie face immediately turned black upon receiving the silver award -.-" i thought then...since u were so stingy to give me only a pathetic silver award, then i would need to think harder if u were to ask me for donations in future -.-" i learnt later tt one would need to chalk up eight distinctions to qualify for a gold award...n i only took eight subjects then n i got only B3 for my English Literature (which was my worst subject) so i actually miz out on the gold award by centimetres -.-"
Then i went to a jc where the students were deemed to be rather "square" juz like our sch badge...well, i dont think my leechie face looks square ya? ;p anyway, getting 4 As at A levels was considered the norm for the better students in our jc...so many of my schmates got scholarships to study overseas or locally...although i had 4As too, i wasnt a scholar...cos i really didnt fancy signing a 6 or 8 yr bond at the age of 18...but i really envied my frenz who had such clear career paths set out for them at the age of 18...well, i learnt later on tt ppl do change...n one might not like what one was really passionate abt at the age of 18 ;p
Hmmmm, i agree with whatever the author said abt how those students from elite schools lose their perspective when they only restrict their social circle to those from similar backgrounds...my leechie mum always tell me to mix around with ppl from different backgrounds =) i hav come into contact with som rather myopic ppl who think tt his higher education makes him superior n a higher mortal as compared to the rest of the population...n he kept talking repeatedly n tirelessly abt his phD days...i guess anyone would get tired of the same old jokes being told repeatedly again n again...let alone his boring recount -.-" (the same goes for those speakers who keep cracking the same old recycled jokes each time...i really dunno how to laugh sincerely at those recycled jokes -.-") well, let's juz let him bring his pretty phD cert into his coffin, a leechie would rather buy a bling bling coffin n decorate it with more bling blings ;p n there was an event participant who kept stressing tt she came from a good background n tt she will only consider marrying a graduate n doesnt even wanna consider non-graduates...anyway, i hav a leechie uncle who doesnt even hav O levels n yet made his first million before age 30 n is a multi-millionaire entrepreneur who owns several biz today...observation: although he doesnt hav tt much education, he is damn street-smart n has damn high EQ n excellent pr skills...well, there r many other such real-life cases =)
Anyway, i chose my uni course outta elimination of the other courses tt i didnt wanna do then...i still rem tt there was one particular sem in which i scored straight aces n i thot my leechie name would appear on the dean's list...but it turned out tt 5As were the minimum criteria for the dean's list n i only took 4 modules tt sem cos i couldnt get my cross-faculty module via balloting tt sem -.-" crapz...i was damn disappointed n pissed tt i miz the dean's list by abit -.-" nvm, i consoled leechie by telling her tt even if i didn't make it into som dean-dean's list, i'm still on my ah-ma's list n my ah-ma would still love me all the same...well, i'm pretty sure she would love me more if i were to give her more moolah ;p
A cousin once remarked tt a leechie didnt look like a graduate n looked more like an ah-lian...n my reply to her then was..."tt aint impt, what's more impt is i am one n u r not!" -.-" as u can see, leechie developed a rather caustic tongue from a relatively young age ;p nowadays, i always tell ppl tt leechie is a high-class ah-lian ;p my leechie mum said tt if i didnt go to uni, i would b living in regret n envy my peers who did...so a basic degree is a must! but as i grew up, i realized tt education is not everything...but i'm still thankful for the education tt i had received which helped to mould my character to b the vocal n opinionated leechie tt i'm today ;p i guess my leechie mum would hav a much easier time if she were to hav a quiet kid who doesnt make so much noise abt stuff tt she doesnt agree with...my leechie mum is always worried tt a leechie might embarrass her in public -.-"
Life isnt juz abt swimming in a small goldfish bowl ya ;p btw, phD should stand for "Passion, Hunger & Determination"! Saw this interesting quote on my cousin's fb status ---> "We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be. Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." lemme pose my leechie question to u ---> where do u picture urself in 20 yrs' time? what would u be doing? n who would u b with? ;p
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Apr 3, 2010 Scoring high in grades but not in values Elite school students who never mix with others lose perspective By Sandra Leong
OVER the past two weeks, the words 'meritocracy' and 'elitism' have stirred feelings of loyalty, indignation and dismay all at once.
Just ask the old boys of St Joseph's Institution (SJI), who have been making a very public case for and against the lowering of the school's entry requirements to enable more students from its feeder schools to make the cut.
Meritocracy must prevail, argues one camp. Easing entry requirements will only cause academic standards to slip. But SJI must not become elitist, counters the rival camp. Boys from the Christian Brothers' schools, based on that affiliation alone, should qualify.
The imbroglio once again puts the focus on the uneasy relationship between meritocracy and elitism. A cynical take is that the race to the top will always leave behind stragglers, and those who cross the line first are bound to look down on their weaker counterparts. Given this attitude, it does not surprise me that some SJI alumni are campaigning fiercely against the 'E' word.
I attended Raffles Girls' School (RGS) and Raffles Junior College (RJC), both elite institutions. I confess that as a young adult, I was conceited and felt unsympathetic to the world around me. These days, when people ask me what is my alma mater, I often say I'm a Rafflesian - but a 'recovering' one.
Before I incur the wrath of Rafflesians past and present, let me say I am grateful for the all-rounded education I received. Way before the term 'holistic learning' became a Ministry of Education catchphrase, my $300-a-month secondary school fees in RGS paid for classes in speech and drama, etiquette and philosophy.
My teachers did not teach us to be snobs. But neither did they teach us not to be snobs. As a Rafflesian, one never spoke in terms of examination pass rates. It was the number of As one got that signified one's mettle.
We felt entitled to big things in a merit-driven society where mental dexterity equated strength of character and virtue. We felt so because we had trumped the system, even if it was the 'system' that had allowed us to get this far in the first place.
Intellectual snobbery can be a scary thing. A running joke when I was sitting for the A-level examinations in RJC was that the National University of Singapore law faculty half consisted of Rafflesians. The other half came from 'students from OJ' - other junior colleges.
I did not have a single friend from a neighbourhood school. In our world, we did not see a need to venture beyond what we knew.
Many of my friends came from rich families and lived in the Orchard or Bukit Timah areas. I remember a then 15-year-old friend asking me where I lived.
'Siglap,' I said. She asked quizzically: 'That's where all the Malays live right?'
I never learnt that failure was sometimes an unavoidable option. Two years ago, I sank into a *censored* when I did not get a scholarship. A non-Rafflesian friend jolted me to my senses when he asked: 'How many people even get to think about doing a master's?'
Growing up this way, you lose perspective. You forget that you belong to a privileged minority, that in the real world there are those for whom a C grade (and not an S-paper distinction) represents the pinnacle of academic achievement - but who may be wiser in many ways than the academically gifted.
It was only when I left the comforts of my flock that I realised how close-minded I was. Unlike some of my peers, I did not win a scholarship or study overseas. I studied at Nanyang Technological University, where classmates told me they were initially wary of me because I was a 'Raffles girl'.
I learnt that brandishing my elite school background, from the way I spoke 'proper English' to wearing my RJC physical education T-shirt around my hostel, rubbed people the wrong way. I learnt there were other ways to win respect without riding on the coat-tails of a brand-name education.
My work as a journalist also quickly brought me crashing down to earth. Loftiness goes out of the window when you have to talk to everyone from politicians to cancer patients to victims of natural disaster.
I hasten to add that for every misguided smart-aleck I encountered among Rafflesians, there were others who were humble and well-adjusted. Still, an Old Rafflesians' Association president once quoted in this paper defined the Rafflesian character as 'predominantly achievement-oriented and goal-driven' - traits I dare say which tend to create a type of ultra-competitiveness that leaves little room for empathy and humility in the absence of a countervailing value-system.
Many of my schoolmates went on to become civil servants, lawyers, bankers and doctors. They keep to the same small social circle they grew up in, married within it and will probably wish the same life for their offspring as well.
I'm not saying they grew up into mean-spirited, Ayn-Rand spouting adults just because they excelled in what they did. The pursuit of intellectual excellence is a virtue that our educational system quite correctly promotes. But the pursuit of intellectual excellence to the exclusion of character or value excellence breeds an exclusionary attitude to the rest of society. Many of the products of our top schools forget they have to give back to the society that allowed them so many opportunities.
It is especially worrying when the exclusionary attitudes bred in school become accepted life values. You judge success using markers that only you and your like-minded friends agree upon. For example, my unmarried girl friends tell me they will never date a man without a degree, a car or a 'respectable' job - and they are entirely unapologetic about it.
These are people who live for years without having to step outside their comfort zone, leading a bubble-wrapped existence.
The sooner that wrap is removed, the better.
sandral@sph.com.sg
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An interesting article by another elitist in the ST forum =)
I AM as Rafflesian/Raffles Girls' School (RGS)/'elite' as they come. My father was a Raffles Institution boy; I went through Raffles Girls' Primary School (RGPS), RGS, then Raffles Junior College, then on to the National University of Singapore, boarding at Raffles Hall. My sisters went through much the same route. My little girls are in RGPS.
I recognise the syndrome Ms Sandra Leong talks about ('Scoring high in grades but not in values', last Saturday). I live it, breathe it. Most of my friends are like me, graduates. Most of us live in landed property, condominiums or minimally, executive condos or five-room flats. None of us talks about making ends meet, or how we must turn down medical treatment for our aged parents because we cannot find the money.
But I will add to her essay: that those traits, that aura is not unique to RGS girls. It resonates within a social group, and its aspirants, the well educated or well endowed. I hang out with so many, I have stories by the barrel.
- My doctor friend, non-RGS and one would even say anti-RGS, was shocked when she found out how many As I got in my A levels, since I opted to do an arts degree. In her words, 'I thought all arts people were dumb, that is why they go to arts'. Her own family boasts only doctors and lawyers - she said they would never contemplate any other profession - and by implication, all other professions are below those two.
- A church-mate who lived in a landed property in District 10 - definitely not an RGS girl, and I venture to guess, not even a graduate - once, in all sincerity and innocence, prayed for all those who had to take public transport and live in HDB flats, for God to give them strength to bear these trials.
- Another friend, also non-RGS and a non-graduate, shudders when she recounts the few months she lived in an HDB flat. And that was a five-room flat. Imagine the culture shock if she had lived in a three-room flat.
I continue to meet people who never visit hawker centres, who wonder why the poor people do not work harder to help themselves, who fret if their children do not get into the Gifted Education Programme (reserved for the top 1 per cent of nine-year-olds).
The pattern repeats itself in the next generation. When my 11-year-old had to go on a 'race' around Singapore, using only public transport, the teacher asked for a show of hands on how many had never taken public transport (bus and MRT) before. In a class of 30, five raised their hands. I think if the teacher had asked for those who had taken public transport fewer than 10 times in their young lives, the number would have more than doubled or tripled.
Many of us live in ivory towers. I know I did. I used to think Singapore was pretty much 'it' all - a fantastic meritocracy that allowed an 'HDB child' from a non-graduate family to make it. I boasted about our efficiency - 'you can emerge from your plane and be out in 10 minutes' - and so on.
It was not that I thought little of the rest of the world or other people; it was that I was so ensconced in my cocoon, I just thought little of anything outside my own zone. 'Snow? Yes, nice.' 'Starvation in Ethiopia? Donate $50.' The wonders of the world we lived in, the sufferings and joys of those who shared this earth were just academic knowledge to me, voraciously devoured for my essays or to hold intelligent conversations at dinner parties.
Then I lived in China for seven years. I looked on in amazement as the skinny tree trunk in front of my yard blossomed and bore pomegranates when spring thawed the ground. And marvelled at the lands that spread east, west, north and south of me as we drove and drove and drove, and never ended. I became friends and fans of colleagues and other Chinese nationals, whom so many Singapore friends had warned me to be wary of.
I realised it was not the world and other people who were limited in their intellect, in their determination, in their resourcefulness; it was me and my world views which were limited. I also know full well that if I had stayed in Singapore, in my cushy job, comfortable in my Bukit Timah home, I would have remained the same - self-sufficient. I had always believed that if I put my mind to it, I could achieve anything. For example, I used to look at sick people and root: 'Fight with all your willpower, and you will recover.' And when they did not, I'd think they had failed themselves. I, like Ms Leong, believed 'mental dexterity equated strength of character and virtue'.
But those years in China taught me terrible lessons on loneliness. I learnt that money (an expatriate pay package) and brains (suitcases of books) did not make me happier than my maid who cycled home to her family every night in minus 20 deg C on icy roads to a dinner of rice and vegetables. The past few years, I have known devastating loss and grief so deep I woke up in the morning and wondered how the sun could still shine and people could go on with their lives.
And so perhaps I have learnt the humility I lacked. Humility about how small I am in the whole schema of things. About how helpless I truly stand, with my intellect in my hands, with my million-dollar roof over my head. To remember, in the darkest valleys of my journey, it was not Ayn Rand or other Booker list authors who lifted me, but the phone calls, the kindness of strangers, that made each day a little less bleak.
And perhaps finally, to really see other people, and understand - not deflect, nor reflect their anger and viewpoints, but see their shyness, pain, struggles, joys. Just because I was 'fortunate enough' to have trawled the bottom levels. And perhaps that is the antidote to the oft unwitting elitism so many of us carry with us.
