Thursday, December 26, 2013

Reflections on 2013

As 2013 comes to a close, several thoughts I like to capture.  A friend of mine write out her goals and ticked them off and this year she ticked off 4 which mean she achieved all the goals she set for herself at the beginning of the year.

I do not set goals.  So I have no goals to tick off.  2013 is a stable and good year for me.  It is stable, peaceful and regular.  No major upheaval.  My three boys are doing well in schools although their results could be better.

I have a good job and enjoys my work.  My wife is very competent in running her household, so we have a comfortable home.  We have a Myanmar maid which is a real headache to train.  At least she does not cause any trouble outside.  Investment-wise, we have ups and downs but overall we are slightly up.  So it is fine.  We have reduced our expense significantly as now we do not have as many tuition commitments.  Maybe it will go back up next year.  Yes, I can close 2013 as positive.

For the country, there is much work to be done.  The Little India riot is a sign of the future that Singapore may become if the foreign worker policy issue is not addressed.  Many Singapore PMETs are facing challenges staying in their jobs or looking for new jobs.  The environment the PAP government created is squeezing the middle managers, engineers into cruel unforgiving survival mode as many vignettes in the internet attest to.  I feel sorry for my fellow country men who are in desperate straits.  The elites of Singapore may be living like the movie Elysium.  They have sympathy of the masses but no empathy.  "To build a democratic society, based on justice and equality..." is the ideal in our Singapore Pledge.  Singapore may be becoming a bad country for its citizens where words like "Singaporeans First" do not match with policy and actions.  I am worried for my boys and future generations of born in Singapore.

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