Saturday, August 09, 2008

Happy NAtional DAy!

Finally, it's the time of the year....
A time to re-evaluate ourselves as CITIZEN of Singapore....
Time to ask....
What have you CONTRIBUTED to being a Singaporean!

3 years has  passed since my decision.....
to stay at home and nurture my kids,
aka the "future generations of SINGAPORE"......
Alright, I admit it! I'm not that noble lah!

I resigned after doing some calculations AND
I don't see any point in working!

Plying between Orchard & Punggol in a packed MRT 
was tedious & tiring.
Imagine having to do it every single day!

- And it ain't cheap having your lunch & dinner downtown - 
for a FREAKING SALARY of only $1500! It just doesn't make $ense

On top of that, 
INFANT CARE expenses is almost an extortion!!
I really cannot understand how feeding, cleaning,
and bouncing the baby on the bouncer whole day 
can cost SO MUCH!!

You don't need a calculator to do the sums.....
The answers were all there, staring blankly at me!

I am just thankful that I have a very supportive husband,
that supports whatever decisions I've made!

SO, after deciding to resign, what's next?!?
Friends started to envy me thinking my life must be damn shiok!
No need to work....just stay at home and shake leg,
and hubby bring back money for me to SPEND!!

This is the BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION about 
`Stay-at-Home Moms'....
I call myself a `Stay-at-Home Maid'!
I serve master, young master, and little missy!
Not to mention the dreaded household chores!
My friends usually laugh it off and thought I was joking

The problem is I AM NOT!!
I AM DEAD SERIOUS ABOUT IT!!

My work hours knows no boundaries,
 I started work from the wee mornings till late hours at night 
performing my duties diligently without complain or fuss....
(*okay lah.... sometimes grumble a bit lah....
I am HUMAN afterall....
made from flesh and blood!!*)
and when the kids are not feeling well...
my shift is from midnight to midnight! 
24hours!

Even I'm starting to envy our next door maria's life!
At least she is protected by labour law!
wahahahahaha......

(God, there's even some `brilliant' 
but despicable people out there 
who wrote to voice their disapproval about
 Stay-at-Home Moms 
getting some relief from the government!
It's a waste of taxpayer money they said.
How on earth can someone be so self centred?
How about those with autistic kids or Down Syndrome?
Spared any thoughts or concern for them?
.

Would that `brilliant' someone even consider such situations 
or other difficulties 
that Stay-At-Home Moms are facing 
before they open their big mouth?
Does it hurt to keep quiet?? )

I used to be very proud of Singapore,
I remembered clearly that during my school days...
I was one of those who would recite the pledge with PRIDE...
and sang the national anthem loudly....
EVEN up to secondary school!!
I could have swore no one else was doing that....
coz it is just so NOT COOL!
(I was one of those Gundu Samy brainwashed students!!)

BUT, today,
I am sad to say that my pride of being a Singaporean 
took a DOWNTURN.
Many things had happened that changed my perception....
Maybe it is how my once beloved Singapore 
evolved to be more developed.....
People call it progress....

I think Singaporeans have become 
more self centered and less compassionate
At times I just don't feel the warmth & friendly gestures anymore!

I tried to instill good values in my kids,
-Like holding the lift for some uncles or aunties 
RUNNING to catch the lift....
(some people will just SHUT the lift on you!)

-thanking people who held the lifts for us....
(I hate it when people just walk off  
without showing any sense of appreciation. 
Was I invisible? Was I a lift attendant?)

-waiting for people to alight from the train first...
(and we were always left behind 
when those behind us started to RUSH into the train)

-greeting people and saying good bye to everyone he sees, 
from Bangladeshi workers to those with disabilities!


Sometimes I wonder if I continue to instill such values,
  will my kids lose out in this competitive land known as Singapore?
`Progress'......
is where other Singaporeans 
would just push, grab, and shove to get what they want!

Singaporeans are being programmed 
to be Kiasu, Kiasi, Kia Lau Kui.....
by our beloved government 
in the name of progress & being competitive.
What's the point of slogans & campaigns 
on being a gracious & compassionate society?

To be gracious, to be compassionate....
will our government 
take the first step & lead by example?...
instead of NATO (No Action Talk Only)

I opt for a more gracious and compassionate society....
what about you?!?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe I can share more insights of the "progress" of our gracious society. Being 31 weeks heavily preggy, I struggled into a crowded clinic carrying a hyperactive 2.5 year old toddler plus a heavy sling bag... then to realize that all the seats in the clinic were occupied by parents with teenagers... old folks... etc. Just then my toddler decided to throw a tantrums as she hates being in the clinic... and I had no choice but to kneel on the floor to coax and play with her while seats occupiers teenagers continue their conversation totally oblivious of my presence. Not to my astonishment, their parents also pretended to ignore the scene. I was totally totally disappointed... when finally a gracious folk stood up to give up the seat to the struggling preggy mother... BUT guess what... the gracious folk was an elderly old woman!!!

Can someone tell me... where did all our values disappear to???

B@bYh|r0Sh| said...

hippobab: Sigh..... People who give up theirs seats on the train are usually BANGLADESHI!! (who has spend a day toiling in the hot sun, and yet they gave up their seats!!) *roll eye ball*

Unknown said...

You've done a good job thus far being a SAHM... and I am sure your children will know that this is the BEST gift you could offer them in time to come...

indeed...graciousness should start from home and not through all those dumb & useless campaigns... and what better way than to spend all the quality and quantity time of a SAHM with their children...to instill the correct values (this is by the way, God's design) to the next generation...they will be the ones who will shape our future... the person who wrote that forum article is probably not a mother at all... how ignorant she is of the duties of a SAHM...

B@bYh|r0Sh| said...

The person who write this article is someone who is afraid that her kids will LOSE OUT..... Hence, the typical KIASU attitude......

she said: "It is a luxury to have an educated- especially tertiary-educated-stay-at-home-mother to bring up her children. Such children will have many obvious ADVANTAGES over children of working mothers taken care of by relatives or maid."

If she was SO CONCERN ABOUT IT.... then be a SAHM!! Other than that she should just keep her BIG MOUTH SHUT!

Megan and Ryan said...

well said!

B@bYh|r0Sh| said...

megan&rayan: you privatise your blog lah..... I cannot see it anymore... boo hoo hoo

Anonymous said...

I agree with you totally on this blog leh!!! I really wanna fxxx that mdm yeo...she expect the govt to help FTWM and yet ignore the SAHM just becoz our kids are going to have advantages over hers who are being taken care of by her relatives or maid???
Pls lah...to be sahm or ftwm is all a choice hor. She can also be a sahm and get that advantage if thats her biggest concern mah.

Selfish PIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

irene aka bear

Anonymous said...

hihi.....i really respect SAHM...fow what they have done to their families, 24/7.....this is not an easy task, for working mums, they do have annual leaves, child leaves, medical leave, public holidays, etc....keep it up! Yr kids n hubby will appreciate u deeply......not only them, we, tood, working mummies...excpet for that woman who wrote that article lah....