Seems that Singaporeans are still merrily shopping for the season despite facing the upcoming The Great Depression No 2.
And this is another year of lonely X'mas. Never mind. It seems that I am getting used to the lonely Xmas, New Year, CNY...
Every year around this period, we would tend to reflect on our deeds for the past 12 months. Lessons learnt from what has happened around you for the past 12 months. What can be done to make your next 12 months a better months for you...
Reflections 1:
Facing Life and Death When Disaster Strikes One.
Here, I am talking about Mediacorp actor Chew Chor Meng and the recently deceased Korean actress Choi Jin-Shi.
When the news of Chew suffered from a rare disease which can cause him to be bounded by wheelchair for life last week, Singaporeans are shocked. Our Singapore's most favorite Ah Bee was diagnosed with a rare illness, which affects his nerve system and causes his muscles shrinking. As there is no cure at the moment, he might be bounded by wheelchair forever.
Nevertheless, I could see from Chew that he faces the news that hits him, and decide to make the best of his everyday life. Compared to the late Jean-Dominique Bauby (the former editor of ELLE France, also the author of 'Le Scaphandre et le Papillon - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'), Chor Meng is more fortunate. He was notified from the doctor when he was diagnosed with the rare illness, compared to Bauby, where a stroke strikes him leaves him with 'locked-in' syndrome. With his left eye the only body part of his body that is movable, Bauby completed his auto-biography in 1997 after blinking his eyes for 2 years.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly took him 2 years to tell a story of lifetime. However, 2 days after the book goes on sale in the market, Bauby passed away due to pnuemonia.
Chor Meng has a long way to go, but he make life to the fullest. This is something that I can see on his face.
On the other hand, Korean actress Choi Jin-Shi choose to end her life when life has become a tough challanged to her. She hanged herself in her home during September this year, leaving her only daughter to face the world after the custody of the child goes to Choi from her divorce.
Being a divorcee and a celebrity in South Korea, life has been unfair to Choi. She filed a divorce due to an exter-marital affair from her husband. While women around the world applauded her courage to free herself from a affair, she receive criticisms by the South Koreans. When one of her best friend cum former actor (which I couldn't remember the name) gassed himself to death in his own car due to running of high debts, fingers were pointed to Choi, as they believed that Choi pressurized her bestfriend to clear his debt.
Under the pressures from the criticisms and endless fingerpointing, Choi choose to end her life, just like Ruan Lingyu, the former famous actress from China in the 1930's, where gossips and criticisms puts a full stop at her life.
Apparently, it seems that the cause of the death of Korean celebrities are due to endless criticisms for issues that seems big to the Koreans, but a norm in other Asian countries. U-Nee, Jang Da Bin, Choi Jin-Shi are just some of the names which has been listed as 'vulnerable women who collapses due to emotional attacks'. (The truth is, U-Nee and Jang Da Bin commited suicide over plastic surgery failure, which they feels that they are 'too ugly to see the people.' )
A lesson learnt from a movie from China, Tuya's Marriage: man can be killed, but cannot kill itself. Both Chor Meng and Jin-Shi had a long way to go. Both are in their 40's. One is married with kids, another divorced with a child. One knows that he will be paralysed for life, another knows that people will criticise her for the divorce.
And you had 2 different endings: one choose to face the challange, another choose to end her life.
It's only a line between life and death. What matters most is, it's all about how to see things right.
Reflection 2:
Chaos.
Let's rewind the clock back to months ago.
George W Bush was attacked by a reporter in Iraq when the reporter throws a pair of shoes at him during a speech.
Mumbai terror attacks causes deaths of several Americans, Englishmens and a Singaporean.
Demonstrations at the airports in Thailand, causes several disruptions, and a dead body found at the rubbish dump. (Human beings becomes disposable waste.)
Anymore?
Had lunch with WC and Jasmond yesterday, and was told that there are chaos in my previous units. Several storemens goes to prison for assault. Kim broke his finger...
Is it true that the moment I left my unit, things are getting from bad to worst? As what Alen says, I am the guardian of Bedok Camp?
So much for this X'mas.
Hope that things get better when I wake up tomorrow.