11 September 2006

Singapore Dreaming

Just caught the movie with Adam, a really good show. What's stunning is that we watched it on a Monday afternoon, usually a quite time for cinemas, and the hall was packed to the first row. Wow.
Posted this message in my sociology class forum:
Hi, everyone. I just watched "Singapore Dreaming" today, and I would like to recommend it to you.
To quote from the website(http://www.singaporedreaming.com):
"Singapore Dreaming is a story about a family with big dreams, living on a small island."
...
"Singapore Dreaming is a poignant, yet darkly humorous story about a typical Singaporean family coming to grips with their aspirations. It weaves a layered and moving tale about a family dealing with loss, ambition and the search for what really matters in life."

Socially (and I guess you could say academically), the movie explores many themes that is worth looking into. The economic straggle of the working class, gender inequality, social mobility, class stratification, family structure...ect, all in a Singapore context.

But more importantly, you should see it because you are in Singapore. If you are a heartlander, you will see some of yourself, your family, and your friends in the movie. If you are not, well you would see Singaporean, as we are. To quote President Nathan: "It's life in its reality."

I urge you to examine the issues and questions raised in the movie closely. Too many of us, for too long, have been following the "Singapore Plan" too closely. In our chase for a better future, we have miss something? Perhaps?
Maybe you have friends who declares righteously that they will only take modules that they are confident of scoring in? Maybe some are switching to faculty that seems to offer more chances of scoring well?

Don't win the battle, and lose the war.
...than again, that's just me.
We seem to be feed a winning formula from young. Study hard, "good" school, "good" result, "good" job, "good" house, "good" marriage, 2 kids. Not forgetting the 5Cs. Once we have them, We're THERE. The movie points out ironicly that the 6th C, is coffin.

In the movie that's a girl from China who said: "you give up your dreams to do something you are unwilling to, for money. To get money, I am doing something I'm unwilling to, for my dreams."

I'm almost afraid to ask people around me, "do you have dreams beyond the 5Cs?"

The movie blog.
The essay that started it all: PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS

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