Monday, April 27, 2009
Which School Do You Come From?
Since many of you would be graduating in less than two years' time, I thought this article may be useful to you.
April 27, 2009
School's a journey, not an end in itself
By Jessica Jaganathan
I KNEW I was from a different school of thought when my colleague, with a perplexed look, asked me what the word gatal meant.
I tried my best to put across an explanation in proper English. I told her gatal, literally 'itchy' in Malay, is also slang for being perverted or lewd. Offended that someone had used the word to describe her, she angrily declared she was no such thing.
It was now my turn to be confounded.
Singlish is second nature to me. I went to a neighbourhood school where my classmates and I exchanged jokes that would have probably made little sense to those who hail from the more 'elite' schools. I had assumed everyone else was as well versed in everyday patois.
Which leads me to the elite and non-elite divide, or as I like to call it, the atas versus the non-atas. (That plain enough for you?) In fact, I was oblivious to this distinction until I joined my current company, where the majority of workers are Singaporeans.
One of the first conversation starters was always, 'Which school did you go to?', and never 'What work experience do you have?'. That second question comes only after I reply to the first: Commonwealth Secondary School.
You see, it was an unfamiliar name to the alumni of schools like Raffles Girls', Methodist Girls' and River Valley High. They have, so to speak, brand recognition, sparking an entire debate I did not quite get.
In my previous workplace, a multinational firm, it did not matter if you were from ABC secondary or XYZ college. What my colleagues and employers, mainly foreigners, were interested in was my work experience.
Is it a Singaporean phenomenon then to have an elitist mentality? Would one rather be considered average in an atas school or above average in a neighbourhood school?
According to a Facebook quiz, I belong to Singapore Chinese Girls' School, and like to bake and dream about boarding schools, British aristocrats and American high society. Yeah, right.
The closest I have come to a British aristocrat was walking past Buckingham Palace.
Does it matter which school you went to if the destination is the same? I am doing the same kind of work and trying to meet the same deadlines as my colleagues who have a company scholarship.
In fact, if anything, my neighbourhood school background has given me the social skills to relate to more people on the ground.
Instead of a homogenous environment where everyone speaks the same colloquial English, I come from a school where your mother tongue prevails, whether you are speaking or cursing.
I would never ask someone, 'Which school did you go to?' because, as the atas person would say: 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.'
April 27, 2009
School's a journey, not an end in itself
By Jessica Jaganathan
I KNEW I was from a different school of thought when my colleague, with a perplexed look, asked me what the word gatal meant.
I tried my best to put across an explanation in proper English. I told her gatal, literally 'itchy' in Malay, is also slang for being perverted or lewd. Offended that someone had used the word to describe her, she angrily declared she was no such thing.
It was now my turn to be confounded.
Singlish is second nature to me. I went to a neighbourhood school where my classmates and I exchanged jokes that would have probably made little sense to those who hail from the more 'elite' schools. I had assumed everyone else was as well versed in everyday patois.
Which leads me to the elite and non-elite divide, or as I like to call it, the atas versus the non-atas. (That plain enough for you?) In fact, I was oblivious to this distinction until I joined my current company, where the majority of workers are Singaporeans.
One of the first conversation starters was always, 'Which school did you go to?', and never 'What work experience do you have?'. That second question comes only after I reply to the first: Commonwealth Secondary School.
You see, it was an unfamiliar name to the alumni of schools like Raffles Girls', Methodist Girls' and River Valley High. They have, so to speak, brand recognition, sparking an entire debate I did not quite get.
In my previous workplace, a multinational firm, it did not matter if you were from ABC secondary or XYZ college. What my colleagues and employers, mainly foreigners, were interested in was my work experience.
Is it a Singaporean phenomenon then to have an elitist mentality? Would one rather be considered average in an atas school or above average in a neighbourhood school?
According to a Facebook quiz, I belong to Singapore Chinese Girls' School, and like to bake and dream about boarding schools, British aristocrats and American high society. Yeah, right.
The closest I have come to a British aristocrat was walking past Buckingham Palace.
Does it matter which school you went to if the destination is the same? I am doing the same kind of work and trying to meet the same deadlines as my colleagues who have a company scholarship.
In fact, if anything, my neighbourhood school background has given me the social skills to relate to more people on the ground.
Instead of a homogenous environment where everyone speaks the same colloquial English, I come from a school where your mother tongue prevails, whether you are speaking or cursing.
I would never ask someone, 'Which school did you go to?' because, as the atas person would say: 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.'
On Teen Smoking.
Read this article from The Straits Times today. Honestly, I think it's quite silly to be addicted to smoking, you know. You know what's the new cool: To have been that, done that. Try it once and be done with it. What's so nice about stained teeth & black lungs??!!!
April 27, 2009
Lighting up in the open
BARELY 5m away from his school in Tampines, the 15-year-old in his uniform brazenly lit up and started puffing on his cigarette - in full view of schoolmates at a nearby coffee shop. He was typical of underage smokers caught by the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) enforcement officers in a recent raid in Tampines.
The Straits Times accompanied the 12-man team on the five-hour search that rounded up 12 teenagers found smoking at the void decks, staircase landings and corridors of Housing Board blocks, and in multi-storey carparks.
The common excuse: They did not know that it is illegal for underage youths to smoke and were just experimenting with one stick.
But one 15-year-old was defiant: 'Why can't I smoke? It's my right to smoke and I will continue to buy a lot of cigarettes.'
'Some of those caught can be very uncooperative and aggressive, hurling vulgarities and threatening our officers,' said Mr Norman Chong, a deputy director in the HSA tobacco regulation unit's enforcement division.
But enforcement officers kept their cool in the face of outbursts, searching bags for cigarette packs and taking down the particulars of the teenagers, some of whom were repeat offenders.
Those under 18 who are caught smoking more than once must attend mandatory counselling sessions and pay a $30 fine. Otherwise, they will need to appear in court and can be fined up to $300.
While schools often act as the 'eyes and ears' on the ground and tip off enforcement officers, Mr Chong said parents may not be as supportive.
He said: 'After we send out the notices to notify parents of their children's offence, some of them call us up to complain and insist that their children were not in the wrong.'
To ensure that youths do not get easy access to cigarettes, the HSA's enforcement officers also go after the outlets selling smokes to youths.
Last year, 63 retailers were caught selling cigarettes to those under the age of 18.
Retailers can be fined up to $5,000 for the first conviction, and up to $10,000 for subsequent convictions. Repeat offenders may also have their tobacco retail licences suspended or revoked.
April 27, 2009
Lighting up in the open
BARELY 5m away from his school in Tampines, the 15-year-old in his uniform brazenly lit up and started puffing on his cigarette - in full view of schoolmates at a nearby coffee shop. He was typical of underage smokers caught by the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) enforcement officers in a recent raid in Tampines.
The Straits Times accompanied the 12-man team on the five-hour search that rounded up 12 teenagers found smoking at the void decks, staircase landings and corridors of Housing Board blocks, and in multi-storey carparks.
The common excuse: They did not know that it is illegal for underage youths to smoke and were just experimenting with one stick.
But one 15-year-old was defiant: 'Why can't I smoke? It's my right to smoke and I will continue to buy a lot of cigarettes.'
'Some of those caught can be very uncooperative and aggressive, hurling vulgarities and threatening our officers,' said Mr Norman Chong, a deputy director in the HSA tobacco regulation unit's enforcement division.
But enforcement officers kept their cool in the face of outbursts, searching bags for cigarette packs and taking down the particulars of the teenagers, some of whom were repeat offenders.
Those under 18 who are caught smoking more than once must attend mandatory counselling sessions and pay a $30 fine. Otherwise, they will need to appear in court and can be fined up to $300.
While schools often act as the 'eyes and ears' on the ground and tip off enforcement officers, Mr Chong said parents may not be as supportive.
He said: 'After we send out the notices to notify parents of their children's offence, some of them call us up to complain and insist that their children were not in the wrong.'
To ensure that youths do not get easy access to cigarettes, the HSA's enforcement officers also go after the outlets selling smokes to youths.
Last year, 63 retailers were caught selling cigarettes to those under the age of 18.
Retailers can be fined up to $5,000 for the first conviction, and up to $10,000 for subsequent convictions. Repeat offenders may also have their tobacco retail licences suspended or revoked.
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