Monday, June 06, 2005 @11:43 PM
I'm happy where I amMust really thank God for placing me in Singapore. It really doesn't matter whether the weather here is scorching, people a little kiasu, education a tad over-emphasised, country a little too small, entertainment a little limited (and expensive) or living expenses a tad too high, I'm still really glad that I live here. And I'm proud to say that. Nope, I ain't writing for any propaganda agencies that works for the government. Just a number of incidents that made me realise how fortunate we Singaporeans really are.
Spending a few days in the other land, so foreign, though not that much foreign in actual fact. Not that much foreign maybe because every single day there'll be news about the relationships between Singapore and the other land. I really wonder if there was a possibility that relations were strained, who will win? The sensible or the senseless?
This other foreign land didn't give me a very warm welcome, not even that kind of "Welcome to ..." that you see when you first step into the land. Nope, nothing of that sort. Not even a "Hi" or "Good Evening" or *nods in realising your existence*. NONE of that. NONE of that at the customs. Just a fierce, roaring "Why didn't you change your photo?". Oops, their English wasn't that perfect. I think it was something like "Why photo like that? Never ask you to change? How long ago one? How do you cross into ... like that? How? How?"
And being the petrified me who didn't know what to do, of course I was polite and nice to the officer. (He doesn't even deserve that title. 'Officer'... As if.) I just apologised and promised to change my photo if there was a NEXT time that I'll enter that damned country. Naive I was, I expected him to stamp my passport after numerous apologies. Never would I think that he'll refer me to the senior officer. (Senior?! Senseless, Evasive, Nonsensical, Irritating, Ogre-rish, Rubbish) That obviously led to more questioning, of which I've already spent a good 20mins standing there allowing the stupid officer to shout at me. Now there's another ogre to question me about my little girl face and my face now. I think my eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hair, face are still there. Blind they are.
Innocent, really innocent I was I didn't know what they were digging me for. So, I just kept on apologising. It's like the only thing I could do. You won't know how daunting they really are unless you try it yourself. But, trust me, I don't think you would want to. The 'officer' finally opened his filthy mouth to ask me how much I would pay him to stamp my passport. Wanted to retort, "Isn't that your job?! Paid for by your M ... Government?!" But I decided keeping quiet was the best thing to do. They asked me to declare how much money I've got on me. Being a poor student I only carried 300 R. And I had to give them 1/3 of it.
Corruption really thrives in that other land, where the lost are so rampant. And that's not the ONLY incident. The are so full of themselves, it's really quite amazing. How to cure that disease that's spreading like a plague? It's all in their blood.
Thank God that I'm here, safe, in Singapore. I really can for sure, say that I'm glad that I'm here. And, I'm proud to be a citizen here. I think missions should really be extended to that other land nearby. They need to hear the TRUE gospel. Lord, open their hearts.
(More insight into the other land the next post.)
