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Gong Xi Fa Cai !
The “Yu Sheng” or “Lou Hei” is a traditional dish partaken during reunion dinners or gatherings during Chinese New Year.
It is a dish i dearly miss as i spend yet another Chinese New Year away from family in a distant land. But even as i reflect on this dish that i miss, i am amazed at how different ingredients of different qualities and traits come together to make such a unique and tasty dish.
I am reminded as well of the social fabric we have in Singapore and how different peoples, races, religions, cultures all converge together to form one unique Singapore.
Without further ado, on behalf of the P65 blog, i would like to wish all our readers a prosperous and happy Chinese New Year and to those who are not celebrating CNY, a happy holidays!
a2ed
February 15th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Nonsense. You’re probably ignorant enough of other cultures to think that ’singaporean’ culture is a fusion of all local cultures. The Malay culture has been left to express itself within the Malay community, and Indian culture has been diluted to the point that many are just Confucians with another epidermal tincture. What has taken place is assimilation as opposed to integration. The evidence is overwhelming. It takes exceptional self-absorption, and an internalised fascist mindset, to not appreciate it.
The fact that ‘eating, gambling, shopping’ is a ‘national pastime, ‘national integration night’ being held on the last day of the CNY period, ‘fu’ being stuck on the Singapore flyer, amongst a myriad and multitude of others, indicates something does it not. But one has to not be a racist and a fascist to see it.
An intelligent mind, however, will realise that the only aspects of Malay or Indian culture that has been adopted is that which does not conflict with the traditional taste of the chinese. All others have been ignored and marginalised into non-existence.
Julian’s reply: Hi there, thank you for your views. Well i guess your reply and your mention of my lack of understanding is a reflection that the social harmony we have in Singapore is precious and must be treasured at all costs. I still have much to learn about this
PAP Member
February 15th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Yah, only intelligent mind understand your message. What are you trying to convey to our Malay and Indians? Loads of rubbish!
Spartacus
February 17th, 2010 at 5:36 am
Even a simple and innocent CNY greeting can draw such a negative response. What is happening to our society?
PAP Member
February 18th, 2010 at 12:20 am
Chill
I was talking to a2ed lah, don’t like his “Nonsense” so cannot tahan must response with “Loads of rubbish” lor!
No hard feeling, a2ed. Just tt I got one teacher always liked to “nonsense” us so I dislike that word.
Hahaha … sry sry Julian!
PAP and Gerrymandering
February 19th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Gong Xi Fa Cai Gerrymandering PAP members.
Can’t wait to see how you guys gerrymander and redraw the boundaries.Always fixing Singaporeans and the Opposition using unethical methods.
When will the PAP stop the GERRYMANDERING?
PAP and Gerrymandering
February 20th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
STOP REDRAWING BOUNDARIES.
IT’S CHEATING.
Julian’s reply: and a Happy holidays to you too
Fishoutofwater
February 22nd, 2010 at 6:35 pm
“An intelligent mind, however, will realise that the only aspects of Malay or Indian culture that has been adopted is that which does not conflict with the traditional taste of the chinese. All others have been ignored and marginalised into non-existence.”
Who, in his right mind, would want to adopt aspects of another culture that contradicts his own? It’s not a basic human instinct, perhaps other than for those who are anti-establishment and possess a streak of rebellion. The fact that deliberate efforts have been made by many Singaporeans not to exclude other races from their celebrations is indeed laudable.
PAP and Gerrymandering
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:45 am
STOP REDRAWING BOUNDARIES.
IT’S CHEATING.
I REALLY MEAN IT!
Does the wink mean you are cheekily endorsing the GERRYMANDERING? Very SNEAKY.
Singaporean
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:49 am
@PAP and Gerrymandering
Take the Elections Department out of the PMO (prime minister’s office).
It will do wonders for fairness.
PAP and Gerrymandering
February 24th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
@ Singaporean
but the PAP is insecure.We Singaporeans will never have an independent Elections Department or even an Elections Commission.
It’s a farce to call our country a Democracy.It’s a unique PAPPYcracy.PAPPYcrisy if you ask me.Good thing that the MM clarified that the pledge is just an ASPIRATION.We are ASPIRING to be a nation.For now we are a PAPPY kingdom.
If you take away this GERRYMANDERING institution, will wemove towards proper representation of the people?It is absolutely incredulous that the opposition gets a third of Singapore votes and is only represented in parliament by 2% of seats.
What happens to the other 31%? Not surprised why there is a brain drain and migrating, Singaporeans not having children, less Singaporeans volunteering,etc.
Singaporeans who do not think the PAP way are disenfrenchised and disillusioned.They have no representation or no say in how the country should be governed.No transparency and accountability.
How much do we have really have in our reserves?Why are our esteemed leaders not making public their assets?
Megha
March 1st, 2010 at 1:04 am
Hi Julian,
Thanks for the nice piece on ‘Yu Sheng’, since this is the last day of the Chinese New Year, I’m not that late in wishing one and all a happy, harmonious, prosperous New Year
Singapore Girl Next Door
March 7th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
“Racial Harmony” in modern Singapore is never a Yu Sheng.
A plastic canteen plate with segmented portions is a more appropriate analogy. You have 5% of the space for curry, 5% for condiments, 10% for vegetables, and the rest is Chinese fried rice. And if you want more vegetables, no can do since they will spill over beyond their space; and it would ruin the harmony if they mix with everything else never mind that they eventually do when they end up in our stomachs.
I’ll let others do the talking for me –
http://blogs.straitstimes.com/2010/2/16/reminiscing-on-chinese-new-year
Julian’s reply: Hello, if that is the case as you have depicted, surely we need more exposure and understanding between races, cultures, religions and diversities. I personally benefited from having the opportunity to participate in some programmes offered by onepeople.sg and learnt to understand and be sensitive to different races and cultures. Ultimately we’re all Singaporeans ( :
JB
March 8th, 2010 at 7:29 am
What pathetic tripe is this article. Nothing to say dun say lar, pathetic PAP shiteee.
Julian’s reply: Hello, I read about the troubles Australia has been having with Indian students. It is definitely tough for a group to be a minority in a new place. I am thankful for what we have in Singapore and definitely learn to not take for granted this social harmony and do my part in understanding and appreciating this diversity.
Singapore Girl Next Door
March 8th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Dear Julien,
I hope your belief does not stem from the fact you are Chinese.
I was once like you, and certainly found it easy to conclude there is harmony since it benefitted me.
Are we risking further isolation by insisting that marginalization of the minority is a mere imagination?
Maybe that’s why some of us are being accused of being out-of-touch.
Because the real danger is when leaders think they have solved the problem.
And if there is no problem, no one will think of the solution.
Let’s recollect for the moment before we use ‘racial harmony’ as bragging right on election day.
I personally believe we should NOT trumpet it if there is still work to be done.
LKY himself said we are “NOT a nation”. Because if we are, harmony does not need to be manufactured in a conference room inside a government agency.
Regards,
SGND
Julian’s reply: Hi SGND, thank you for sharing your insight. I believe in this case it should not be the small (minority) giving way to the big (majority) but rather the majority making the effort to understand, appreciate, give space. That has been my personal outlook.
Even as i read comments posted by readers, i learn from their insights and expand my horizons as well, rather than close up my mind to just my own view. In the same way, the government’s initiative of inter racial confidence circles and inter religious confidence circles set up after the 911 incident has been a very powerful tool in the cross appreciation and understanding of each others’ diversity. Yes there will always be fundamental differences such as colour or religion, but that is what gives us our unique identity of being a multi racial, multi religious society and country.
Although i did not live through the turbulent eras of the riots, I definitely do not take this harmony for granted and in any little way or opportunity would seek to strengthen this.
This was after all MM’s vision: Majullah Singapura
Just my 2 cents
Zizie
March 11th, 2010 at 12:05 am
It’s, uhm majulah. with one L.
Anyway that’s not the point. I prefer to look at the issue of racial harmony from a ground-level point of view. As friends, we do not see the marginalising of minorities. We do not set quotas on how many friends of each race we could and should have. We celebrate each other’s festivals, i.e. CNY, Hari Raya, Xmas (I’ve yet to be invited to celebrate Deepavali!) Maybe I’m blessed to have good friends from different races, thus personally, I really think racial harmony exist.
On the other hand, if we apply the concept of racial harmony to the governmental system, then it becomes a different issue, which is what the previous comments are focussing on I think! In my opinion, I think the underlying issue in this case is not one of racial harmony but equality, one of the values upon which this country is founded upon.
Majulah Singapura, amen to that.
Julian’s reply: Thanks for sharing your views Zizie and the correction too
I am looking forward to taking up Bahasa Melayu classes to strengthen my language!
Scared
March 11th, 2010 at 1:07 am
Racial harmony exists when race doesn’t matter anymore.
Instead we are imbued with the idea that harmony can only exist when a group is denied rights to political efficacy. But of course in Singapore, we call them “racial enclaves”.
I think people have gotten used to it, hence, no longer think it is a problem.
Harmony does not exist without equality and equality is true only when no lines are drawn between two human beings.
Course majority of Singaporeans will think this is a cliche and do not trully reflect the reality in the ground.
But maybe because majority of Singaporeans are Chinese.
“Majority of Singaporeans” recently complain about the pain of having too many foreigners in this country, and about how policies create a disadvantage for the “Majority of Singaporeans”.
Aren’t we all too quick to say that there is something wrong? And despite of it, the media play down the issue.
Well, image that. Where does one begin so you’d understand the pain of the minority?
Julian’s reply: Hi there, thanks for sharing your views. I personally think it is all about perspective. If we are not exposed to differences, then the line will be extremely thick.
I understand in Singapore i am a majority, however studying overseas has given me a slight glimpse of what it is like to be the minority.
An example i would like to draw upon is how one of my friends who has a chinese name was failed for a coursework because the marker thought that the writer’s level and command of english should not be strong and thus must have plagerized the work.
The potential for an issue to arise is perhaps because of a un-nurtured perspective. That is why going to school together, living in a HDB, working on community projects has given me ample opportunities to come in contact (even for a little bit) with people from other races, learn about their culture and in turn respect and appreciate them as an individual, for their inherent value as a human being.
Just my perspective on things
'Yu Sheng' indeed
March 11th, 2010 at 4:12 am
“Yu Sheng” indeed.
A few memorable quotes from MM whom you share your vision with Julian.
“Three women were brought to the Singapore General Hospital, each in the same condition and needing a blood transfusion. The first, a Southeast Asian was given the
transfusion but died a few hours later. The second, a South Asian was also given a transfusion but died a few days later. The third, an East Asian, was given a transfusion and survived. That is the X factor in development.”
Here’s a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWThOo6-Xo4 entitled Lee Kuan Yew: World-renowned statesman and race realist.
How about his most recent interview with the National Geographic:
“Well, we make them say the national pledge and sing the national anthem but suppose we have a famine, will your Malay neighbour give you the last few grains of rice or will she share it with her family or fellow Muslim or vice versa?”
“The influence from the Middle East has made them have head-dresses for no rhyme or reason.”
What is your take Julian?
Julian’s reply: I remember reading somewhere that MM believes in social darwinism. That in order for one to survive, one has to change.
I do not have the answers on human behaviour, however i like to think that we are wired to pass on our genes (survival).
If i infer correctly what MM is mentioning, he paints the scenario of a famine and this would thus kick into effect a human being’s survival mentality. Innately, we were programmed to pass on as identical DNA.
I do not think that the melting pot concept of multi-culturalism in the USA is perfect neither is ours in Singapore. But one thing i am thankful and will never take for-granted off is the harmony we have in Singapore.
There will always be problems, but what will bind us together is this common belief of a common identity as Singaporeans (multi-racial, multi-religious, society)
Lets continue to contribute to the strengthening of this social glue
Simplicity
March 11th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
If race should not matter, why do we still have the field “RACE” in many application forms from school to employment, to Govt agencies to IC? As if our names are not clear enough to denote our ethnicity. Using ‘race’ to describe a person is already racism.
Scared
March 12th, 2010 at 12:17 am
social darwinism……is flawed in its belief that the measure of a human being is summed only thru economic contributions.
social darwinism……is flawed in its insistence that only genetics and NEVER nutrition and nurture plays a role in human development.
social darwinism……is flawed in its assumption that only select human beings are capable of change and evolution.
Racial policies are therefore racists since it ignores other factors that define a human being, and instead focuses only on ONE area.
It veils the fact that nurture and nutrition are the most significant ingredient in human development, and also the ones that humanity are in direct control of.
In fact, our genes mutate as reaction to the amount of nurture and nutrition available in our environment.
Social darwinism while it promotes the doctrine of genetic superiority is nothing but a political invention designed to justify the disproportionate allocation of nurture and nutrition….resource and wealth.
Of course Singaporeans have a better IQ than Americans….if averaged, only because the average Singaporean have access to better nurture and nutrition than the average Amercian.
But if you take the IQ of Americans with similar level of nutrition and nuture as a Singaporean, the difference is inconsequential.
And the same goes for the IQ of every other human being in the world…..see the WHO studies which peg IQ based on nutrition and nurture rather than race.
Social darwinism is an invention of the racially insecure.
What the world needs is equal access to nuture and nutrition, and not some fancy reasons like social darwinism to justify why equal access should be denied.
Julian’s reply: I was wondering would there be any examples you could give me to highlight the point you feel so strongly about racial harmony? At least it would help me understand better as well your point of view.
I personally am colourblind and believe that every human being should be given equal access to basic needs such as food shelter education healthcare irregardless of socio-ecconomic statuses.
Although our government has done a good job in this aspect, there are still some which fall through the cracks and its these people’s lives that we as everyday Singaporeans can make a positive difference in ( :
I do note that equal opportunities does not mean equal outcomes, perhaps our meritocracy model can be tweaked a little.
kristie
March 16th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
I have not read all the comments here, but I have to blatantly mention that some of them deserve a good re-dress and re-think. I am appalled at the level of passion in response to a post like this.
If passion drives you, please- let reason hold the reins.
Every person, regardless of political stance, deserve an opinion. In this case however, I am compelled to say that making a specific stand without sufficient reason to do so, should, (and quite logically so) be rendered off as pure emotive jargon.
The bugger just wants to celebrate his new year man. If he was an outright anti-Malay, anti-Indian Singaporean, then by all means, please I beg you, go ahead and shoot him.
Otherwise, do reserve your enthusiasm for another day.
If only...
March 16th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
O c’mon krisite. This is SG. Time & space (yes even cyber space) is money. You think “the bugger just wants to celebrate his new year”??? No wonder someone or some group use the word ‘wayang’.
Julian’s reply: I really want to have Yu Sheng though
but that aside, i think when it comes to any comparison, there needs the balance of perspective between good and bad.
Appreciating whats good and improving on whats bad. Can our existing policies, governance improve? Definitely!
That is why you and i share our thoughts here in cyber space, because we care for our country, where our lives are inadvertently intertwined with.
PAP and Gerrymandering
March 26th, 2010 at 4:38 am
PAP Yu Sheng is percentage controlled.Why the obsession that the chinese be 75%?Will Singapore turn into a ghetto if it is the other way around?
Or is it because the PAP knows that the Chinese are incapable of accepting Democracy in living in a Multi Party climate?And that is why there is a mass importation of PRCs into Singapore as they do not understand the concept of a second party.
Google moved out of China.And I think the credible press of the world should do too.The PAP is filled with petty leaders who think that they are the end all and be all of our country.I also believe that there is plenty of nepotism in the country.Ho Ching has lost countless billions of Dollars and yet she keeps her job.I find that not accountable and disgusting,What are your views on the massive losses of the Soveriegn Wealth funds?Should she still keep her job?
I think Singapore will be a better place if the PAP stops Gerrymandering and plays fair.
Julian, when you sit for exams, do you do it as a group or as an individual?Maybe the Manchester University grades its’ graduating student cohort through Group Work.Why does the PAP let so many,almost 40, PAP MPs walk though the backdoor.
The MM,SM and two DPMs do not have the mandate to govern the country.Nobody voted for them in the last election.They have no mandate and are holding us ransom.Do they have the guts to hold a referendum?
The PAP gerrymanders.It’s cheating.Let’s give the other half of Singapore a chance to vote.Please pass on this message to your leaders.But there maybe repercussions.
Even Lim Swee Say admitted that they do not hear ‘ground views’.Arrogant sod who speaks broken english.
Julian’s reply: Hi there, wah after i read your comments, i realized that you are quite unhappy bout alot of things. Actually, I enjoy reading your very straightforward comments, because pointing out potential and existing flaws, whether or not they are accurate helps me appreciate our system even more. (uniquely Singapore
)
Personally i have no complaints about our system because it has been a system that has worked. But in light of your comments, i still stand by the fact that this system can and must be improved, for you me and every Singaporean.
Improvement will definitely come, if the reflection of your comments are across the population, i am sure that it would be reflected in the elections and perhaps our leaders will take greater note and be encouraged to further improve.
There are many ways of expressing this desire of improvement for our country. I recently read of how young individuals share their thoughts weekly, even in the rain, on CNY at speaker’s corner. I think such desire and commitment displayed for our country’s future is very remarkable.
Ultimately, everyone has a job to do, some do it better than others, i always believe what matters most at the end of the day is the common goal of Singapore’s future.