Listen listen;

#My favourite part of Village by the Sea

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 @ 10:09 PM

My favourite part of Village By the Sea will be the part where Hari spoke to the birdwatcher, also known as Sayyid Ali Sahib. Just in case you guys forgot, Hari's sisters wash and cook for Sayyid Ali Sahib and he pays them money in return. Anyway, in my favourite part of village by the sea, Hari had mentioned to the Sahib that he went to Bombay in the procession to stop the government from building a factory in Thul.

To my surprise, the Sahib was actually quite familiar with this case and told Hari in dismay that the villagers have lost the fight and the politicians won. Then, he went on to say that Thul is lost. Everything is doomed. Somehow, I kind of think that he is one of those pro-environment kind of people, just like those environmentalists. He said that the fish in the sea will die from the effluents that will be released from the factories and the paddy fields will be built over by factories. He even went on to say that his little baya birds (which he has been watching) will fly away too.

But this is the part that I like most. The sahib asks: " What will we do? What will become of us? When it comes to people, I-I don't know, I am lost."

Hari then tells him that since it is too late to start fishing or farming, and since he does not want to work in a factory, he wants to start a poultry farm and maybe even a watch mending shop.

Then the Sahib suddenly cried out: Adapt! Adapt! He tells Hari that we have to adapt to the new environment just like the animals and birds. Urbanization, after all, is inevitable and the only way we can tackle it is to adapt.

The Sahib, in my opinion, had pointed out a very important point, which is to adapt. Instead of trying to stop the government from building the factory here, why can't they just adapt. Urbanization is inevitable, and as I have mentioned before, we must constantly upgrade ourselves with new skills so that we will not lose out in the society. In Hari's case, he had learnt to mend watches, and is also ahead of the others by already adapting to the present situation by planning to set up a poultry farm here in Thul. In conclusion, I like this part of VBTS most as it really shows that sometimes certain things are inevitable and there may not be a solution to it, but we must learn to adapt, for it is the only way out? And who knows? Maybe the villagers in Thul might even learn to like modernization after all.

“The survival of the fittest is the ageless law of nature, but the fittest are rarely the strong. The fittest are those endowed with the qualifications for adaptation, the ability to accept the inevitable and conform to the unavoidable, to harmonize with existing or changing conditions.”
-Anonymous

#My Mother's Reading habits

Monday, June 22, 2009 @ 11:53 PM

As you can tell, the interviewee is my mother and I will ask her on some of her reading habits. Apparently, she is a non-reader. Okay, let's kick start this interview with some of Ms.Lim's questions.

1. If you are to read, which book would you read?

Mum: I would prefer to read the book "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck. I really enjoyed reading it.

2. If you must choose a fiction and a non-fiction book, which one would you choose?

Mum: I would rather choose a non-fiction book as it allows me to gain more insights into certain information which I am not aware of. Such as, those self improvement books which I really love to lay hands on.

3. If you don't read books, what other reading materials do you read?

Mum: Well, if I dont read books, then I would be reading materials like Reader's Digest and of course, The Straits Times and also The New Paper.

4. Why do you not read?(because of peers? living conditions? dislike reading?)

Mum: I really don't have the time to read nowadays. I think most Singaporeans will say that too just like me, citing it as a excuse for not reading. But seriously in fact, reading is my first hobby.

5. Why do you not find time to read?

Mum: What I can only say, is busy, busy and busy. Sometimes, I just wonder why I cant allocate a little quality time to enjoy my reading. Maybe I should look into that further...

6. When was the last time you read a book?

Mum: I just can't remember now. Maybe years since I left school. Thereafter, I had to juggle between worklife and family, then this fascinating hobby has been forgotten.

7. Would you encourage me to read? If so, why?

Mum: I totally would encourage you to read as much as you can. Reading is not only fun, but you will find the vast knowledge and literature will truly add spice much to your life. Trust me, be a vivid reader and it will improve your vocabulary and widen your scope of horizon.

8. Has anyone recommended to you a book before? Did you go on to read it? Why or why not?

Mum: No, so far, no one has recommended me any good book to read. I would really love to grab the particular book now if someone would recommend to me. But, I do remember, there is a particularly good show recommended by my friends and it is "The Dead Poets Society." It's great, really but I think you may not be able to find this show now.

#Is progress necessarily beneficial for society?

@ 3:09 AM

Is progress necessarily beneficial for the society? Well, here is what I think. Progress is a really special term. Not every part of the world would favour progress. In Village By The Sea for example, there are two places which we can definitely compare progress with: Bombay and Thul.

Bombay, as you already know, is a very urbanized and modern society. Whereas, Thul is a village which is not as kept up with the times unlike Bombay. But why is it that in Bombay, there are many jobless and poor people compared to the villagers in Thul?

I think that the main reason for this scenario to occur is because the progress rate in Bombay is too fast such that some people cannot catch up. If they do not constantly upgrade themselves, or learn more skills, they will lag behind and lose their jobs. Maybe they would even live in poverty like the beggars on the street. Which is not a uncommon sight to see.

However, in Thul, although the standard of living there is not high, at least the people there manage to get a stable meal and they are the ones that survive at the end of the day. Thus, progress is not for everyone. That's what I am trying to say today.

Progress might also bring more harm than good. Of course your standard of living is higher and you enjoy better facilities such as shopping centres, swimming pools, etc. But, living in a place which is progressed, or well-developed, might mean that you are more vulnerable to losing out to the society, or losing your job, etc. Thus, I would like to point out that progress is not necessarily beneficial for the society.