It all started when I was in primary four, where I finally realized how Singapore actually revolves around money itself. Singapore having absolutely zero amount of natural resources had to depend solely on her own abilities to survive in this ever-changing economy. Taxes are applied on almost anything; prices are higher compared to other countries. Take for example education fees, which was one of the main reasons I was enlightened. Kindergarten fees were ranged at about three hundred to four hundred dollars a month which is very expensive which would total up to at least three thousand dollars a year just for basic education. Going up to primary school, more books, and more materials would be needed for learning to take place. Although school fees would not be as high as three hundred or four hundred, the book prices are not very low too. This brings hypocrites, a school bookshop sales person would always persuade the buyer to buy as many files as possible, saying that the school said it was a need to have so many but in fact just a small portion of it is actually used.
There is also another thing that as I grew up, I noticed; Singaporeans lead a very fast-paced life, mainly because they all work extra hard to earn more money. Because the taxes are too high, the prices of most products are therefore increase due to taxes. Taxes for example buying a car in Singapore, one car in Singapore can be bought 2 more times; one car in Singapore is equals to two cars in another country another factor to add on to cars being overly expensive is the car fuel needed for a car to run. Also, land in Singapore is limited, therefore the prices of houses in Singapore soars up; a flat in Singapore may allow one to buy a private apartment. With all these increased prices, Singaporeans naturally have to work extra hard to be able to cope with the economy. This fast-paced life was caused by a problem and has caused many problems. One of them would be littering, Singaporeans have to do things fast because of the fast-paced life, making them lazy to look for a bin and just leave their rubbish wherever they like.
Money itself is also a cause for a very huge problem. Gambling which is an activity that has led many men to turning to loan sharks and causing trouble to their families. Even if loan sharks are not involved, gambling would lead these gamblers to be bankrupt; which also means no money, in Singapore no money would indirectly mean no more hopes. But this problems does not stop Singaporeans from gambling, therefore I would say that nothing would stop people from falling in money’s “trap”.
This strong item, money, has influenced my childhood deeply. When I was young, my parents did not make much money also worsened by the tragic fact that my father was a gambling addict as well as an alcoholic, he hardly brought home any money to help my mother make ends meet. On the contrast he would always demand more money to be given to him for gambling and drinking. Therefore, I never had new things; my schoolbags were given to me by my neighbours or my relatives, my stationeries were often free, given to my mother by her company and my textbooks were gotten from donation drives.
Now, a joy to say that that ugly fact never held me back, I worked harder than children with new textbooks and I wrote better than people with new stationeries. I became a boy who scrimped and saved a boy who never thought of anything else other than my studies, fashion, technology never got the better of me. With a loving mother supporting me as I go along the long stretch of my schooling life, I told myself to repay her kindness whether or not I become successful in the further future.
Now I am a successful businessman, without having to worry about financial issues. Of course not forgetting my mother who had sacrificed so much to bring me up into what I am today, I repay her love to me by giving her a better life. Not forgetting my past, I donate to orphanages and many donation drives to aid children that are going through a somewhat similar life as my childhood. Sometimes, as I look back at my past, I find myself humorous but clever, learning to bargain prices like a housewife at the market at primary school age. But ironically these humorous things were the things that enabled me to pay the school fees and educate me.
Money is an essential thing, but money is not everything.
Well-written story about the importance of money nowadays in Singapore, the rapidly-developing modern city. It tells about how people experience difficulties because of shortage of money as the protagonist grew up.
ReplyDeleteThe protagonist did not have any habits of spending money and was a boy that knew about his family's difficulty and decided to work harder than other people that were more fortunate than other classmates, and became a successful businessman.
Eng Chow, you have a lot of insights into Singaporean culture, but you've written a personal essay here, not a narrative short story. Where's your plot? Setting? Who's your main character?
ReplyDeleteWhat you need to do is consider what you've written here as research. Now you should actually craft a proper narrative that addresses these issues through the actions of your characters. SHOW me your story through specific sensory details, rather than TELLING everything to me.
This will mean pretty much starting from scratch. But just think about the issue that is most important here, and translate it into conflict that a character can encounter.