The New Paper yesterday featured a couple of articles on our "ugly" locals. At times like these, I feel really ashamed of my own countryman. Normally, I do not read the New Paper because they feature nothing but tabloids.
Besides, since post-secondary, my lecturers have told us that the New Paper is targeted at heartlanders, with only 'N' level English. We should read the Straits Times ('O' level English ) or Business Times ('A' level English) or even the International Herald Tribune. So we were banned from reading the New Paper or to submit any articles featured in it.
Since then, I have been reading the Straits Times because my parents subscribe to the daily newspaper. And magazines like National Geographic, TIME, Newsweek and The Economist. Pretty heavy reading, but it is a good way to keep in touch on what is going on around the world. Needless to say, many people do not read these and they deem me weird by even reading these and not the popular tabloid paper.
Anyway, I came across the New Paper because my first brother bought it on the way home from work. Yesterday's headlines really made my blood boil. One part talked about how someone witnessed an actual accident, yet just stood there without doing anything, watching how people die.
Is it so fun to watch how a person bleed to death? Hello, it is an accident, for goodness sake! The first instinct would be to call the police or ambulance, then go over and see how to help, instead of standing there looking like an idiot and not doing anything while the poor fellow emitted oodles of blood and breathed his last! A life is lost just like that due to the stupidity of people who deem it as a form of interesting display or show.
The second part talked about how to masseuses, their jobs are to just provide a massage service. But to men, they automatically associate massage with sex, so have no qualms asking for what they deem as right since they paid for the service, and became so indignant when the masseuse told them they do not provide sexual services.
If men want sexual services, there are always sex workers around right? There are proper places to go for these kind of services. No doubt a masseuse is not exactly a kind of glamorous job, but it does not mean the workers will cheapen themselves to provide other kinds of services just to satisfy the urges of men. Perhaps some do, but not all. Why do some men think women have no qualms sleeping with anyone as long as there is money involved?
Somehow I was reminded of an incident. Years ago, on a Saturday afternoon, I met my second ex and a friend of ours for a movie. We decided to buy lunch at McDonald's to bring into the cinema.
That day, the fast food restaurant happened to be very crowded, and the service happened to be extra slow. My friend and I queued up to buy the food while my ex waited for us outside. Halfway into the queue, I had a sudden anaemic attack and started having fainting spells. So I excused myself and went outside.
My ex started holding on to me, but I could hardly stand, so stooped down. There was no place to sit, so I just sat on the floor in the shopping mall, outside McDonald's. Immediately, people started flocking around me, just crowding around, standing there and looking at me, without doing anything.
I was too sick to do or say anything, but I needed some air desperately. Yet with so many people crowding around me, I could hardly breathe as it was. My friend bought the food and came out immediately, then she and my ex started holding on to me and ushering me into the cinema, trying to push our way through the crowd, with the people still looking at me without doing anything.
Luckily, a kind lady then offered a bottle of medicated oil and told me to apply and hoped I would feel better after that. One person, out of all the numerous people who crowded around doing nothing, actually offered help after seeing my state.
I was grateful of course, but at the same time, I was disgusted at the others who took me as some form of interesting display, making me even more uncomfortable in the process.
Times like these, I get really upset and disgusted at the kinds of declasse people around. I wonder if it is because we are not brought up to care for others? But all these are common sensical acts, is it not? After all, when you see someone who needs help, one's instincts is to help, instead of just looking and staring without any actions.
This is what differentiates humans as higher intelligent beings from mere animals, as we have our instincts and minds to do what is right and proper instead of being the same as a wild animal.
Besides, since post-secondary, my lecturers have told us that the New Paper is targeted at heartlanders, with only 'N' level English. We should read the Straits Times ('O' level English ) or Business Times ('A' level English) or even the International Herald Tribune. So we were banned from reading the New Paper or to submit any articles featured in it.
Since then, I have been reading the Straits Times because my parents subscribe to the daily newspaper. And magazines like National Geographic, TIME, Newsweek and The Economist. Pretty heavy reading, but it is a good way to keep in touch on what is going on around the world. Needless to say, many people do not read these and they deem me weird by even reading these and not the popular tabloid paper.
Anyway, I came across the New Paper because my first brother bought it on the way home from work. Yesterday's headlines really made my blood boil. One part talked about how someone witnessed an actual accident, yet just stood there without doing anything, watching how people die.
Is it so fun to watch how a person bleed to death? Hello, it is an accident, for goodness sake! The first instinct would be to call the police or ambulance, then go over and see how to help, instead of standing there looking like an idiot and not doing anything while the poor fellow emitted oodles of blood and breathed his last! A life is lost just like that due to the stupidity of people who deem it as a form of interesting display or show.
The second part talked about how to masseuses, their jobs are to just provide a massage service. But to men, they automatically associate massage with sex, so have no qualms asking for what they deem as right since they paid for the service, and became so indignant when the masseuse told them they do not provide sexual services.
If men want sexual services, there are always sex workers around right? There are proper places to go for these kind of services. No doubt a masseuse is not exactly a kind of glamorous job, but it does not mean the workers will cheapen themselves to provide other kinds of services just to satisfy the urges of men. Perhaps some do, but not all. Why do some men think women have no qualms sleeping with anyone as long as there is money involved?
Somehow I was reminded of an incident. Years ago, on a Saturday afternoon, I met my second ex and a friend of ours for a movie. We decided to buy lunch at McDonald's to bring into the cinema.
That day, the fast food restaurant happened to be very crowded, and the service happened to be extra slow. My friend and I queued up to buy the food while my ex waited for us outside. Halfway into the queue, I had a sudden anaemic attack and started having fainting spells. So I excused myself and went outside.
My ex started holding on to me, but I could hardly stand, so stooped down. There was no place to sit, so I just sat on the floor in the shopping mall, outside McDonald's. Immediately, people started flocking around me, just crowding around, standing there and looking at me, without doing anything.
I was too sick to do or say anything, but I needed some air desperately. Yet with so many people crowding around me, I could hardly breathe as it was. My friend bought the food and came out immediately, then she and my ex started holding on to me and ushering me into the cinema, trying to push our way through the crowd, with the people still looking at me without doing anything.
Luckily, a kind lady then offered a bottle of medicated oil and told me to apply and hoped I would feel better after that. One person, out of all the numerous people who crowded around doing nothing, actually offered help after seeing my state.
I was grateful of course, but at the same time, I was disgusted at the others who took me as some form of interesting display, making me even more uncomfortable in the process.
Times like these, I get really upset and disgusted at the kinds of declasse people around. I wonder if it is because we are not brought up to care for others? But all these are common sensical acts, is it not? After all, when you see someone who needs help, one's instincts is to help, instead of just looking and staring without any actions.
This is what differentiates humans as higher intelligent beings from mere animals, as we have our instincts and minds to do what is right and proper instead of being the same as a wild animal.
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