tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post5985129740819045147..comments2023-11-16T18:28:45.786+08:00Comments on Rambling Librarian :: Incidental Thoughts of a Singapore Liblogarian: Celebrating Singaporeana: Happy 46thUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-77519923686738571392011-08-21T22:56:35.261+08:002011-08-21T22:56:35.261+08:00@whathaveyoureadtoday - true. My view is that as l...@whathaveyoureadtoday - true. My view is that as long as we don't confuse "not being unique" with "not good" :) thanks for reading the post.Ivan Chewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02727226573817276108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-28305900995622793102011-08-21T12:46:02.093+08:002011-08-21T12:46:02.093+08:00Once you've been exposed to a variety of liter...Once you've been exposed to a variety of literature and you have been consistent in following the works of great writers, you sort of become a connoisseur when it comes to books, novels, stories, etc. So one cannot help but compare those materials that are of "mediocre" quality. There's no shame in sharing your opinion, whether it be a positive or negative one, about a piece of literature, particularly of that book you've read. It's just your point of view and we respect you for it. Great post by the way.Wannabe Writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13309204277674310155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-64438851100263188902011-08-18T13:15:44.358+08:002011-08-18T13:15:44.358+08:00Off topic, but I may be visiting some children'...Off topic, but I may be visiting some children's libraries here... and apparently the university's library has the original manuscripts of the Curious George series. I'm excited to view those hopefully this Fri! I'll keep you posted ;)Onoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-50422541722146735302011-08-17T22:08:43.873+08:002011-08-17T22:08:43.873+08:00@O - absolutely. Self respect and self confidence....@O - absolutely. Self respect and self confidence. It's defintely not about the "locals Vs foreigners" debate (which is a topic that's tends to be more emotional than factual, IMO).Ivan Chewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02727226573817276108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-78452306869763537912011-08-17T11:40:44.827+08:002011-08-17T11:40:44.827+08:00Nice post!
I guess it's a matter of respect ...Nice post! <br /><br />I guess it's a matter of respect ourselves for who we are and believe that we can hold our heads high as Singaporeans.Onoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-32882651145492846492011-08-15T22:13:12.330+08:002011-08-15T22:13:12.330+08:00I fear the comments to this post are straying from...I fear the comments to this post are straying from the point that I was trying to make. <br /><br />Just because "there are expats" = "our leaders think foreigners are better than Singaporeans"? That's your opinion. And this statement is also an opinion, not a fact: "Every time the government hires an expat for a job, the message is that a Singaporean was unable to fill the post."<br /><br />I work for a government agency. But I am not a member of the ruling party. I'm technically not a civil servant either. I've never received any of such directives to say foreigners are better, or vice versa.Ivan Chewhttp://ramblinglibrarian.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-63804560651449346142011-08-13T01:04:08.667+08:002011-08-13T01:04:08.667+08:00P.S. To address a much more pleasant subject: did ...P.S. To address a much more pleasant subject: did you remember to wish QQ a happy birthday? :-)Ollienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-71294616451431742482011-08-13T00:40:25.285+08:002011-08-13T00:40:25.285+08:00Good heavens, Ivan, the "specifics" as y...Good heavens, Ivan, the "specifics" as you call them are all around you in the form of expats. Every time the government hires an expat for a job, the message is that a Singaporean was unable to fill the post. And why wasn't a Singaporean able to? Oh, not because of the PAP's education policies; it's because the Singaporean just wasn't quite "up to snuff" yet. And why not? Well, because the mass of Singaporeans are unteachable, obstinate, or slow-learners. So goes the party line. Please understand that professional expat hires serve more than one function. For one thing, they serve to distract anger and resentment away from the ruling party to the expat - a move which, I am sad to say, many expats make easily possible by their often ignorant and obnoxious behaviour. For another thing, they serve to create a mass inferiority complex and so make the populace more likely to swallow unpalatable policies. And for still another thing, they provide a pseudo-rationale for overseas English-educated elitism - a justification for continued rule by a few geniuses who got lucky with their genes. Or so the story goes. And if it sounds like a familiar story it should: it's the same one the greatly outnumbered British used to control vast native populations during colonial days. Seems like someone in Singapore just very cleverly took over where the British left off. BTW, if memory serves me well, QQ addressed this issue in her blog a couple years ago.Ollienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-22013652743695911812011-08-10T23:46:44.752+08:002011-08-10T23:46:44.752+08:00@anonymous - That's too sweeping a statement. ...@anonymous - That's too sweeping a statement. And where's the specifics that made you conclude that?Ivan Chewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02727226573817276108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-89295421602446321012011-08-10T12:27:06.946+08:002011-08-10T12:27:06.946+08:00Ayio, even our leaders think foreigners is better ...Ayio, even our leaders think foreigners is better than singaporeans. What can I say (stomp, stomp)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7424038.post-16529616416549233982011-08-10T07:10:19.799+08:002011-08-10T07:10:19.799+08:00Nice post Ivan and a timely reminder for us. Beyo...Nice post Ivan and a timely reminder for us. Beyond the literary and musical fields, we are sometimes guilty of undermining our own experts in professions like medicine, law, and even business. Having the confidence to engage a local firm versus a foreign one may sometimes give our guys a better chance of making it someday. However, as you've said, it doesn't mean compromising our standards but instead, removing those blinkers which make us prejudiced against our own talents.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15583607062793779274noreply@blogger.com