Too far.
26 September 2008 @ 16:34 ; 0 CommentsThis time I've gone too far.
Yesterday I was made to run an errand for my parents. Yes, since I am practically not doing anything in this house, it seems like the only option left for me, right? Either say yes, or risk the wrath of The Mom's nagging or The Old Man's scowl. It's a lose-lose situation that I don't think I can bear. At the very least, running that errand was the lesser of two evils. Collecting kuehs! (Yes, I managed to sample them, of course. Lepas buka, naturally.)
So I was out there. And it's been like- what? I didn't really recall how long it has been since I last stepped out of the house to go anywhere, actually! Okay, don't think for a second that I have sequestered myself entirely from the rest of the world. Hmmm. You know, come to think of it, it was a little sad that day in, day out, I was only at home most of the time, in front of the computer, in front of the television, or in bed. Oh dear! I hope I haven't evolved into a total mountain tortoise. Now that is ultimately sad and pathetic.
Okay! so. I was in the train, and going further and further from my house, towards the barely touched soils of the west area. And there I was, thinking to myself- why would people even live here? I mean, for one thing it's so far. And it looks to be so ulu, so cut off from the rest of the world (okay, a little far fetch there. The rest of Singapore, then.) It just felt so weird to be somewhere where you would hardly be caught dead in for most of the time (barring certain occasions and... Hari Raya.)
Isn't it just funny? Singapore is so small, but the thought of going to somewhere as far as Jurong is considered tedious. Comparing an hour's journey to a roadtrip from, say, California to New Mexico is just like comparing prunes to pineapples. Such a vast difference! And furthermore, a roadtrip around Singapore would at least be over and done with within a day, if I'm not mistaken. Perhaps two or three, depending on how many stopovers you have and whatnot. So why the thinking? Is it because of our lack of geographical knowledge that alludes our perception of just how small our country really is?
Or is it because we have been so used to the ways of our living in our respective areas that we don't give two hoots about the other side? The other day, The Noose highlighted Jurong East as the "rubbish dump" of Singapore. Yes, that was actually funny initially, but come to think of it, it is all really true? Have certain housing districts been imposed upon them generalizations that does not truly embody what they really are? Is that the reason why the residents of Serangoon Gardens were so riled up about just the initial suggestion of turning an abandoned school into lodgings for foreign workers? Do they really view their estate to be more atas than the rest of Singapore, just because of the influx of expatriates living in that area?
Or could it, overall, really be due to the distance of each estate? We all don't mind trotting over nearby areas (and of course heading down to town, seeing as it is the central arena for one and all), but mention making your way to somewhere far and you can hear the groans, moans and whines of your fellow compatriots. Hmmm. Have we gotten so lazy that the idea of going somewhere that's not really that far is considered taxing?
Hmmm. You know, actually the idea of having a roadtrip around our humble country would be fun! Who's with me?
