I feel that tourism adds value to a heritage spot or icon.
When tourists visit an icon or heritage spot, they have to pay money to enter. When they leave, they may also purchase certain franchise available in the area. Lets take the Eiffel tower in Paris for example. when you want to climb or take the elevator up the Eiffel tower, visitors have to pay for the entry ticket. located on the Eiffel tower itself are various cafes and shops selling food and franchise. This brings profits for France and thus adds value to the Eiffel tower.
Tourism allows people to come and view and appreciate the icon/ heritage centre. There is no point splurging money on an icon or preserving an ancient heritage spot and have to no one to come and learn about it or just enjoy the view. Tourism allows that. Tourism allows people to come in and appreciate the view and learn about the area's culture as well as its history.
In Singapore, we have icons such as the merlion and a UNESCO site, the botanic gardens. The merlion attracts many visitors from around the globe to Singapore. Again, this benefits our economy. As for the Botanic Gardens, we have people come together, talk, exercise and unwind.
Therefore, I feel that tourism adds value to a heritage spot or icon.
Saturday, May 6, 2017
to keep or to demolish LKY's house
To keep... or to demolish?
My stand is to demolish the house. As part of Mr Lew Kuan Yew's dying wishes, he wished to demolish the house if his daughter was not staying there, and build a condo on that piece of land so as to bring in further profits for Singapore's economy.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew is an important figure in Singapore's fight for independence. He was our first prime minister. He gave us meritocracy, democracy, multiculturalism and many other contributions. His careful and precise decisions have given us modern Singapore -- a clean, green and safe environment where everyone is accepted. As Singaporeans, I feel that we should respect Mr lee kuan yew's last wishes to demolish the house, as it is the least we could do to honour our leader.
Moreover, we do not have to keep the bungalow at 38 Oxley Road to preserve its heritage. Instead, we can just take pictures of various parts of the house to show future generations of Singapore and maintain LKY's privacy instead of opening it to the public. We do not need the actual exhibit to learn about our leader, we just need the proper supplies and people.
Demolishing the house can bring us profits, respect Lee Kuan Yew's wishes and still allow us to learn about him, therefore I feel that we should demolish the house.
My stand is to demolish the house. As part of Mr Lew Kuan Yew's dying wishes, he wished to demolish the house if his daughter was not staying there, and build a condo on that piece of land so as to bring in further profits for Singapore's economy.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew is an important figure in Singapore's fight for independence. He was our first prime minister. He gave us meritocracy, democracy, multiculturalism and many other contributions. His careful and precise decisions have given us modern Singapore -- a clean, green and safe environment where everyone is accepted. As Singaporeans, I feel that we should respect Mr lee kuan yew's last wishes to demolish the house, as it is the least we could do to honour our leader.
Moreover, we do not have to keep the bungalow at 38 Oxley Road to preserve its heritage. Instead, we can just take pictures of various parts of the house to show future generations of Singapore and maintain LKY's privacy instead of opening it to the public. We do not need the actual exhibit to learn about our leader, we just need the proper supplies and people.
Demolishing the house can bring us profits, respect Lee Kuan Yew's wishes and still allow us to learn about him, therefore I feel that we should demolish the house.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
dilemma between blind pursuit of higher economic growth and protecting our environment
To improve economy or to preserve nature?
I believe that there should be a balance of both. Businesses require the land taken up by forests and reserves for factories, offices, shops, restaurants and other usages. However, there is limited land use and a conflict of interest. When we clear out land, many flora and fauna are killed. There will be land, water and air pollution and the surroundings of the factories will be undesirable for living.
However, commercial buildings are needed for the country's economic growth to allow trades between other countries and business. If there are no businesses, people will also lose their jobs and there may be an economic crisis.
There is great importance in both economic growth and the environment. We should do our part in protecting the environment but not just totally give up on our economy.
I believe that there should be a balance of both. Businesses require the land taken up by forests and reserves for factories, offices, shops, restaurants and other usages. However, there is limited land use and a conflict of interest. When we clear out land, many flora and fauna are killed. There will be land, water and air pollution and the surroundings of the factories will be undesirable for living.
However, commercial buildings are needed for the country's economic growth to allow trades between other countries and business. If there are no businesses, people will also lose their jobs and there may be an economic crisis.
There is great importance in both economic growth and the environment. We should do our part in protecting the environment but not just totally give up on our economy.
How does one child policy affect education in china?
China was struggling with a large population with too many mouths to feed, rising education costs an other difficulties. In 1979, they introduced the one child policy to limit each family to one child. This curbed the country's growth, binging it to below 1.2 billion with the implementation of fines, education on the importance of family planning, longer maternity leaves ad other benefits to such families. This was a success for it reduced the number of people to feed drastically and thus allowed the government to focus more on the country's economy.
However, in recent years, china has been facing an aging population too little youths to support tem. All the medical fees, groceries, utility bills --- lie on the youth's shoulders, increasing their financial burden. Furthermore, there a gender imbalance, where a dangerously high gender ratio is present. There are 115.8 boys to every 100 girls in 2014. This leads to low birth rates and thus taxes increase and high cost of living come into place. The child faces a stressful education because they want their only child to succeed and ma be less altruistic and trusting, more timid, less competitive, more pessimistic and less conscientious.
In the past, Singapore implemented something similar, the two child policy where one family was allowed to only have 2 children. But it was facing the same problems as china and thus was removed.
The one child policy has its pros and cons and has helped china in many ways.
However, in recent years, china has been facing an aging population too little youths to support tem. All the medical fees, groceries, utility bills --- lie on the youth's shoulders, increasing their financial burden. Furthermore, there a gender imbalance, where a dangerously high gender ratio is present. There are 115.8 boys to every 100 girls in 2014. This leads to low birth rates and thus taxes increase and high cost of living come into place. The child faces a stressful education because they want their only child to succeed and ma be less altruistic and trusting, more timid, less competitive, more pessimistic and less conscientious.
In the past, Singapore implemented something similar, the two child policy where one family was allowed to only have 2 children. But it was facing the same problems as china and thus was removed.
The one child policy has its pros and cons and has helped china in many ways.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
consequences of high cost of living in Singapore
Singapore is a highly developed country. It has a strong economy, sky high skyscrapers, luxurious shopping malls and many other facilities. We have low poverty rates, secure safety security, high quality and availability of education and many others that contribute to high standards if living. Though it is a glory to have a high standard of living, there are many consequences that come with it.
In Singapore, the price of goods such as common things like groceries in a supermarket, are priced at highly unreasonably prices. Even fast food chain restaurants are prices higher that many countries across the globe. Lets take the big mac scale for example.
Singapore is on the top six of the chart, just at he global average of around 40. This chart compares Singapore to other countries. From the chart, we can observe that the prices of goods are fairly high in Singapore.
A high cost of living may cause the gap between the poor and the rich to increase. This is because the poor will have to use more money to buy groceries, daily needs or houses. they may not be able to afford it, have to work harder, and use up more of their savings to get them. This leads to a wider gap between the poor and the rich. A high cost of living may also result in lesser babies. Babies require a lot of money to raise. They need milk powder, clothes, space and later on money for education, for tuition and school. For the poor, having children will increase their financial burden because they not only have to care for themselves, but also have to provide for others. Lastly, the number of cars will be affected too. Cars need fuel and maintenance, both which are not cheap. Public transport is much more affordable, so more people to choose to take it, and thus there is a decrease in cars on the road.
These are just three of the consequences of high cost of living in Singapore. We all have to be aware of the economy of the various countries across the globe so as to not be left behind and constantly improve so that our lives will be better.
In Singapore, the price of goods such as common things like groceries in a supermarket, are priced at highly unreasonably prices. Even fast food chain restaurants are prices higher that many countries across the globe. Lets take the big mac scale for example.
Singapore is on the top six of the chart, just at he global average of around 40. This chart compares Singapore to other countries. From the chart, we can observe that the prices of goods are fairly high in Singapore.
A high cost of living may cause the gap between the poor and the rich to increase. This is because the poor will have to use more money to buy groceries, daily needs or houses. they may not be able to afford it, have to work harder, and use up more of their savings to get them. This leads to a wider gap between the poor and the rich. A high cost of living may also result in lesser babies. Babies require a lot of money to raise. They need milk powder, clothes, space and later on money for education, for tuition and school. For the poor, having children will increase their financial burden because they not only have to care for themselves, but also have to provide for others. Lastly, the number of cars will be affected too. Cars need fuel and maintenance, both which are not cheap. Public transport is much more affordable, so more people to choose to take it, and thus there is a decrease in cars on the road.
These are just three of the consequences of high cost of living in Singapore. We all have to be aware of the economy of the various countries across the globe so as to not be left behind and constantly improve so that our lives will be better.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
EnC week T1W10
On EnC week, we went to Kampong Glam and Little India , two of the places in Singapore that many visit thanks to its rich culture and history and learned malay dance. We went there with the school to find out more of the malay and indian 4 Fs: Fashion, Folk, Food and Festivals. But, I thought it was just going to be yet another learning journey where I could just blindly enjoy the ambience.
On the first day, we were gathered to learn malay dance. According to the cikgus, we were learning a courting dance, in which a male and female are to pair up to perform the dance. It consisted of graceful and precise steps, most of which I painstakingly but clumsly executed. It wasn't anything like the kpop I watched, but rather like swans dancing to a rhythm.
Next, we went to Kampong glam and roamed around Arab street. The first thing that caught my attention was the strong fragrance of perfume. Apparently, the smell came from the shops that sold non alchoholic perfume. The perfume is especially tailored for muslim's use because they are forbidden to use or drink alcohol due to their religion. In its vicinity, were rows and rows of textile shops selling textiles from the deepest shade of blue to the lightest shade of yellow. On their surfaces, there were patterns made out of shapes printed on. Further on, I found many food stores, all of which sold traditional malay dishes such as mee soto and nasi padang. The shop owners told me that nasi padang was something like Chinese mixed rice, where they gave you white rice with your selected vegetables and meats. Malay cuisine is influenced by other races such as Chinese, which you can see from the Daging Masak Kicap, "soy sauce beef" which was completely new to me because never did I know that other races influence could be mixed in to produce a new product. The Malay Heritage centre's exterior was filled with plants which I later found out were actually spice! These spices are used by the malays in their cuisine. There was turmeric, nutmeg, betel nuts and many more...... They not only add rich flavour to it nut also have health benefits, have a unique fragrance and if used as a garnish can be very aesthetically pleasing.
The next day, we visited the sultan masjid, a well known mosque located in Kampong Glam and madrasah aljunied. When you first glance at the mosque, there is a giant gold colour dome at the top which resembles loyalty and a black strip that is actually made by glass bottles donated by the poor so they could contribute to the mosque while others donated money. At the side of the giant dome, a tall watch house called a minaret is featured. It was used in the world war 2 as a watch tower to look out for incoming Japanese troops and to call out for people to come to the mosque to pray. The interior of the mosque was even more majestic, with high ceilings, beautiful carpets and a large praying hall. The mosque was designed by an Irish called Denise Centry who was a catholic and was inspired by the church. This again represents that other races and religions can influence each other to form new products.
The main praying hall
Islam elevate women. This means that women are given rights over their body and life, obliged to seed knowledge, can retain her last name and that any money earned by her belongs to her. Islam encourage strong family ties, respect, love and honour due to parents. Breaking off ties with family is one of the biggest sins to Islam. Lastly, Islam encourages care for the environment which is shown when the black strip is made out of glass bottles.
A madrasah is a school specially for muslims, where to have academic subjects just like us and additional subjects that have to do with the Kuran and Arabic. Previously, I didn't know that madrasahs existed and thought that all children attend normal schools like me. I was even more eye opening when I found out that the girls and boys had to separated during assembly and classes and didn't have any communication between each other unless absolutely necessary.
Madrasah entrance
The pupils were friendly and outgoing and were offered a wide range of extracurriculum activities and such as Arabic calligraphy, silat (martial arts) and duff (Persian drum).
On the last day, we journeyed to Little India. It was a little busier than kampong glam and had a never ending number of flower stalls that sold garlands that were meant to be offered in the temples. They were made out of jasmine flowers that were white and had a very sweet fragrance. I tried indian rojak at tekka market, a scrumptious mix of fried pastries, vegetables and meat which is then dipped into a sweet yet spicy peanut sauce. Indians use a large array of spices like the Malays too, only, theirs have a more distinguished and heavier taste. Some examples are shredded coconut, coriander seeds, mint, turmeric and many more. Near the food stores, there were stores selling coloured powders which are used during deepavali, the hindu "Festival of lights'' to decorate the front of houses in bright unique patterns and colours. There, henna was offered. Henna is a type of art that is drawn on the hand with a thick paste which has a pungent smell. After it dries, the paste is peeled off to reveal a beautiful light orange pattern. Though it is from the indian culture, it is getting increasingly popular in other countries such as USA too. USA and Indian are so far apart on earth, yet the influence can stretch out so far.
henna that resembles good luck
Through this entire journey, the most impactful lesson I learnt was that different races should and have co exist together peacefully, even to the point where we are inspired by one another and learn from each other. This was indeed a once in a life time experience that has broaden my horizons because in a SAP school I do not have much exposure to people of different races and their culture, habits as well as customs. I think that the school can invite more people of other races to the school to perform and share their traditional art forms, maybe even teach us during music or art lessons. I believe that we should all take racial harmony very seriously so that we can maintain good ties with out neighbours of other races and neighbouring countries because all of us are equal and the same.
On the first day, we were gathered to learn malay dance. According to the cikgus, we were learning a courting dance, in which a male and female are to pair up to perform the dance. It consisted of graceful and precise steps, most of which I painstakingly but clumsly executed. It wasn't anything like the kpop I watched, but rather like swans dancing to a rhythm.
Next, we went to Kampong glam and roamed around Arab street. The first thing that caught my attention was the strong fragrance of perfume. Apparently, the smell came from the shops that sold non alchoholic perfume. The perfume is especially tailored for muslim's use because they are forbidden to use or drink alcohol due to their religion. In its vicinity, were rows and rows of textile shops selling textiles from the deepest shade of blue to the lightest shade of yellow. On their surfaces, there were patterns made out of shapes printed on. Further on, I found many food stores, all of which sold traditional malay dishes such as mee soto and nasi padang. The shop owners told me that nasi padang was something like Chinese mixed rice, where they gave you white rice with your selected vegetables and meats. Malay cuisine is influenced by other races such as Chinese, which you can see from the Daging Masak Kicap, "soy sauce beef" which was completely new to me because never did I know that other races influence could be mixed in to produce a new product. The Malay Heritage centre's exterior was filled with plants which I later found out were actually spice! These spices are used by the malays in their cuisine. There was turmeric, nutmeg, betel nuts and many more...... They not only add rich flavour to it nut also have health benefits, have a unique fragrance and if used as a garnish can be very aesthetically pleasing.
The next day, we visited the sultan masjid, a well known mosque located in Kampong Glam and madrasah aljunied. When you first glance at the mosque, there is a giant gold colour dome at the top which resembles loyalty and a black strip that is actually made by glass bottles donated by the poor so they could contribute to the mosque while others donated money. At the side of the giant dome, a tall watch house called a minaret is featured. It was used in the world war 2 as a watch tower to look out for incoming Japanese troops and to call out for people to come to the mosque to pray. The interior of the mosque was even more majestic, with high ceilings, beautiful carpets and a large praying hall. The mosque was designed by an Irish called Denise Centry who was a catholic and was inspired by the church. This again represents that other races and religions can influence each other to form new products.
The main praying hall
Islam elevate women. This means that women are given rights over their body and life, obliged to seed knowledge, can retain her last name and that any money earned by her belongs to her. Islam encourage strong family ties, respect, love and honour due to parents. Breaking off ties with family is one of the biggest sins to Islam. Lastly, Islam encourages care for the environment which is shown when the black strip is made out of glass bottles.
A madrasah is a school specially for muslims, where to have academic subjects just like us and additional subjects that have to do with the Kuran and Arabic. Previously, I didn't know that madrasahs existed and thought that all children attend normal schools like me. I was even more eye opening when I found out that the girls and boys had to separated during assembly and classes and didn't have any communication between each other unless absolutely necessary.
Madrasah entrance
The pupils were friendly and outgoing and were offered a wide range of extracurriculum activities and such as Arabic calligraphy, silat (martial arts) and duff (Persian drum).
On the last day, we journeyed to Little India. It was a little busier than kampong glam and had a never ending number of flower stalls that sold garlands that were meant to be offered in the temples. They were made out of jasmine flowers that were white and had a very sweet fragrance. I tried indian rojak at tekka market, a scrumptious mix of fried pastries, vegetables and meat which is then dipped into a sweet yet spicy peanut sauce. Indians use a large array of spices like the Malays too, only, theirs have a more distinguished and heavier taste. Some examples are shredded coconut, coriander seeds, mint, turmeric and many more. Near the food stores, there were stores selling coloured powders which are used during deepavali, the hindu "Festival of lights'' to decorate the front of houses in bright unique patterns and colours. There, henna was offered. Henna is a type of art that is drawn on the hand with a thick paste which has a pungent smell. After it dries, the paste is peeled off to reveal a beautiful light orange pattern. Though it is from the indian culture, it is getting increasingly popular in other countries such as USA too. USA and Indian are so far apart on earth, yet the influence can stretch out so far.
henna that resembles good luck
Through this entire journey, the most impactful lesson I learnt was that different races should and have co exist together peacefully, even to the point where we are inspired by one another and learn from each other. This was indeed a once in a life time experience that has broaden my horizons because in a SAP school I do not have much exposure to people of different races and their culture, habits as well as customs. I think that the school can invite more people of other races to the school to perform and share their traditional art forms, maybe even teach us during music or art lessons. I believe that we should all take racial harmony very seriously so that we can maintain good ties with out neighbours of other races and neighbouring countries because all of us are equal and the same.
Friday, March 3, 2017
Suzhou industrial park
The Suzhou Industrial park was a collaboration between Singapore and Suzhou, expected to bring in money to Singapore when we invested in it. Instead, we were met with disappointment when Suzhou decided to build their own industrial park called the Suzhou New District industrial park which is also located in the heart land of Suzhou not far away from the collaboration.
This experience shows us that we cannot trust other countries too readily as other factors may suddenly come into the picture and affect the economic growth.
I think that Singapore should not share our development experiences, especially since we are a small country. As small country with no natural resources to share, our development skills are what sets us apart from the other countries. Therefore, if we share our information, they will take advantage of these ideas and become more developed, thus other more powerful countries will also want to collaborate with them.
If we share with lesser developed countries, we will be in the losing position as they have lesser experience than us and they will gain more than us.
Our experience is our own pride and we cant just give it over so easily.
Thus, I think that we should not share our experiences so easily.
This experience shows us that we cannot trust other countries too readily as other factors may suddenly come into the picture and affect the economic growth.
I think that Singapore should not share our development experiences, especially since we are a small country. As small country with no natural resources to share, our development skills are what sets us apart from the other countries. Therefore, if we share our information, they will take advantage of these ideas and become more developed, thus other more powerful countries will also want to collaborate with them.
If we share with lesser developed countries, we will be in the losing position as they have lesser experience than us and they will gain more than us.
Our experience is our own pride and we cant just give it over so easily.
Thus, I think that we should not share our experiences so easily.
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