I think it's too sculpted. In order to avoid the cliche of writing about what I ate today, I've turned this a little too theoretical and hence pretty impersonal. If you read this, you still have no idea what things have been occupying 80% of my thoughts over the past few months.
So... in honor of how honest writing is the most touching writing, I will try to actually put down what I think. Starting with my next post.
For now, here's an exploding dog: are we okay
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Went to a Soup Kitchen Last Night
No sure if I liked it. The issue is that in Singapore, it's hard to find the poor. Most of the time, the government provides for them in some way, given they're Singaporean and in the country legally.
One of my coworker's friends own a restaurant/gallery and have started closing the restaurant on Monday nights in order to cook food for the needy. The original plan was to cook the food then leave it in a room unattended so that people would be able to come in and consume without others seeing them. However, they weren't able to get attendance so instead they started asking around to know where the poor lived. The restaurant/gallery is located in Little India, one of the poorer communities in Singapore and they were able to obtain about 20 names and addresses of the neediest families in the area. So, last night, we cooked food. (I packaged the food) and delivered to these families. This was pretty fun. In some cases, only the kids were home so it took a while for them to open the door. Some of the apartments looked...like the families were faring decently well... but I guess you can't really judge.
The problem was that we cooked 46 meals and there were only 20 families we knew of that needed the food. The rest of the night consisted of walking around the area and trying to find people to give food to. I had...some major issues with this. Profiling is so incredibly strange to me. Especially you're doing it for something as extreme as ability to feed oneself. I honestly feel like there were about 2/26 people who I would have thought of giving food to under normal circumstances. One was a vet who seemed to have some mental/trust problems and was obviously carrying all his belonging on his person. I was... so disturbed when we went up to a group of men playing games on their cellphones asking if they wanted and needed food. I think inherent in this is some type of condescension. Walking up to someone and making hand gestures to make them understand that you've brought them food seems so ridiculous. Who's to say that they're not better off than you?
I know I'm vocalizing my thoughts incorrectly...but am not sure how else to say it. Going out and identifying who it is you need to help seems to be taking the feel good nature of community service to another level. Not only do you feel good for doing something good for others but you feel good for being better off? It's possible I'm viewing this all wrong and I should just learn to be more appreciative of what I have but... something about looking at someone and making the judgement that they need help seems so wrong and judgmental.
Yea, that's the best I can describe it.
Now the question is... should I go back? Net impact on world of going -> still positive. EV(feelings of people we attempt to give food to) > 0 ... assuming lack of starvation >> embarrassment over being mistaken as a homeless person
and yet...it feels wrong.
I'll prob try it out for at least one more week...
One of my coworker's friends own a restaurant/gallery and have started closing the restaurant on Monday nights in order to cook food for the needy. The original plan was to cook the food then leave it in a room unattended so that people would be able to come in and consume without others seeing them. However, they weren't able to get attendance so instead they started asking around to know where the poor lived. The restaurant/gallery is located in Little India, one of the poorer communities in Singapore and they were able to obtain about 20 names and addresses of the neediest families in the area. So, last night, we cooked food. (I packaged the food) and delivered to these families. This was pretty fun. In some cases, only the kids were home so it took a while for them to open the door. Some of the apartments looked...like the families were faring decently well... but I guess you can't really judge.
The problem was that we cooked 46 meals and there were only 20 families we knew of that needed the food. The rest of the night consisted of walking around the area and trying to find people to give food to. I had...some major issues with this. Profiling is so incredibly strange to me. Especially you're doing it for something as extreme as ability to feed oneself. I honestly feel like there were about 2/26 people who I would have thought of giving food to under normal circumstances. One was a vet who seemed to have some mental/trust problems and was obviously carrying all his belonging on his person. I was... so disturbed when we went up to a group of men playing games on their cellphones asking if they wanted and needed food. I think inherent in this is some type of condescension. Walking up to someone and making hand gestures to make them understand that you've brought them food seems so ridiculous. Who's to say that they're not better off than you?
I know I'm vocalizing my thoughts incorrectly...but am not sure how else to say it. Going out and identifying who it is you need to help seems to be taking the feel good nature of community service to another level. Not only do you feel good for doing something good for others but you feel good for being better off? It's possible I'm viewing this all wrong and I should just learn to be more appreciative of what I have but... something about looking at someone and making the judgement that they need help seems so wrong and judgmental.
Yea, that's the best I can describe it.
Now the question is... should I go back? Net impact on world of going -> still positive. EV(feelings of people we attempt to give food to) > 0 ... assuming lack of starvation >> embarrassment over being mistaken as a homeless person
and yet...it feels wrong.
I'll prob try it out for at least one more week...
Monday, July 20, 2009
Singlish
In addition to "See what see" for What you looking at?, I've learned a few singaporean insults tonight!
See me no up = 看不起我 = You're condescending towards me
co-co-nut = smelly c-word
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 = the mother of all insults, something having to do with your mom?
See me no up = 看不起我 = You're condescending towards me
co-co-nut = smelly c-word
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 = the mother of all insults, something having to do with your mom?
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Overheard in Boston
Guy A: So she's always going on about herself
Guy B: Yea, I know. There's this one time at the end of the year when she kept on talking about how this hot dog vendor was in love with her and wanted to marry her. And she just kept on going on and on about it. And I told her, and this is only because it was the end of the year, "What does it say about you that even a hot dog vendor can get you?"
Guy A: Hahahahahhaa. That is AWESOME.
I think I have issues with people being elitist.
Guy B: Yea, I know. There's this one time at the end of the year when she kept on talking about how this hot dog vendor was in love with her and wanted to marry her. And she just kept on going on and on about it. And I told her, and this is only because it was the end of the year, "What does it say about you that even a hot dog vendor can get you?"
Guy A: Hahahahahhaa. That is AWESOME.
I think I have issues with people being elitist.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)