Stayers & Quitters

Seriously, I do not know when did this ‘new’ term started to set in into our society.
I think it was somehow and somewhere developed during our ex PM - Mr Goh's speech. (or was it?? did the newspaper state when??)

Anyway, although I read newspapers quite frequently,
(sad to comment) but local news are such a bore!
And… I usually skip through them by just reading the headlines and the leads. (yawn*)
Stating the fact that I am a mass comm student, what a disgrace! haa...

But I glad to find most of my friends who doesn't even touch the papers at all.
(that makes me the most informational among them.... hahah)

erm.. this ‘stayers & quitters’ issue,
I remember doing this topic for my assignment during my bachelor program.

At that time, I was a ‘quitter’ at heart.
hhaha.... still trying my best to complete my assignment and
putting the best limelight & benefits on being a ‘stayer’,
yet.… I think otherwise.

No wonder I didn’t score well lah.
How can I convince the lecturer when I am not convinced myself.

But its true that when I was doing this assignment,
I found most Singaporeans as ‘quitters’.

The stayers? Loyal patriots?.........
Sad to say, half the 'stayers' had NO choice.
No good background…..
No financial ability…….
find it hard to lead a life in SG already, leaving SG?
they don't even have a chance to do so for traveling.
The rest?
erm.. some are almost one feet in coffins... leave for what?
some lazy.. some... blah blah...
only a small small handful, still find Singapore 'liveable' (thank god)

well... like I said, I WAS a quitter.
No longer now..? What made me change?
I can only say, traveling had broaden my horizon.

I seldom traveled as airtickets, travelling fees are ex$ $ $.
I NEVER had a family ‘outing’ overseas AT ALL. When we were young, $ is main concern for FOOD/sch fees/ blah blah… not for leisure.
(sob… how I envy young SG hor… at the age of 3 lah.. 5 lah… parents bring them overseas… can they even remember taking an airplane??)

Coming back to our topic…

Yes, by going to other countries, scrutinize what they had,
I found many valuable assets that SG offers me and where no other places could.
Anyway…it my home here…. ultimately.

During my last job, I traveled to Manila and Hongkong for business trip.
(most of my friends envy me cos able to travel for work. - free lodging and airtickets... thats all they think is good.
I rather pay for a holiday, they do not understand the tediousness in traveling for work.... they are not ignorant BUT they do not have the chance for such experience. The bottom line : SG working culture - most duties are suppose to be STAGNANT… FIXED… FREEZED!)

Another point to add : A bonus in traveling for work, I got to meet many businessman from Asia region, a real eye-opener)

See… See… See...

NUMBER 1 reason for many youths why they are quitters...
- good opportunities …good benefits are so HARD to find.
A good pay with essential attractive opportunities for traveling and eye opening conferences.. blah blah…
** DEBATE : its not only SG lah, in almost all countries, opportunities are hard to get as well. Look the unemployment rate in other countries and then thank god again you got yourself a job.
The main point in success does not matter most in the opportunities given BUT how much perseverance and strength you've got.
You can be very hardworking, but sorry you had not succeeded.
Persevere and be positive, because you had trained becoming more stronger and success is coming...
SG youths gave up too easily, because they had good parents with good income to support them….

Another point……
- some might argue tat traveling does not necessary make people become ‘stayers’.
In fact it made people become quitters!
They travel, they loved the greener grass on the other side.... they enjoy the sky more than then had in SG.
So they wanted to leave MORE!
** DEBATE : on a holiday, everywhere seems the BEST.
You are living in five star hotel, having american breakfast and sipping tea without realizing what is the time now.
How can anyWHERE not sound like heaven??
Try having a holiday in Singapore five star hotel. You'll find the bedsheets a lot cleaner and the water taste much nicer, the utensils much cleaner. The cost much higher? Heehheh… I thought SG people always say they rather spend a little more money to get the better? Contradict…

Then……
- The cost of living is TOO HIGH in SG. People in other countries earning the same amount of money like us, are having flats and cars and beautiful dog. What do I have??? bills and bills! taking MRT, bus...
** DEBATE : did you try to look at the bus in the other countries?
I thought I went back to 70s of SG, its non air-con, scrap leather seats and dirty windows.. I suspect unknown species bugs are crawling… (*faint)
Do you want to sit in that?
SG bus?? look at those people snoring in MRT and Buses….. got the answer?? Air-con somemore… people in SG not adays.. no air-con don’t wan..
Cars? You want a car too? Did you try to take deep breathe at the streets? The pollution?
You want a BIG house, Great car and a dog? (of cos me too lah)
You can have those by earning like about SGD 2000 in Philippines…
You live in a bungalow and with few vans, a sports car...etc
BUT you'll missed one thing - security.
Your house got broken into, your car got stolen, you dog abducted.....
Erm…. How do u want that?


Most SG like to praise what other countries had.. the best lah….the good lah…
Why don't we hear what the foreigners say about us?

"your subway (mrt) is the cleanest I had ever seen! Man, You should look at what It was back in my hometown, its full of rubbish"
- commented by an american lady

" I envy you, its so safe walking out at the street even at 1 am, in my hometown,
I got to lock my cars even in the afternoon. There was once a guy was pointing a gun at me to ask me hand over my purse, MAN! I rammed the accelerator and leave... "
- said another american lady
(1 am? hhaa.. in SG which youngster sleep this early? Out there roaming around- jalan-jalan)

"SG people work fast. Damm.. over here. You can't get your things done in a day. They are slow coaches. Whatever you want, just wait"
- said by a Taiwanese living in Philippines.

Anyway, I didnt made this up.
This are the comments from the friends I've made through my last job.
(some during my overseas business travel, the american ladies are my supplier and I showed them around SG)

I am really glad the small exposure though this job I got to know the security and order SG offers ARE SO VALUABLE and how glad I am staying here in Singapore.
I rather stay here, safe and sound, enjoying the luxury and then leave SG once in a while for HOLIDAYS! hehheeh

However, if ONE DAY….I might be leaving SG ... for work or married overseas etc.
I know…. I am a ‘stayer’... a ‘stayer’ at heart.
If it permits, I'll return here... to my homeland where my family is.
Cause I’m a Singaporean (kiasu) I grab whats the BEST!