A prominent news magazine once said that Singapore was a fine city, and then went on to explain that you could be fined for almost anything in Singapore.
-Jaywalking can become a blot on your police record.
-The mosquito patrol can enter your home without a warrant and check your flower pots for standing water, which constitutes an offence in the Lion City.
-Not flushing a public toilet is an infraction punishable by a fine.
-Urinating in an elevator would get your picture in the paper in the early 1990's (along with a fine of about S$800).
-Even feeding the city's wild pigeons was illegal.
But in this squeakiest of squeaky clean cities, prostitution is legal -- and relatively well regulated. Ironic isn't it.
There are a total of about 400 brothels in Singapore with an estimated 10 to 20 prostitutes each. That's about 6000 prostitutes in the city!
Majority (excluding me) condemn prostitution because they have a wrong perception of it. They cite certain reasons:
No matter how much money it may make from taxes we have to remember that it may also lead to an increase in the amount of health and social care demanded. Let's face it, if prostitution were legalised then it increases the chances of spreading STD's and pregnancy, even if those who are soliciting are trying to do it safe, these things happen. These two circumstances would be most felt in the NHS during health checks and they could lead to a big demand on NHS funding. HIV alone is a very expensive condition to treat, and should we really be letting ourselves as a society increase the risk of it spreading?
Prostitution also increases rampant commodification of women. Regulating prostitution as a legitimate job in Singapore labels us as a loose country with no upright morals. With such laid back regulations, no tourists would be attracted to do business in Singapore. There is no human rights in prostitution. Prostitution jeopardizes marriages if the husband were to visit the easily available brothels.
Those beliefs are true to a certain extent but the benefits of legalising prostitution does indeed outweigh the cons. & I must say I advocate legalization of prostitution. You see, prostitution protects us Singaporean women. Look at it this way, for a country that practises strict censorship and bans pornography, there must be an outlet for the sexual energies of men - plus it really keeps the number of molest and rapes to a minimum. Wouldn't our Sigaporean mums, wives and girlfriends all feel safer?
Secondly, Prostitution increases a country's GDP or income in layman terms. You see, if prostitution is legalised, it would mean that prostitution is a job that can be taxed upon. The Singapore government can then use the money to cover many other lucrative activities.
Next, legalising prostitution lowers the unemployment rate for women, prostitution has been one of the oldest job for a women. Besides in today's male dominated world, it is not easy for women to find a well-earning job. Prostitution can actually allow a women to earn up to $500-1000 a night. Within 30 days in a month, that's $30 000!
Lastly, legalising prostitution in Singapore gives us a stake in the 'sex economy'. This way, more tourists would choose to visit Singapore for its red-light districts and this fuels our economy. Especially since Singapore is a small country without much space to build aplenty of entertaining places.
So the question is, should we agree to a 21st century mindset, wake up to human nature and accept prostitution? Or should we condemn prostitution because it is immoral and it increases STD's?
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Sign language
The question is who decides? Just the other day, my parents had to speak to my brother's teacher about his delinquent behavior. My brother was caught 'giving the finger' to his tutor. The surprising thing was, he wasn't sorry about it, in fact he said " it was just the 3rd finger, would it matter if I showed the 2Nd one or the 4Th finger."
This goes to show that a sign can actually mean so much, so much can be read into it. Like what it means, who decides what it means, our perception of a sign. I'll go on to explain it.
Jesus, that boy's a genius. He's right, why is it that our 3rd finger refers to something vulgar, who gets to decide that it can't be the 2Nd finger? Even better, who gets to choose that saying or doing something vulgar is wrong?
The problem with this world is that Men, set these selfish rules and pass down silly ideologies for the pure sake of evil desire to morph the world into what they can call 'mine'. Just who invented right or wrong? Benjamin Franklin probably could not even tell that it was a bright spark above their head when it was invented.
Due to the rules of what is right or wrong, we have to conform to certain mainstream expectations. How to speak, how to dress, not to steal, not to burp, it is a list so long it could even touch the grounds of a bottomless pit.
It is so tiring to live up to society's expectations, with the fact that no one can actually prove that this is how we should be living, I have a proposal. We should all stop complaining and start contributing to society. Show the world that we can create change, stop giving the stink eye to the girl with the purple hair and stop judging her and other people. For it is because of the fear of judgement, that the society rules of right and wrong are so greatly reinforced.
Easier said than done I would say, easier said than done.
This goes to show that a sign can actually mean so much, so much can be read into it. Like what it means, who decides what it means, our perception of a sign. I'll go on to explain it.
Jesus, that boy's a genius. He's right, why is it that our 3rd finger refers to something vulgar, who gets to decide that it can't be the 2Nd finger? Even better, who gets to choose that saying or doing something vulgar is wrong?
The problem with this world is that Men, set these selfish rules and pass down silly ideologies for the pure sake of evil desire to morph the world into what they can call 'mine'. Just who invented right or wrong? Benjamin Franklin probably could not even tell that it was a bright spark above their head when it was invented.
Due to the rules of what is right or wrong, we have to conform to certain mainstream expectations. How to speak, how to dress, not to steal, not to burp, it is a list so long it could even touch the grounds of a bottomless pit.
It is so tiring to live up to society's expectations, with the fact that no one can actually prove that this is how we should be living, I have a proposal. We should all stop complaining and start contributing to society. Show the world that we can create change, stop giving the stink eye to the girl with the purple hair and stop judging her and other people. For it is because of the fear of judgement, that the society rules of right and wrong are so greatly reinforced.
Easier said than done I would say, easier said than done.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Communication 101
Verbal Communications is very important in order to bring the specific messages across. But living in a country like Singapore, with our singlish jargon, it is not easy to communication to certain people such as westerners. Even the media, not only us makes the slightest mistakes in our everyday speech. Let me go on to show you how.
Not everything in print is definitely accurate. From signboards to newspapers, advertisements and websites, they are all prone to the use of bad English. However, because most of us are under the false impression that every generated word in the media industry is perfect, we are often misled and hence we carry on the use of bad English. One example would be the NUS ( National University Of Singapore ) website.
Note the 'I am a visitor to NUS, how could I...' . Misuse of 'could'. It should be 'how may I', 'how might I' or even 'how do I'.
In a multi-racial country like Singapore, the English language provides a platform and common ground for people of different mother tongues to communicate. Therefore we should find it imperative that we Singaporeans should speak perfect English.
However, we Singaporeans actually find it easier to forge and facilitate interpersonal relationships through Singlish ( Singapore English ). Masses were embracing and promoting this new local jargon. Due to this, the Singapore's Government was faced with a weighty issue. With Ahs and Lahs punctuating our every sentence, we were starting to speak like we were having sex!
In order to rectify this problem, the Government introduced the ' Speak Good English Movement' campaign in hope to encourage Singaporeans to denounce Singlish and grasp the flair of standard English. This is so that we can be understood by the people around the globe and facilitate better with them. Albeit why change who we are? Let us embrace our roots and be a proud erotically speaking nation. In fact, if the British can make the world accept 'blimey' as a word, I am sure we can make 'wahlao' happen.
Going back to my topic sentence, singlish should not be not our biggest worry. The problem lies with the English language itself. Just that day, my friend was telling me this,
"Clarissa, I need to locate the ATM, I need to draw money."
Draw money? What did he have, a magic paint brush or something? I sure wished I own one, we just don't draw money, we withdraw money. Can you imagine drawing endless amounts of legal cash, I can't, but maybe Mr. Super Pen can.
Then there is this one sentence I've heard umpteen times, and it never fails to tickle me. Many a time aboard a bus, I would hear a stranger behind me telling his or her friend over the phone that he or she was 'on the bus'. Upon hearing that, I would then turn around expecting to see Jackie Chan all ready to swing himself onto an oncoming traffic light, but that is never the case. After a while, it just seemed like I was in India. Where else would you find people on buses?
Singlish pales in comparison to the above mentioned mistakes. At least fellow countrymen will be able to understand Singlish, whereas the latter would make you either a superhero or a superstar. To those whose English I've corrected, I'm sorry if I seem a tad too harsh. I just don't want you guys to turn out to be another Jackie Chan.
*Photos accredited to http://poblemengrish.blogspot.com/.
Not everything in print is definitely accurate. From signboards to newspapers, advertisements and websites, they are all prone to the use of bad English. However, because most of us are under the false impression that every generated word in the media industry is perfect, we are often misled and hence we carry on the use of bad English. One example would be the NUS ( National University Of Singapore ) website.
Note the 'I am a visitor to NUS, how could I...' . Misuse of 'could'. It should be 'how may I', 'how might I' or even 'how do I'.
In a multi-racial country like Singapore, the English language provides a platform and common ground for people of different mother tongues to communicate. Therefore we should find it imperative that we Singaporeans should speak perfect English.
However, we Singaporeans actually find it easier to forge and facilitate interpersonal relationships through Singlish ( Singapore English ). Masses were embracing and promoting this new local jargon. Due to this, the Singapore's Government was faced with a weighty issue. With Ahs and Lahs punctuating our every sentence, we were starting to speak like we were having sex!
In order to rectify this problem, the Government introduced the ' Speak Good English Movement' campaign in hope to encourage Singaporeans to denounce Singlish and grasp the flair of standard English. This is so that we can be understood by the people around the globe and facilitate better with them. Albeit why change who we are? Let us embrace our roots and be a proud erotically speaking nation. In fact, if the British can make the world accept 'blimey' as a word, I am sure we can make 'wahlao' happen.
Going back to my topic sentence, singlish should not be not our biggest worry. The problem lies with the English language itself. Just that day, my friend was telling me this,
"Clarissa, I need to locate the ATM, I need to draw money."
Draw money? What did he have, a magic paint brush or something? I sure wished I own one, we just don't draw money, we withdraw money. Can you imagine drawing endless amounts of legal cash, I can't, but maybe Mr. Super Pen can.
Then there is this one sentence I've heard umpteen times, and it never fails to tickle me. Many a time aboard a bus, I would hear a stranger behind me telling his or her friend over the phone that he or she was 'on the bus'. Upon hearing that, I would then turn around expecting to see Jackie Chan all ready to swing himself onto an oncoming traffic light, but that is never the case. After a while, it just seemed like I was in India. Where else would you find people on buses?
Singlish pales in comparison to the above mentioned mistakes. At least fellow countrymen will be able to understand Singlish, whereas the latter would make you either a superhero or a superstar. To those whose English I've corrected, I'm sorry if I seem a tad too harsh. I just don't want you guys to turn out to be another Jackie Chan.
*Photos accredited to http://poblemengrish.blogspot.com/.
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