Click Click

Apart from breathing and blinking, clicking probably ranks no. 3 in Top Things Huiwen Do On A Weekday.

I click on applications. I click on websites. I click on cells. I click on jewels too (when I occasionally play bejeweled to wake up post lunch). And since yesterday, I click to vote too! So excited for JY and DY as they compete again. I think it takes a lot of courage to go for such competitions and I really hope you two can get to go compete in Taiwan together. And win. Be suuuuuuuuper exciting!

I just finished a piece of work and feel accomplished for the day so am taking a short break. I do work too (despite how free I always seem to be). Anyways, so in between work and voting, I took another mini break to catch up with Jason Mraz http://www.freshnessfactorfivethousand.blogspot.com/ and you know, its a nice sort of feeling when something is on your mind, and somewhere else, someone is thinking about similar issues.

This morning when I was going to office, there was a guy holding up a donation can standing at the top of the escalator. Many before me rushed past him and I must admit on many occasions, I would not have stopped as well. Especially when they are bored kids looking totally disinterested at whatever they are doing. But today I did as the guy looked very smiley and earnest as he held out his donation can gently with the passing of each person. I dug out some coins and was about to leave after donating, when he asked me to take the pamphlet to find out more about the cause. He looked so earnest so I accepted and read it after.

Its about a conflict in Pakistan and 1.5m women and 600k children needing help. There were some pictures and I felt so sorry. That I did not give more. We are so sooooo fortunate. Living here in Singapore really. That we were born here and not born in some conflict-torn land or poor village where we have to worry about basic things like clean water and food for the next meal. We worry about whether we are making the best out of our lives, while they have to worry about whether they still have anything to look forward to, if any at all.

While in China, I encountered many people. Old aunties who carry lots of souvenirs and asking you to buy them. Young girls who smile and ask you to buy a rose. Old aunties who try to trick and pressure you into paying for stuff you absolutely did not need or want or ask for. The tour guide reminded us not to buy from them as they could give you counterfeit cash back and once you buy from one, more would come. And that there are lots of pickpocketing incidents so don't let them get near you. So most of the time we wave no thanks and walk away quickly.

I did not like the feeling at all of going through this almost daily. I don't like having to be on my guard and feeling suspicious all the time. And feeling apathy towards these people who may have no choice but to choose to live life this way. When I had a mini run-in with one of those aunties who was pressuring me to pay for a picture I didn't want, I had felt irritated as to why she had to force me and even make snide remarks when I kept rejecting her. But now I pause to think, if I were in her shoes, and maybe each day I really struggle to make ends meet, would I have done the same to force and pressure people because there are no alternative ways to be fair and reasonable and nice and still earn enough to feed my family?

Its so sad just thinking about it. About how its a vicious cycle that one is born into difficult circumstances and end up perpetuating that through living dishonestly. And so, I missed Singapore tremendously while I was in China. Apart from the horrendous flight experience and food, I really miss our nice environment here where we live in such comfort and without having to stare at all these sadness of the world on a daily basis. I have since grown a lot more thankful and appreciative of the good here.

There are also people who need help even here in Singapore, and there are so many more in this world we can possibly ever imagine. So what can we possibly do? I am also not sure. I guess donating when there are opportunities, extending help when there are opportunities, and keeping a good and pure heart ba. If everyone in the world can just show that little bit more of kindness to themselves, their families, their friends, their lovers, their strangers, the world can become more beautiful really.