Dialect Groups...

If there is one thing that I don't feel for or comprehend as a Singaporean, is peoples' need to know about your dialect group, outside of curiosity.

Hokkien, Teochew, Hakka, Cantonese... they make no forking difference to me. How many proud Hokkiens around have actually been to Fu Jian or Teochew to Chao Zhou? If anything, it only reminds of how the Chinese use to wage civil wars and how much more advance they could have been if they were not so preoccupied in vying for the Indian Chief post, neglecting to unite against external threats until situations were foregone. This to me, is not a very proud thing to admit as a Chinese.

We look the same, live in the same estates, use the same currency and eat the same things anyway.

Of course, there is always one reason why I appreciate the diversity of Chinese dialects . Its the distinctive cuisines that come from all these different dialect groups that I come to sample as the privilege of a born-and-breed Singaporean.

Now, Teochew porridge, Hokkien fried mee, Hakka Yong Tau Foo and Cantonese Dim Sum.... I heart Chinese.

Civil Engineering Sucks...

The frequency to which I am updating my entries to this blog is probably a testament to how much longer it will be sustained, after all, actions(or rather the lack of) speak louder than words. Just thought I'll sneak in this entry and clear abit of cobwebs.

For the past few years, I have been living in disgruntle from some wrong decisions which I have made. Mainly the Civil Engineering Degree which I have taken. To start with, all the promised talks about having value-add that an engineer can give to the society and whatever pitch talks of "The best goes to civil", turn out to be blatant lies from my first pay cheque as a civil engineer to the turn of tide of the popularity of my discipline.

While my peers in Finance industry can probably predict a 5 figure salary in 2,3 years time, I see experienced "PROFESSIONAL" engineers struggling to hit 7,8k. You can't blame society for that. People in finance, bring in the money directly. Engineers do not bring in the money for you. Engineering is all about safety, which equates cost, hints liability. People don't pay you for saving their lives when they aien't dead yet but you don't mind giving you a slice of the pie if you can make them richer directly.

And one more thing which I feel I should do for society and namely, kiddos still in school. Spread the word, engineering sucks as a career. Please, unless you are some academic geek who wouldn't mind having your fortune capped by some research fund, I advise you to ply your trade elsewhere.

All I know for myself, is that I always have a hunger to succeed, although I have been pretty lost for the past few years. And I intend to do something about it. How I will go about doing it, I don't intend to disclose at this point in time. I may not be guaranteed success, but it sure beat rotting under the piece of toilet paper has "Bachelor in Civil & Strutural Engineering" on it.

Pui!

P.S. On hindsight, the tone above seems pretty strong. But rest assure, I am typing this entry without much of an expression on my face. Its simply something on my mind that has been around when I graduated 4 years ago. Just thought, now that I'm planning a move into another stage of my life, I'll just throw this out once and for all, never to look back again.