President Scholars and more…
Yes, dear readers, a new generation of demigods have been inducted into Singapore’s public-sector pantheon. FIVE new president scholars this year—my batch rocks man! 3 from RJC, 1 HCJC, 1 ACJC. 4 guys, 1 girl.
Ervin: All the way, dude! Haha, the only one this year to be a non-straight-A-er. Amazing considering Singapore’s anal hang-up over academic results, but he’s got the personality. And perhaps the sky has fallen and PSC has somewhat broadened its definition of success & excellence.
Shiming: Expected, so wasn’t surprised. Heh, but am still happy for him anyway. Shiming, you’ll go far. But you know that already, don’t you? Am sad you chose the SAFOS in the end though—I believe much of the work yet to be done in Singapore lies outside the military. Still, it’s your choice, and since SAFOSers have the uncanny knack of turning up as Ministers down the road, you’ll probably be able to contribute significantly once you’re out of the Army and in the Cabinet.
Winston & Ronald: Heard of them, but don’t know them, so will leave it at that.
Jiayu: Gosh, I didn’t know Peggy’s sis was that good too (think Peggy’s more high-profile though—and of course I bow to any Angus-Ross winner). This whole President-scholar-siblings thing is starting to look wrong =p.
It’s somewhat exhilarating to see your high-powered peers achieve big things, and know that many of them will be bigshots in their own fields of politics and business and whatnot. And you wonder where you will be, twenty years from now when you have batchmates becoming MPs, CEOs, teachers, actors, ground-breaking artists etc.
And you see? I’m bowing to these man-created idols again. Not that they aren’t worth respecting, but while I was gushing over my (man-)exalted peers, my other colleagues who had studied in the US were indifferent and couldn’t understand why President Scholars would make front-page news. The veneration of State-sanctioned champions (PSC scholars etc) and the vilification of State-(tacitly)-sanctioned villains (Quitters etc) isn’t a purely Singapore phenomenon of course, but in Singapore it seems to be an entire institution in and of itself Scary. We all need heroes and idols to look up to and to emulate, but there is a limit. However, as an instinctive non-conformist, I don’t profess to have a balanced view either. You decide.
And that’s yet another of the numerous small reasons why I turned down both the Singapore-offered scholarships (MOE & SPH) that I got—I wanted to find my own definition of excellence, a kind of excellence defined by myself, rather than by the State (and Society in general). I want to show the world (but more importantly myself) that not all heroes are government-ordained (scholars). Or even government-sanctioned (Khoo Swee Chow and the various youth icons).
Forgive this rant, but Singapore, my beloved and behated country, and its societal complexities & paradoxes never fail to fascinate yet repulse, intrigue yet frustrate.
Yes, dear readers, a new generation of demigods have been inducted into Singapore’s public-sector pantheon. FIVE new president scholars this year—my batch rocks man! 3 from RJC, 1 HCJC, 1 ACJC. 4 guys, 1 girl.
Ervin: All the way, dude! Haha, the only one this year to be a non-straight-A-er. Amazing considering Singapore’s anal hang-up over academic results, but he’s got the personality. And perhaps the sky has fallen and PSC has somewhat broadened its definition of success & excellence.
Shiming: Expected, so wasn’t surprised. Heh, but am still happy for him anyway. Shiming, you’ll go far. But you know that already, don’t you? Am sad you chose the SAFOS in the end though—I believe much of the work yet to be done in Singapore lies outside the military. Still, it’s your choice, and since SAFOSers have the uncanny knack of turning up as Ministers down the road, you’ll probably be able to contribute significantly once you’re out of the Army and in the Cabinet.
Winston & Ronald: Heard of them, but don’t know them, so will leave it at that.
Jiayu: Gosh, I didn’t know Peggy’s sis was that good too (think Peggy’s more high-profile though—and of course I bow to any Angus-Ross winner). This whole President-scholar-siblings thing is starting to look wrong =p.
It’s somewhat exhilarating to see your high-powered peers achieve big things, and know that many of them will be bigshots in their own fields of politics and business and whatnot. And you wonder where you will be, twenty years from now when you have batchmates becoming MPs, CEOs, teachers, actors, ground-breaking artists etc.
And you see? I’m bowing to these man-created idols again. Not that they aren’t worth respecting, but while I was gushing over my (man-)exalted peers, my other colleagues who had studied in the US were indifferent and couldn’t understand why President Scholars would make front-page news. The veneration of State-sanctioned champions (PSC scholars etc) and the vilification of State-(tacitly)-sanctioned villains (Quitters etc) isn’t a purely Singapore phenomenon of course, but in Singapore it seems to be an entire institution in and of itself Scary. We all need heroes and idols to look up to and to emulate, but there is a limit. However, as an instinctive non-conformist, I don’t profess to have a balanced view either. You decide.
And that’s yet another of the numerous small reasons why I turned down both the Singapore-offered scholarships (MOE & SPH) that I got—I wanted to find my own definition of excellence, a kind of excellence defined by myself, rather than by the State (and Society in general). I want to show the world (but more importantly myself) that not all heroes are government-ordained (scholars). Or even government-sanctioned (Khoo Swee Chow and the various youth icons).
Forgive this rant, but Singapore, my beloved and behated country, and its societal complexities & paradoxes never fail to fascinate yet repulse, intrigue yet frustrate.
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