Poster on encouraging child birth

Reflection on Chingay 2016

     I have watched this year's Chingay performance,it is held at the F1 building pit.

     Unlike other years,sitting infront of the television,I get to witness the Chingay performance personally.Its was really splendid.Last time,whenever I hear people saying how large scale and wonderful was the Chingay performance,I question myself:isn't it just 'boats' around the streets?What is so fascinating about them?However,after I witness the whole scene of Chingay 2016,my views change because from the television,we can only view parts of the performance,but by standing at the F1 pit myself here,it was really a fascinating scene!How many people are needed to hold such a large scale activity,it's magnificent!By sitting behind the television to watch,I can't really get the atmosphere there,but by going there and watching it,the atmosphere really gets high!

     Chingay 2016's theme is 'lights of legacy,brighter Singapore'.As I watch the performance,I realized it is trying to promote racial harmony,like what our founding fathers wished and work hard towards. There were performers from different race,culture,and even performers from other country!Singapore is a country where people came from different country,race and culture,hence,racial harmony is very important for a small country like us.

     The performers from different cultures and background have to work together and go through thick as and thins together to make this Chingay performance a success.However,by knowing this,it suddenly came to me that actually,Chingay is like Singapore,we are the performers,we have to work hard and stick through thick and thins together,to make this little red dot a shining red dot,so bright that no one can ever miss it when looking at the map.The lights of legacy is like what our founding father,Mr Lee Kuan Yew,left for us.It is his legacy,his thoughts and will that will be left for us to carry on,making a brighter Singapore for the future.

     Hence,I think that Chingay 2016 was a success!

     

reflections on Chingay Parade - Zhen Hao

I feel that the chingay parade was spectacular and awesome. As i sat on the seats at the F1 Pit Building, i was left awestruck by the number of people performing for the parade and the amount of effort they put in even if its just a NE show. The Chingay parade was started on 4th February 1973 as Singapore banned firecrackers a year ago due to safety concerns.however, the ban was not well received by the public as they felt that this ban will dampen the festival mood for Chinese New Year celebrations. Thus, the People's Association and the Singapore National Pugilistic Association jointly organised a street parade from Jalan Besar to Outram Park featuring floats, acrobatic acts, lion and dragon dances, silt walkers to bring back some cheer to the public. Fast forward by 44 years, in Chingay 2016, the theme is " Lights of Legacy, Brighter Singapore". It is to celebrate the legacy and the wisdom of our founding father Lee Kuan Yew and other founding fathers based on the core values advocated to them, for example: resilience, racial harmony and social cohesion. We, as Singaporeans, should live by this values and move forward together towards a brighter and better Singapore.

During the first chingay, there were only Chinese performers as this performance was only meant for the Chinese to celebrate Chinese new year. During the Chingay parade in 1976, there were Indian and Malay performers also performing for the Chingay parade and from then then on, the Chingay parade has always been a multi-racial parade featuring performers from all races. In the 1987 Chingay parade, the first foreign group performed at the chingay parade. Since then, foreign groups has always been invited to perform at the Chingay parade

I think that the organisers of the chingay parade have fulfilled the purpose of Chingay parade as it is now a multi-racial parade with people from different countries all over the world and is celebrated by all different kinds of people of all different races. If Lee Kuan Yew was still alive when he sees this, he would feel very proud of Singaporeans.

some pictures that I took during the parade

3-2-1. ~Jingwen

View on 2-child policy:

I stand in a neutral position because I think there is pros and cons to it.

At that point of time,many family gave birth to 7or 8 kids,this led to a quick increase of population in such a small country,which we can handle because of the housing issues.Hence at that time,birth control is needed.

However,the birth control now had led to back fire which caused some family to only give birth to one kid.Singapore's average birth rate is 1.2,it is not enough to replace both parent and also,the only child will have more stress due to being the only one to support the whole family,which may consist of 3-4 generation up to 12 people for the child to support.

Hence,I think that the 2-child policy can be used but to a certain extend.

3 things I found out:

-some policies may backfire

-with only a child In the family,stress will be huge.

-policies will have pros and cons,there will definitely not be a definite good policy that will guarantee a success,because it is just whether you can predict it or not or will the side effect show when time comes.

2 perception I gained

-nothing is a definite 

-everything has its pros and cons

1 question I have:

Why did PM Lee allowed this policy if it will have a after effect?

Poverty and happiness: Zhen Hao

Does being rich makes you happy?

I don"t think being rich makes you happy. You may be rich, but in the process of getting rich, you lose the care and concern from your family members. Having lots of money doesn't mean there will be guaranteed happiness. In fact, many people, will regret losing their happiness in exchange for wealth. Research has shown that being rich makes you less happy. In addition, a richer country will have more unhappy citizens than poorer countries. For example, Thailand is not a very rich country country, however, it still tops the charts for the happiest country in Asia, while for Singapore, being one the very rich countries in Asia, our happiness index is ranked much lower than Thailand. Hence, I can conclude that being rich does not guarantee you happiness.

Reflection on Chingay parade- Heng Yun Tat

I feel that the chingay parade was a splendid and amazing one. It not only brings the Chinese New Year mood but also promote multinational society. The official theme for Chingay Parade 2016 is “Lights of Legacy, Brighter Singapore” As the theme suggests, Chingay 2016 will be the brightest ever with the biggest full-scale illuminated show. The theme is also inspired by the legacy of our Founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and the values embodied by our Pioneers such as Racial Harmony and Social Cohesion, Caring Community, Resilience as a Nation, Can-Do Singapore Spirit and Uphold high moral values. All these values are what our founding father mr Lee want to inculcate in every Singaporean , to carry on his legacy . This made me interested to find out about the history of chingay parade .On 4 February 1973, the first Singapore Chingay parade was held partly as a result of the ban on firecrakers a year earlier in 1972 as a result of fire hazards. This ban was viewed unfavourably despite the safety issues involved. Some people felt that the ban would result in a much dampened festival mood for the Chinese New Year period. To address this issue, the People's association and the Singapore National pugilistic association, jointly  organised a street parade from Jalan besar  to Outram park featuring the signature floats, acrobatic acts, lion and dragon dances, stilt walkers, and the like, to bring back some cheer to the general public.The largely Chinese parade became a multi-cultural one from 1977 when Malay and Indian groups started joining in the performances, which was to mark a major precedent in the overall flavour of the parade into one which has become largely multi-cultural in character, despite the continued presence of traditional Chinese acts such as lion dances and stilt walkers to this day. After watching all these amazing performances performed by people from different races, coming together and putting up a grand performance together , I feel really proud to be a Singaporean, being able to have a multirational society , and the progress Singapore has made over these 50 years. As Singaporeans, we must uphold these values mr Lee and the pioneers embodied and promote racial harmony among each other to prevent misunderstanding of each other and confrontations from others so as to pass down mr lee's legacy.

Reflection using 3-2-1 method: Economy-Aging population

In my opinion, I have gained many new insights from this CID lesson. 

The first thing that I have found out is that I did not know that Singapore had a 2-child policy in the first place as I have always heard the government encouraging Singaporeans to have more children. However, the 2-child policy turned out to be too successful that which, the government had to tell more people to have more children, because of our aging population.

Secondly, regarding the 1-child policy in China, I found out the many reasons behind it. There were not enough teachers for so many students if each citizen of China had more than 1 child. This is when the supply is low, and the demand is high.

Lastly, I found out about the 'generation pyramid' or rather, an inverted one. As of China's 1-child policy, the child will have to provide for his parents, and his grandparents which totals up to 6 people. Therefore, in today's day and age, China have changed their perspective from their decision to establish the 1-child policy, so they are now allowing citizens to have more than 1 child.

The 2 perceptions that I have gained is that I have changed my perception of China's 1-child policy, as initially, I thought that China wanted to reduce their population size so they had planned for this decision, but after this lesson, I found out that this was not the case at all. Next, another perception that I have gained is I understood why both countries--China and Singapore wanted to plan the different policies.

Last but not least, the 1 question that I have is that when the government encourages people to have more children instead of just 2, then how will their parents be able to provide for so many children, is the government just considering the fact of our aging population?

Assessment 1: Reflection On Chingay Parade

Not too long ago, the whole cohort of Year 2s went to watch the Chingay parade, and I was one of them. Thus, I would like to take this time to reflect on my personal experience at Chingay. 

Firstly, I think that the purpose of Chingay 2016 is that it is held as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations, and that because Singapore bans firecrackers, the loud atmosphere of Chingay will hopefully make people feel like the sprit of celebrating Chinese New Year, with its lights and loud noises. However, besides this, the more important purpose is that many people of all walks of life, regardless of race, language or religion, will come together to perform, which is why I feel is the most crucial part of Chingay to me.

Over the years, Chingay underwent many transformations. In the very first Chingay, it is mostly described as a Hokkien Chinese tradition, held in conjunction with religious festivals. Most, if not all of the performers were Chinese then, but today, Chingay is multi cultural and people from other races are welcomed to perform as well. In my opinion, personally, I feel that this changed as Singapore wanted to promote racial harmony, and that many other Singaporeans could learn about other races and their culture. 

I feel that the organizers have definitely fulfilled the purpose of Chingay. Every year, when I watch the Chingay parade, I will see many different Singaporeans from different races coming together to perform, and it is no longer the only-Chinese Chingay parade in the earlier years. The Chingay we see today is very colorful, with bright lights, especially the costumes that performers wear, it is just a spectacular sight to see! As compared to the earlier Chingay, the costumes today are much more vibrant and colorful, not forgetting bright LED lights going along with it.

Costumes from the 1980s:

(Source: https://thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com/tag/history-of-chingay-in-singapore/)

Costumes today:

As you can see, even the design of the costumes emphasizes on the importance of racial harmony in Singapore.

This was a fruitful learning trip, as I got to learn and compare the different Chingay parades over the years and how it had changed and improved with each passing year. I also felt the enthusiasm of each and every participant volunteer, waving and greeting us as we walked by the stadium. Therefore, it was with everyone's hard work, that this Chingay parade was a success!

Phoebe:Poverty and Happiness

Does poverty affect your happiness? I think it is both a yes and a no.

How can one be happy living a poor life, where one has to worry about tomorrow? Would you like being poor and homeless, constantly worrying about whether there is a roof over your head and food to survive the next day? Not only tomorrow, but the day after tomorrow and the day after that... It doesn't seem nice to be poor. Many might say that poverty does not affect your happiness but do they ever experience the constant worry of finding a way to stay alive? What about those poor families with many children? Do you think the parents can live in happiness and satisfaction, knowing that they cannot provide the best to their children?

But still, it is best that we appreciate what we have. In Singapore I have heard of secondary school children who have no place to stay, but still appreciates the parents' effort to send them to school. Something that we took for granted was our lovely homes and our education. Being poor doesn't have to necessarily lead to unhappiness either. When we experience poverty we would learn to not take everything for granted, and start to appreciate the things we have. This can make us satisfied with our lives, and not grow to become more greedy.

Hence, poverty and happiness are linked together, but it is up to us to decide how riches and greed can control our happiness. 

Poverty and happiness-Jingwen

Does being rich necessary mean happiness?

I don't think so,as I think being poor not necessarily mean to be sad and depressed.You may be rich,but without the care and laughters of your family,you wouldn't be happy.If you are poor but you have a caring and happy family,you will be able to stick through thick and thin no matter what happens and hence you will be happy

For an example,a rich billionaire with his children working all day not visiting him and he had no company but have everything he needed to live,he wouldn't be happy right?He had no company,how could he be happy?

Another example is a child that lead a luxurious life,but his parent are all working all day,not accompanying him,that is why no matter how much he does not have to worry about life he still,isn't happy.

Hence,I think that being rich does not necessarily mean happiness.

Eunice:Poverty and Happiness

CID poverty and happiness 

Poverty and happiness. Does being wealthy make you happy? Does being poor means that you are unhappy? How are they related? In my opinion, I do feel that the poor will suffer more than the rich, though the rich may make a regular day seem very dull. The poor are controlled from many activities that the rich can do, even something simple as buying a proper meal. Thus, the poor do feel greater sadness than the rich. 

However, when one has money, he will tend to want more, so it boils down to one thing-greed. Some people that I know strongly believe that money won't buy you happiness, but in today's time, the way that the society has developed, everyone will have the perception that money would and can buy one happiness. However, if one has so much money, I feel that he may start to lose his priorities in life, such as health, family, relationships, all because of wealth. Therefore, being rich does not mean that we could be happy.

Eunice: RV60 Reflections

CID Reflections on RV60

The biggest event everyone has been waiting for... The school's diamond jubilee-Rv60. I could still remember the very first day when everyone was informed about this event, everyone was wondering was we were here, assembling by the field, under the scorching heat of the sun. There were murmurs amongst students, many of which I could vaguely hear "Why do we have to do this?" "It's so hot!" "I want to go into the shade!" Of course, I also shared the thoughts of them, reluctant and irritated. For 3 months, we had to practice our moves, rehearse where we should run, willingly or unwillingly, we did not have a choice.

As we practiced, time went by and the big day was finally here. Somehow everyone was very relaxed, playing games or chatting at the holding area, but I could tell that the teachers felt otherwise. I could tell from their faces that they had many questions forming in their minds, wondering if the whole event will go well as planned, especially with the education minister with us, there was twice the stress. However, the wushu students cheered, "3 cheers for 教练, 3 cheers for 老师!" I don't know if it was the reflection  of the light but I could see that the teachers' eyes were glistening. It was time to perform, as I saw the RV60 balloon floating in the air, it really hit me that this was the last time, the last time we can do our moves, the last time we can stand together as a whole and perform together. This was the time. We ran out with pride onto the vast field, with our (oversized) shirt fluttering against the wind. Soon, it was time for the finale, it was a spectacular sight, with 《青春彼岸》and 《立化情》playing at the background. We returned to the canteen, and I could see my seniors hugging each other, saying "It's over". I couldn't help but smile, it feels so surreal that our hard work had finally paid off. 

After the event was over, I felt that we, students should not be so self centered to only think about ourselves and our discomfort. Have we ever spared a thought about our teachers? Our coaches, who have spent the time and effort to choreograph our moves, and to make things easier for us. It was thanks to everyone, that the event was a success. Although the alumni would only see the surface of this event, in this case, it is us the performers but I would say it is everyone's effort, especially the backstage crew. Through this event, I could say it made me even more prouder to be a RVian!