The Carpet

The Carpet

Strong and uniquely beautiful.

Oh so soft, but unappreciated.

Its understated elegance unseen,

mistaken for washed-out colours.

The Carpet

So resilient, yet so weak.

Its "heart" weakened,

hurt that its nobleness unappreciated.

When will the experts come

and appreciate its beauty?

From Flat to House

Growing up in a two-room flat,
family in one bedroom,
with one living room cum dining room.
Big though they be, by normal standards.
Facing a common corridor,
squealing kids, human traffic along the corridor,
inconsiderate neighbours and their friends
smoking and talking into the night,
right outside our bedroom lourvred windows.

From primary, to secondary, to junior college days.
The first MRT being constructed over the years,
intense noise, dust, right at our door-step.

The old but hallowed halls of Raffles Girls,
and National Junior College, the first JC,
Top schools opened to all, based on merit.

Armed with good university degree,
a good and stable job.
And masters in Ivy League Northwestern University,
that one never thought one visit, much less study in.

Then chance to own a small piece of landed property,
newly built intermediate terrace,  soon after the Gulf War.

From two-room HDB flat
to landed property,
all possible because of good governance,
because of foresight, good planning.
A leap through the socio-economic groups.

Thank you, Mr Lee Kuan Yew!  Thank you!

Fare Thee Well, Our Revered Founding Father

Shade from the trees, flowering shrubs lining the roads.
Clean water, potable straight from the tap.
Electricity that's always on.

From Sir Stamford Raffles' entrepot,
to today's bustling hub and international financial hub.
Buildings, from functional
to internationally award-winning.
Homes to house a nation.

Challenges he threw ...
... clean up the (smelly filthy) Singapore River!
Today, a clean river with water activities we're proud of!

From nothing he built ...
a swamp to today's bustling Jurong, and many more.
From an island doomed to fail
to today's Singapore,
the little red dot that stands strong and tall
on the global stage.

With education for all, including girls,
far-sighted, levelling up the cohorts of children,
winners at international competitions and grading exercises.
With scholarships and bursaries,
generations of young seek knowledge
in the hallowed halls of Cambridge/Oxford/Imperial College,
MIT/Harvard and other such international institutions.
Leaders they return,
climbing up the socio-economic ladder,
improving the lot of their families,
doing good for others and Singapore.

A multi-racial society, multi-religious society.
Faultlines a-plenty.
From the national pledge by Mr Rajaratnam,
to policies taking into consideration minorities,
many safeguards,
all to keep the communal harmony and social resilience.

And many more.
As former Minister George Yeo said,
for Mr Lee Kuan Yew's legacy, look around you.
Yes, indeed.
Look around you, and at yourselves.

Our steadfast beacon is gone.
But he lives ... in the legacy he leaves behind,
and in us, whom he invested all his life.

Rest in peace, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Thank you.

Words aren't enough to express our gratitude to you and your pioneering team of leaders.
We will continue investing in the legacy,
our common legacy,
for us, and for those after us.
Long live Singapore!  Long live the indomitable spirit of Mr Lee Kuan Yew!

_____________________________________

Passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, founding Prime Minister of Singapore

The Prime Minister is deeply grieved to announce the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the founding Prime Minister of Singapore. Mr Lee passed away peacefully at the Singapore General Hospital today at 3.18am. He was 91.

Arrangements for the public to pay respects and for the funeral proceedings will be announced later. 

PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
23 MARCH 2015

http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/passing-mr-lee-kuan-yew-founding-prime-minister-singapore

Tumultous Weather

After a period of hot, really hot, weather,  it rained.
Very heavily.
Cats and dogs.

Thunder and lightning as well.
Very loud, very fierce.
Bang, bang, bang, it thundered above.
Conjuring images of the gods battling above,
like in the Chinese mythological movies.

Were they arguing and fighting?
Over whether our revered leader should go?
One more year, says one.
No more! Says another.

Is that what happened?