Engagement

Sometimes I get obstinate and insist on my point of views. My hope is just to engage my friends. I may sometimes get anal about things because seriously I do not see a crime highlighting the fact that the poor and the unjustified do not have a voice in Sillypore or many other parts of the world.

Similarly to performing charity acts by donating to the poor begging on the roadside only to find out they are on social visit passes living in hotels, dressing well and perhaps wearing gold wrist watches. To turn sympathy into money-making schemes is not just wrong, it should be a crime. True that no one can stop a healthy man who decided to shave his head and don a robe, canvassing little strings or amulets for money. But in some sense it stopped me from donating after learning the truth.

I used to donate to flag days of all sorts, even performed quite a handful. I fervently donated to TT Durai's KNF golden taps, Rev. Monk-stunt-man wannabe of Ren Chi's assistant's shopping etc...
It's just sad knowing that we were all taken for fools. But in some sense there is no lives loss, or anyone hurt in that process of charity except stupid fund-raising stunt shows which only Mediacorp artistes were injured.



Turning back to the scenes of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire", not sure if you remembered the storyline, I hope that many did not just enjoy the cinematography and love story. The fact that many have thrown criticisms of the stark reality that the child stars are still living in the slums as the movie enjoys its resounding success. In the movie, we witness kids being taken off the streets and maimed or blinded in order to earn more from begging. I saw the reality of it when I was a kid traveling to Bangkok back in the 80s and my parents told me of what they do to those kids we see begging on the streets, my parents made me throw in some coins into their milk tins, perhaps in some ways to learn that I should give when I am able. But I swore never to donate ever again whenever I go to Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines etc. The need for knowledge in this sense is not just for your conscience's sake but for the little kid's sake. Yes, many have rebutted in my face saying it is just loose change, but the kidnappings, unjust deliberate mutilation is the result of the sympathy. In this context, when the giving stops, it stops. The kidnappers will realise it is no longer a lucrative act.

Thus I choose to continue pissing off my friends in order for engagement, if it is what it takes to get one to start thinking. What's most important is that the final goal is achieved.