My first post in this year! There is so much to say, but l shall begin by giving an overview of what this year means to me.
Two acts, two ages
2020 is the most defining year in my life up till now. My lives in the year 2019 and 2020 were worlds apart, being in completely different environments, and living with a very different purpose. 2020 marked the end of my years of schooling and the beginning of National Service, an obligation that all healthy young Singaporean males have in order to defend the vulnerable lion city from hostile forces.
At this point, there are a few terms that await clarification - compulsory education and National Service. These are the things that every male Singaporean like me will have to go through in his life because the law of the land requires them to be. Their respective statutes are the Compulsory Education Act (Singapore Statutes, Chapter 51) and the Enlistment Act (Singapore Statutes, Chapter 93). Note that not adhering to these acts can have really scary punishments - these are one of the highlights of Singapore Law.
| Compulsory Education Act | Enlistment Act |
| Section 3: Compulsory Primary Education 3.—(1) A child of compulsory school age who is — (a) born after 1st January 1996; (b) a citizen of Singapore; and (c) residing in Singapore, shall attend regularly as a pupil at a national primary school. (2) Where a child of compulsory school age fails to attend regularly as a pupil at a national primary school as required under subsection (1), each parent of the child shall be guilty of an offence. Section 7: Penalties 7.—(1) Any person who is guilty of an offence under section 3(2) shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both. | Part III: National Service Enlistment Act Section 10: Duty to report for enlistment10.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the proper authority may by notice require a person subject to this Act not below the age of 18 years to report for enlistment for national service. (2) A person required to report for enlistment for national service shall report to the proper authority on such date and at such time and place as may be specified in the notice and shall attend from day to day until duly enlisted. (3) Enlistment for national service shall be in the manner approved by the proper authority. (4) No duty of any kind shall be imposed on a person required to report for enlistment or service unless he is found fit for service. Part VII: Miscellaneous Provisions Enlistment Act Section 33: Offences 33. Except as provided in section 32(3) and (4), any person within or outside Singapore who — (a) fails to comply with any order or notice issued under this Act; (b) fails to fulfil any liability imposed on him under this Act; (c) fraudulently obtains or attempts to obtain postponement, release, discharge or exemption from any duty under this Act; (d) does any act with the intention of unlawfully evading service; (e) gives the proper authority or any person acting on his behalf false or misleading information; or (f) aids, abets or counsels any other person to act in the manner laid down in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e), shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both. |
Now, having your life defined by all of these acts may seem absurd at first glance, but they are necessary for society to function well as a whole. Education is one. Singapore used education to improve the literacy rates and skills of her citizens, allowing them to be able to work in industries and pick up new skills quickly, which will eventually pave the way for a vibrant, resilient economy good enough to be the financial hub of Southeast Asia. Defence is another important part of our society and nation-building, since it protects the very sovereignty of the place. This is important as we need to constantly put up a good fight for the right to make our own decisions and do what we want (as long as we stick to international regulations).
Singapore's dollar notes (the current Portrait Series that are in circulation now) are a good reminder of this, since the themes for the pictures on the back of the $2 and $100 notes are "Education" and "Youth" (which includes an image of a young soldier raising the flag with the SAFTI tower in the background) respectively.
Therefore, splitting our lives into different Acts makes sense in terms of personal development and nation-building. These Acts help us to rehearse our lives and equip us with the necessary abilities in our formative years, so that we can achieve success in the later years of our lives.
From Singapore's laws to Shakespeare
If all of this felt heavy, let us take a refuge in the literature of the great William Shakespeare. His famous line, "All the world's a stage", attests to this weirdly theatrical feeling I am experiencing in life right now.
| "All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages." ~ As You Like It, Act-II, Scene-VII, Lines 139-143 |
Two of the seven ages are "the whining schoolboy" and "the devoted soldier". Both seem to be different characters in a story, but in our lives, they are one. I see myself reflected in the first few ages in the Seven Ages of man.
The schoolboy
"And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel*
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school"
*Note: a satchel is a bag with a long strap that is carried over the shoulder
These lines really bring me memories. I remember when I first entered school, I was tearing up at the thought of being separated from my family and having to fend for myself in an alien environment full of strangers. School life was far from comfortable.. The difficult homework, lengthy commitments and stressful examinations gave me a lot of trouble. Unless one has a very positive mindset about learning and sees a strong purpose in the knowledge he gains, I can really empathise with the unwillingness felt by the schoolboy, but more importantly, I learnt to appreciate the quote "Growth happens outside of your comfort zone." as I continued my schooling.
The soldier
"Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard**,
Jealous*** in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation****
Even in the cannon’s mouth*****."
Some definitions:
** bearded like the pard: Pard was the Old English word for a leopard. The beard of a young man is so patchy that it looks spotted like a leopard. The comparison also works on the level of personality. A leopard is the perfect animal to describe the lines that follow, for with all its might and hunting prowess, a leopard can get quite egotistical and temperamental. A beard could also represent the honor that both the soldier and the leopard strive to protect. After all, a beard is a proud possession of men, and it takes time to grow one to perfection. Here again, bearded could mean spotted, for like a man’s beard, a leopard’s spots are its pride.
Well, in the Singapore Armed Forces, we are required to shave and cannot keep beards. Maybe it is because beards are so hard to maintain and it may also get stuck in the chin strap of the helmets. In the meantime, we have our uniforms, bunks and weapons to maintain.
*** jealous: implies a person who takes precious care of something
**** bubble reputation: a bubble is empty, so by 'seeking the bubble reputation', Shakespeare means that the man does things that make him look good even if they are pointless.
^ Looks like the concept of having "face" existed a long time ago. But such things have disappeared from the Army, which is prized for its practicality and safety.
***** cannon's mouth: a 'cannon' was a large gun, and it's 'mouth' was at the front - so the man seeks his reputation even if it means standing in front of guns, i.e. going to war or getting in fights
^ This honestly reminds me of the "Tank Man" picture from the Tiananmen Square protests. I can understand the visual impact of this picture better now because it is the literal representation of such a strongly-worded metaphor.
In this case, the soldier does not just apply to the military. It can also mean a man that takes his job seriously. Currently, I am striving to apply for a scholarship and a university to further my education. Higher education will be the phase where I get specialised knowledge and invaluable life experiences before I dive into the working world. This is a long, hard fight in its own right!
Goals for 2020
After all this poetry appreciation, it is time to return to reality. For this year, I will try my best to stay healthy too, but more importantly, I want to find out what I can, and want to do in my life. The two-year disruption for National Service is a blessing in disguise for me, because I have more time to think over what kind of aspirations and career I want to pursue in my life. These are very important life decisions, so there can never be too much prudence in choosing what to do. However, it is also essential not to hesitate too much in making up my mind, or I may miss out on a lot of experience that
In addition, I want to have a clear idea of what to believe in. There will not be anyone that will always tell me what to do, and I have to be more independent when making decisions in life. That is why I have recently started to read up on religious texts to stock up on some wisdom, and make revisions to my moral compass so that I know what kind of values I want to be guided by.
Credits:
Singapore Statutes Online
Genius
BBC Learning English
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