Kaleidoscope #2 | May Stories (Part 2)

Kaleidoscope #2 | May Stories (Part 2)

News feed

For this issue on Kaleidoscope, we will start venturing on the news topics that have made their rounds on social media. Nowadays, the news loop has been dominated by stories about the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of these stories stand out to me as being more timeless in nature, as they feature the big issues that have been of concern in societies.

The news articles below are selected from the Telegram channels I follow.

TODAY Singapore: Getting by in the pandemic with help from (virtual) friends

Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/world/getting-pandemic-help-virtual-friends?cid=telegram_tg-single_social-free_26012019_today

The pandemic have made an issue more apparent than ever before - loneliness. Our world gets more connected by the day, but thanks to technology and the coronavirus pandemic, we have fewer face-to-face conversations and less skin-ships. It can be said that before the coronavirus, loneliness is already a global pandemic. Loneliness is linked to psychological ailments such as depression, and it can literally make people sick.

So what's the cure for a depressed, anxious, lonely mind amidst the pandemic? AI Chatbots could be the next in-thing for the people living in isolation thanks to Covid-19. It feels like a friend you can confide to without fearing of getting judged or rebutted, and it can be conveniently reached through your smartphone.

Anyway, the idea sounds good, and it really feels like the Amadeus app from the Steins;Gate anime. For those who do not know about this application, it is an artificially intelligent chat bot that simulates a dead female researcher, Kurisu, by transferring her memories into the database for the app. In this way, even though the deceased can only exist on a screen, it feels real and this call into question about what is the essence of a person's identity. By the way, this app also exists in real-life, though it does not feel as real as the one in the anime. More details in the video below (just take a look even if you do not understand the Japanese that the creator and presenter of the app speak).

On to the next article...

TODAY Singapore - The Big Read: Solving S’pore’s foreign workers problem requires serious soul searching, from top to bottom

Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/big-read/big-read-solving-spores-foreign-workers-problem-requires-serious-soul-searching-top-bottom

This is a very insightful article about the issues surrounding Singapore's "addiction" to foreign workers. It covers their living conditions and the uncertainty of their livelihoods surrounding Covid-19. It also explains the underlying, deeper issues that have resulted in their treatment as it is. Much of the problem surrounds the cost of land land and labour, which makes it difficult to improve their conditions.

Some opinions on the solutions to the problem - symbiotic arrangement between the various stakeholders to handle the cost of improving workers' conditions, more automation, raising the standards of dorms, and improving Singaporeans' attitudes towards these workers who have sacrificed a lot to build Singapore up.

It is evident that our problem with exploiting our foreign workers too much is not just something that can be solved by replacing them with technology. There is also the people side in the equation to solve this problem, where we consider questions like how our relationship with foreign workers should be, to which groups of people should shoulder the cost of employing these workers, and the biggest headache of all - where to find locals who are willing to take on jobs usually held by foreign workers (maybe this will never happen because no one in the right mind will want their children to work in harsh, low-paying jobs - the kind of jobs that foreign workers are more likely to accept than Singaporeans; but jobs that require a lot of skills such as managerial roles have a chance in this).

For now, the most we can do is to do nice things for them to appreciate their efforts, and try to make their time in Singapore as comfortable as possible.

More good stuff I found on social media

Amidst the depressing economical and health climate, hearing about motivational stories can really make our day. Hence, I decide to share some of the posts that made my face brighten up with a smile!

Coca-Cola Singapore: For the Human Race

It is a reminder to us that we have much to be thankful of and happy for, despite us going through a crisis.

Goalcast: Admiral McRaven on the power of hope

"Even under the most dire of conditions, hope can heal."

International_photo_studios on Instagram: feature photo of two cute little chicks

A chick watches on as its companion preens.

View this post on Instagram

feature credit:-@jovabgeofery daily feature 🔥📷_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ❤ sharing World's best movement ❤ hastag your photos with :-#international_photo_studio_ --------------------- follow:-@international_photo_studio_ ______________________ #india #indian #photo #photography #photographer #dubailife #indianphotographers #indianflag #dubaifashion #streerphotographyindia #itz_mumbai #nature #indian_photography_hub_ #dubai #indianclicks #_coi #india_everyday #i_hobbyphotography #igersoftheday #mumbai_diaries #dslr_official #official_photography_hub #streetphotographymumbai #india_clicks #_soimumbai #indiaphotography #photographers_of_india #wild_photography_hub_ @indiapictures @indian.hobbygraphy @photographers_of_india @indiapictures @indianshutterbugs @indian_photography_hub_ @official_photography_hub @colours.of.india @pixelpanda_india @pixelpanda_india @india.clicks @india_everyday @uniquephotographyclub @itz_mumbai @photographers_of_india

A post shared by International_photo_studio_ (@international_photo_studio_) on May 15, 2020 at 5:19am PDT

Recommended watch | A Frame In Time E02: National Language Classes

National Language Class https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/video-on-demand/a-frame-in-time/national-language-class-12614408

Also, I learnt something new from a documentary that Channel NewsAsia shared on Facebook - most of our older Singaporeans are (or were) able to speak Malay well through National Language Classes. Prior to independence, when Malays were the majority race, Bahasa Melayu was the lingua franca of Singapore.

Today, the number of people who are interested in learning the Malay language has reduced significantly, even though Malay is still the national language. In school, there were conversational Malay classes where I learnt basic Malay, but since I do not interact much with Malay people or Malay-speaking people, I have gradually forgotten many of the basic phrases. It presents an irony for our national identity when much of our heritage is based on the Malay language and yet not many people understand the language well.

Another good reason to watch this video is that viewers can get to understand a social realist artist and his paintings depicting life in Singapore in the 50s and 60s. Many of his artworks featured in this documentary series are displayed in National Gallery Singapore. I think this is a valuable experience because there are not many shows out there that explains artworks in such vivid detail and to help us improve our cultural literacy.

This show got me thinking: what is the value of learning Bahasa Melayu in Singapore today? If it is no longer practical to use it in business documents and public administration, how should we include it as part of our national identity. Surely, leaving it as a relic from the past would not only be an insult to many Malay speakers, but it would be quite depressing when its culture should also be part of the vibrancy that is emerging in the Singapore arts scene.