Here's hoping that the overwhelming spirit of unity and service that has engulfed the nation this week will continue.*
*Lines for the public to pay their last respects stretched into 10 hours! Yet, no one complained (for once!). Not only did the line move in an orderly manner, volunteers handed out food and water for free. LKY would have been proud of this manifestation of Singapore's efficiency and generosity. Then, today, as his casket was moved from Parliament House to the University Cultural Hall for the state funeral, people lined the entire funeral procession despite the heavy rain! I can't recall Singaporeans doing something similar (lining the roads) growing up, and was so impressed by the unity and tenacity of the crowd.
It's confirmed-- the amount of brain cells I have is inversely proportionate to my level of stress. Remember last semester when I blogged about my mid-semester slump, and how I was so stressed out that I forgot about my meeting... after being reminded of it the day before?
Well, cue Britney Spear's "Oops! I Did It Again" (nostalgia! Even though I don't care for Britney). This time, however, I did remember my meeting, only...
I was walking from the bus stop to institute (Bible study class) when I saw one of my institute classmates headed in my direction from the church building. Puzzled, I asked him if class had been cancelled. He gave me this funny look, and said, "No, we just had class." I just stared at him, unable to comprehend what he meant.
Until he said, "Class was from 11:30 to 12:30. It's 12:30 now."
And that's when it dawned on me-- I had COMPLETELY gotten my time mixed-up!!! How did I do that?! I have NEVER done that before! In my mind, I knew class was at 11:30, but somehow, when I looked at the bus schedule, I decided to take the 12:04 bus. *facepalm* Miss Keesh epic fail.
I'm telling you, examination preparation is *literally* killing my brain cells.
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Anyway, on a more somber note, a few days ago I paid tribute to Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew. His death has shaken the country, and I have been pleasantly surprised at the unity shown forth by the nation in mourning for him. Throngs of people lined the street on Wednesday when his body was moved from the Istana to the Parliament House. Now that the public can pay their respect to him until Sunday, here is a video put forth by The Straits Times (the national newspaper of Singapore) showing how long the line was on the first day:
The journey took 20-25 minutes to walk from the end of the line to the Parliament House. People stood in line for HOURS (so far the longest has been 8!). I think even the government was taken by surprise because they hurriedly extended viewing hours to accommodate everyone, and the train system (MRT) announced that it will run 24 hours on Wednesday so that people can ride public transportation home. Thankfully the second day saw lesser crowds.
SGAG, a Facebook page dedicated to satirizing Singapore, decided to stop posting jokes this week. Retail giant Metro and Singapore Betting Pools also announced that they will close on Sunday for the state funeral, while other shops have canceled events, including the official store opening of Kate Spade. Wait, there is a Kate Spade opening in Singapore?! It's official: mass consumerism has not only taken root, it has grown 10 stories deep underground.
Anyway, aside from the fact that the whole nation has united in mourning, more impressive is the kindness shown by Singaporeans for their fellow Singaporeans. Singaporeans are NOT known for being a gracious society, despite it being hammered into us by (who else?) the government. If you want gracious, go to Taiwan. Serious.
Yet, the death of LKY has brought out the kindness in each other. According to The Straits Times and other social media sites, an undergraduate bought about 20 burgers and randomly handed them out to people during dinner time. Businesses also gave out water, paper fans, and free flowers to those in line as well. To be honest, I was astonished at their generosity. I think even the government took their cue from them and arranged for volunteers to give out snacks and water, and finally thought about giving priority viewing to the elderly, handicapped and children. Yup, I have such little faith in my fellow Singaporeans, and I am glad I've been proven wrong.
I just received news that Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), the "Founding Father of Modern Republic Singapore," passed away a few hours ago. I didn't know him personally, but just like how I and so many others respect Abraham Lincoln, I respect Lee and mourn his passing. He was a great man and possessed one of the brightest minds on the earth; a real visionary who dedicated his life to building Singapore. No really, even detractors who criticize his methods can't deny that he everything he did was for Singapore.
But he was also a paradox, a "soft dictator."
Yes, he ruled with an iron fist, and yes, Singapore still ranks abysmally low on the "freedom of speech" and "freedom of press" index, especially considering that it is a developed, First World nation.
But how many leaders do you know have taken a Third World country and transformed it into a First World nation within a single generation? Please remember that Singapore is a tiny island (it's roughly half the size of Los Angelos!) with no natural resources except for its people. Even our British colonizers didn't believe that we would survive, and feared an overtake by the communists if they withdrew; hence, we joined with Malaysia from 1963-1965 (racial disputes forced us to become independent). Yet, today, Singapore is one of the wealthiest countries in Asia (some sources say the world). And I personally think it is one of the most orderly, safest, cleanest, and greenest countries, with a kick-butt public transportation system. It's mind-blowing if you think about Singapore's lightning-fast development and modernization.
Credits to the original owners
Furthermore, he worked hard to build an honest government. I'm not naive to think that there was no corruption-- surely not everyone in his cabinet had his integrity-- but it says something when multiple major media sources (such as the Economist, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal) mention LKY's clean and transparent government in their obituaries. He once said in a 1992 speech that most Asian developing nations did not need a democratic government, but an honest one (quote from here and Wikiquote). I'm not saying he was right, but it's sure food for thought.
And as a romantic at heart, my heart warms at his daughter's descriptions of her parent's marriage. LKY, for all his failings as a Chinese patriarchal and authoritarian statesman and father, loved his wife and took great care of her when she had a debilitating stroke.
Did LKY build up a perfect nation? No. Was his government perfect? No. Was LKY a dictator? Yes. LKY was also extremely candid, and sometimes came off as arrogant (//Sherlock Holmes). I just wrote a paper about the status of women in Singapore and the Singapore government, and cringed at a speech he delivered at a women's conference (no less!). In that speech, he said that Singaporean women enjoyed a better standard of living because of the government. [To be fair, he said in the same speech that a country that did not educate its women was a foolish one. And his government did help women to a certain extent.]
Yet, it would be a gross injustice to harp on his failings because in a paradoxical way, his weaknesses were his very strengths. How do you build an Asian waterhole from scratch and turn it into a modernized, efficient, wealthy and educated nation? You herd its citizens and make them obey your draconian measures. Little wonder Singapore remains a fascinating case study for scholars.
My Facebook feed is understandably inundated with posts mourning his passing. I think, however, that an American friend (ironically) paid the best and most fitting tribute: I hope that in remembering and celebrating their leader, Singapore does not ignore or forget his controversial politics but take this opportunity to continue (start?) the conversations about the trade-offs and balance between economic inequality/growth, political freedom/stability, pragmatism and fairness.
I just found out that the daughter of my former mission president and his wife died three days ago. It was a complete shock because at the time of her death, she was a beautiful, healthy, and vivacious nineteen-year old attending Brigham Young University. She accompanied her parents when they were in charge of the Taiwan Taipei mission from 2006-2009 (I served under them from 2007 to 2009), and while I didn't really know her, I remember her dynamic and fun personality. When news broke about her death, a long string of former missionaries and her friends expressed their shock and grief on Facebook. Many former missionaries are also planning on attending her funeral, a testament of the positive impact she had on them. She had so much energy and enthusiasm for life, and I can't help but grieve with her parents at their sudden loss.
I don't understand why God took her back at such a young age. Perhaps she had already accomplished all that she was sent to do on this earth, and indeed, her obituary enumerates an impressive list of accomplishments. But sometimes, it only makes the situation more devastating. All we can do is hang on and trust.
In honor of little Mary, I want to share one of her quotes (taken from her obituary). It is astonishing that such mature and beautiful words came from a nineteen year old:
"I think beauty comes when we find Christ, because it is only through him that you truly become perfect and godlike.
Beauty is the Light of Christ in your eyes and letting that shine through your actions and service. Beauty is discovering that you are a special daughter of God with a unique and divine purpose. God is our maker, he made you, and God never makes mistakes."
May we remember these words of wisdom as we go about our daily lives through times of joy and triumphs, but more imperative, through times of sorrow and loss, and when all we can do is hang on and trust.
