As I see it, Singapore is a country closely associated with what is new, and Singaporeans have a thirst for new-ness in almost everything. Perhaps they are just a nation that is ever seeking something new.
Not that I read “new-ness” into the country's name, wildly inferring it from the Chinese word for “Singapore”, but the new-ness is felt everywhere.
Visit the Singapore History Museum and you can see the country's short history makes the halls appear rather too roomy for the exhibits. An old, tiny tin of Tiger Balm is kept as a relic, and rocks dating five centuries back are honoured as terrific antiques. Singapore is indeed a“brand-new” country as compared with, say, China with a civilisation five thousand years old.
Told that their history is short, Singaporeans may not be happy, but they do take pride in new things, and rightly so. Buildings are upgraded frequently, and the skyline is characterised with dense, tall constructions that spring up thick and fast. In supermarkets, new brands and models arrive on to the shelves every now and then. Even the McDonald's outlets here have taken to new gimmicks that change from time to time.
And Singaporeans love new attire, too. A teacher of mine, when pregnant, changed out of one and into another of her dozen suits of expectant mother's wear in such quick succession that dazzled the beholder. Even the little boy in the TV commercial for detergents tells you that his elder brother's old clothes “aren't fit to wear”, apparently a consensus among Singaporeans.
And the city-state is adopting new technologies that keep its emerging industries ever prospering, which is admirable indeed.
Yet, I feel that what commands even greater admiration is the nation's attitude towards growth, its persistent quest for what is new. In seeking the new, Singapore endeavours to change, to develop, and to improve to achieve perfection.
The island holds the world's attention with the rapid progress that transformed a fishing port into a global financial hub within merely 30-odd years since its founding. This would have been impossible without the concerted efforts for new development by a few million Singaporeans.
With an eye to the new, the people never stop challenging themselves to absorb the latest technologies from the outside world and evolve their own strategies and approaches. They cannot stand things that remain un-upgraded for years, except those antiques.
For example, the theme parks are just a few years old, but their MPs are already dismissing them as “out-dated”。
The criticism sounds fitting and proper to Singaporeans though it appears much ado about nothing to outsiders.
For still higher efficiency, Singaporeans have come up with many new ways and regulations. A swipe of a little smart card saves the trouble of queuing up at the border checkpoint or the hassle with the traffic police over a no-casualty accident.
New gadgets, new methods, new faces. New artistes keep cropping up to rejuvenate the show business； the then Prime Minister Lee stepped aside willingly for new blood to take over the helm so that the country's leadership could remain young.
I don't mean that whatever is old is no good. Ms Zoe Tay maintains her splendour even a decade after she became the prima donna of TCS, and Senior Minister Lee is full of vitality to this day, as they never cease to strive for change, innovation, and progress. Whoever can say they are“no longer new”？
As a young nation, Singapore holds a recipe for sustained youth and vigour： the spirit of innovation with a persistent quest for development. To my mind, Singapore is refreshing herself all the time.
新加坡的強烈求“新”欲
在我眼中,新加坡是個與“新”分不開的國家,新加坡人也幾乎事事求新。也許,“新加坡族”就是一個求新的“新族”吧。
新加坡的“新”是顯而易見的。倒不是望文生義,說新加坡是“新加的一個坡”。去歷史博物館看看,由于歷史短,博物館未免顯得有些空落：一盒萬金油也被當作文物,五百年前有石頭就算了不起的“遺跡”了。比起中國那樣有五千年文明史的國家,新加坡的確很“新”。
說新加坡歷史短,坡人未必高興；可說到別的方面,坡人就該引以為榮了。新加坡的建筑,更新?lián)Q代速度極快,走在街上一眼望去,高樓大廈櫛比鱗次,新景象層出不窮；商店里的貨物常推陳出新,超市里過幾天就擺上一個新品種,連麥當勞來到新加坡也學(xué)會了過一陣子就換一種新的促銷方法。
坡人還愛穿新衣,我的一位老師懷孕時,居然孕婦裝也換上十幾套,讓人目不暇接,眼花繚亂。你看,連洗衣粉廣告里的小男孩都知道“哥哥的舊衣”不能穿,可見坡人多重視新衣。至于新加坡廣泛采用新技術(shù),新興產(chǎn)業(yè)極為繁榮,這是令人敬佩的“新”。
不過,我覺得,最令人佩服的,不是新加坡的“新”,而是新加坡求新的態(tài)度與執(zhí)著追求。求新,就是求變,求發(fā)展,向更完美的境界邁進。新加坡的建國史只有短短的三十余年,可它由漁港變?yōu)槭澜缃鹑谥行闹坏倪M步之快,世人矚目。這與百萬新加坡人“求新”的努力是分不開的。
因為有“求新”的態(tài)度,坡人不斷挑戰(zhàn)自己,學(xué)習(xí)國外最新的技術(shù),研究自己的新方法,新策略。而除了古董,一切東西擺上幾年卻不更新,坡人是無法忍受的。就連主題公園辦了幾年,還要由議員來興師動眾的指責(zé)“陳舊”,這在旁人看來有點兒“小題大做”,新加坡人自己卻覺得理所當然。
新加坡為提高辦事效率,還創(chuàng)了許多新方法、新條例：用刷卡解決出入境登記處排隊的問題,一般車禍無需找交警……東西新,方法新,人也新。小到娛樂圈時時不忘推出新人,大到當年李光耀總理自愿退居二線,都是為了輸入新鮮血液,讓整個國家充滿活力。不是說老的就不好,“阿姐”鄭惠玉十年后依然光彩照人,如今的李資政也寶刀不老。但是,他們也在變,也在求新、求發(fā)展,誰會說他們“不新”呢？
新加坡是一個年輕的國家,創(chuàng)新精神與對發(fā)展執(zhí)著的追求是它充滿活力的法寶。我眼中的新加坡,是個“新”的新加坡。
Not that I read “new-ness” into the country's name, wildly inferring it from the Chinese word for “Singapore”, but the new-ness is felt everywhere.
Visit the Singapore History Museum and you can see the country's short history makes the halls appear rather too roomy for the exhibits. An old, tiny tin of Tiger Balm is kept as a relic, and rocks dating five centuries back are honoured as terrific antiques. Singapore is indeed a“brand-new” country as compared with, say, China with a civilisation five thousand years old.
Told that their history is short, Singaporeans may not be happy, but they do take pride in new things, and rightly so. Buildings are upgraded frequently, and the skyline is characterised with dense, tall constructions that spring up thick and fast. In supermarkets, new brands and models arrive on to the shelves every now and then. Even the McDonald's outlets here have taken to new gimmicks that change from time to time.
And Singaporeans love new attire, too. A teacher of mine, when pregnant, changed out of one and into another of her dozen suits of expectant mother's wear in such quick succession that dazzled the beholder. Even the little boy in the TV commercial for detergents tells you that his elder brother's old clothes “aren't fit to wear”, apparently a consensus among Singaporeans.
And the city-state is adopting new technologies that keep its emerging industries ever prospering, which is admirable indeed.
Yet, I feel that what commands even greater admiration is the nation's attitude towards growth, its persistent quest for what is new. In seeking the new, Singapore endeavours to change, to develop, and to improve to achieve perfection.
The island holds the world's attention with the rapid progress that transformed a fishing port into a global financial hub within merely 30-odd years since its founding. This would have been impossible without the concerted efforts for new development by a few million Singaporeans.
With an eye to the new, the people never stop challenging themselves to absorb the latest technologies from the outside world and evolve their own strategies and approaches. They cannot stand things that remain un-upgraded for years, except those antiques.
For example, the theme parks are just a few years old, but their MPs are already dismissing them as “out-dated”。
The criticism sounds fitting and proper to Singaporeans though it appears much ado about nothing to outsiders.
For still higher efficiency, Singaporeans have come up with many new ways and regulations. A swipe of a little smart card saves the trouble of queuing up at the border checkpoint or the hassle with the traffic police over a no-casualty accident.
New gadgets, new methods, new faces. New artistes keep cropping up to rejuvenate the show business； the then Prime Minister Lee stepped aside willingly for new blood to take over the helm so that the country's leadership could remain young.
I don't mean that whatever is old is no good. Ms Zoe Tay maintains her splendour even a decade after she became the prima donna of TCS, and Senior Minister Lee is full of vitality to this day, as they never cease to strive for change, innovation, and progress. Whoever can say they are“no longer new”？
As a young nation, Singapore holds a recipe for sustained youth and vigour： the spirit of innovation with a persistent quest for development. To my mind, Singapore is refreshing herself all the time.
新加坡的強烈求“新”欲
在我眼中,新加坡是個與“新”分不開的國家,新加坡人也幾乎事事求新。也許,“新加坡族”就是一個求新的“新族”吧。
新加坡的“新”是顯而易見的。倒不是望文生義,說新加坡是“新加的一個坡”。去歷史博物館看看,由于歷史短,博物館未免顯得有些空落：一盒萬金油也被當作文物,五百年前有石頭就算了不起的“遺跡”了。比起中國那樣有五千年文明史的國家,新加坡的確很“新”。
說新加坡歷史短,坡人未必高興；可說到別的方面,坡人就該引以為榮了。新加坡的建筑,更新?lián)Q代速度極快,走在街上一眼望去,高樓大廈櫛比鱗次,新景象層出不窮；商店里的貨物常推陳出新,超市里過幾天就擺上一個新品種,連麥當勞來到新加坡也學(xué)會了過一陣子就換一種新的促銷方法。
坡人還愛穿新衣,我的一位老師懷孕時,居然孕婦裝也換上十幾套,讓人目不暇接,眼花繚亂。你看,連洗衣粉廣告里的小男孩都知道“哥哥的舊衣”不能穿,可見坡人多重視新衣。至于新加坡廣泛采用新技術(shù),新興產(chǎn)業(yè)極為繁榮,這是令人敬佩的“新”。
不過,我覺得,最令人佩服的,不是新加坡的“新”,而是新加坡求新的態(tài)度與執(zhí)著追求。求新,就是求變,求發(fā)展,向更完美的境界邁進。新加坡的建國史只有短短的三十余年,可它由漁港變?yōu)槭澜缃鹑谥行闹坏倪M步之快,世人矚目。這與百萬新加坡人“求新”的努力是分不開的。
因為有“求新”的態(tài)度,坡人不斷挑戰(zhàn)自己,學(xué)習(xí)國外最新的技術(shù),研究自己的新方法,新策略。而除了古董,一切東西擺上幾年卻不更新,坡人是無法忍受的。就連主題公園辦了幾年,還要由議員來興師動眾的指責(zé)“陳舊”,這在旁人看來有點兒“小題大做”,新加坡人自己卻覺得理所當然。
新加坡為提高辦事效率,還創(chuàng)了許多新方法、新條例：用刷卡解決出入境登記處排隊的問題,一般車禍無需找交警……東西新,方法新,人也新。小到娛樂圈時時不忘推出新人,大到當年李光耀總理自愿退居二線,都是為了輸入新鮮血液,讓整個國家充滿活力。不是說老的就不好,“阿姐”鄭惠玉十年后依然光彩照人,如今的李資政也寶刀不老。但是,他們也在變,也在求新、求發(fā)展,誰會說他們“不新”呢？
新加坡是一個年輕的國家,創(chuàng)新精神與對發(fā)展執(zhí)著的追求是它充滿活力的法寶。我眼中的新加坡,是個“新”的新加坡。