#ifwedreamtoolong

[momentography2017]

Nhân #ngaysachvietnam #ngaysachvietnam2019 tui soạn lại tủ sách cũng hơi bị bụi bụi, kệ sách có nhiều chỗ phải chồng sách này lên sách kia, nhìn không được đẹp, tui muốn dọn dẹp lại một chút ít. Có mấy quyển sách đã đọc qua, còn lưu luyến giữ lại hông nỡ bỏ, nay muốn tặng cho bạn nào thích đọc sách. Bữa nay lấy trước 5 cuốn ra phủi bụi, bạn nào thích cuốn nào thì comment hoặc inbox cho tui biết nha. - Cuốn thứ nhất về đề tài kinh doanh cho các bạn có máu làm giàu, mở start-up, gọi vốn đồ - Từ Tốt Đến Vĩ Đại (Good To Great) của Jim Collins. - Cuốn thứ 2 là cuốn sách Chơi Quiz Show của tác giả người Hàn Quốc Kim Young Ha, viết về chuyện tình cảm linh tinh của thế hệ “computer network”. Ông nói “có thể gọi ‘Quiz Show’ là quyển tiểu thuyết dành tặng cho những ai ít nhất một lần ngồi trước màn hình monitor và rơi vào tình yêu với một người nào đó xa lạ, gõ bàn phím để trao nhau những lời thì thầm, ẩn sau avatar và đỏ mặt.” Sách đọc thấy cute lắm. - Cuốn sách tiếng Anh duy nhất trong đợt phủi bụi này là The Secret Garden. Sách làm nhớ một thời đi gom gom các kiểu Anne tóc đỏ dưới chái nhà xanh. Sách tiếng Anh bìa đẹp, đọc để bay bổng hen. - Mãi Đừng Xa Tôi (Never Let Me Go), của tác giả người Anh gốc Nhật Kazuo Ishiguro. Cái này đọc sẽ buồn thắm thiết nha, nhưng là một câu chuyện vô cùng cảm động về tình cảm con người. Người ta cũng có làm phim luôn rồi. Phim giữ nguyên tựa sách Never Let Me Go, có cô diễn viên Carey Mulligan đóng chính, là cái cô Daisy yếu đuối của Leonardo Dicaprio trong The Great Gatsby năm 2013 đó. - Khi Ta Mơ Quá Lâu. Theo lời giới thiệu thì đây là tác phẩm kinh điển của văn chương Singapore, của tác giả Goh Poh Seng. Sách do #nhanam dịch, nên các bạn có thể yên tâm về độ chỉn chu, câu cú, ngữ pháp đồ. Sách này mình không đọc bản gốc (tựa là If We Dream Too Long), chỉ đọc bản dịch tiếng Việt này thôi. Tác giả deep vừa phải, dễ gần, làm mình cảm thấy thế hệ trẻ tuổi của Sing cũng có nhiều tâm tư lắm chứ không chỉ lao đầu vào làm việc kiếm tiền không. Rồi giờ thì làm xao để nhận sách: Mấy bạn chịu khó đọc comment nha, dài quá hết viết được ở đây rùi 😅 @momentography2017 #nhanambooks #sách #đọcsách #neverletmego #ifwedreamtoolong #goodtogreat (at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwgc80TAG6h/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6i5yuujhhygp

[ges1025-e2-c-blog]

Keeping Our Dreams Alive: Part 3: Thrusted into Adulthood (Chapters 22 to 24)

Although these chapters are the ending of the text, it ironically appears to be the climax of Kwang Meng’s life. The sharp and sudden deterioration of his father’s health is perhaps the turning point for him, where he is forced to mature and take up the responsibilities of adulthood. These are highly emotional chapters where a whirlwind of events and feelings are condensed into these few pages.

Readers notice a stark change in Kwang Meng; from one who was a frequent bar patroniser, one who does not care about his job to a responsible worker who kept busy at work and neglected his social life. Kwang Meng is perhaps feeling the burden of supporting his family and possibly needing to pay his father’s medical bills. Kwang Meng perhaps may even be feeling deflated and demoralised as he may be remembering his inadequacy when his father berated him and showed him the harsh reality in chapter 2 - his “hundred and twenty bucks” was not “something”.

Truly, the writing is highly poignant and emotional as the mood of writing has changed starkly; not only Kwang Meng has matured, but other characters too have grown sombre and almost older: his younger sister Swee Lin who took on the motherly role by looking after the younger siblings, preparing dinner and reminding everyone to come home and eat and Kwang Meng’s mother who emotionally apologises to him and entrusts the family responsibility to him in chapter 23, as if admitting her age and incapability of supporting the family.

  An on strike of critical illness is truly a catalyst for one’s maturity; not only for the one suffering but also those around him. Perhaps when this occurs, people are made conscious of the fragility and transient nature of human life. Reading these last few chapters, I had two main responses: sympathy and gratefulness. I do know of many friends who had undergone similar situations in life (such as their parents being diagnosed or have passed away due to illnesses like cancer) and I have seen the effect it had on them. Emotions are sincerely stirred as one reads the closing chapters.  I think this book and its experiences are highly personal, intimate and hence relatable. This situation still exists in Singapore and will always exist, but I feel grateful for the progress that Singapore has undergone. The instances of children needing to shoulder the burden of supporting their family or dropping out of school due to financial reasons has seen a decline over the years as Singapore has progress throughout the years. This book reminds us to be grateful for our health and the blessings that we enjoy in Singapore now; there has been advancement in medical care where illnesses are detected earlier and can be resolved more easily, subsidies for health check-ups are also available and there is greater awareness about looking after one’s health. The experiences and growth told in this bildungsroman could perhaps be paralleled to Singapore’s growth, where Singapore was forced to prematurely mature in the past (Singapore’s ‘sudden’ independence where a steep learning curve was experienced in learning how to manage our country) – it was a tough time for our pioneers. Knowing that the toughest times are over, we have hope for Singapore. Like Kwang Meng, we have to accept our fate and do our best, wishing even better days for the future generations.

[ges1025-e2-c-blog]

Keeping Our Dreams Alive: Part 2: A Whole New World (Chapters 13 to 21)

Just as Aladdin shows Jasmine a Whole New World, Kwang Meng is introduced to a ‘different world’ as well. This is the transitional phase. The in-between. One is neither a fully-fledged, mature adult, nor an innocent naïve child. We find Kwang Meng here at the crossroads of his life and the push towards ‘growing up’ is perhaps facilitated by the people in his life.

-        Lucy

Kwang Meng still holds on to an idealistic world and his idea of making up to Lucy after his friends offended her was to ask for her hand in marriage. However, Lucy appears to be more ‘street smart’ and knowledgeable about the world as she asserts ‘facts’ like “It will never work” and “I know everything” due to her “experience” (Chapter 13).

Kwang Meng’s uncertainty (“I don’t know” and “I’m getting nowhere”, but he doesn’t have a clear ‘somewhere’ in mind) is hence starkly contrasted to Lucy’s clarity of a practical, pragmatic world. Lucy is complicit in making decisions in Kwang Meng’s life (had she agreed to marriage to him, she would have altered his life greatly) and therefore has a direct influence in his life choices. Lucy forces Kwang Meng to come to terms with the ‘real’ world.

-        Boon Teik

Boon Teik, although similar in age with Kwang Meng, appears to have got his life well organised. He is happily married and position diction is used to describe him (in Chapter 9, his dress is immaculately “white”, he is mentioned to be “reading the papers”; a mark of high education, holds a respectable job as a teacher and even plays badminton as “exercise”). Kwang Meng realises a gap between them especially in terms of being aware of world events (Chapter 16).

With his increased interaction with Boon Teik, Boon Teik perhaps sets a positive example for Kwang Meng and gives him a glimpse of a better and happier world. Boon Teik also arguably helps Kwang Meng bridge the gap between them as he introduces Kwang Meng to literature and seems eager to develop a friendship.

-        Hock Lai

Hock Lai is perhaps Kwang Meng’s negative example. Although Hock Lai may be successful in the Singapore sense: with his engagement to a “rich bird” who is sexually attractive, his promotion and his financial status, this seems to be contrary to what Kwang Meng desires. Notably in Chapter 20, he did not enjoy the engagement party and even contrasted it to the happiness of Boon Teik and I-Mei. Hock Lai, with all his material successes, perhaps illuminated Kwang Meng’s priorities and gave him clarity on what he wants in life.

People are indeed very important in helping us develop and mature, either by making choices for us or giving us a role model to look up or down to. There are many Singaporeans personalities whom I can look up to base on their achievements and past (most popularly and with much due acknowledgement would be the later Mr Lee Kwan Yew), but people who has greatly and personally helped me mature into who I am would be my college teachers. Speaking to friends from other schools, I realise that it is pretty unusual to develop deep and meaningful relationships with teachers and hence I am grateful for all the guidance and support that I have been given. Ideas were shared and discussed, practical advice was given, their purpose for life remain to be inspirational and above all, there was investment, care and concern.

Who are the people who have shaped you, whether directly or indirectly, into who you are today?

Video source: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kl4hJ4j48s

[ges1025-e2-c-blog]

Keeping Our Dreams Alive: Part 1: Young, Wild and Free (Chapters 1 to 12)

Goh Poh Seng’s novel, If We Dream Too Long, is arguably considered a bildungsroman where the issues of the personal growth of the character, Kwang Meng, is explored. In this timeline, his development and maturity will be charted and explored, while drawing links to development of modern day Singaporeans.

Some motifs alluded to Kwang Meng’s immaturity are:

-        His love for the sea

Perhaps his love for the sea can be seen as a form of escapism as he travels most notably to the sea to escape from the routine of his work (chapter 1) and takes Lucy to the sea, escaping the more ‘common sensical’ option of going out with his friends and with ‘nicer girls’ (chapter 9).

-        Sex, alcohol, smoking

The vices of youth! These symbols are commonly associated with teenagers; these can be seen as mild addictives as they give pleasure and joy. Kwang Meng is noted to make degrading comments and objectifies women (he judges Anne’s bodily measurements) and constantly visits many bars such as the Paradise and Happy Bar. All these actions unsurprisingly causes concern in Kwang Meng’s mother who is afraid he gets “cancer” and “waste(s) himself” by becoming a “drunkard”.

-       Hyper consciousness of a social divide

One would note his awkwardness at higher class places such as the G.H. café. Kwang Meng seems uncouth in comparison as he is unable to use forks and spoons and does not wear socks with his dress shoes. Most notably is Kwang Meng’s uncomfortable demeanour; he seems to have a lack of self-confidence and is uncomfortable with his ‘shortcomings’ and how he does not fit in.

-        Skiving off work

Another constant, we note how he does not take his work seriously but is always making excuses such as how he is sick/his father is ill, spending time in the toilet instead of doing actual work and having a less than amicable relationship with his boss. Kwang Meng seems highly irresponsible.

Upon journeying with Kwang Meng through this ‘first section’ of the novel, readers may either get frustrated at him for his incompetence at “pull(ing) himself together” (as articulated by his mother in chapter 12). However, I am more inclined to think that many others will sympathise with him.

I think in our fast paced society of Singapore (or perhaps any other modern, globalised city), we are similar to Kwang Meng as we do not really have much time to sit and think about our dreams - if we were lucky enough to have any. Many of us drift along, going through the ‘rat race’ to survive, to live up to society’s definitions of ‘success’ (having enough to support your family, accumulating comforts like cars and houses). I suppose this is particularly relevant for our younger generation, who have not yet found their places in the world and have been newly introduced to the tensions between the security of a ‘survivable job’ versus the adventure of chasing one’s dreams.

However, Kwang Meng’s journey in finding himself may not entirely be the same as our modern experiences. In the older Singaporean generation, it is arguable that there were less opportunities and one was more constrained in making life choices. Kwang Meng experienced difficulties in furthering his education as he needed to support his family financially. In our modern times, youth are faced with a lot more choices with multitudes of study spheres (humanities, sciences, arts; there has been an increase in variation of course options), availability of financial aids, bursaries and scholarships. One is now equally lost and ‘stuck’ due to the wide spectrum of possibilities.

Perhaps this novel calls us to take some time to ponder and reflect on our dreams and desires for our future, giving us some grounding, no matter how unstable, to focus and head towards.

Photo source: 

http://hmmmhmmhm.tumblr.com/post/64951240049