hey peepz,
the sun is peeking through the Austrian clouds this cool and getting colder autumn Tuesday. And a musing has come over me and persuaded me to drop by and breathe a little life of verbosity into my otherwise musical blog.
Its been 6 weeks here in Graz and I am already halfway through the duration of my project. For the still unfamiliar, I am here to educate about global issues, namely about poverty to high school children in various high schools in and around Graz. For the still unfamiliar, Graz is the second biggest city after Vienna in Austria. And is the birthplace of Arnold Swazcheneggar. Actually, he was born just outside of Graz. But Graz has claimed him to be their own child. Like how Vienna has done. And now California.
Teaching has always been rather fun for me. Not for the fact that I usually speak in a matter-of-fact tone (as if I know everything, when I just pretend i do), if i do speak at all, but rather I (still) believe that education is the first step to solving global problems. However, I do continue to feel rather unqualified to teach about poverty to children so accustomed to affluence and wealth (as I have). However I always justify that the poor can't travel halfway across the world to tell of their plight, so someone has to speak on their behalf. Another one of my inner dialogues arguing with one another.
On political issues, I have recently become more aware of immigration issues. Like Singapore, a lot of foreigners travel and try to settle in Austria, for all sorts of reasons. The good thing about the EU, is that the ability travel around is very liberal and free. However, Austria (and Germany) seems to be having some issues with certain groups of a different religion and culture. Some Austrian complain about their reluctance to integrate and adopt local ways of living, but instead ghetto and group themselves and continue to display with varying degrees of pride, their home cultures. And it so happens, that many of them tend to be rather loud and prominent, not just in their looks, but to oomph it up with their clothing and behaviors. To say there is some resentment against these foreigners is to be politically correct in an otherwise 'neutral' and 'developed first world country.' Sounds like Singapore? It does so to me.
So is what is happening here in Austria going to be played out in Singapore? At the current rate (or at least from the reports Wilson has kindly been sending me), it does seem so. Singapore, already crowded, is getting more crowded. And by people who are less likely to integrate as our forefathers have.
But the good thing is that, I think Singaporeans, as opposed to Austrians are more tolerant and more exposed to the effects of globalization and internationalization. Many of the children I have talked to thinks that all Chinese eat dogs. I don't blame them really, since the social and personal value of dogs as pets seem to take higher standing than most other issues. (But then again, a few Singaporeans think there are kangeroos in Austria.)
So coming back to the immigration issue in Singapore. What sort of effects would we incur if the policy of flooding our shores with foreign talents continue? Just wondering we can predict any parallelisms with what is happening here with whats is happening there.
the sun is peeking through the Austrian clouds this cool and getting colder autumn Tuesday. And a musing has come over me and persuaded me to drop by and breathe a little life of verbosity into my otherwise musical blog.
Its been 6 weeks here in Graz and I am already halfway through the duration of my project. For the still unfamiliar, I am here to educate about global issues, namely about poverty to high school children in various high schools in and around Graz. For the still unfamiliar, Graz is the second biggest city after Vienna in Austria. And is the birthplace of Arnold Swazcheneggar. Actually, he was born just outside of Graz. But Graz has claimed him to be their own child. Like how Vienna has done. And now California.
Teaching has always been rather fun for me. Not for the fact that I usually speak in a matter-of-fact tone (as if I know everything, when I just pretend i do), if i do speak at all, but rather I (still) believe that education is the first step to solving global problems. However, I do continue to feel rather unqualified to teach about poverty to children so accustomed to affluence and wealth (as I have). However I always justify that the poor can't travel halfway across the world to tell of their plight, so someone has to speak on their behalf. Another one of my inner dialogues arguing with one another.
On political issues, I have recently become more aware of immigration issues. Like Singapore, a lot of foreigners travel and try to settle in Austria, for all sorts of reasons. The good thing about the EU, is that the ability travel around is very liberal and free. However, Austria (and Germany) seems to be having some issues with certain groups of a different religion and culture. Some Austrian complain about their reluctance to integrate and adopt local ways of living, but instead ghetto and group themselves and continue to display with varying degrees of pride, their home cultures. And it so happens, that many of them tend to be rather loud and prominent, not just in their looks, but to oomph it up with their clothing and behaviors. To say there is some resentment against these foreigners is to be politically correct in an otherwise 'neutral' and 'developed first world country.' Sounds like Singapore? It does so to me.
So is what is happening here in Austria going to be played out in Singapore? At the current rate (or at least from the reports Wilson has kindly been sending me), it does seem so. Singapore, already crowded, is getting more crowded. And by people who are less likely to integrate as our forefathers have.
But the good thing is that, I think Singaporeans, as opposed to Austrians are more tolerant and more exposed to the effects of globalization and internationalization. Many of the children I have talked to thinks that all Chinese eat dogs. I don't blame them really, since the social and personal value of dogs as pets seem to take higher standing than most other issues. (But then again, a few Singaporeans think there are kangeroos in Austria.)
So coming back to the immigration issue in Singapore. What sort of effects would we incur if the policy of flooding our shores with foreign talents continue? Just wondering we can predict any parallelisms with what is happening here with whats is happening there.