tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post8651829587380046078..comments2024-03-28T15:13:45.925+08:00Comments on Good Morning Yesterday: A Story Our Mother Told UsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-7717500180190457242006-11-28T23:47:00.000+08:002006-11-28T23:47:00.000+08:00Chun See, sorry for this comment which is not rela...Chun See, sorry for this comment which is not related to the topic of this post. But my curiosity is killing me.<br /><br />What's the advertisement containing words "Dragon Fable", "Free online RPG" and "Play Free" doing on the right side-panel of your blog? Are you earning advertising revenue already? Or are you using it to attract more young people, especially gamers to your blog? Not quite like you leh. Doesn't go very well with the theme of your blog either. Don't tell me someone hacked into your account and put it there?Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-15989827133545936402006-11-28T13:55:00.000+08:002006-11-28T13:55:00.000+08:00We kampong kids were not endowed with nice things ...We kampong kids were not endowed with nice things like story books, toys, holidays, clothings and a host of other things. Therefore we kids provided our own entertainment such as collecting cigarette boxes, climbing trees, catching spiders and fishes. Hence for us it was a luxury of having a educated mother telling us Chinese stories imbued with moral values. Of course my father was a white-collar worker, but his wide range social activities (not a fault) which he spent a substantial portion of his pay, leaving a smaller amount for mother to spend as household expenses. I really appreciate my mother's ability to budget this meagre expenditure even though she complained a lot. Here was an account of my mother loving nature: One day she took me to Lim Toa Tow market to buy some food and beside the market there were few food stalls. She ordered my favourite Mee Pok (dry) and watched me eating and did not order anything for herself despite appearing hungry. As a kid, I noticed nothing unusual until in the later years. I realised she was in fact trying to stretch here dollars.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-77482834569927828662006-11-28T13:15:00.000+08:002006-11-28T13:15:00.000+08:00I read an article entitled, Love To The Last Breat...I read an article entitled, Love To The Last Breath by Jeremy Lim, a 16 year old boy in TODAY this morning.<br /><br />Jeremy's father spoke about this guy who was telling of the joy of taking care of two pet dogs and how much effort he had put into it, but placed his father in a home of the aged. He also said, "I have seen adults cry their hearts out when their parents passed on. They spend exorbitant amounts of money on offerings and elaborate funerals. But when their parents were alive, they treated them like dirt."<br /><br />I guess Confucius was addressing people like this of his day. I suspect the tears were tears of remorse, and the money was more to satisfy their own conscience.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-53274078721239697812006-11-28T12:52:00.000+08:002006-11-28T12:52:00.000+08:00haiz.... seeing so many spoilt brats around us rea...haiz.... seeing so many spoilt brats around us really makes me worry for the future of Singapore. I'm very strict with my son's upbringing but the friends he mixed with are undoing my work! <br />My son is in Japan now, hope he can learn something good from the Japanese.eastcoastlifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13578276762751929226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-84123400386015439902006-11-26T21:57:00.000+08:002006-11-26T21:57:00.000+08:00Yes Walter, I am familiar with that song and I rea...Yes Walter, I am familiar with that song and I really appreciate its powerful message. <br /><br />Good thing I am self-employed and have greater control over my time. I make special effort to support my son in his kayaking competitions - videoing and sharing with his teammates; sometimes giving them lifts. When we go to Ipoh, we go fishing; often 'suffering' together (no bites whilst those around us caught so many). With the girls, it's slightly different but the same principle applies.<br /><br />What's the use of climbing to the top of the corporate ladder and losing out in the most important things in life.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-55210110842583518482006-11-26T20:52:00.000+08:002006-11-26T20:52:00.000+08:00When I was young, my father worked a full-time job...When I was young, my father worked a full-time job while my mum supplemented the family income by working as a part-time seamstress from home. I grew up closer to my mum. Hence what Walter said above has some truth in it.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-56331060222526443732006-11-26T17:35:00.000+08:002006-11-26T17:35:00.000+08:00Hi! I came to your blog through Ivan. That was a ...Hi! I came to your blog through Ivan. That was a good story :) And I like your nice black and white pictures, also those in other entries. cheers for all mommy and daddys out there. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-72930344354719763842006-11-26T17:26:00.000+08:002006-11-26T17:26:00.000+08:00Thanks for the beautiful story Chun See.
I have...Thanks for the beautiful story Chun See. <br /><br />I have a slightly different view about whether kids these days are more filial or less to their parents. Part of the root cause are the ways their parents have been treating them. Maids, money, and material gifts are used a proxies to replace their personal attention and care. <br /><br />We can't really blame the parents too as earning money is really not easy and few have the luxury of living in a single income household. <br /><br />I am sure all of you have heard of the song "Cats and the Cradle" where the son ends up exactly like how his father had been.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15583607062793779274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-291610070189247762006-11-25T16:09:00.000+08:002006-11-25T16:09:00.000+08:00Yes, I remember the comment Chun Chew made about t...Yes, I remember the comment Chun Chew made about the unfilial son and the poor mother. Kids these days are quite unlike our time. Many of them are very spoilt and rotten with no respect for the elderly. Yes, some moral education would be good, Chun See. But I'm afraid most of your audience would be those that are not so young?<br /><br />One suggestion Chun See - post more of such articles on filial piety and respecting the elderly. You know you've quite a number of young fans. I'm one of them mah. Hahaha.Chris Simhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08760501651748435844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-15865893498677064212006-11-24T16:47:00.000+08:002006-11-24T16:47:00.000+08:00The tree wishes to be still but the wind does not ...The tree wishes to be still but the wind does not stop - correct.<br /><br />The second verse should be: The children want to look after their parents, but unfortunately they have already passed away.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-51497530519208827852006-11-24T16:34:00.000+08:002006-11-24T16:34:00.000+08:00Dear Mr Lam (Chun See),
We are also grateful to o...Dear Mr Lam (Chun See),<br /><br />We are also grateful to our mother, <br />for firmly enforcing exposure,<br />to both English & Chinese<br />languages & cultures,<br />when we were young.<br /><br />Without purposely intending to,<br />she has made me & my brother<br />more enriched in both spheres.<br /><br />And so,<br />although I think in & use English<br />so much more often,<br />I agree with you that<br />our deeper values, as Singaporeans,<br />remain Chinese & Asian.<br /><br />It feels great to be a<br />firmly rooted & open minded<br />hybrid.<br /><br />And we gratefully thank<br />our forebears for our legacy!<br /><br />Still, I do not fully grasp<br />the Confucius saying you quoted.<br />My best shallow understanding<br />of it is:<br /><br />The tree wishes to be still<br />but the wind does not stop;<br />The child wants to be raised<br />but the parents are<br />no longer around.<br /><br />What is this saying's<br />inner meaning?<br />I humbly seek clarification<br />from one who can give it.Alan Heahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00915420875326951048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-53543020316524905692006-11-24T14:44:00.000+08:002006-11-24T14:44:00.000+08:00Though my father, my siblings and I are all educat...Though my father, my siblings and I are all educated in English, our thoughts are very much influenced by my Chinese educated mother who told us many Chinese stories especially of ancient China, emphazing on Chinese culture and values. The baby held in my mother's arms was David. From late nineties to year 2001, when my parents were in and out of hospitals, David wherever he was posted either in Thailand, Indonesia or Australia (migrated to), he would came back to see my parents either alone or with his whole family. We really appreciate his filial piety. He even bought a flat at Farrer Court for my parents to recuperate in comfort (support by two maids). Thanks to my mother who instilled Chinese values into us through her stories.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com