Oh, the pain

Ok, so what does a girl do when she's having an essay crisis at 4.48am for an essay that's not really due till monday but that she wants done TODAY so she can go out tonight?

Click on the flashing banner on her hotmail page advertising a blogging festival on youth.sg.

I'm apalled. Honestly. I'm not going to link blogs here, because it isn't really the blogs that apall me. But let's just take a look at the descriptions of the entries BY the dear people at youth.sg, shall we?

*This entry is fantastic! What more can we say? There’s a very nifty self-produced video on ............. and there’s also a very nicely done graphic artwork on Singapore. I know we shouldn’t be biased, but this is probably the best entry we have received so far. Do vote for her if you agree with us too. (Val: You shouldn't be biased? You don't say.)

*blog is kawaii ne! There are cutesy hamster photos, lots of anime reviews and a pink blogskin. The only thing that doesn’t match is the Manchester United logowhich seems a tad too manly for a kawaii blog. Nevertheless, do vote for ...... if you share her interests.

*......... definition of being a youth in Singapore revolves around three items: food, self-image and air-con. His top motto in life, other than "Don't Worry, Be Happy", is "Live to Eat, not Eat to Live". He is also not afraid of posting photos of his belly on his blog - do check his belly out.

I didn't expect much, really. But I didn't expect that, either. Is this truly the reflection of Singaporean youth? No. Therefore, should I be at all bothered by it? Probably not. But. Argh. ARGH. My sister's a 17 year old, I've been in groups with kids ranging from 13 to 20, I taught 16 and 17 year olds for 9 months. And particularly with the last group, I ask myself, why do they write like that? Not just in style and spelling, but in general content. And herrre we have it. Shallowness glorified.

It's hard to claim I'm not making a value judgement on the kids writing these blogs. I'm not, really. What's really rubbing me the wrong way is how they're touted as...'kawaii ne!' etc. Cute is good. Patriotism is good. Food is good. And, uh, belly is good. But, as contestants for a blogging competition? Is there no one else?

There probably isn't, in all fairness. A festival like that probably has a target audience which would appreciate their selection of blogs. It's slightly worrying what a large audience that seems to be though.

I am now going to put my peeves about the state of blogging aside. What really REALLY gets to me, is how, for some reason, we as a country deride any semblance of intelligent thought.

Hear me out here.

Other than the teachers who pull out hairs reading and marking essays, think of FIVE people you are directly connected to (parents, friends, relatives) who actively encourage you to THINK. Is it not easier to think of an instance when someone said, 'eh, why so cheem', indicating a desired change of conversational topic? (I apologise for the pretentious language. I'm trying to write an essay and can't seem to break out of essaywritingmode.)

The refusal of 'science' students (yes, I'm generalising.) to have anything to do with 'arts' subjects and vice versa (until forced, like they are now currently. I'm sure some enjoy it. I'm also sure most are delighted with another reason to whine.)

A widespread aversion to reading. Why don't we read more? We're highly literate, in various languages. Why, why, why do we not READ?

I admit, I'm probably so annoyed because it is now 5.10am and I am less than a third through my essay. I also concede that there ARE people who have always been encouraged to think, love learning be it science OR arts and are avid readers. Quite a lot of people, probably.

Whyyyyy then, do representations of our youth almost always say otherwise?

Okay Val. Drink your coffee and stop bitching.
Sigh.