Everything a Singaporean youth is nowadays.
But, as they say, I’m supposed to be more.
Forget the whole ‘You have a Destiny to live up to’ gig in Lost, Heroes, Charmed and Smallville. Of course, the big motivation to be more is that you’re Singaporean, hence supposedly you have possibly the Weight of the World on you, with the economic future resting on each and every one of our laurels.
Okay, fair enough. Just hopefully, such Weight is distributed evenly amongst us under-18s.
But it’s not that way.
Somehow, somewhere along the Weight distribution chain, some higher level power decided that Rafflesians, i.e People in the prestigious institution of Raffles, RGS or RJC, have a much more pivotal role to play in the building of this nation.
And this pivotal-ness is seen in some ‘lo, behold!’ ideas that everyone has about us.
I recently took part in SYPC (Singapore Young Photographers’ Convention) and Pinhong was telling me all about what his opinions his teammates had on him, specifically as an RI boy.
I thought about it, and realized Huiyi, Eric, Chia Heng and Iswan kinda said and had the same assumptions too.
Here are some assumptions:
1) “Why are you so talkative? I thought RI boys are supposed to be quiet one.”
Of course, poor Pinhong had no further course of action but to shut up. But whoever said we’re supposed to keep quiet all the time. I certainly don’t see how keeping quiet is really a nice thing to do anyways. It’s boring, and I don’t think RI boys are necessarily boring. Some are, but most aren’t.
2) “Are you gay?”
Surprisingly, PINHONG got that question asked to him. Pinhong could only sigh. I have no idea where the gay thing comes from, but I guess it’s understandable. It’s like saying some girls from all-girls school are lesbian. It’s that sorta associate-by-where-you-are idea. It’s like saying Ellen DeGeneres could actually have a chance of being straight by isolating her on an island full of muscular hunks, or maybe the Guidos from TAR could actually be straight by letting Dustin and Kandice go at them. (Frankly, I think the Beauty Queens and Guidos will jus have a girls’ night out.)
3) “Do you break rules?”
OF COURSE! What, jus because we’re in RI means we’re saints?! We break as many rules as the guy next door, the only question is how often…!
4) And the bomber…
“Your Studies ah… Pro right?”
This question I cannot stand, especially when asked to me, whom everyone knows am a particular screwup in Maths. Who says our studies are phenomenal have obviously not come across me. Maybe Huiyi meets people like Daniel Chew (read: extremely brainy human being) all the time, but if she saw my grades I’d bet she would think twice. Then Eric brought up a very valid point, “You do our exams, surely damn high one.”
Well, that depends. The thing I severely do not understand is, why do people assume RI people are so infinitely different? Are we not as foul-mouthed as the next person (I know a couple who says selective phrases quite often), are we not as sports-loving, screen-addicted and scatter-minded as anyone else on the street?
It’s as if we’re expected to conform to some view society has of us, has of the Rafflesian community. It’s extremely grating when people ask you, “What school are you from?” and immediately you receive all the “OH MY!”, “RI ah! Surely damn smart one!”, “Wah, is it a lot of pressure?” when you reply “RI.”
Oh come on! Like people NOT in RI or RGS have less pressure! I would like to think the suicide rate for our school is not as morbidly high as one might assume it to be!
I sometimes DO get embarrassed when I mention my school, but only if there is no one else from my school, or if the other people are from relatively unknown schools. Not that I’m not PROUD of being in RI (it’s a totally different thing, because I’m definitely damn proud of being in my school and I’m damn happy about it too) but sometimes it’s like you’re expected to behave a certain way and to follow a prefixed image that the person already has of you.
If you don’t fit that image, well then u get, “I thought RI boys are supposed to be…” or “Aren’t you supposed to be…”
Well, we’re not.
And the embarrassment comes not by being in RI, but of the questions that you know are inevitable. The comments that will surely follow. Even in a taxi.
Taxi Driver: So what school are you from?
Me: Raffles Ins…
Taxi D: RAFFLES AH! WHOA AH! FUTURE MINISTER AH!
Me: Errh… No lah…
Taxi D: NO LAH?! Don’t be modest! When you become minister everyone will look up to you okay!
Me: Erhm… okay… Minister of what?
Taxi D: Who cares, MINISTER OF WHAT! Minister CAN ALREADY lah!
Right, like I’d credit you for it if I become a Minister. Like I’d remember your name and give you a tip that’s long overdue 30 years from now.
Taxi D: So, RI, stress or not?
Oh please, give me a break.
Me: Yes lah, yes lah, stress lah, stress lah.
I don’t understand this whole thing about RI/RGS/RJC people supposedly being the higher class, overstressed, supersmart and at the top of the education ladder and the parents’ list of 1st choice secondary schools.
It’s all because of our PSLE aggregate. So? Do we pass flawlessly? Do we not get setbacks and failures in life? Some even more severe than others in other schools? Why have an image of us as perfect little beings?
So everyone holds the name ‘Raffles’ in high regard, in esteemed fancy, in this golden light that shines above all. It works both ways. Like a double-edged sword, this name of a fellow who came to Singapore in a ship donkey years ago, can harm us too.
Take Wee Shu Min for example. Her ‘elite, uncaring face’ blog post last year in October was overdone, I’ll admit, but no doubt reflects a view that many of us, I believe, understand and agree with, only many are too cowardly to admit it, for fear of backlash and repercussion.
I, for one, say that I stand strongly on Ms Wee’s side. It is quite true that it is all about merit. Meritocracy is one of my choices for governance in a country because it is fair and just. Nothing speaks like education and merit. Nothing speaks louder than the degree, for all its glowing glory of lamination, or talent, with its hidden ability to amaze and to speak lengths.
And yet, can u imagine if it were any other student? Some un-RJC student who made that comment? Dismissed, of course, as some delusional girl speaking in her sleep. It’s only because she was from RJC, with all its magnificence of education and her ‘elitism level’ that created the hoohah. No one would give two hoots if she was from, say, East High (the High School Musical school).
And yet, the people value us for our education, for our levels of ’sophistication’. It is because of so that we SPEAK OUT LOUD. If we were not to, then where would this so-called difference between RI/RGS/RJC and other schools be? We speak, and are obviously heard. And when what we say do not fit into this ‘image’, well, then, it’s our grave.
I am a youth too. We all are youths. Are you telling me that people in RI/RGS/RJC are so immensely matured that we don’t enjoy Chocolate Chip ice cream (okay, for me, I prefer Tiramisu or Cookies n’ Cream), don’t enjoy watching TV (I just love Niki’s power in Heroes), don’t love sports? (someone just give me Maria Sharapova’s next game date already)
No. We’re all youths, living in one island, called Singapore. It’s kinda odd to think of us as being anything but young, since we’re old enough to talk really dirty stuff, and we have enough strength to lift our own weight (literally).
But youth is still youth. Elsewhere in the world, African children are not enjoying their youth. They’re fighting AIDS, malaria, chronic diarrhoea and poverty on a daily basis. Teens in the Bronx are trying to figure out how to feed themselves and their family. They are not seated in front of a computer, surrounded by Billabong and OP, drinking sparkling water and eating ice cream.
Sometimes I feel like I’m so lucky, but yet I don’t get to be who I am. I’m a youth, young, young at heart, young forever, and I just want to be myself deep inside.
I’m not judged by being in Raffles. People don’t call me “Raffles boy!”
They call me by my name. And that’s who I am. Kar Liang. I’m not some random person with an oversized supercomputer for a brain. I fail, too. I get sad too. I love music too. There are endless similiarities.
The whole Raffles thing is not new anymore. Just get over it. People in Raffles are still people. Teenagers in Raffles are still young. Look past it, and see us for who we are.
I am a young Singaporean. We all are, Youth, SG.
I am @ Youth.SG.
