Coming to a Close

It is crazy to think that I started this blog over three years ago. I was a very different person then than the one I am now-- I hope. This blog is an amazing time capsule for me of my thoughts, opinions, and observations about living here in Singapore.

My senior year is coming to a close, and my time in Singapore will be ending shortly afterwards. What will happen to this blog? I suppose I will leave it up, since there are some valuable points on here. Where will I write next? backtoboston2018.blogspot.com, of course. But what will I write about? Will I have more direction in my blog? Will I have ads? Will it be more food based? Student life based? It's hard to say now, but I think the answers will eventually become clear.

I wrote a letter to a great mentor of mine today, and I found it one of the easiest and most difficult letters I have ever sat down and written. It was easy because I knew exactly what I wanted to say: you taught me, and changed me, and I want to be like you. But to write such things would be silly. One cannot just blurt out everything all at once. To craft a letter elegant enough that I would be proud to have her read it, and honest enough for her to understand her impact on me... that was a difficult balance.

I mention this today because I feel I owe Singapore something for teaching me so much. Living here has taught me how to live in a city, even if it's a very safe one. It has taught me about other cultures, and how to truly respect them. It has taught me more about what it means to be Chinese, and I in turn have tried to figure out exactly how Chinese I want to be. Singapore will always been the place I spent my high school years, trying to find out exactly who I want to be.

Race, and Why I Don't Care

I just read an article that there were anti-semitic games and graffiti present in the town where I grew up. While most of the incidents appear to have happened in November, elementary schoolchildren were playing games like "Jail the Jews" and accusing the Jewish of killing Jesus Christ. My old town was not some backwards place full of ignorant trash- it is actually quite diverse and multicultural. Most of the students graduate high school, and that vast majority of them go to college (or junior college). I am sad to say that even in my childhood home, I cannot be surprised that there was racism there even amongst the young children. I remember subtle tensions between different races as we all halfheartedly learned about each other's winter holidays, all certain that our own was the best. I remember how one black kid got bused to Boston when he couldn't remember what bus he went on, and he lived in town. His mother was furious of course, but most of the other families who heard about the case rallied with the school: since most black children lived in the city, there was a good chance that this particular black Kindergartener did too.  Racism is everywhere, and it's easy to forget that if one doesn't have to think about it.

Here's the thing: I ultimately don't care what people are. Sure, I have my stereotypes and prejudices like everyone else, and I'm not afraid to admit it. However, race does not define a person's actions. Beating someone up is not "so ghetto" or "so black", while being super smart doesn't make people "so Asian". Yeah, most of the kids on the math team are Asian, while most of the sports kids are white. Race makes a difference in who you turn out to be, and there's not point in lying about that anymore. .  I evaluate others based on their comportment and decisions,  and I will remember you for your achievements or failures, not the colour of your skin. If you are nice to me, I will remember that. If you are a jerk, it doesn't matter what race you are, you're a jerk. I've been bullied by Jews and Christians alike, but I hate neither of them. I've fallen in love with a Buddhist, but I've known some pretty mean Buddhists too. One's race and religion does not immediately make someone good or bad- how they choose to live their lives does.

I've talked about this issue before, but nothing fails to disappoint me more than hearing that people cannot see people for who they are, rather than the package they come in.