I am a very cynical person, so pardon me if this appears to be a case of me being overly skeptical.
Yes, random acts of kindness should be encouraged in Singapore and should be highlighted and featured in the media to inspire others to do the same.
However, if such news are staged, I would be pissed to the core.
Recently, there were two separate news about foreigners performing a random act of kindness in Singapore.
I find both stories too identical.
Both stories share the same structure – a foreigner perform a kind act in Singapore, a random stranger spotted it and heng heng captured it on camera.
Both acts of kindness went viral online, the media reported both incidents, interviewing all the key persons involved and ended both articles with a quote from Dr William Wan, general secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement.
Fishy?
If a third story like this appears again, I can guarantee plus chop it is some stupid viral campaign that you will see being submitted for advertising awards later on.
Story 1 – Korean boy gives shoes to auntie in a bus:
http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/south-koreans-kind-gesture-generates-online-buzz-20130208
My cynical take:
– a similar act like this happened a few months earlier and made it to international news headlines – a New York policeman Lawrence DePrimo, bought boots for a barefoot homeless man, Mr Jeffrey Hillman, 54. The close timing and similarity of the two incidents are really fishy.
Story 2 – Welshman lets boy try his wakeboard in a train:
http://news.omy.sg/News/Local-News/Strangers-gift-of-a-wakeboard-ride-143093
My cynical take:
A fish-eye lens was used to capture the video. Would a normal commuter carry a fish-eye lens everywhere? The use of a fish-eye lens is to capture wide-angle shots. This make sense if you want to capture the entire MRT cabin from a near distance. In layman’s term, the camera work is too professional and the use of the fish-eye lens is really fishy.
You be your own judge.
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I'm inclined to believe story #1 leh. Actually it's very touching. Brings tears to my eyes. It'd better be true! Ha!
Yalor. I do kind things all the time, but never taken photos by those heng heng chaps. LOL~
Why should you be pissed? If those foreigners ain't kind, you think Singaporeans are that kind? Are you kind? Are Singaporeans enlightened? Can they even tell right from wrong? LOL~
Foreigners are about the same... they are those kind ones, they are those complete assholes. Even Hitler got his German rebels. Nothing to be pissed. LOL~
You should show us how your baby is doing. Be a proud father.
Hi Alvin,
While the kind acts of Mr Choi and Mr Spencer that you highlighted have certainly enjoyed much positive press, we prefer to be optimistic and attribute this to a shift in attitudes, as more people in Singapore take time to notice and appreciate the kind acts around them.
Good eye also that Dr Wan was quoted in both articles. Reporters tend to approach us for a quip on hot issues that pertain to kindness or graciousness. On our part, this gives us opportunities to spread the message of kindness and we do not shy away from it.
We must say, you’ve been generous in giving us more credit than we deserve! Hopefully, one day, we’ll be as clever as you make us out to be. :)
Cheers,
Team SKM
I am surprise to get a reply from the Singapore Kindness Movement. I certainly do hope the stories are real too cos we definitely need a change in attitude in Singapore.
BTW, why is it allowed to test out wakeboard in a train? Isn't that dangerous? I wonder if some uncles let some ah boy test it out, will it be regarded as "kindness". In any case, what so kind about that....
heya Alvin.
Im ian... the dude that shot the video of the welshman on the train. And... yes amazingly i do carry an iphone 4 with a fisheye lens attached to its' casing everywhere i go. You are right... it's not normal for people to carry a fisheye lens around.. but i just do :) I appreciate you commending my camera work... im not a professional although i do make quite a fair bit of videos. I'm also a street photographer and i love to do quirky things... so u can say i kinda have an eye for stuffs like that that. The idea of me staging this whole episode is just .... weird... i dunno? really why would i do that?
While i cannot vouch for the credibility of the other video (i never knew of that act only after someone highlighted it to me when my video got viral), i would say that maybe you might have been a tad skeptical over the subway wake-boarders. Lighten up dude.. everyone was just having fun...it takes more effort to plan something like this... and even more effort to judge it so hard.
oh btw.
my instagram.
http://instagram.com/ianny_ian_ian
You would notice all my pictures are in fisheye.
or... if you ask me out for coffee i can show you my very cui made in hong kong fisheye lens over.
To mums,
I understand where you are coming from... but i decided to post this video up to kinda counter this exact same mentality you are having.... precisely 'Why not?'. In a rigid society like Singapore, everyone is concerned about the straight path.. if it's dangerous... expensive...against the law... or embarrassing. What's so kind about that act? well, the Welsh dude made a kids' day by offering him a spontaneous kiddy ride on his wakeboard.. its just as simple as that :) You were wondering if the same effect would apply if the welsh was an old uncle? My take is... yes it would be even sweeter. But i just don't understand why a scene like this, would even generate thoughts about races? Ya'll are missing the point here. All in all... i just felt this was a very unusual scene.. away from the usual sights in our MRTs and i thought it was worth a share.
Peace out everyone. Lets all spend less time analyzing other people behind a computer screen and spend more time experiencing simple wonders outside.