Live not for yourself but for your loved ones. For a simple hug from them tells you everything is worth it.
Live not for yourself but for your loved ones. For a simple hug from them tells you everything is worth it.
Fail to plan and plan to fail
So
Plan your work and work your plan
If change is the only constant, then this constant is always changing.
In my journey through the various reaches of the tropical island, I have traveled far and wide, always relying on the mass rapid transit to deliver me to my destination. As the train sped through the major arteries of the transportation network, I can't help not to deny its efficiency and neither can I refute my dependence on the system. As a result, I have dedicated a significant portion of my time within these cabins which inevitably given me the opportunity to study the transit network's temporary inhabitants which is loosely termed as 'commuters.'
Generally, these commuters come in all shapes and sizes and they sport a bewildering assortment of behaviours that makes it almost insurmountable for me to comprehend them. But of course, with my utmost perserverance and dedication to perfection, I prevailed. To the best of my ability, I will attempt to shed some lights on these illy-understood inhabitants. For the convenience of reading, all instances of individuals mentioned below will be referred to the male gender and it is by no means or whatsoever to imply any sexism.
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Campers
Campers are characterised by their desire to sit down, not on designated seats but on the floors of the cabins. They are seen in packs and rarely appear individually. This group of commuters is fiercely territorial and makes a conscious effort to mark out their territories by placing their belongings at strategic spots. Commonly found at inactive exits, they enjoy hearty discussions and believe the remaining commuters do not exist.
Garang-Guni
I have yet fully understood the life of a Garang-Guni type commuter but I couldn't help but believe that they lead a nomadic life. It appears to me they bring their house everywhere they go. It's no mean feat; I was amazed by how much two hands can hold and how they managed to move everything pass the gates, under the eyes of our ever-vigilant MRT staffs. Perhaps, they are the best role models for any campaigns that centers around thriftiness because they simply maximize value for money. Who else is more suitable than them for their ability to pay one-person's fare but take up two person's space with the amount of things they carry? Or maybe, they have yet discovered this fantastic transport call the cab.
The DJ and The Emcee
These two groups of people fall under the same category because they exhibit relatively similar behaviours. Both have an obsession with noise. The DJ appreciates music to a very great extend, so great that he wants everyone around him to appreciate his music. Some sports humongous headphones while others prefer to test the capabilities on their speakers. In some cases, it was noted some of the subjects display a tendency to move their limbs or bodies to the music and it can be remotely considered dancing. The Emcee, on the other hand, wants to be heard by generating their own noises to the masses. They believe that the train is an utterly monotonous setting unfit for life and wish to alleviate the situation by sharing their conversations with the rest of the commuters. It does appear to work in some cases, judging by the raised eyebrows and heads turned to the proclamation of their personal lives.
Space Invader
Singapore, being land-constrained, appears to have unhealthy psychological effects on her citizens. The unsatiable appetite for maximizing land space and compacting hundreds of households into a building seems to imprint likewise impressions on the citizens giving rise to the Space Invaders. This group of people takes pride in defying the laws of physics by packing themselves into already crowded carriages. I conjectured that it is quite likely they believe the train they are attempting to board is the last train of their life and the remaining commuters do not mind their body odours.
Zombie
The Zombie live in constant snooze and they show very little signs of life. Despite their outwardly display of healthiness, they are in fact quite weak because of their need to sit down. During my initial studies, I was almost led to believe they were there since The Beginning (aka first train) and they were dead already because they do not stir. However, with my keen eyes, I finally noticed that they are actually alive and they subconsciously know when they need to alight by waking up without external influences upon reaching their destinations. I am also quite sure this group of people suffer from serious illness because they can be sitting in place of the elderly and pregnants.
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The above-mentioned categories are merely the tip of the iceberg and many more varieties exist. However their low occurence rates are simply not enough to warrant mention. Lastly, I wish to share an observation that cannot fit into any categories: It's generally more important to board than to alight. Commuters believe in boarding first than to let others alight. Why? There's only this train to board... while you can alight at any stations??
What will happen if everyone starts hoarding 10-cent coins for fun? Will we suddenly run out of 10-cent coins?
I remember 1-cent coins were taken out of circulation because people throws them away. I wonder how many 10-cent coins are circulated in Singapore.
The difference between what you want, what you can and what you need to do.
I dunno how to say but there's only 24 hours a day... use wisely!!
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
I realised it's mostly easier said than done.