Income disparity, understanding the rich and poor

This topic came up recently in some of my conversations, understanding the rich and poor.
Coming from a middle income family, I went through an elite studying regime and have had the benefit of having a period of independence and overseas exposure. I always had friends from the elites but at the same time I always hung out with the down right poor. As such I believe that I have had the chance to truly see what goes on both sides of the coin.

A rich person once told me that he has little to no sympathy for the poor. If you want it badly enough, work for it and you can achieve it. If the prices increase, then you find a way to make even more money to obtain the lifestyle you desire. It is their own damn fault that they are in their current predicament.

A poor chap once told me that he doesn't know how to achieve success. He has tried all means but is unable to dig deep enough in his will to succeed. He neither ever received the love he needed to develop a strong mind, nor did he value the importance of an education, be it main stream education or financial education. When your parents don't bother sending you to school nor do they give you money for food, every job and every cent is a blessing and striving for a situation whereby being about to eat to live is good enough for you.


Clearly they both differ and are unable to see each others points of views.

A rich person once told me "when you have reached that next level of spending power, you will view things differently and desire things differently."

A less but by no means ill fortunate person once told me "I will never have such desires, even if I have all the money in the world. It is simply such a waste."

Situations and environments mold the sub-conscience. And that is 95% of the brain! From my point of view, when something no longer becomes a desire and is in abundance, you simply mis-treat it. Take tap water for example. Compared to a nation who is constantly in drought that owns diamonds, they will feel that our ill fortunate friend is totally wasting our completely potable tap water in Singapore in every possible way BUT treat diamonds only slightly better because it is a prettier stone.

Another rich person I know of didn't take a single cent from his parents and built a billion dollar industry on his own in 4 years! And when asked how he does these amazing feats, his answer simply was... Isn't it normal?

The poor person I know complains on a daily basis on how he works super hard but is under valued and under paid. And when questioned on how hard is hard, he talks about the long hours and strenuous work but never once mentioned about how he wants to break his shell and never sets any goals.

The rich man, having spent the last 30 years of his life listening to the business talks and discussions of his parents, could never imagine anything less than a billion dollar industry, should he chose to create one. He has been educated with the experiences of multiple mentors, to which people will pay good money to learn from, to which he has taken granted for and is benefiting from it unknowingly.

The poor man has always been fighting for survival while looking up to the rich and wondering why he is at the bottom of the food chain and doing all the work. He always thinks he is under valued, compared to his peers or superiors, but fails to set realistic goals because he has never been exposed to the right company.

To wrap up this chain of thoughts, wealth and happiness are things that are not completely related but you can never deny its co-existence.
** note I am not discounting the rare few who dedicate their lives to charity.**
The rat race for the top is a never ending struggle if you do not set your own boundaries and measures of happiness (be in a certain income range, a family, 4 wives!). And failing to set these guides and markers of happiness will only lead a person into a state of unlimited wants.

As a Rich man it is important to understand that not everyone is as fortunate as you. And by fortunate I refer more to circumstances than wealth. Not to mention that as much as you can claim that you have never taken a single cent from your family to start your business, even the simplest of circumstances like never having to ever go hungry and always having electricity is an advantage in itself. (not to mention the abuse of family statuses and contacts). Once you have embraced that people are all not fortunate, you will start to see a more warmer and kinder heart and trust me when I say your happiness index will go up.

For the Poor chap, it is important to understand that you may not be as fortunate as others, but you are no where as useless as you (though you won't admit it) put yourself to be. Even at an older age, with a proper mentor ship and perseverance, it is never too late. Begin with baby steps and moderate goals to boost your confidence and in time I'm sure your happiness index will rise as well.

I don't believe that everybody on earth can be monetarily rich. But I do believe that we all can be happy. For every gain, there will be a loss. It is when the gainers realize that only by giving back can they sustain the balance and increase their happiness and when those who continually lose but are happy within their scopes continue to give and believe that providence will prevail they will eventually achieve their ambitions as well.

Very much like how we SHOULD treat mother earth isn't it?

JJ

Importance of scripts for broadcast

Thanks to a dinner in front of the Tv and influence from my mum I suddenly went back to watching a sappy drama for the first time in 10 years

醉後決定愛上你

I must Say, I've always had a thing for Rainie Yang (she just OMG so damn cute, yes haters... disagree but thats what I think) but what amused me the most about this whole show is the sheer entertainment that I got from their arguments and dialogue. A script makes or breaks the show. And I'm no expert but the general formula of a Sappy Drama Romantic Comedy normally is...

• Idea (Could be a lame one for all I care... The public and the trained always differ in opinion)
• Script ( A film as boring as a conversation between jurors could result in classics like '12Angry Men' )
• Pacing (To me its also known as editing. Cuz even leaving a love scene for too long is boring as hell)
• Music (Sound engineers will swear that it makes up 70% of the show. Some silent films were cool though)

Well that and a good set of actors with great chemistry so we can come back full circle on the sappy romantic comedy darma'ness of things

Ok... that was brief. My slip shot discussion on the makes of a sappy drama... This isn't a film blog after all, just a bunch of my thoughts.

I guess our local industry focuses more on media control and moral propaganda than sheer entertainment and creativity. And as much as we boast how Singapore has one of the best television broadcasts in South East Asia, the rest of SEA also faces the same political broadcast issues.

So perhaps we should stop complaining and accept that we have done a good job considering our limitations. That said. The challenge is always to rise above that and make something as boring as a political statement into widescreen entertainment, provided those stuck up control freaks at the top approve the scripts in the first place, (Being Singaporean myself I JUST HAD TO end with a complaint haha)

 

 Thanks to the show I've found my current favorite song. If anyone knows me, they know I don't listen to lyrics till I like the tune. The weird sounding manner of singing the chorus caught me and guess what. I really agree with the lyrics as well.

嚴爵 

又不是這樣就不孤獨

三立&台視偶像劇[醉後決定愛上你]插曲
作詞：黃婷
作曲：嚴爵

愛那麼多 傷害更多
做那麼多 寂寞更多
我以為你就是結果 以為溫柔就不痛
但 我 錯了

話都說了 心也縮了
靈魂掏了 夢也塌了
如果不能讓你懂得 不能讓你快樂
那麼我 放了

我還給你 自由
趁我現在還能夠 感同身 受
誰讓 最愛你的人是我

有愛又有什麼用處
又不是這樣就不孤獨
還是那麼輸
又在你的世界荒蕪
留下來也沒有前途
不如 我們曾 那麼 幸福

我在沉默 你在沉重
我在失落 你在失重
轉載來自 ※Mojim.com　魔鏡歌詞網 
我們不再習慣遷就 現在喜歡追究
最後我 懂了

我還給你 自由
趁我現在還能夠 感同身 受
誰讓 最愛你的人是我

有愛又有什麼用處
又不是這樣就不孤獨
還是那麼輸
留下來有什麼幫助
又不是這樣就不 孤獨
我們曾 那麼 幸福

淚在回憶掙扎 淚為遺憾蒸發
我許下的天堂 你不要的天堂
我～我無法承受 你紅了眼眶

有愛又有什麼用處
又不是這樣就不孤獨
還是那麼輸
留下來有什麼幫助
又不是這樣就不 孤獨
我們曾 那麼 幸福

I'll just translate the chorus (don't hang me if its wrong)

So what is the point even if we have love

It's not like that won't make us lonely

In the end its still a loss

How does staying behind help the situation?

It's not like that won't make us lonely

And we used to be so fortunate

Sometimes its just like that isn't it? Even if we try our best to love and even when we do get love in return. The kindest thing is actually letting go. Humph. Maybe, maybe not.

JJ

Know your rights as a creative professional in singapore

First off I'd like to apologise for the lack of updates lately. Crazy busy setting up a new company and all.

So today's post is on knowing your rights as a creative in Singapore.

When I was choosing my modules as an Undergrad, I had a game plan, that is, to complete my education as "holistically" for my potential career (and maybe even in starting a business) in the field of art and media. So even as an animator, I put my key interests on 

• Animation 2D/3D/Stop mo/Modelling (duh)
• Compositing and Visual effects (for added breadth) 
• Film Editing
• Script Writing
• Various histories
• Business LAW

My choices kind of made me a super all rounder which became more suited for business than a specialist. That said I don't think I ever regret any of those choices because stupid as I AM, it made me slightly less susceptible to being conned because I knew the law and bits of my rights and that is something which I feel is lacking in the local industry, therefor the abuse of wages, Intellectual property and the likes. Now when my friends come up to me and tell me about all the mal-practices that they are encountering, I cannot help but feel frustrated at their lack of knowledge in the field, yet I understand that they do things mostly based on guts and love for the job.

So I chanced upon this article on Facebook and I think it is worth spreading.

GOODSTUPH

Ever wondered what are your rights as a creative professional in Singapore? Find out more at this upcoming legal workshop!

D E T A I L S

1. Date: 19 June 2012 (Tuesday)
2. Venue: NTUC Centre, Level 7, One Marina Boulevard
3. Time: 6pm – 9.30pm (dinner from 6pm, to be seated by 6.50pm – registration starts at 6pm)

GOODSTUPH fans get to attend for free!

• RSVP to siewpeng_fung@ntuc.org.sg by 18 June 2012
• Include this in the subject title: RSVP to Legal Primer Workshop via GOODSTUPH

See you there! 

I have already RSVP'ed and strongly encourage all local Singaporean creatives to enroll for this seminar workshop as well.

For those who are reading this in hope of finding actual legal advise, I promise you that I will update my findings after I have attended the workshop, together with what little I know.

Till then keep fighting!

JJ