i had the best tutorial i've ever attended this semester earlier! it was a human geography tutorial and we were discussing migration and globalization. and despite me being so terribly sleepy, i thoroughly enjoyed every moment that monica brought the class through. what struck me hardest was the video about sri lankan maids in lebanon. it's pretty much similar to philippino maids in singapore. audio visual is always the best way to grab and tug at the strings of other people's hearts because it is so raw and real.
so we were talking about migrant workers in singapore and the difficulties they face and stuff like that. and a classmate mentioned that in some condos in singapore, they dont allow the maids to use the lifts provided they are accompanied by their employers, and most condos do not allow domestic workers to use the pool. i just thought it seemed very discriminatory, but i guess they would have their valid reasons. the lift thing is very ridiculous though.
i love the way monica did the tutorial. it was so relaxed yet fruitful and she's so easygoing and cool! she did research or journalist work in Lebanon and the middle eastern area and she was there during the war, interviewing all kinds of people there and stuff.
and there was something she mentioned that i'd never thought about before. when she first came to singapore, she was puzzled why we were so strict about the safety belt rule.. like in the cab there's this announcement thing tt tells u to fasten ur seatbelt. but when you look out of the window, there they are foreign workers piled up onto the back of a truck speeding down the expresslanes. she thought they were rather objectified, like equipments getting transported arnd. and i think it tells a lot too. so we only bother about and protect our own people and our safety precautions don't apply to them? so it is only when they commit crimes that our law is applicable. and then we discriminate them because we think they are dirty and unlawful.
she also talked about the grass cutters who carry the machines and wear the sign "danger keep out" on their backs. also pretty objectifying. and nobody notices them at all. it is as though they're just part of the machines cutting our grass. now that i think about it.. i think most of us, me included, take their work as a use-discard-rebuy thing. it is time to change that and show some appreciation to our unsung heroes. our group said that we shld have a domestic workers day and it really got me wondering why, when we are so dependent on their efforts, do we not have such a day to honour their work!

anw, my first year is coming to an end pretty soon and i'm so sad i dont want it to end. the first of everything is usually the best because there isnt anything to compare it to, and more importantly special because every single moment and experience was so very fresh!