I drove straight to Mount Vernon after picking little Marcus up from the nursery together with my wife. As I turned into Mount Vernon, we were greeted by a huge banner of condolence to the family of JBJ. My wife, being wife, was still nagging me for making a long detour instead of returning home.
“I still don’t understand why you are so free to come and pay respects to a man we have never met”
“Who says so ? We did meet him a few years ago, remember ?” I snapped.
Well, it’s not exactly a meeting. I first saw JBJ selling his books outside Orchard MRT with my girlfriend (now wife) during my undergraduate days. I had wanted to walk up and talk to him, but my wife pleaded with me not to jeopardize our future by being seen together with this opposition icon.
I still recall her rather silly words till today: “What if somebody take a photo of us and send it to the government ? Then we will never be able to find work in the civil service and even in Singapore you know ?” Perhaps not so silly after all if we realize quite a significant portion of Singaporeans actually share her irrational fears.
The road leading up the parlors are lined completely with cars and I have to park further up. Of course, my wife kept grumbling all the way as we walked down towards funeral parlor 1 where JBJ’s wake is held.
View photos here:
http://wayangparty.wordpress.com/20...me-cry-photos-of-jbjs-wake-on-3-october-2008/
“I still don’t understand why you are so free to come and pay respects to a man we have never met”
“Who says so ? We did meet him a few years ago, remember ?” I snapped.
Well, it’s not exactly a meeting. I first saw JBJ selling his books outside Orchard MRT with my girlfriend (now wife) during my undergraduate days. I had wanted to walk up and talk to him, but my wife pleaded with me not to jeopardize our future by being seen together with this opposition icon.
I still recall her rather silly words till today: “What if somebody take a photo of us and send it to the government ? Then we will never be able to find work in the civil service and even in Singapore you know ?” Perhaps not so silly after all if we realize quite a significant portion of Singaporeans actually share her irrational fears.
The road leading up the parlors are lined completely with cars and I have to park further up. Of course, my wife kept grumbling all the way as we walked down towards funeral parlor 1 where JBJ’s wake is held.
View photos here:
http://wayangparty.wordpress.com/20...me-cry-photos-of-jbjs-wake-on-3-october-2008/