no no no. honestly i don't listen to classical music
myself.
but a cultured person is one who gives respect where its due. I
respect him for daring to chase his dreams and walk the
unconventional path others don't dare tread. Maybe the worlds best
musician we will never know is the small-time pianist who is an
insurance agent by day and plays in some small pub in clarke quay
by night, because so many years ago he decided to do what everyone
else was doing and go back home to serve NS.
Melvyn Tan did something I respect immensely. He broke out of the
traditional Singapore mould of "don't be stupid, u can't make a
living out of/become world famous in sports/music/culture/arts" He
is my hero, not because he is a musician, but because he did what I
only wish more people have the guts to do. He showed those of us
who wish to pursue our dreams that there IS hope that just because
u have the ill fortune of being born in singapore, it doesn't mean
you have to kill your dreams, that u're doomed to a life of
nothingness, of unfulfillment. He showed us that it is still
possible to dream, to pursue your dream, and to make it ultimately,
even tho being born a singaporean is a handicap like having both
your hands tied behind your back in a prizefight.
Above all, he wanted to return to singapore, because although he
has been a brith citizen for so many years, he still feels indebted
to a homeland which has done nothing but offer obstacles to his
dreams since day one, to help nuture the arts and culture society
in singapore, knowing full well that, however small a chance, he
might still end up in jail. But he didn't say, "no i'll just be
smart and not go home at all" he took that chance. Greater still,
he took that chance that singaporeans were willing to be helped in
the way he offers. And in reutrn, what do we do? We show him
hostility. we show him how petty we are that he didn't get
"punished enough". We show him how small minded we are. That is
absolutely horrible, and uncultured. Its not like the courts didn't
make a judgement. A man of the arts, almost 50. What do u want?
Send him to jail? send him to DB? make him serve NS? Even if many
of u have served, why can't u be gracious? Not everyone has to
conform to your norm, not everyone has to live life the way u live
it. Baying for his blood, hurling insults at a man like him for
doing what he did, as tho he was the most horrible of
serial-rapist-killers, THATs what is nekulturny.
