Read Literature

Unlike the gamut of mass media blast which are mere news and gossips to prick our senses, literature ("Lit") is food for our soul as with movies, music, theatre and other forms of entertainment. 

Reading Lit allows us to immerse ourselves into the world of the characters in the story and engages us to identify with them as they deal with situations and relate to other people in the story which reflect what could happen in real life. It helps us to reflect and understand what it means to be human -- our strengths, weaknesses, foibles, inclinations, potential and blind spots.

Read local as well as foreign Lit because each country consists not only of concrete buildings, farmlands, factories and other infrastructure, but also a collective soul of people who share a set of norms or manner of life that is unique. This will help us to appreciate and understand people at home and overseas better.

The following two Singapore Lit are used as illustrations as they are what I have picked recently from a local library.

In "The Teenage Textbook" (This book is for teenagers from 11 to 81.) written wittily by Adrian Tan, you will discover that Singapore has its own four seasons and why the alternative title of this book is: "The Melting of the Ice Cream Girl". And, you are sure to remember this character for a long time to come along with his full name and credentials: Dr E Sopramaniam, MA (East Anglia), PhD (Calcutta). That is just a spoonful of appetizer. Read the book unless you are un-teenager of age. 

The second book "Balik Kampung 3B" (Balik Kampung is translated into English as: Going Home, or Going Back to Village/Heartland) is a collection of "nine exciting tales that will deepen your appreciation of three eastern and six western locations of Singapore and give you fresh insights about the human condition". 

For example, in the story "Sayang" (translated into English as: 1. Love; and 2. Pity) written by Joey Chin and Wong Hongyi, you will feel the struggle that Chuan, who hailed from China to work as a cleaner in Singapore, faces. In another story, "Mrs Gupta  and the Squeaky Trolley" written by Pooja Nansi, you will learn how Mrs Gupta and her husband, who came from India to work with a computer firm, never turned back and made Singapore their home. Her squeaky shopping trolley that day irritated her as with the two young adult foreign Indians whom she overheard criticizing her beloved home country. What happened next? Go read the book.

Thank you for reading and sharing Daily Refreshing.