The story of this Singapore family brings out a question on how to seek happiness in ordinary life. The Poh’s family in this movie well represents a typical Singapore family.
The host of the family named Poh Huat works as a lawyer’s clerk. His dream is to enter the upper social class and enjoy luxury life. Being disappointed by his current status, he forms the habit of buying lottery tickets in the hope of winning and making his dream come true. Poh’s wife is a typical Chinese housewife. Her daily routine is buying groceries, cooking, cleaning, and making herbal tea. She sacrifices her own life for the good of the whole family. Besides financial problems, small conflicts exist among the family members. The hope of family, their much loved son, lies and spends most of his parents’ money. He doesn’t even come close to success and have difficulty finding a job. The daughter is not satisfied with her family apparent favoritism for the son. When Poh strikes the lottery and wins two million dollars, it seems all the problems can be fixed. However, it is a test given by god to the family on how to seek true happiness in life.
The favoritism for a son is quite common in the older days, and it is still currently practiced by some conservative families. The reason for this phenomenon can be traced back to thousands of years ago when farming is the major production power of the society. A son can provide more labor to a family while a girl will increase a family’s burden. The idea has come into existence for so long and it has been deeply rooted in people’s minds. In modern days, a lot of Chinese families may still favor a son. It’s an old custom, and people do it without a rational reason. I think only the solution to this problem is to leave it to time. The Chinese society is changing fast and some of the people are probably not ready yet.
It is very interesting to hear a mixture of four different languages when the family is sitting around the dinner table. The family members mostly speak Fu Jian dialect and English. Sometimes they use Mandarin as well. Later I find out there is a forth language called Singlish. The pronunciation and grammar are different from standard English. It is based on English, but it is also influenced by Malaysian language, Fu Jian dialect, Cantonese, and Mandarin. The language is formed during the long years of many different ethic groups living together.
It surprises me that some Chinese customs can be better preserved in Singapore than in China mainland and Taiwan. Old and new both exist in this internationalized country. Different cultures keep influencing on each other and form the unique culture of Singapore.
The host of the family named Poh Huat works as a lawyer’s clerk. His dream is to enter the upper social class and enjoy luxury life. Being disappointed by his current status, he forms the habit of buying lottery tickets in the hope of winning and making his dream come true. Poh’s wife is a typical Chinese housewife. Her daily routine is buying groceries, cooking, cleaning, and making herbal tea. She sacrifices her own life for the good of the whole family. Besides financial problems, small conflicts exist among the family members. The hope of family, their much loved son, lies and spends most of his parents’ money. He doesn’t even come close to success and have difficulty finding a job. The daughter is not satisfied with her family apparent favoritism for the son. When Poh strikes the lottery and wins two million dollars, it seems all the problems can be fixed. However, it is a test given by god to the family on how to seek true happiness in life.
The favoritism for a son is quite common in the older days, and it is still currently practiced by some conservative families. The reason for this phenomenon can be traced back to thousands of years ago when farming is the major production power of the society. A son can provide more labor to a family while a girl will increase a family’s burden. The idea has come into existence for so long and it has been deeply rooted in people’s minds. In modern days, a lot of Chinese families may still favor a son. It’s an old custom, and people do it without a rational reason. I think only the solution to this problem is to leave it to time. The Chinese society is changing fast and some of the people are probably not ready yet.
It is very interesting to hear a mixture of four different languages when the family is sitting around the dinner table. The family members mostly speak Fu Jian dialect and English. Sometimes they use Mandarin as well. Later I find out there is a forth language called Singlish. The pronunciation and grammar are different from standard English. It is based on English, but it is also influenced by Malaysian language, Fu Jian dialect, Cantonese, and Mandarin. The language is formed during the long years of many different ethic groups living together.
It surprises me that some Chinese customs can be better preserved in Singapore than in China mainland and Taiwan. Old and new both exist in this internationalized country. Different cultures keep influencing on each other and form the unique culture of Singapore.
1 条评论:
Very good review! Money can't buy happiness. Happiness is a composition of many factors, chiefly a reflction of one's own mood. How to control and adjust one's mood is of utmost importance to everyone. Happiness is obtained through many channels. For some, helping others may bring immense pleasure and happiness. It is exactly how one oneself defines it.
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