Today I learnt that time is mercilessly finite in the face of an infinite number of things we can accomplish in life. Each time I sit down and realize just how many things i would like to get about doing, but never seem to get started on. When time seems to be in abundance, it only gets whittled away unconciously. As cliche as it sounds, and I suppose thats how cliches come about anyway, the first step is always the hardest. And the first step is usually the largest. It isn't about flipping through the first few pages of a book, its about delving past the first few chapters, before one is able to settle into a comfortable pace. That is taking the first step. Anything short of this would probably result in distractedly abandoning the idea eventually. It was one of those instances where I had to ask myself, how different am I from the grains of sand which number in the billions. We must choose the combination which yields the highest return. It would only be misleading oneself to disregard the importance of spending each moment in life, before we realize it is much too late later on in our lives.
There was once a reasonably sized open field amidst all the cluttered blocks in my neighbourhood just down the road. It symbolized reprieve amongst the suffocating atmosphere in the neighbourhood. Kids would run around or play soccer, and people would even fly their kites around there once in a while. You know how some HDB areas are, buildings are constructed with reckless abandon, giving rise to a big concrete mess, thanks to our wonderful government's carefully calculated town planning. The open space was probably one of the few remaining sources people could actually enjoy without having to turn their heads and have their line of sight blocked by yet another building.
A few months ago they started construction on that open space. I could only look on in dismay as the green of the field got swallowed by the grey foundations of a building. I figured it couldn't be that bad, maybe they're finally building a community centre around this area. However, the few months passed and as i walked by the partially completed building today, and realized that this was not to be so. To my utter disbelief, for some reason unknown, they've (i don't know who THEY are) decided to build a CHURCH in that open field.
As if it isn't already bad enough that the kids can't enjoy playing around open fields nowadays anymore, they have to forcefeed religion down their throats.
I'm not against the building of churches in general, and i sure wouldn't mind a mosque being built near my house. But i wouldn't even think about building a mosque on that open space, let alone a church. The field wasn't even that big to begin with, so the church walls are practically adjoining the HDB flats alongside it. And the funny thing is that the HDB blocks surrounding the church are populated by mainly Malay and Indian families. Imagine a church situated barely 10m from your door every morning as you leave the house. I cannot begin to describe the disturbing lack of congruence between the church and the environment surrounding it. Sure, i mean it's alright to have religion play a part in one's lifestyle, but its presence is almost oppresive.
After living in this neighbourhood for friggin 15 years of my life, i have to say this is the most frustrating thing that they have done with the scarcity of the open spaces around the neighbourhood. And the thing about some churches is their wonderful practice of spreading joy all around the neighbourhood. They go knocking on the door's of the residents preaching.
When was the last time you had a Muslim, Buddhist or anyone else for that matter knocking on the sanctity and privacy of your very home, wanting you to hear what they have to say?
Once again, there is nothing wrong with spreading the word of religion, but the matter in which it is done is something which i find questionable. Heck, even before this church was built i had people from churches knocking on my door, hailing from some other part of Singapore. Outside the supposed safety of home, even when i was sitting down on the benches in SMU waiting, i had two men come up to me telling me "Have you heard the good news?" and shoving a brochure in my face persisting that i attend their church sermon despite repeatedly and politely declining. Have you been to one of those Planet Fitness tours where the sales staff "invite" you to purchase their membership? In this context, "inviting" is practically synonymous with "coercing". I think that goes beyond the limit, i truly do.
Lately there seems to be a cluster of bands which have progressed from their metalcore stage and have come to produce pretty good music, to me at least. I must be lagging a little though. It's been difficult to find bands which sound like the metal anthems of days past. Even though i hated the whole screamo/clean vocals combination, i guess a fusion of epic riffs and complementing vocals can never go wrong. Here's one such band which has improved tremendously - Caliban - Our Burden to Bleed :
