This week, everyone I know (especially those who own a piece of Mac, like me) are talking about IPhone and how much they want it. Retail price $700 plus and only to be sold in Singapore next year. Some of my friends are actually thinking of buying it from States. The whole new gadget plus more accessories.
In a tv documentary I watched this evening, a family of three is struggling to make ends meet. The husband is down with some illness and has not worked for years. His wife was diagnosed with cancer and could not afford to seek medical treatment. The child, has to be supported by various agencies so that she can attend her primary school level one this year. They cannot afford to send her to preschool and she is working very hard to catch up with her better off classmates.
The husband was in tears when interviewed, apparently very ashamed that he cannot provide for the family. The tv show the state of their sparsely furnished house. Only one worn out mattress in the hall and the wife was lying on it, looking lifeless. They have been living on handouts by the government because noone want to employ the man. A total of $250.00 per month and with some subsidies from the government on utility bills. The crew then followed the family to a hawker centre where they had fishball noodle, which is given on credit by the stall owner. The reporter asked if the family pay up regularly for the food, the middle age owner obviously tried to hide something, mumbled that the husband will pay and had paid a few weeks ago. From what I see, the stall owner must have been providing the family with free food and really do not want to be interviewed about it. God bless you Mr Noodle Uncle. In the programme, you can see the joy of the child while she had her fishball noodle or attending the school, things we all take for granted. One day before the telecast of the programme, the wife passed away because of cancer.
Now... go back and dream about your fucking $700 IPhone.
3 comments:
hey! it really takes a lot of guts & balls to post this considering it's actually some of your own friends who are talking about getting the iPhone for themselves.
I truly admire you for that, putting together such a simple posting with such a powerful message.
now what am I gonna do with my new $300 Nokia phone that is sitting in its box becos I dunno how to use it, & nobody else probably wants it now cos they want the iPhone?
Hmmm... the intention was not to say that buying an expensive equipment with your hard earned money is not right. What I really hoped is that before we spent each dollar on something we may not need that immediately, a thought can be on when we have some spare cash or loose changes, it can be given to someone in need. I cannot help to feel that our society is split more than before between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. sigh...
oh oh... you can sell the Nokia phone to me though. :) My phone is half dead
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