b : capable of adapting to varying conditions : PLIABLE
And how much more true can this be?
Aren't humans these days molded in order to be 'capable' of adapting to varying conditions?
Varying conditions factoring towards social expectations and status quo.
Ecologically plastic animals?
Ecologically plastic HUMANS.
Ecologically plastic NATIONS.
That's the world we live in now.
And need I say what is the biggest (if not, only) influential factor towards the disintegration of our world?
MONEY.
So exactly how are humans molded in character?
Talk to the money.
What is life?
Talk to the money.
Who are you?
Talk to the money.
What is humanity?
Talk to the money.
What is ?
Talk to the money.
So again, how are humans molded in character?
Money.
How many of poor to middle-class people are brought up with parents drilling in your ears that one must work hard, one must study hard in order to earn loads of money when he/she grows up? And the rich kids are molded to believe that money can buy them anything and everything, daddy's money is power, they are the rightful heir into the family business and fulfil the vicious cycle of the rich gets richer. But of course, by the time the rich kids get grow up, they are already in the plastic world of their own where not being able to purchase a Cartier watch (out of stock perhaps) is their concept of a bad day.
Note : Realise the pre-defined segregation of society class?
Poor = Lower Class;
Survivable-but-on-the-verge-of-poor = Lower-Middle Class;
Survivable-with-abit-of-extras-for-luxury = Higher-Middle Class;
Rich = Rich. Wealthy. Prosperous. "I live-eat-shit-breathe-the-ground-you-walk on".
And then there's ethnic classes too. Seeing "minority" on forms always bring a smile to my face. Ahhh right... minority. Sometimes I wonder if I should just tick "minority" over Asian for the fact that we bloody Asians are always being made to feel 2nd class regardless on home-grounds or in foreign lands. Yes. Here we go again. CLASS!
Yes siree.
We de citizens of Asia are treated like society scums.
How many times have I had racist jokes cracked at my expense?
I have long lost count of that.
So I'm yellow-skinned, I am naturally from China.
So I have small eyes, I maybe Japanese.
And in their narrow minds, I sher-peak no engrish.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Yesh, me no deaf.
Me can hear what you is saying.
Funny eyes dey gimme, I tell ya,
I can shee da dishgust in deir eysh, ash if to shey, "Not annuder sher-stupid Ching".
Den I open my mouth to sher-peak....
"Oh my god! You speak good english!" they gush.
"I know." I reply.
"But why?" they ask again.
"Because English IS my first language." I reply AGAIN with my fist all taut.
"But why?" they ask again
"Because that's the way it is!"
And they infiltrate our society, and look upon themselves as the superior class. And our local idiots worship them like God, ignorant of how we are treated like dirt in their lands. If you ain't white, you ain't good enough.
Sadly, this is the way society has been molded to believe. Look at how countries like the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand is becoming to dominantly eastern. I thought I had landed in the wrong city when I came out of LAX. Asians everywhere! I had to double-check my air ticket just to make sure that I did fly to the right place! And how much more Easternized can a city get when you have J-Town, K-Town and Chinatown! Slap me silly! And then I arrived in New York and where was I staying? Slap right in the middle of Korea way. It seemed like the entire Asia had relocated to the U.S.! I was miserable. Really miserable. If I wanted to see Asia, I would have gone home.
But then again, we are talking about the Asians here. They would plant themselves in the big cities. That IS the only greener grass they know of. But that's with the exception of course. They would plop themselves anywhere... as long as it is NOT China.
On the opposite side of the coin, there's Thailand. I arrived at Bangkok and what do I see? Yup. Mobbed with the fairer skin. Hong Kong, Singapore, China.... a significant increase of expatriates as well. And I get confused again.... where am I?
So here's the thing... will the West be the New East and the East be the New West?
Fly with a smile?
Ahhh yesh.... another are with clear class segregation and presidential plastic treatment is all linked to the dosh that you hold.
There is economy class for people like me who is always on budget/economical travels. Then there's business class where one pays at least three times more than the economy class travel, and last but not least, the one I hail unworthy for - FIRST CLASS.
Economy Class - This is what I call mass-production. You get mass-production food, seat space and service. Hmm... may I add service staffs too? This is where you get the fat mamas who are clearly there only for the salary and not to serve.
Business Class - So you move up to Designer level. A bit more exclusive, you get more personalised service, more sensible leg-room space and proper crockeries and utensils. Stewardesses are more pleasant and their plastic smiles are more respectable too. They are trained to know that these passengers pay three times more than the economy class passengers.
First Class - Haute Couture! Everything is made-to-measure and the best of the best. Mention First Class and the world smiles with you. Who dares defy you? Everyone knows that a first class traveller is where the $$$ is. The Citizens of the Plastic Nations hail to you!
Then comes the Frequent Flyer class category . It moves in three levels to the likes of credit card status. You have the Blue for the Broke where one does not enjoy any privileges... other than struggling to get enough points to hopefully earn a cheap treat and move one level higher - Silver Class for the Somewhere there people. With the silver (some airlines only have Gold for the second level) card, you get one extra notch of privilege which is the usage of the business lounge at the airports. And lastly comes the heavenly Gold/Platinum/Diamond/PPS level, where you are treated like god and given the first priority of any upgrades.
And Your Education is From?
What is really the first thing of living in a Plastic Nation that we learn since young?
Results Matter.
In Secondary School / High School :
Straight A's?
You are smart.
No A's?
You are despised.
Undergraduate University :
Your GPA (for the U.S.) is all that matters.
Oh yes.... Extra-curricular activites too to depict how 'balanced' you are.
For most countries following the British system, you are only respected when you get First Class Honours, otherwise Second-Class Upper Honours. Second Class Lower and below, again, you are seen with a raised eyebrow.
Graduate University :
Preferential assessment based on GMATs and GREs scores.
What the....
Next comes, the NAME of the college/university one graduates from.
I always insist, we the stupid Asians pay a bomb to enter a foreign university to buy the name of the universities into our CV. At the end of the day, be it us the stupid Asians or you the we-don't-deserve-to-walk-on-your-grounds locals, it is all a matter of the NAME. If I were to say right now I'm a graduate from (randomly) Princeton, I'm sure people will look at me in different light. What I say is gold and what I do is right. I am that smart snotty bitch perhaps?
But look at my writings... obviously no Princeton or Harvard graduate. I am proudly the non-academic who breathes in the farts of society high-flyers and despised as the dumbass who was 'not smart enough to study'.
I chose the alternative.
I am still paying for my rebellious ways.
The Hierachy
So post education, comes work life. Sorry. No rich dad to give me a diamond spoon to eat off. And here's when the plastic nations we live in respect you based on the type of job one holds, the salary one earns (the more zeros at the end of your paycheck, the more respectable), and how high up the corporation hierachy one stands.
Of course, the higher you climb, the greater the stab.
All smiles and pats in the charade of niceness;
No mercy spared just to watch you fall.
It is a scary plastic world out there and I have long given up the pursuit of the "respectable" life. How many times have I been judged based on my stereotyped 'brainless' degree? And in moments of exasperation, it is tough not to wonder if perhaps conforming to society's plastic expectations is good? Just lead money-dominating life.... it couldn't be that bad...
In this superficial world that we live in, how many people can really resist being molded to lead a money-driven life to upkeep society's expectations to attain certain status-class quo? How many people have lost themselves for material gains? How many people even realise the true-meaning of life? But who cares about life? To most, money is life. Money is humanity. Money is everything imagination deems fit. Reality? What reality do people really know these days? The only reality is that money is the God of all Gods. Everything else is beneath it.
The Simple Life?
Yeah.
Be Paris or Nicole.
And it will be the simply Rich Life.
At the end of the day, how many people have been molded to believe that there is no class like first class?
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