the simple life
Yesh, that reality show with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. The hook of The Simple Life is irresistible: 2 wealthy, pampered bitches go from upper-crust Los Angeles to an Arkansas farm to prove that they can survive without their cell phones and credit cards (like real). Seeing a hotel heiress and the daughter of a pop star clash big-time with people who pluck chickens and milk cows, I can't help but raise my eyebrows in disbelief. They try to work a series of jobs at a dairy farm, at a fast-food joint, at a livestock auction, but they possess not a jot of work ethics. Most of the time, I watch the show in fascinated horror. It's like watching alien beings trying to masquerade as people.
The idea here, as sold by FOX TV was "from filthy rich to just plain filthy". So apt! I suppose local television could come up with a local show for these two worthless (opposite pun intended) human beings to parade before the camera. Hopefully there are plans for a Singaporean sequel to "The Simple Life". It would be great to see these two airheads interact with the locals. They could name it "The 21st-century Freak Show" and it will achieve the highest ratings than David Copperfield and David Blaine's magic put together.
Imagine, Paris & Nicole sent to stay in a (gasp!) pigeon-hole HDB flat and (shock!) study in a uniformed secondary school!
Imagine, Paris & Nicole attempting our Singlish or Hokkien voice acrobatics (“That was very the horrigible to be kena stuck in de CTE jam, lah.”)
Imagine, Paris & Nicole being picked up by some Ah Beng while pubbing at Md Sultan Road ("Wah seh! Ai swee! wheet wheet! An chua so dao? I'm not a buaya, dun worry, i'm just velli handsome! Ai mai sit aw buay in my Lancer?!”
Imagine, Paris & Nicole being forced to sing ‘Majulah Singapura’ during flag-raising ceremony in school assembly. We can’t wait to see if the principal will stand at attention or fidget like mad when they do so.
You know, it is almost too easy to make fun of these two... Mr and Mrs Hiltons and Ritchies, you've done a miserable job of bringing up these two young women, even though most of the show is clearly staged, we know and we know that these are exactly what they will commit unashamedly in real life anyway, except it would be quite boring and unimaginative in real life, without the story editors writing the script for them.
Well, the show's obviously not educational. Don't expect to be enlightened intellectually. The only vaguely useful purpose this show serves is entertainment and zilch, nothing else.
Let ME now try to talk about my version of a simple life. A simple life to me is...like the contents of this book - Frugal Living For Dummies: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month.
Okay, I'm kidding! I'm already skinny enough as it is.
Many simplicity gurus urge us to become "tightwads" as the true path to a simple life. But simplicity and frugality are not the same thing.
To be specific, frugality is a vehicle for achieving simplicity, but the driving force is a vision, a philosophy, a purpose.
Knowing your purpose in life simplifies your life. It defines what you do and what you don't do. Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren't. My takings from Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life.
Really, a simple life to me saves my sanity more than anything else. Simplicity is about owning your own life. Simplicity is wanting less. This is not a a revolutionary discovery, but it will change lives. This revelation has enabled me to spend less time acquiring things and more time acquiring knowledge, insights, relationships, and experiences.
The experience of sipping aloe vera juice out of a cold can after being thirsty for 2 hours.
The experience of standing outside Gramophone and looking at all the colourful CD covers.
The experience of just strolling down Orchard Road with your favourite cutie boy.
The experience of begging the cinema counter guy to let us buy a ticket even though we were short of 10 cents.
The experience of laughing at silly jokes and playing silly games with a bunch of hyperactive friends.
The experience of peering through glass windows and admiring the product displays.
The experience of tearing in the midst of a touching movie, a touching novel, a touching story.
The experience of falling prostrate and being slain in the powerful prescence of the holy spirit.
For some reason, it seems to me that many people have failed to grasp the preciousness of this simplicity. They trudge off to work every morning to put in their time at jobs they despise so they can buy things. Have you noticed? The more a person hates his or her job, the more money he or she spends on toys, gadgets, cars, clothes, jewellery, etc. And the more one spends, the more one needs to hang on to that job, no matter what.
Is there a way out? I think so. How? Simplify!!!
You’ll be surprised to discover how much you can do without and still have more than enough yummy food to eat, stylish clothes to wear, a comfortable home to stay in - and time to do the things you really want to do, the time to be with the people you really want to be with. I did.
*smile*
The idea here, as sold by FOX TV was "from filthy rich to just plain filthy". So apt! I suppose local television could come up with a local show for these two worthless (opposite pun intended) human beings to parade before the camera. Hopefully there are plans for a Singaporean sequel to "The Simple Life". It would be great to see these two airheads interact with the locals. They could name it "The 21st-century Freak Show" and it will achieve the highest ratings than David Copperfield and David Blaine's magic put together.
Imagine, Paris & Nicole sent to stay in a (gasp!) pigeon-hole HDB flat and (shock!) study in a uniformed secondary school!
Imagine, Paris & Nicole attempting our Singlish or Hokkien voice acrobatics (“That was very the horrigible to be kena stuck in de CTE jam, lah.”)
Imagine, Paris & Nicole being picked up by some Ah Beng while pubbing at Md Sultan Road ("Wah seh! Ai swee! wheet wheet! An chua so dao? I'm not a buaya, dun worry, i'm just velli handsome! Ai mai sit aw buay in my Lancer?!”
Imagine, Paris & Nicole being forced to sing ‘Majulah Singapura’ during flag-raising ceremony in school assembly. We can’t wait to see if the principal will stand at attention or fidget like mad when they do so.
You know, it is almost too easy to make fun of these two... Mr and Mrs Hiltons and Ritchies, you've done a miserable job of bringing up these two young women, even though most of the show is clearly staged, we know and we know that these are exactly what they will commit unashamedly in real life anyway, except it would be quite boring and unimaginative in real life, without the story editors writing the script for them.
Well, the show's obviously not educational. Don't expect to be enlightened intellectually. The only vaguely useful purpose this show serves is entertainment and zilch, nothing else.
Let ME now try to talk about my version of a simple life. A simple life to me is...like the contents of this book - Frugal Living For Dummies: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month.
Okay, I'm kidding! I'm already skinny enough as it is.
Many simplicity gurus urge us to become "tightwads" as the true path to a simple life. But simplicity and frugality are not the same thing.
To be specific, frugality is a vehicle for achieving simplicity, but the driving force is a vision, a philosophy, a purpose.
Knowing your purpose in life simplifies your life. It defines what you do and what you don't do. Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren't. My takings from Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life.
Really, a simple life to me saves my sanity more than anything else. Simplicity is about owning your own life. Simplicity is wanting less. This is not a a revolutionary discovery, but it will change lives. This revelation has enabled me to spend less time acquiring things and more time acquiring knowledge, insights, relationships, and experiences.
The experience of sipping aloe vera juice out of a cold can after being thirsty for 2 hours.
The experience of standing outside Gramophone and looking at all the colourful CD covers.
The experience of just strolling down Orchard Road with your favourite cutie boy.
The experience of begging the cinema counter guy to let us buy a ticket even though we were short of 10 cents.
The experience of laughing at silly jokes and playing silly games with a bunch of hyperactive friends.
The experience of peering through glass windows and admiring the product displays.
The experience of tearing in the midst of a touching movie, a touching novel, a touching story.
The experience of falling prostrate and being slain in the powerful prescence of the holy spirit.
For some reason, it seems to me that many people have failed to grasp the preciousness of this simplicity. They trudge off to work every morning to put in their time at jobs they despise so they can buy things. Have you noticed? The more a person hates his or her job, the more money he or she spends on toys, gadgets, cars, clothes, jewellery, etc. And the more one spends, the more one needs to hang on to that job, no matter what.
Is there a way out? I think so. How? Simplify!!!
You’ll be surprised to discover how much you can do without and still have more than enough yummy food to eat, stylish clothes to wear, a comfortable home to stay in - and time to do the things you really want to do, the time to be with the people you really want to be with. I did.
*smile*
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