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Page 2 of 2
He Says:
First thing's first, a disclaimer is in order. As a fourth year male undergrad at the grand olde age of 24, I firmly believe that my youth, in the strictest sense of the word, has passed me by.
As such, the general vibe of Rag & Flag, CCA (Co-Curriculum Activities) recruitment drives and nightclub bashes just make me wanna say: "Youngsters nowadays...", scratch my belly and grab my walking stick.
This week's HsSs (He says She says) topic thus holds particular interest for me, an old fogey harking back to the days of yore. At what point in my life did I cease to be a "youth" - if not in spiritual or hair growth terms, at least in light of my general outlook, perception of self, and so on?
One common train of thought among Singaporeans is that National Service marks the coming-of-age of Singaporeans with the Y chromosome.
Like a big maturation factory, the SAF/SPF/SCDF supposedly turns Boyz into Men, so that by the time we enter university, we're already full-fledged adults, towering over our adolescent female counterparts, fresh out of Junior College/Polytechnic.
Well, pardon my French, but that's bullshit (or hogwash in geezer-speak). Too many examples of immature male undergraduates exist for this little myth to be 100% foolproof.
That is not to say that NS doesn't nudge us in the right direction. Certainly, this 40-year-old institution does help, by allocating us some degree of responsibility and all that jazz...
But NS has other unintended effects on your typical male Singaporean. The constant fear of punishment (everyone has a superior!) creates an atmosphere where NSFs (National Service Full-time men) often only do the bare minimum to get by.
And no other demographic has such a "live for the moment" ethos as the NSFs, who view their righteous suffering as a ticket for revelry and slackerhood on their book-outs/night's-out/weekends. Ever wonder who're those short-haired guys at Zouk on Saturday nights?
So back to the question - when do guys cease being youths? I believe this happens sometime in university, depending on the individual.
Upon entering NUS, guys actually regress in terms of maturity. After 2 years of hard-slog (two and a half for me - told you I'm old), it's party time for all the young dudes.
"Wah, NUS rocks! Three-day week - so slack hor? Science of Music, Introduction to Japanese Studies, Heavenly Mathematics - so fun!"
Everyone loves the aptly-named "Honeymoon Period", but as Nelly Furtado says, all good things come to an end. This 'end' specifically, is when each student realizes that the CAP is an accumulated measure. D'oh!
But I still have my doubts as to whether this short-lived honeymoon period marks the end of male's youthfulness. At 20 or 21, us guys just wanna have fun (too), and damn
ignore the consequences!
Teetering at the fringes of our youth, boys need one last push into full-fledged adulthood. My contention, based on personal experience and observations of friends, is this final stage that comes in the form of...*drumroll*...our first internship. Let me explain.
The first experience of working life is often earth-shaking. Anyone who's been for an internship would attest to the fact that what you've learnt in school is often quite different from what you actually do at work.
Add in a dash of office politics, the need to dress up in decent work clothes, the monthly collection of a pay cheque, and before you know it, the boy you once knew has become a man (or an office drone - same drift).
How is this unlike NS, or undergraduate life, you might ask? Unlike the latter two - and this is crucial - internships are voluntary in nature, and this marks the essential turning point in a guy's life. The very process of even applying for an internship shows that this boy knows it's time to start thinking seriously about what he wants to do in life. And the very act of hauling his ass to work during the school holidays represents the sacrifices he is willing to make for his - *shudder* - future.
So there you have it guys - the final countdown to old age. I'll see you when you get there. Hooked
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my two cents
Written by Hiwatari on 2007-09-19 08:18:13
i agree on the last part, especially the internship part. |
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