Griping about griping

iTunes' party shuffle is playing: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding - Joe Louis Walker - Labour Of Love - The Music of Nick Lowe

A friend from KL is in the process of setting up a modelling/acting/entertainment agency, and she called again today to ask for expert advice. Seeing as Mr Miyagi knows all, and is kind and generous, I gave advice. Little things on how she should talk to clients, how she should procure talent, how she should hold auditions, et cetera. Pretty run of the mill stuff. But what really struck me was when she said she missed Singapore and how safe she felt when walking down the street from her serviced apartment at night to go to an entertainment industry bash, and walking back to the apartment later, without as much as being hassled by a street urchin, much less a mugger or worse, a rapist. Apparently, according to her, people live in fear in KL. You don't park your car in even the newest of car parks, because people lurk around. Singapore, she says, has no lurkers. Singaporeans complain too much about little things, she says. You don't know how lucky you guys are, she adds. I tell her I know how lucky I am. Seriously. I think we should say something nice about living here. We complain too much. Heck, I'm even complaining about people complaining too much. See lah! Let's talk about how nice it is to be able to commute to work without being hijacked or robbed. Talk about the low taxes, the rebates and the grants and how they're helping; how you have community clubs in every suburb, with cheap facilities and activities. Talk about the public health system, and how cheap it is to go to a polyclinic. And talk about the best public housing scheme in the world. And if not for this country, I wouldn't be able to set up business in an environment which actually is quite forgiving. Were I in China or HK or anywhere else for that matter, I'd be one of the lurkers in the newest of car parks. I have half a dozen grants to choose from before I decide which to apply for; half a dozen government agencies to conduct joint ventures with; several more government owned and heavily subsidised facilities to conduct them in. And for those who aren't self-employed, and are constantly griping about idiot colleagues, know this: You have a goddamned job, for goodness' sake. You have a protected savings plan that pays more interest than a bank. You have laws that protect your employment. And depending on which company you work for, you may even have benefits that we self-employed have to fork out for ourselves. Say something nice about your company, your colleagues, or your bosses. Don't have to suck up to them, but find something nice to say about them for a change. Please. OK, I'm frothing at the mouth now.