When I was growing up, I LOVED going to bookstores. My family wasn’t rich, so going to MPH and Times was out of the question with their exorbitant prices, so I was always on the lookout for used bookstores. I remember my favourite stores were the San Bookshop stores at Funan and Tampines Mall. From what author Neil Humphreys says, it seemed like my childhood and his were pretty alike!
That’s why when he talked about how Books Kinokuniya closing their JEM outlet is a sign of bad things for Singapore, I pretty much agree.
Singapore really needs to inculcate a culture of reading for pleasure instead of just memorizing facts to regurgitate in exams.
I know the image is a bit squished, so you can head on to Neil Humphreys’ Facebook page to read the full thing.
I know I’m guilty of this too!
It used to be I would read multiple books a month!
I had a HUGE library of Star Wars books that I regularly went back to for no reason other than to read for the pleasure of it. Now? My bookcase’s filled with books (some which cost me a ton of cash) I want to read but don’t have time to. All my fancy art books and novels are just sitting there, some still in their plastic wrappers.
It’s been said time and again that Singaporean students are nothing more than zombies with great memorization techniques. It’s accepted by the majority of us even. Yet nothing’s being done by anybody to change that.
While I don’t completely agree with Neil Humphreys on a couple of his points (like what’s the damn point at hanging out at a bookstore when you can read in comfort at home?), I do stand with him on the general message he’s trying to highlight; Singaporeans need to instill a culture of reading into ourselves.