Inculcating the Needy

 

Chinese New Year begins this week, and Singapore will enjoy what counts for a long public holiday (Thursday and Friday).  The Passengers are going to Lombok for some tropical relaxation in Indonesia.  We will be sure to put up a couple of pictures.

As in many cultures, new-year festivities are a chance for new and better beginnings. Chinese traditions associated with the lunar new year include spending time with family, carrying out a massive cleaning of the home, and giving to charity. We received the above solicitation for donations to the Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society tucked inside our gas/electric/water bill from SP Services.

THKMS is a major good-works organization here. They run their own hospital and retirement homes.  We walked past one on Saturday while exploring the old Peranakan neighborhoods around East Coast Road. Donations to the charity are not only tax deductible, but the Inland Revenue of Singapore will automatically factor in the donation when they prepare your annual tax assessment.  Sometimes it helps to think of this island as a family business rather than a city-state.

Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society's appeal for donations.

Be sure to read the above appeal for donations written in English (Click the picture for a larger image.). It's a great example of written English as practiced in Singapore. It is generally technically correct, though occasionally a few articles and nouns get omitted where they would not be used in Chinese syntax. It reads very differently from copy written for British or American non-profits. Sometimes Chinese terms like "ancestor village" receive rather awkward direct translations. Other times older English usage has remained from colonial times: "Granny Yang is at peace too with her present lot..."