How people in your area earn their living and how various jobs affect family life.

            Frankly speaking, Singapore is too small to be divided into areas. Anyone living in a cute little republic like ours, knows that you can go from one end of the country to the other in half an hour if you drive, or one hour if you go by bus or train. Anyway, seeing that my housing estate is in Ang Mo Kio, it makes a lot of sense that at least the womenfolk work in nearby factories.

 

            It seems odd, but having got used to living on a small island, we do see little distances as being ‘far’. The factories of Ang Mo Kio are full of people who live in Ang Mo Kio. Most of the factories are the ‘non-pollution’ type and so the ladies flock to work in the assembly lines. The pay is good and, anyway, they are usually supplementing their menfolk’s salaries. The menfolk? They could be working in any part of Singapore. Of course, there are the less adventurous ones who prefer to work within walking distance or one-bus distance from their homes. These gentlemen work in the factories too – and usually invite a lot of criticism for doing so.

 

            The jobs that the people do in Ang Mo Kio provide the families with good livings. The pay is usually competitive – especially since there are so many factories in the estate. The effect of the people working in the factories is wealth and spending power. However, a serious problem is that of families being disrupted. With wives competing with husbands to bring home the bread, there is no one at home to cook. The children fend for themselves and some develop serious problems. Many are dumped in nurseries and baby sitters’ homes for whole weeks and taken back only on weekends.

 

            Hence, the traditional roles of doting parents looking after and loving their children every day of the week is replaced with doting and loving only on weekends. The cause of this is the jobs – the good pay and their easy availability. Leisure? None! There is no time even for TV. Few families have time to sit around and enjoy their favourite programmes together. Nevertheless, they usually have all the latest facilities most of which collect dust in the corners at home.

 

            Money can buy anything but a good family life. This is sad indeed.

 

390 words

Some words are taken from the composition and put in Quizlet (below) for students to learn.