Basket.

In the papers today: "Identity more than a sum of one's schools", opinion piece in Home section. Gist of column - journalist is far too bitter about one of Singaporeans' traditional conversation icebreakers.

The object in controversy being the simple question "What school did you come from?" (and all variants to that effect).

She felt that it was a downright silly way of making acquaintance, and derided it as elitist, unimaginative and offensive. It is a "blatant misconception that schools, and their attendant stereotypes, can truly define people's identities".

I believe someone needs to lighten up a tad, here.

Countries that have the good fortune not to be tiny, rainswept tropical isles usually have cultural references and in-jokes based on one's place of origin. It is part of their unique culture, and it is a part that Singapore necessarily lacks. I mean, imagine the following conversation:

A: "Hi, nice to meet you, I'm from Tuas!"

B: "Hi! I am from Changi."

A: "..."

B: "..."

(Together): "OH SHIT WE ARE FROM TWO ENDS OF THE SAME MINUSCULE PIECE OF DIRT, HOW THE FUCK ARE WE GOING TO MAKE ADVANCED CULTURAL REFERENCES ABOUT EACH OTHERS' PLACE OF ORIGIN"

Anyone can tell me what will necessarily result next. In order to carry the conversation to the next phase, such that A and B do not create a vicious vortex of awkward, exceedinly uncomfortable silence, talk will turn to less futile topics of interest, and the subject of one's education is inevitably going to pop up somewhere. When it does, this swapping of in-joke will occur, and what has then happened is a cultural exchange of ideas that will enable two strangers to get to know each other a lot better. Once talk turns to school days, it rarely can stop, because everyone has fond memories, harrowing experiences and tales of idiosyncratic personalities to share. I don't see anything bad about this at all.

In Singapore, then, unique culture based upon birthplace has been replaced by unique culture dependent upon educational institution. It is hardly something unnatural; hardly something undesirable, unless you, like the journalist, cannot take a bit of gentle ribbing.

She also complained that she disliked being profiled, judged by the schools she attended. But two people meeting for the first time will inevitably profile each other. Every question asked helps build a portrait of the person that may or may not be accurate. Even those our journalist listed as being more acceptable, such as reading habits and movie likes/dislikes. You are being profiled by these questions as well. What makes it less alright to be profiled by the schools you went to - especially since you spent years of your life, and not just years but formative years, in those places, learning, befriending, serving, representing ;and soaking up everything about the place? It would be foolish to insist that since it was all years ago, the schools you went to had no influence whatsoever in making you what you are today, this very moment in time.

Of course, everyone knows what schools I came from - and I'm proud of the heritage associated with them. I am also more than aware of the pitfalls of having such a background, because when the inevitable questions crops up, the reaction is usually very standard. Surprise/awe (or surprised awe), unless the person asking happens to be from the selfsame institution, followed either by indirect praise or questions on how school life was like, then heightened, unsaid, expectations of my abilities - I can see it in their eyes. If the person asking happens to have children, more probing on entry requirements and school life will follow. After which I might from time to time be reminded of my background and be expected to be in six different places at one time ensuring the performance of twenty different miracles of space-time, because I was from RI.

I know it will be this way. I have long since accepted it. Plenty of my friends can testify to being piled with responsibilities because of their background, and so can I. We are thought of as intelligent, capable, efficient and dedicated, able to perform superhuman feats of administrative genius - and I daresay that is not far short of the truth. Such expectations are irritating at times, but it's part of being who we are.

In any case, my message to our unnecessarily frustrated journalist: learn to have a bit of fun in your conversations.

Disclaimer: I am not being elitist in any way, shape or form. No one is being asked to get out of my elite, uncaring mien here. Being proud of one's school is not a crime or a social failing, and I am not in any way disparaging government or neighbourhood schools.