West Coast Park

Why is this park so clean?

I only took notice of something that I had taken for granted in all the visits that I made to this park over the years. One morning as I was brisk-walking in this park, a group of students behind me seemed to be tailing me as their lively chatter never abated despite my fast pace of walking. Out of curiosity, I turned around and I saw a schoolboy holding a black garbage bag flanked by 4 or 5 classmates of his. I concluded that it must have been a school community project where the kids were off-loaded chartered buses to 'clean the park' for a morning. Judging by the pace of their walking, I would say that they did not have to 'work' at all and the community project was literally a walk in the park. Further on, I came across a much bigger group led by a few teachers and I thought they seemed rather lost. It must have been the effects of disbelief or relief and then confusion, when they could not see anything worthy of their garbage bags.

When I got home and saw the photos I had taken, it suddenly dawned on me that West Coast Park, like those other parks I have been to, is really sparkling clean. They dazzle with cleanliness because every morning there is a regular group of cleaners who systematically(see picture below) comb the park for litter and to sweep away fallen leaves and flowers on the ground. If there are lessons to be learned for these students, then our parks are not the appropriate places. I think they should each bring a photo of their study desk or their rooms to class and talk about them with their classmates and teachers. As the saying goes: "Charity begins at home", habits of cleanliness, neatness, tidiness that are the building blocks of good character and attitude of kindness towards the environment starts with how much we care about the state of home.