Happy 51 Singapore

In just a few days, Singapore turns 51. The SG50 throwbacks have been popping up on Facebook reminding me that one whole year has just zipped by. Those of us who teamed up to organise the SG50 events in our ex-firm are now mostly working in different companies. Many friends have or will be relocating back to their home countries. Some of the younger ex-colleagues, who I must say are still very young, are planning to go back to school. How exciting to be so young. Settling down, first-time parents, starting their own businesses, everyone is standing in a different spot. So much has changed, it feels like 5 years have passed. This past year is like a helium balloon which I accidentally let loose. It drifts aways quickly, leaving me to wonder how it slip out of my hand. But at the same time, I savor the moment as I watch the balloon dance its way into the stratosphere.

This year, I am forming new National Day memories at my new workplace. Our team is having a mini SG51 celebration on Monday morning. Red and white decorations have been up since last week to rouse the patriotic Singa roar in anyone who passes by. With a mystery prize for the best decoration to spur them on, some teams have really gotten quite creative. With a shoestring budget to work on, I suspect the decorations will be far more creative than the mystery prize! The power of the unknown. In the midst of the team's busyness, it is great to see everyone taking time to bring cheer to each other's lives. But more than that, it is a wonderful gesture to give thanks for this tiny yet vibrant island nation and to wish her well in the coming year. 51 years is not a long time as a nation, but this country has progressed with lightning speed. Singapore definitely hasn't been standing on the spot. Certainly something worth celebrating and thanking God for.

I love this country with every growing year. When I first moved here 20 years ago, I wasn't entirely sure if I would choose to be here in the long term. Singapore seemed too small, too limited by what it doesn't have. But anyone that comes to stay, even for a short time, will soon form a different view. Its soul and community grow on you. The old Singapore facade that blends into the heart-thumping cosmopolitan reminds you that the city is ever changing, and you are part of that exciting change. Last Thursday morning, when I was walking my son to school, I heard "Home", the National Day Parade theme song from 1998, played on the PA system. I inevitable thought about how "this is my home truly". I married here. I had my kids here. I made many close friends and have a fulfilling career here. I went back to church here. And now I am dealing with cancer here. And I know that I am home when an adversity doesn't make me feel like there is some other place I ought to be. My ups and my downs are here, this is home.

Happy 51 Singapore!
Majulah Singapura

Clear Days Ahead?

I am sitting next to the swimming pool as my son runs off for his swimming lesson and my daughter plays at the side of the pool. There is a lovely breeze and the air seems clear for the first time in many days. It feels like a heavy shroud has been lifted and everyone is outdoors to make the most of it. A group of residence are doing their tai-chi to the tune of Love in the First Degree even! And I have never been happier sitting in the sun.

Just two days ago the family was trapped indoors in what looked like post-apocalyptic Singapore. To kill time I was trying to blog about it. The 3 hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) at that time was 125, an Unhealthy range and climbing as the hours past. The smog was stinging the eyes and my nose tingled from the allergen. From my living room window the visibility was very poor, roads and public areas were deserted. The Straits Times reported that the haze could be with us until November partly due to the dry spell brought about by El Nino. The thought was so distressing I couldn't get myself to finish the blogpost. I clicked Delete.

On most days everything in Singapore seems to tick along to our Majulah precision. A global city with fabulous skyline, world class recreation facilities, and an exciting culinary scene. We are a services hub and innovation meeting point predicated on stability, efficiency, high quality of life and inclusiveness. These intangibles are a result of strategic planning which in itself is an intangible. Without natural resources and a sufficient land mass, we are as vulnerable as egg shells. Without strategic thinkers our fate as a nation is like shifting sand or this oppressive haze - good one day and disastrous on another.

The winds of change just slightly up north of our city state is a stark reminder that progress and credibility built over half a century can be suddenly shrouded in hazardous haze. A man who counts himself beyond the law is inciting racial hatred to shield himself from an impending downfall. The red t-shirt Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu (United Citizens Rally) were clearly suffering from confused identity when they went out on the streets on Malaysia Day freely chanting racist slurs. They would have seemed less cowardice had they been more upfront in calling themselves Himpunan Rakyat Satu Kaum Sahaja. Nazism would have been quite fitting as well. There is a rampage on its currency and the country's rating. Yet typical of most crazed regime, the leadership has responded with incoherent rhetoric. The free falling currency is good for exports it seems.

The annual haze quagmire is a more direct evidence of our vulnerability. Outright burning coupled with natural forest fires during the dry season wrecks havoc in the region. Our plea for action and offer to help drew fury and indignation amongst some senior government officials who lost sight of the fact that the local inhabitants are asphyxiating in a toxic soup with the PSI hitting 1900. Diplomacy and regional cooperation is forgotten when it matters most, replaced with stubborn refusal to acknowledge the real problem. 

The sub-100 PSI today seems to be holding up to my surprise. I am even cautiously optimistic that this could mark the end of the haze season. But somewhere in my mind I know that this is probably only a temporary change in the wind directions and we are not entirely out of the woods just yet. This to me is a constant reminder of the vulnerabilities we face. We need to continuously sustain our resilience as a single people, never falling for sweet naming euphemisms to hide possible fractures in our society. We must call out issues where they exist and work single-mindedly to resolve them before they become a chasm in our society.

Another Milestone

My daughter agreed to go to Sunday School his morning. The conditions were that I would accompany her and that she could bring her pink owl bag along. A big step for her but made easier by the fact that my second son started Sunday School earlier this year. As we were leaving for church, my son said that he was very proud of his sister. He voiced out my thoughts exactly.

On the way there my son explained to her that they would not be in the same class. I held my breath because that could well be a deal-breaker for her. But she didn't make a fuss. My son who wanted to have more involvement in her new experience. He asked if he could bring her to class but we were already late arriving at church so we dropped him off in class first. He gave his sister a kiss to wish her well.

My daughter adjusted well in class. She followed the actions to the worship songs and responded to the questions asked by her teacher. It was slightly confusing for her that the class assistant had the same name as her elder brother. She enjoyed storytime and was pleased to receive a colouring booklet, stickers and a file with her own name on it. 

The only fuss was on the way to lunch when her brother said that her class name "was weird". She took offence to him, protesting that her brother had said that her "class name was stupid". I didn't even know she knew that weird could imply to something being stupid. Mommy told the boy not to say anything if he didn't have anything nice to say. I think he found it odd that the class name wasn't related to something spiritual like Love, Joy or Peace. Instead, it was a cartoon character.

Another milestone for my daughter and for me. She believes in God but she does not yet understand the Christian faith in full. Well I guess I too am on a lifelong journey to understand my Christian faith in its full richness. But if she has enough confidence to stand her ground when somebody says that her faith is weird then that is a good place to be. I just have to make sure she is less sensitive to comments about class names.  There are too many influences that can steal a child's dignity and values from them at a very young age. It is important for her to know that she is precious regardless of what this world says about her, and that she is wonderfully made when the world around her suggests that she ought to feel inadequate about herself. Believing that she has God's love is a great place to start.

Singapore Identity

The fabric of Singapore is weaved together with the many foreigners who adopted this country as their home. For those searching for the Singapore identity, they will find it in the beautiful diversity and history of the migrants. Singapore is not a plain coloured fabric. She is a textured fabric made of different yarns. 

Today I still hear people referring to some others as not being genuine Singaporeans because the latter were not born here. Somewhere along the way, we had somehow forgotten that many from the Pioneer generation were not born here. We forget that we are a wonderful melting pot - in goes the many exotic ingredients and out comes the most exquisite taste.