Sometimes to reflect on the things that matters can really dawn on so many things we never know. Now I don't know what I am talking about. Like I had always expected on Fridays, I will have so many things to say.
With Singapore celebrating her 40th birthday come August 9, I know there will be reflective articles in the papers of late annually like in The Straits Times and I was right. What it means for Singapore and the past years of independence she had seen with her people. Especially this had been highlighted in The Straits Times's Forum section yesterday. And even at TODAY paper too. Speaking of the latter, there had been letters being written in responses to someone's thoughts of the nation come August 9. I even saw...the London's mayor Ken Livingstone's letter too! I saw the name at the end of the letter and I almost fell from the sofa! I understand that we can send letters to The Straits Times Forum through email on anything we want to talk about and in response to articles being written in the paper. Anyhow, the mayor wrote on thanking the hospitality he and the London delegation received when they were here for the 2012 Games bid and the events and emotions they had from July 6 to July 7. From victory in winning the bid here to the bombings back home.
You know that had me grinning from ear to ear and heart - swelling with pride. Definitely. I almost cried after reading his letter. He especially said something like he will always remember Singapore for the years to come. Aww! I know I also read once on Wikipedia on his profile and stuff and he mentioned of our ERP system (London have it too and they call it - Congestion Charge). Oh yeah, Dad even pointed out an article yesterday over at The Straits Times about a comment the Defence Minister made to a group of JC students about Singapore more than just a red dot. I saw it earlier than him. In the article, the minister highlighted about Singapore's efforts to help the tsunami victims at Aceh and the reactions worldwide after that. Naturally people overseas were shocked because of our size on the map. Hahaha!
Now that will bring me to the SARS period. I was watching the news from BBC this late afternoon and for a moment, what happened in around mid-2003 came back all over again for me. I was watching BBC news and it was on a Friday night (aha, like now) and never did I expect about the BBC World camera crew fliming parts of Singapore and the measures we did to prevent another massive outbreak like SARS. And even their reporter here talking of the measures we had here too. I remembered I said it here before that in The Straits Times, the BBC once showed our Parliament in session (eek!) in terms of the measures to take. It's all coming back to me.
I don't think I can keep track of the Singapore mention we had in terms of overseas media because it's...a lot. I can 'give up' now. LOL! I suspect it's all because...the IOC Session. This morning I was briefly reading The Straits Times and on the front page almost to the bottom...about the possible candidates from the IOC to organise the London 2012 Games. From what I read, it will help on the marketing of the Games and stuff like that. And our Singapore IOC member Ng Ser Miang is being thrown in as one of the likely candidates. With him now on the IOC's Executive Board (I learnt that being on that you will have more say in the events and stuff) after Singapore's successful hosting of the 117th IOC Session, it could be a possibility. He's the head of the organising committee for the 117th IOC Session here. But as according to The Telegraph (where our The Straits Times got their sources from), there are three others also being likely candidates too. So I checked out The Telegraph website and it's true. *wide grin*
Dad always tell me that if the international media want to mention us, it will always be in the Business News section of a news bulletin. I grinned to myself then. I know what he mean. Our economy is the envy of many despite of our size. Anyhow, I got a surprise when watching BBC News today. It's about the newscaster saying about our (national) airline - Singapore Airlines. The one I can say I'm proud of because other than of me being a born and bred Singaporean. I remembered it was something like 'the second best airline in the world' or something like that and news of the airline later on. I did a little jig on the sofa. Like as if I don't know that it's like (I so dare say and it's not because of my nationality!) one of the best airlines on the face of this planet! I had learnt it from my textbooks, hear it from my dad...you know it. Dad told me that whenever he has to travel overseas because of work, he will try his best to board an SIA (Singapore Airlines in short) flight. He's proud of it. Like the time he went to London and flew home from there last September (the last time he was at the place I so want to go and now the host for the 2012 Games), it's SIA flights to and from London. He did showed me the menu booklet he got from the plane (uh-huh, he did and he said it's okay) and I read of the food that SIA provides for their passengers to and from London inside the menu booklet. It so reminds of home, I say.
Now I realised, while it's quite flattering of the international media's mention of us and people's general idea of this island nation, I'm still a little...pessimisitic. I know. I did read of criticisms of the way our government work as potrayed by the international media on Wikipedia and I was a little pissed off. Now you say because I lived here my entire life and I will say that. No! Like what Wikipedia says, we follow a Westminister-style of government where the prime minister is the one who runs the country and the head of state (in our case, the President), the figurehead. It's close to the British system. After all, Singapore was once a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom (from 1819 to 1963; when we merged with Malaysia then but seperated on August 9 1965 but in 1959, we had self-government from our colonial master). We tend to follow things the way our former colonial master do as well. Okay, now you wonder but then the thing that sent the criticisms (and I'm not pointing fingers at anyone) going is because the PAP (People Action Party, where it was founded by our now Minister Mentor and the man I totally respect and admire the most in terms of local politicans - Lee Kuan Yew) had been dominating our local politics since it came into power. No other opposition parties had won a majority in the Parliament before and this is a rarity in modern society. Now you get the idea.
I hate it, I hate it. Hate it when people said that of us - being a one-party system and stuff. I felt like screaming each time I think of it. Also, with us being that small on the world map (okay, I resigned to the fact, I know it!), mentions of us will be good but will the rest of this world remember of us for who we are? Maybe for certain things like our roads are being clean and safe and the education system being among the best in the world (but sending criticisms from, us Singaporeans because of the rigid system it seemed to be; but I tell you, being part of the education system for me now, it's still justified though of the compeition all the time) and students topping international Maths competitions. That will be like it. Now you will have the idea why of me being still a little pessimistic despite of it all. I had always try to be a positive person everyday but this is one thing that is just, hard. I know. *sigh* Such is life. But I guess for the people in the UK, especially London, maybe they will remember that it's from here they know that London will be the host for the 2012 Games.
Speaking of my last sentence in the previously, it's about the meaning of being a Singaporean and a Chinese at the same time now. There had been topics being raised in the media of late about us Singaporean Chinese's real identity in the modern world. Had we lost it, that is the thing. There is an interview with three academics (okay, I call them that) in today's edition of The Straits Times about the issue. Like what one of the three being interviewed, he may be based in Australia now, but he will be a Chinese always because of his roots. Now that is something I like. I may be a Singaporean...but I am a Chinese for once and always in my life now. Because of my roots. My grandparents from both sides are immigrants from their country China to Singapore and they settled down here since. My parents are Singaporean Chinese. That makes me a Singaporean Chinese as a result the day I came into this world.
Now I may not seemed to agree with everything about my heritage (okay, you all can smack me now but then I guess with me having a modern mind to most things, it's the reason)...I'm still proud to be a Singaporean Chinese nevertheless. I love Mandarin, something not all my ex-classmates do. They always ask me how I study for the exams.
So, when I learnt and witnessed Beijing's victory to host the 2008 Games four years ago on cable TV with my family, I felt a sense of homecoming. My ancestors are from China! How can I be not happy about it?
If there is one thing I can end my entry for today, it will be - I must had been born with a mind of the modern times, but still remembering and retaining of who I am really.
