Now there I go again. Titles that could be misleading. Or is it only me thinking that way?
It's because of the events of what happened 60 years ago in Hiroshima which marked the end of WW2 in the Asia-Pacific in September (it ended in May 1945 for the case of Europe) - the dropping of the atomic bomb. Three days later, another was dropped at Nagasaki. The Americans had been telling the Japanese to surrender but the latter refused as they wanted to fight to the end. So that is how the atomic bomb came into the scene, marking the end of the war and...a new era is the history books. The fear of nuclear weapons.
Dad probably knew it all too well about the suffering. So we were watching BBC News earlier on and it was reporting on the 60th anniversary and my family all threw in comments on the event. Felicia being the youngest had not much of an idea why this had happened and so Dad explained it to her. Alvin had not learnt about WW2 in his History textbook (by the way, same as mine back then) and so, yeah. What I mean about Dad's case is because he did visited the memorial museum in Hiroshima few years back when he had to be in Japan for a few months to oversee one of the company's ships there. And he did left his message in a book which he said the visitors can write down their thoughts about the dropping of the atomic bomb on the fateful morning of August 6, 1945 in Hiroshima. He told me that his comments was kind of 'sarcastic'. I just sighed to myself. I knew what he meant.
He even asked me on my thoughts. After all, Japan's conquests during WW2 was part of the History elective (part of Combined Humanities) syllabus I studied then. I told him that I am neutral on all accounts. I explained that it's after those past History lessons in class, I began to understand on many things and the things that people and leaders around the world do nowadays. Like the example of why Moscow wanting to bid the 2012 Games, I understood why and not feeling ignorant. Their rich history (which they hope to bank on it). I had to learn about about the last monarchy and communism in Russia and the fall of it as part of the syllabus then. So that is why I could sympathise them, though many had considered them outsiders before the vote, which went to London as we all knew well by now. Dad said that he knew the impact all too well because of his older relatives who once had to come under Japanese Occupation. I remembered I used to hear of a story of one of my uncles or something like that from my father's side once during the Japanese Occupation.
Maybe it's because of me knowing the events only through my History textbooks and so I don't feel anything. But wait! Dad did gave me the brochure he got from the memorial museum in Hiroshima and I tell you, I could not bear to see it again after my first reading. The images...were just horrible for me. I felt a little sick. Really. Guess that is when those past History lessons came back to me.
Like the case when the IRA (Ireland Republican Army) announced like last week that they would stop their violence but will not fully stop their arms. I knew the story behind it almost all too well. It was part of the Sec 3 Social Studies syllabus on the case study of Northern Ireland. If not for me telling Dad before why there is two seperate Ireland (Republic of Ireland is a country by herself and Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom), he said that he had no idea at all. Aha.
I realised in the wee hours of this morning while I was still online that it's exactly a month. A month since the announcement for the 2012 Games host from here. I know I said it three days ago that it was exactly four weeks since the annoucement. All the commerative stuff, I know.
I walked down memory lane out of the blue at CNA's website for the race for the 2012 Games and I just chanced upon their news archive section and the photo gallery later on. And while looking at those stuff, this year's National Day song Reach Out For The Skies was played over at Perfect 10. You know what was the thing that greeted me after the telecast of the press conference for the London 2012 team after they signed the Host City contract exactly a month ago at CNA?
It's the music video to this year's National Day song. I know, those strange connections again. And strangely, I was listening to Together (forgot which year's National Day theme song - 1999 or 2000) through the NDP website of late and it's like, you know, minus away the Singapore part in the song...it's about the journey of London 2012 team as I was reading their bid bulletins from the official London 2012 website. Odd connection again!
I will be having a party of a lifetime celebrating my birthplace's birthday on August 9 (yeah, almost that level because I asked Dad if there's any grape wine in the house during dinner and he said there is) but I will forever and always remember...the 117th IOC Session and the candidate cities and the whole spectacle and fuss over this place where I grew up. Especially the London team. I will never forget them. And everyone else who made it all a memorable event - for me. And if there is no other event on that scale happening towards the end of the year having a major impact for me (other than I know there is going to be a Listen Live on Children's Day here on October 1, highlighting the situations of children in poor countries today through marathon hours-long concert here in Singapore which will shown live throughout the world), I can declare the 117th IOC Session as the best thing to befall over here in the history of my birthplace!
Now I'm almost crying after that thought. Oh my!
