happy 44th birthday, my dearest singapore.

everytime i watch a video/mv of the song Home, i'll get choked up. and tears will fall.

perhaps its because it appeals so much to my inner heart. no matter where i am, no matter what i'm doing, no matter what happens,

this is where, i know it's home.

no other national day song has ever been able to strike my heart so truly, so surely. for singapore is the place where i know, i'll never be alone.

this national day, is my 20th. 20 years of celebrating the nation's birthday. true, for the first many years, i was too young to fully understand the meaning and the significance behind national day. it was the day where we were allowed to wear our own clothes to school, and we were given retarded souvenirs with 'happy national day' printed on them.
gradually, as the years went by, i started reflecting my role as a singaporean, as a citizen of this beautiful garden city.

there are many government policies i scorn, there are many grouses i have about this place. but then when u really think about it, the pros outweigh the cons.

and in any case, one argument outweighs the rest by a million times.

THIS IS HOME.

there's no other way about it. this is where i've lived, studied, loved, been loved, laughed, cried, sang my heart out, DANCED MY HEART OUT, and many many more. i've enjoyed travelling overseas, i think about going overseas as and when i can. but ultimately, on flights back, i always choke up. i'll have this feeling of 'yes, i'm finally home' EVERYTIME.

i remember, once, when i was going through customs after a long trip overseas, the man put a stamp on my passport, looked at me, smiled, and said, in all sincerity, " welcome home". i teared, right there and then. yes, thank you. i'm home (:

in 44 years, we've gone from a little, developing city to a fully developed one. land scarce, resource scarce, and virtually unknown, the success story of singapore has been a truly phenomenal one. it's due in no small part to our MM Lee, who is a figure whom, no matter how i disagree with (not that my views have any impact anyway), will always love and respect. and admire.

sometimes, maybe strictly controlled order is really better than pure freedom and the chaos that comes with it.

so, for now, happy national day, and enjoy the chinese version (:




living in my fantasy world

on Sunday, August 09, 2009; 10:39 AM