Majulah Singapura

On the 9th of Aug 2007, Singapore turns 42 and as a Singaporean who loves being Singaporean, I felt compelled to commemorate it somewhat. Although I started blogging last year, I didn't really seriously blog till way past National Day so I kind of missed out on expressing my ra-ra feelings and all. =)

Seriously though, I think in general, Singaporeans don't really like to express ra-ra feelings about Singapore most of the year, it feels a little embarrassing and a little too cocky. And it seems so much cooler to be all radical and all when everyone else around you and on the internet seems quite happy to criticize and ridicule Singapore, her lack of democracy, her mindless brainwashed citizens, her crazy national education campaigns, her staid boring exterior and the list goes on. I've heard them all and I've expressed just as many and more similar thoughts.

But once a year, during the period of July and August, many Singaporeans, who normally couldn't be bothered begin to feel a sense of pride in what we've achieved and a feeling of unity of what more we must do for the future of this land we call home, suddenly experience a stirring of emotion deep within for this little red dot on the globe. And although I'm seriously not a very patriotic person, each year when National Day comes around, I do feel all sentimental and all.

Of course I know many Singaporeans who don't feel anything or get all disgusted with the propaganda-ish National Day songs every year during this period but I've also meet many who suddenly feel all touch-feely during this period too and I am one of them.

While I know many who have emigrated from Singapore and love it in their new home, I also know several who made the decision to come home to Singapore and I'm one of them. While I'm not entirely sure if my experience studying, working and living overseas had anything to do with me feeling more mushy about National Day and Singapore, I can't completely discount it either because one of this year's National Day songs really moved me. Penned by Jimmy Ye and sung by Kit Chan, the song "There's No Place I'll Rather Be" really spoke to me. I lived in the States for years but never truly wanted to stay there. My thoughts were always about home and my family. Even Mavis Hee's song "Cheng Li De Yue Guang" would trigger thoughts of home in me and that song isn't even a National Day song and isn't even specific to the city lights of Singapore but I would think of home.

So here it is, from Youtube, Kit's "There's No Place I'll Rather Be". Majulah Singapura (Onward Singapore), Happy 42th Birthday.



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