HAPPY BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE!
Time flies past really fast. In a wink of an eye, we have gained independence for 40 years. Every since coming to australia, i have been missing National day! I think since young, we have been brain-washed into patriotism. Its amazing how Singaporeans can sing the national anthem and say the pledge all the time and feeling really proud of it. I have been looking forward to every year's national day, somehow it gives me a feeling of home and a sense of belonging. It has been 2 years since i have last watched national day parade and i hope i can watched it on the net later today!
I really missed those days seating in front of the tv watching NDP with my family. I miss the hanging of the sinagpore flag for the whole of august month. I miss watching the helicopter fly past my house with the flag. I miss hearing the fireworks from my house. Besides all that... i miss the time in school. I missed having to wear red and white or an ethnic costume to school. I miss singing all the singaporean songs like stand up for singapore, muneeru valiba, sama sama and etc. I miss saying the pledge every morning and singing the national anthem and watching the flag raising early in the morning! I miss watching performances in school for that day and getting half day offs. Somehow even if i watch NDP from afar, the feeling will be different!
I miss singapore culture. I miss the times when i can sit in the hawker centre and eat good food. I miss the times when the kopi aunti shouts across the entire kopitiam. I miss those times watching ah bengs trying to pick up ah lians. I miss those singlish. I miss even hearing the taxi driver communicating to each other in different language at the kopitiam and yet they can still understand. I miss the rich heritage and culture that we have. I miss the food at chomp chomp or even going down to the roti prata shop for supper or even going to geylang for durian, frog porridge and beef hor fun. I miss being able to shop till extremely late and then taking the MRT home. I miss the fact that i can travel from boon lay to pasir ris in 45 mins. I miss the convenience. I miss the busy orchard road. I miss the channel 8 drama series. I miss seeing water sprouting out of the merlion. I miss the duck boat tours. I miss going to sentosa. I miss travelling on the expressaway! I miss street lights. and the list can go on.....,
NO matter where i go, a part of me seems to be searching and hanging on tight to those memories that i had. I realise that i miss HOME so much. ALthough sydney is a beautiful place, however, there is still something missing from it. I realised no matter how i blend in with the culture here, it still doesn't belong to me....Afteralll i am still just a singaporean and i am proud of holding a red passport with a lion on it. It is only singapore that i am able to call HOME!