Having spent most of my life in Singapore i am proud to say that i have gone through the thorough "Singaporean Experience". Being Singaporean to me means enjoying your durians, having that hint of singlish in our slang, and being excited when there are mega sales:) Having this identity is our culture. As Trenholm states, culture is shared and dynamic, and our fledgling nation of 44 years has passed its culture down generations to define who we are in the present day.
In Singapore, we are a fast paced society striving to excel in school or aiming to climb the corporate ladder. It is because of our meritocratic system that people are hardwired to perform, and in our culture, the ability to produce results is highly valued in today's context. Sadly, it means that a lot of our time is spent at work, and our personal time might be compromised.
One phase of my life that defined me as a Singaporean is national service (NS). NS is something that was very unique for me because i got a chance to bond and train with strangers from all walks of life and races. It gave me a new perspective on life, and although cliche it made me feel less of a boy and more a man. Having had the chance to lead others i was exposed to the idea of collectivism, where often teamwork proved to be the key to overcoming challenges. I will always treasure my experiences gained from the army.
But I digress, the bottom line is, Singapore will continue to retain its unique flavour in the years to come. Even if one is abroad, I am sure you will remember your neighbourhood char kway teow, thosai or nasi lemak. You will have some recollection of national day parades and your national anthem. Culture bonds our society together, and how we operate surely defines us as Singaporeans. Share your views!
6 comments:
I wish I had as many similar sentiments as you. But since girls are pardoned from NS, I don't think i really experience very much the "collectivism" thing.I enjoy being Singaporean because of how safe our country is. Sure, it's boring, banal and rigid, but together with it, we have safety, security and fairness.I love the idea of how it's so easy to let down your guard and let loose in our country.We don't have to worry about suicide bombers or mobs coming to kill you.Most of all, I enjoy Singapore because of the family and friends I have on this fair shore. =)
indeed. culture does bond society together,but i am not too sure if this culture that we are having now is brewing the appropriate sentiments in us.
meritocracy leads to elitism, and many of us are already victims of it. creativity is suppressed and we are often forced to conform. sweeping statements they may be, but there is certainly more than a hint of truth in them.
char kway teow, nasi lemak, they may just one day come to fade.
Like starbeamoongazer, i too appreciate being a singaporean bcoz of peace and security and stability -- thanks to guys like us who served in the Army =)
And should i go overseas one day for work or study, i'll miss my homeland not only because this is where my family and friends, but also because i think that S'pore is among the rare few countries where people of different race and religion bear no hate towards each other. Will miss my mum's nasi lemak too...
And looking at how people from neighbouring countries are reacting to the hike in fuel prices and compare it to how we singaporeans react, it really made me feel Singapore's uniqueness.
To us it may be normal, but to others, this would be a great deal.
Of course, im also aware of the issue of foreign talents taking away our jobs, foreign students putting (un)necessary pressure on us in schools, increase in number of ERP gantries, hike in taxi fares ... but im not complaining..
The cup is always either half full or half empty.... or 3/4 full or 1/4 empty... or ... u noe what i mean =)
Seems like most of us wish to stay here becuase of strong family ties and friendship:) IN response to lucas's post, I feel that no matter what happens you can't take away our TRADITIONAL food! Despite how much we change, i don't think we will ever become a "melting pot" society where we lose our unique "salad bowl" ingredients. This is why Singapore is unique and being Singaporean has significance.
Hi Uncle Ken! Ehh, I still haven't figured out how to be a Singaporean because it's hard to find something very distinctive about Singaporeans. We are always a little bit of this and that, which is why till now, nobody can truly come up with a word to describe us. Kiasu Singaporeans really doesn't do justice. And it's kinda passe. Well, we are still a young nation and Singaporeans are still experimenting with all sorts of culture. Let's see what the future brings for us!
miss lim! i think you perfectly exemplify the core problem singaporeans face. kaisuism about identity.
singaporeans are afraid of losing our over identity and therefore argue back and forth over this tiny issue, in the end raising it to such large proportions. what is an identity? it is nothing but the condition of being oneself and not another. why can't we be a mix of different identities? is a crossbreed any less than a normal dog? are eurasians any less human then asians or caucasians? is being a little bit of this and a little bit of that bad? why must we need a word to describe us? must we fit inside the container that is a single word to describe who we are? why can't we be a whole plethora of words, of instances, of variations?
ok, i'm tired. end.
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