I am nuts

Happy Birthday Singapore

Today, our nation turns 41. The national day had never meant anything for me in the past, other than the fact that it is another public holiday which can be best spent on holiday without wasting a day off the annual leave. Not that the mentality had changed much, but I have slowly began to look past certain reasons that had prevented me from actually celebrating the nation's independence before.

First of all, I'm never a fan of any parade. Parades are always boring, and I especially cringe at those videos of how we have progressed from the 3rd world to the 1st when I see 3rd world citizen behavior daily around me. I wondered at the term 'progress'. Through my entire life, progress meant two things to me. Studying hard and 'progress' through the stages from PSLE to O levels to degree etc, and secondly, to 'progress' in life to earn more and more money. That is how we measure progress and success in singapore. By the number of certifications you own in relation to the size of your bank account.

Slowly, as I matured, I started to realise that I wanted more than that. Like a kid growing up, you crave for more pocket money intially to simply get more stuff, but as you enter your teens, you start to crave for more, such as the loosening of curfew, the right to speak up for what you believe is right. Just like my parents, the nation too slapped me down with beliefs they know better, so they should will decide. Just like many teenagers, I rebelled against my parents, but I am unable to rebel against the nation. My parents have 2 kids, while the nation have 4 million, it doesnt mind losing one as long as it serves as an example for the 3.99 million. I can fight back against parental control, I can reason with them(to a certain extent) and show them that my point of view is correct but I cannot fight back or reason against a huge, well oiled bureacratic machine with a history of twisted interpretation and double standards....

But I have learned.... That Singapore is an island, a nation, a place where I grew up on. The place itself I have no grudges against. The place itself does not equate to its governer. I am born and raised here as one of the EQUAL owners of this land. I will not be forced out, and one day, I shall regain my place in it. I am Singaporean.

posted by Nutcracker @ 2:16 pm