Today is Singapore's big day. Yet although I consider myself very patriotic, I really don't give a damn about NDP 2005. Never have, and probably never will. I'm sure the irony of this will not be lost on my friends.
I guess I'm just not one for shows - I don't watch TV and rarely movies. I don't know the meaning of a "natural high", so I am never able to immerse myself in the euphoria of a mob mentality. Nonetheless, I'm happy to see the patriotic fever rising and everyone getting into the mood.
For me, perhaps the best part of NDP was a girl I met on Sunday. She's from Hong Kong, she's been here for two months, and she tells me she loves it. When foreigners tell me they love my country, that's what really warms my heart. For the rest of us, shame on us if it takes a little celebration to make us feel Singaporean.
It is often commented that to feel Singaporean, you really have to leave Singapore. My parents always made sure we were on our best behaviour during holiday travels - they hate the image of the ugly Singaporean tourist. And I found this to be especially true during my time in the US. As the only Singaporean in many of my classes, I often felt the sensation that I was on display as an ambassador of the country and this put far more pressure on me to uphold a good public image than I ever felt back home. I really put in a lot of effort to maintain a wholesome image of balanced academic and social life, to dispel any inkling of Singaporeans as antisocial muggers. And as president of our little association, my main focus was encouraging my fellow countrymen to mix around outside of the Singaporean cliques.
So for now, I'm just looking forward to the fulfillment of numerous promises to come visit our little island. And in the meantime, I guess I'll just be nice to tourists and do what I can to make their time here a pleasant experience. We don't need a casino to keep them happy. That would be my best gift to Singapore.
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