Sons of Singapore
That morning, I was having my breakfast when I overheard a conversation by two uncles....
" Wah, nowadays the singaporean children cannot la. They are so spoilt, whole day only know how to enjoy."
"ya lor, and look at the china kids in Singapore, so hardworking. Ours sit in front of the com whole day and play game. Sooner or later, the chinese kids are going to displace them from their jobs. Sure lose one."
I don't know what came over me, but I wanted to walk over and tell them, " I am a son of singapore."
Patriotism. I used to laugh really hard at this word. Recalling the first time I reached Tekong, I saw a poster reading(if i rememebered right), "This mud on my face is soil, our soil." It had no effect then for all I see is just another poster, with some words and a soldier with mud on his face. Yet, thinking back, they were such strong words.
In chinese, we call a nation "tu guo" or in direct translation, "soil country". And such a short phrase could actually pack so much emotions. The mud on your face; it is not dirt, or dust or anything else but it is soil, soil from your country. In our context, this mud is the soil of singapore. Impressive? Not really, it is just mud. But think about it, if one day you lost your nation, when this soil is no longer yours, would you think better of it? I am picturing myself, holding the warm soil from our own lands, holding it hard and having the best feeling in the world; that the ground I am standing on is my home, my land.
And perhaps, it was only when I overheard this conversation, that I understood how it felt to have someone criticising something you love. Maybe most of us inherently love the country but we just do not realise it? I used to question whether I like my country. There were times I convinced myself Singapore is at least decent enough to stay in. But that is an understatement; I only want to stay here.....
So uncle, maybe deep down you love singapore that is why you are disappointed at the way the next generation is coming up. Don't worry, we're still children of singapore.
SrslyJude
12:41 AM
