26022011
SATURDAY
01:15
STREET 81
I FEEL MOST SINGAPOREAN WHEN...
mySingapore.com blog entry
this is a pretty tough question. granted, there are many "right" answers, but i guess something i really feel for every time i think of Singapore would be better.
so, i feel most Singaporean when I'm walking the streets of my country. not just at night, all the time.
feeling Singaporean means different things for me.
When i walk the familiar streets of Tampines i grew up in, i get the homely feeling. it's like that safe cocoon of warmth that follows you as you weave your way through friendly neighbors, stopping ever so often to crack a joke or share in some good news. they're almost like second family. you know all the best place it feels like my own backyard in this place (because it kinda is), and these people i grew up with make me feel right at home. in today's fast-paced society, it's hard to lay roots down, or find that sense of belonging. but i found it here, in Singapore. and that's the most Singaporean part of me.
but when i step outside of my familiar area, into the city, into the west side of Singapore, i don't get worried either. the feeling then isn't fear, but one of adventure. it's like i'm flowing along with to the heartbeat of th city itself. even if i do get lost (come on, it happens to everyone!) there are friendly shopkeepers, bus drivers or fellow countrymen on the street to ask for directions. and Thank God Singapore's not big, so the other side of the island is really not as far from home as it seems. you can go wherever you want with pretty much peace of mind.
It might feel like a small thing to feel safe in one's own country, but when i went to Malaysia or Indonesia, the feeling on the streets is really different. you feel like you have to be on your guard all the time (it's tiring to do that, ya know) or out of place.
In Singapore, it's different. you can see it in the people, and you can feel it too. you know the saying that a place follows the feelings of it's people? well, i can say we're a bunch of of safe, busy and homely people.
and that's what i feel when i say i'm Singaporean.
♥ I'VE GOT HEAVEN ON THE INSIDE OF ME.
peace and joy God has set me free.
peace and joy God has set me free.
