July 31st, 2011 by sixpegs

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July 24th, 2011 by sixpegs

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July 18th, 2011 by sixpegs

“This is our land – an island where I wander free.
Land of my birth, where my heart longs to be.
Her friendly shores welcome our fathers long ago.
Her spirit soar from strength to strength, I watch her grow!”

This has got to be one of my favourite Singapore songs.
Listening to this song reminds me of the times where my primary school classmates
and I would sing-along to the Singapore songs in our music textbook.
Songs like Singapore Town, Count On Me Singapore, Five Stars Arising and many more.
As a child, National Day is one hell of an exciting event.
Other than being able to wear red and white (and not the school uniform) to school,
it also means I get to see fireworks, watch the National Day Parade and listen to all the Singapore songs all at once!

As I grew older, I realized that I am getting harder to please.

I complain about not getting a long weekend because
National Day is falling on a Tuesday instead of a Monday or a Friday.
I complain about the crowds on the trains and buses every time after the National Day Parade ends.
I complain when I dislike how the NDP Song sounds.
Fireworks no longer thrill me.
And I find myself too busy convincing myself on how the National Day celebration is probably
going to be boring that I have lost the ability to realize that it is a day
to celebrate Singapore’s independence and freedom.

I love Singapore. There is no doubt about it.
I was born here. I grew up here. My family is here. My friends are here.
This is home.
I like how we grew from just having a Merlion to today’s Esplanade and Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands.
I like how I have seen how Mediacorp used to be called TCS and SBC.
I like remembering how Yishun used to be NS-12, the last stop on the MRT North-South line
(which is totally massive now).
At times like this, I realized that though I don’t sing-along to
Singapore songs or wear red and white on National Day anymore,
I am still always proud to be a Singaporean.

The Singapore Spirit is about embracing what we have achieved together so far
– each one of us contributing to building the country in our own little way.
Even through me blogging, I’m sure I have reminded some of you on
how much you used to love singing to those old-school evergreen Singapore songs!

The next time you want to complain about the National Day being a bore,
why not stop to think about how lucky we are to be living in Singapore?

Though National Day falls on a Tuesday and not a Monday,
it still means we’re getting a shorter work week!
Before you complain about how the crowds from NDP are clogging up the trains,
stop to look at the little Singapore flags those people have drawn on their faces,
and how wonderful that the National Day is actually a huge birthday party we are all involved in?
Take time off your mundane everyday life to throw your heads up and look at the fireworks in awe.

This is home.

I’m going to the NDP Preview with my family! <3
Do check out more about this year’s NDP here too.

July 13th, 2011 by sixpegs

Everybody has changed.
Yesterday, I realized that for every relationship that I have been in,
I grew a little, and died a little at the same time.
After being in and out of a couple relationships, I became a little tired inevitably.
Tired of trying to understand a whole new person from scratch. Tired of starting all over.
But fortunately, I was never tired to love.
In fact, love is the only fuel to keep me from getting jaded.

Though a part of me died in every relationship that ended, I believe I am fundamentally still who I was.
She told me that this whole “growing and dying” part is called Change.
Inevitable. And it happens to everyone.
I haven’t been less of a person. I’m just different, that’s all.
I have changed. I grew.

Everyone has a past.
No one but ourselves have the ability to decide whether we want to learn from it and move on,
or dwell in it and suffer.

When I think back on what my life has been so far, I feel aimless.
I think I am a optimistic/pessimistic schizophrenic.
Sometimes I thought I was really cool because I have been dealing with crises in life pretty well,
like I would be able to survive anything.
Sometimes, I feel like a slightest wave could drown me without warning.
I feel unsettled.

How do people equate a life well-lived?
By whether you have married?
By whether you have children?
By how much money you make a year?
By how many countries you have been to?
Or by how many generations of descendants one has at one’s funeral?

Are people who grow old alone in their little apartments really unhappy?
Or if you have 10 children and live in a huge mansion, does that mean you have lived your life well?

There are many ways to be happy.
And for today, I hope we can all learn how to not judge people based on what we think is best for them.

July 10th, 2011 by sixpegs

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