Do Singaporeans have a culture?

I remember in the late 1990s, or was it early 2000, there was this question posted nation wide- Is there a Singaporean culture?

Back then, I didn't know the answer. I couldn't really identify what was Singapore culture. But today, I would say, Singaporeans have somewhat a culture that is shared by all the cocktail of Straits living, Malay flavor and Chinese immigrants who came and shaped it.

We have... the Peranakan Culture. I am not Peranakan. My ancestry came straight from China's Swa Tow... (Turtle Mountains I call it :P )

But there are so, so many aspects of Peranakan Culture that I can identify with so much more than my great grandmother land of China.

Thats because I was born and brought up here. So were my parents. My grandparents grew up here.

Let me list some aspects of Singapore that shaped its unique culture:

It was heavily influenced by the colonial masters, therefore giving shape to many westernised buildings and a mix of British and Southeast Asian culture in many things we have:

- Kaya toast with tea and coffee and half cooked eggs, Singapore style

- Hainanese Pork Chop

- Roti John

- Teh-cino

Apart from food, we have:

- Western looking furniture and architecture in places like shop houses. Shop houses are a local construct because of the 5-foot way corridors. But yet the designs are Western. I have a good example:

I remember visiting my great-grandmother's place which looked a little like a shophouse, with all the peranakan- looking designs and wesstern-asian architecture. I remember those teacups and tea saucers and those rustic-looking marble tables and chairs. All brings nostalgia in my heart.

I remember peeling off layer by layer the rainbow coloured kueh (jiu chen gao) and eating it with joy as a toddler. Or even drinking my milo from a tea saucer which used to be the trend.

To me, that is where my culture is, from young. Mama shops, hawker centres, old-school coffee shops, a mish-mash of the different flavors and sights of Singapore, - definitely not sergregated strictly to the CMIO category.

Individual, Community and Society



Chinese New Year is round the corner. But somehow, I find that as Singapore modernizes, Chinese New Year seem like a very dull festival. Christmas on the other hand feels more hyped, especially for the younger ones.





I don't blame anyone if they feel Chinese New Year is dull and they flee overseas for a holiday. You only see your relatives once a year. Your cousins and nieces and nephews occupy themselves with their play stations in the living room. Everyone sits around the sofas awkwardly munching on cookies and New Year goodies. Your cousins/ relatives keep to their own world sweet talking to their boyfriends/ girlfriends that they brought over for visitation.



And you.... sit there, looking pretty and rather overdressed in your best dress, flip over channels on the television trying to occupy your time, waiting for your mom/dad to give you the cue to move off the house. Then you breathe a sigh of relief.



Does this sound familiar to you? Perhaps you are one of those geeks playing PSP. Perhaps you are one of those lovebirds caught in your own world looking into those eyes of your lover. Perhaps you are like me, one of the jaded cousins, neither knowing how to play PSP, nor having any boyfriends to occupy my time with. Just a porcelaine face, nice pretty clothes, slumped on a sofa looking awkwardly around for some human connection....



I asked myself why has Chinese New Year become like this. This is what individualism has taught us. To be trapped in your own world, not wanting to open up, or be interested in your own community. Because it doesn't seem as important to many chinese Singaporean families that kinship is more important than a good career and your own nuclear family.



I feel sad, when I hear relatives gossiping about other relatives about how arrogant they are and how they like to show off their wealth to each other. I hear a lot about prideful people with their noses stuck up too high to talk to anyone. People enter houses with nice clothes and a 'cool' face to show off how cool they are, like those advertisements on magazines.



This is the bane of the Singaporean society, and as the X and Y (and Z??) generation age and takes over to be heads of the family, this is the result of the values brought up and instilled in them: A void in their sense of belonging and attachment to their community. Somehow they value their personal lifestyle more than anything.

This year, I'm determined to inject some meaning to my Chinese New Year. I will pull away PSPs and I will sit in between lovers. I will not be awkward on sofas. I'm gonna have that connection. Its a paradigm shift.

=)

2008- Reflections

2008 has passed in the wink of an eye.... 2008 has been an eventful year for me. A year of maturity, a year of growth, and a year of self-discovery.

My career path was a bit of a roller coaster ride. The initial months of this year was terrible for me; I almost lost my job and I was having a hard time with some colleagues probably due to some misunderstanding. But after consulting my supervisor and leaders in church, I stayed on to assess my situation and to learn from whatever mistakes I made. Thankfully, things took a turn in the second mid-half of the year and I am really enjoying my time and appreciating all my colleagues in office. :)

The church experienced an exponential growth (spiritually and physically) nearing the end of the year... with that, we grew with the church, as we all felt the heartbeat of the Lord... call it collective growing or religious efferversence, whatever, but in the beginning of the 2008, after deep meditation with the Lord, the church felt that growth was best at the community/ fellowship level; instead of just the individual level.

As all humans, I faced some some struggles at the time of growth too. I was thirsting for more things to come my way, I was thirsting for changes and I had a great desire to serve and contrbute in many and any ways in various ministries... But in the midst of all the striving and being pushed to lead, coordinate and serve, I forgot about my dependence on the Lord and I created a god out of myself. I became very haughty and egostical, priding myself in my capablities of multi-tasking and leadership and thinking that without me, there wouldn't be so much of a difference and impact. I belittled people from my beady little eyes and I worshipped myself in my heart. How disgusting. To all my fellow brethen in church- sorry for that.

When I realised that one afternoon, I kind of crumbled. It took me a while to get back to normal functioning, and therefore I did not do a good job with coordinating the decorating of the church for Christmas at the end. I'd rather fail and be scolded than to do well and to once again glorify myself at the end of it. This lesson of humility taught me many things, and it also helped to shape my resolutions for the new year...

On a lighter note, brawn achievement this year----
I LOST WEIGHT!!!! HAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHHHAHAHAA

Completed some marathons, a mini-triathlon and a sprint-biathlon. Travelled far and wide to many places, including Perth, Beijing and Thailand. Had a grrreeat time with Sharzana to Malaysia for White water rafting. Its been a cool year.

Resolutions for 2009

I was meditating and reflecting for 2009. I dawned on me that this year is a year of Focus. Focus in every sense of the word. That means, streamdown my crazy load of service in ministry. streamdown my hectic schedule in sports. Streamdown my crazy races. Streamdown everything that will make me ditzy and "scatterbrained" to concentrate and do well in one.
Oh wait.... that means I need a "tok kong" organiser. Hmm...

Directions
I want to find my directions this year for my life. I have been studying and working all my life but without a concrete aim. Just drifting with the flow and earning enough money for me to cut my hair and buy earrings to match my short hair if not I will look like a butch. Ok that sounds bimbotic. Without directions, I will be swayed like the willowy trees with every thing that comes into my life that makes my heart pound like pounding belacan chili in the stone bowl. My heart will be fluttering like butterflies with every crush I have and my emotions will be controlled by my heartbeat. That's terrible and aimless. There is more to my life than to hanker after such things. Right Elvin??? hahahaha....
I want to find my directions for my life this year and I am determined to find it. I'm like going to be 24 this year (@#$@%#$^!) and if I still live my life aimlessly its a pity. (T___T.... I'm damn old....)

To all this 2009-
Wish you a good year ahead. Times are going to be bad, things will happen, but ultimately it is what is in your heart that will make you strong and stable despite all difficulties. Look for what is in your heart. :)