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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Finally, Thai expat gets it, thanks to parade
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I HAVE lived and worked in Singapore for almost six years. I am not a permanent resident of Singapore and in the past, considered myself an alien in this country.
Last Saturday, for the first time, I had a chance to attend the preview of the National Day Parade at Marina Bay. I was told to dress in red to reflect the mood of the festivity, and did so, to blend in.
Throughout more than two hours of stage shows, something 'Singaporean' hit me. The stage shows consisted of 10 chapters of the Singapore Story, tracing the origin of this city-state, through tumultuous times of having to confront two financial crises, the Sars pandemic and the rising threat of terrorism. It was the story of the success of this relatively young nation. It may not sound special: Every country seeks to show off its success. But I think its fundamental message was that Singapore and its people are resilient, optimistic and excel in turning obstacles into opportunities.
The parade this year also emphasises the importance of being 'Singaporean'. Nationhood is a tricky notion. Thailand, where I come from, may have a clear national identity. Yet my country has encountered many problems just because we wanted to express our Thai selfhood. The crisis in the Thai south exemplifies the complex notion of Thai identity.
In Singapore, people from all walks of life and from different ethnic backgrounds have collectively constructed their own brand of nationhood, based on shared prosperity and mutual respect. This harmony was evident not only among the multiracial performers on the floating stage, but among the audience that night. I got home that night smiling at the memory; truly, it was my best experience in Singapore thus far.
Dr Pavin Chachavalpongpun
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I HAVE lived and worked in Singapore for almost six years. I am not a permanent resident of Singapore and in the past, considered myself an alien in this country.
Last Saturday, for the first time, I had a chance to attend the preview of the National Day Parade at Marina Bay. I was told to dress in red to reflect the mood of the festivity, and did so, to blend in.
Throughout more than two hours of stage shows, something 'Singaporean' hit me. The stage shows consisted of 10 chapters of the Singapore Story, tracing the origin of this city-state, through tumultuous times of having to confront two financial crises, the Sars pandemic and the rising threat of terrorism. It was the story of the success of this relatively young nation. It may not sound special: Every country seeks to show off its success. But I think its fundamental message was that Singapore and its people are resilient, optimistic and excel in turning obstacles into opportunities.
The parade this year also emphasises the importance of being 'Singaporean'. Nationhood is a tricky notion. Thailand, where I come from, may have a clear national identity. Yet my country has encountered many problems just because we wanted to express our Thai selfhood. The crisis in the Thai south exemplifies the complex notion of Thai identity.
In Singapore, people from all walks of life and from different ethnic backgrounds have collectively constructed their own brand of nationhood, based on shared prosperity and mutual respect. This harmony was evident not only among the multiracial performers on the floating stage, but among the audience that night. I got home that night smiling at the memory; truly, it was my best experience in Singapore thus far.
Dr Pavin Chachavalpongpun
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