"YES I AM SINGAPOREAN" BLOG CONTEST

There are times where we as humans take things around us for granted. Its normal human nature, I confess. There are times where I too have succumbed to this, and of the things I realized is that I take my country for granted at times too.

The country which has provided me comfort, care, security all these while. The country I call home

So this entry is dedicated to my dearest country Singapore. I'm goinna kill two birds with one stone now, to enter a contest I read about on the net recently in which I have to write about what makes me uniquely Singapore, and to fulfill this dedication.

So here goes, I LOVE SINGAPORE! Its true, I really do, and one of the evidences to prove this is to show I am very Singaporean at heart, that I am a uniquely Singaporean kid.

So what makes me a Singaporean? Here are 9 reasons to prove this:

Students from my school were once asked to bring our favourite fruits to school and I actually was contemplating on whether to bring a durian to school. No kidding, a durian, cause I apparently love the king of fruits, especially those with the creamy yellow flesh like the D24. The feeling attained after eating the durian is just lovely and heavenly, and I have no idea why others simply cannot stand the smell and even taste of durians. Perhaps opinions differ, but I still proudly proclaim that I love durians. Its a uniquely Singaporean fruit.

I love music, and I love randomly singing songs that appeal to me at that moment. Call me weird, but there are times where I'll simply ditch songs from the top 40 charts like Rihanna and Chris Brown, for local Singaporean songs like the ever iconic "Five Stars Arising" and "Moments of Magic" You wouldnt believe me if I said this, but "Moments of Magic" was actually on the favourite section of my MP3 playlist at one point in time due to the touching lyrics and magical tune that appeals to the ears. I proudly proclaim I am a fan of such songs, for they are uniquely Singaporean songs.

Nostalgic places such as Kampung Glam and Bukit Chandu happens to be places I LOVE visiting especially when I am stressed and need time out by myself, as they are really peaceful places and they never fail to remind me of my past heritage and origins. I really am delighted that the government decided to retain these places, for I have fond memories of my past through these places which can never be attained anywhere else. They are uniquely Singaporean memories.

Getting married in exotic places such as the Eiffel Tower and Niagara Falls may be a dream come true to some, but I'm not one who conforms to this dream. In fact, I actually once told my acquaintances that I wanted to get married in Singapore, near the Merlion. I mean, it is exotic since Singapore is the only country with this landmark! What's uncool about that? It is a uniquely Singaporean landmark.

Although I have been taking English as a core subject for 9 long years, there are times where I simply succumb to speaking Singlish! Can't help it, I'm Singaporean lor! Woops, see, I did it again! Singlish, it is a uniquely Singaporean language.

Prata from Jalan Kayu, satay from Sembawang Satay Club, Carrot cake from Tanjong Katong, Nasi Lemak from Changi Village. You ask me about such food, I know all about them cause I'm a Singaporean and Singaporean loves such sinful delights. They're uniquely Singaporean food.

One word, just mention "free" and I'll be there to beat the queue to redeem my free gifts no matter how long it may take, even if it means coming way ahead of the stipulated time stated. I am prepared. I'm a kiasu Singaporean, and that's a uniquely Singaporean attitude.

Reaper and Friends may be world class comedies watched by the entire globe, but I still prefer watching the local comedies like Under One Roof and Phua Chu Kang. In fact, I remember myself as a little boy always rushing to come home from school just to watch reruns of these local comedies on TV in the afternoons. They can be rather plain in terms of content, but I find pleasure in simply laughing along with the manner in which they portray us Singaporeans as, since we can relate to whatever is being portrayed. They can never be remade by any overseas companies, as the local flavour would be lost then. They are uniquely Singaporean programmes.

Exploring the world map one day, I realized that I could not point out where the United States of America was despite it being so very huge, yet I could actually point out Singapore which was just a small little dot on that world map. That sums it up, I have proven I am uniquely Singaporean.

I hope my 9 reasons have been enough to show my readers regarding what makes me a Singaporean. (Just for the record, read the first letter of each reason in white, it spells SINGAPORE.. haha!) As for how people can pick us up from an international crowd, I must say it will be pretty tough for others to recognize us as Singaporeans overseas as there are no unique Singaporean qualities which could possibly distinct us from the international crowd as of now.

Perhaps tourists can distinguish us as Singaporeans via some of our common Singaporean traits such as speaking Singlish or bargaining feverishly for the best deals, hence showing a kiasu attitude. I'm just making a wild guess here, as these are the answers I get from my foreign friends when I ask them how they recognize Singaporeans overseas.

As for us Singaporeans, we can identify those of our kind via this special gut feeling which I cannot explain in words. I'm pretty sure you've heard of this thing called the "common Singapore identity" and maybe this is something all Singaporeans have in common up to the point we can identify our kind in a foreign country. I too have done it many times correctly, but don't ask me how, cause I just did it with my own gut feeling. Some others may call the idea of having a "common Singapore identity" unrealistic but my take is that there really is this "common Singaporean identity" in us which makes it very easy for us to spot our own kind.

I am proud to be a Singaporean. I always have been. What about you? :)

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