Monday, August 11, 2008 7:51
A party for patriotism on National Day
In Guest Writers, Main Stories, Top Story • 1,652 views • 18 Comments
John Ang / Guest Writer
National Day to me has always been simply a day to spend staring at the television.
The only thing that I looked forward to was the fly-past of the F-16 fighters and the fireworks. I didn’t sing along to the national songs, nor the anthem, and I didn’t really give two hoots about it being the celebration of the successes of Singapore. In fact, my apathy went so deep that some years I do not even know which birthday we were supposed to be celebrating.
This year didn’t look like it would turn out any different. NS hadn’t made me love Singapore more in any way (rather, the opposite was true). My decision to dig deeper into our policies and politics had stripped away my illogical conclusion that if Singapore was clean, safe, and had buses and trains that ran on time, everything else had to work out fine too. So, when one of my old friends invited me to a National Day party at his house, I reluctantly accepted out of courtesy and dragged my feet every step of the way, dreading the imminent moment where I would have to force out a display of nationalism.
Oh, how wrong I was!
His house was brightly lit, and Singapore flags (yes, flags) and red/white decorations abounded. Everyone was wearing red, red wine was being served, and bottles of Archipelago and Tiger floated in a bucket of ice (both are homegrown brews). When the doors of the kitchen opened, out came trays of fresh-from-the-stall Punggol Nasi Lemak, homemade “shio bak”, and various Nonya kuehs and curries. At that very moment, as I contrasted the grim soldiers standing at attention on the parade on the television with the atmosphere of the party, the true meaning of “Celebrating the Singapore Spirit” occurred to me.
As it happened, the people at the party didn’t pay attention to the parade on television at all – they did, however, spend ten minutes on the balcony watching the fighter plane acrobatics, which could be seen from the house. They were more interested in drinking the beer, singing (non-national) songs and filling out a 20 question “National Quiz”; in which questions such as “Which town has a name which means Back Of The River?”, “What does OG stand for?”, and “What are you referring to when you order rochor mee? The answers filled in, no less, on the grid of a 4D betting slip*.
The imminent moment came in the end, as they called everyone to sing the National Anthem. What I did not expect, however, was the appearance of a gigantic block of “agar agar” (jelly) in the form of the Singapore Flag, and the subsequent drunk mangling of both the National Anthem and the Pledge. In the end, I laughed, sang the anthem loudly and cut out a star from the agar block and ate it with relish.
As I drove home, I thought about how all these years, my view of being patriotic had been shaped by the media and the government as an adherence to the law, to the submission to authority, to the support for governmental plans and policies and how an opposition to any one of them would deem one unpatriotic. But that night, I found that a celebration of our culture, the essences of the city we live in, and of course, our food made me feel a real attachment to this little piece of rock; and that, I think, is a demonstration of real patriotism.
*The first prize for the quiz was a National Day goodie bag, which nobody wanted.
Picture from beconfused.com http://beconfused.com/tags/art/
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18 Comments
Weijia
CelluloidReality
Precisely. National Day is something we can celebrate on our own terms.
I spent mine with friends and family, having a good time, on our own terms.
Yes, I did shoot the flypast, because I’m a sucker for aerial photography.
UCF
Nice to know that cutting Singapore flag into pieces and eating it as agar agar, drunk mangling of the anthem and the pledge is a demonstration of true patriotism.
“by the way, which town has a name which means Back Of The River?
What DOES OG stand for?
And what am I referring to when I order rochor mee??”
Good point Weijia. How can these be “essences of the city” if there are people who don’t know even one of these facts?
The government is paying themself record dollars and raising the price of everything, ERP gate everywhere getting closer and closer, CPF going further and further. The young scared they will replace by FT, the old are picking drink can from rubbish bin.
While the rich elite have time and money to decorate their big house with flags, drink red wine, eating agar agar, amusing each other with inner circle jokes and discussing philosophic about what is patriotic or not patriotic.
Very funny TOC, I think I know what is going on.
tunkudon
how i wish i can truely whole heartly celebrate national day …. till the ruler party not pap
lim
My wife and I have been married quite a number of years. In those years, we both understood that to be married did not just mean living together or staying under the same roof. It meant taking care of one another, helping each other when needed and basically nurthuring the relationship.
Indeed, some people even believe true love doesn’t need the other party to reciprocate.
Patriotism has an interesting definition. “Love for or devotion to one’s country” according to merriam webster.
I think different people show love and devotion in different ways. And others have different expectations and definitions.
I think however one thing is for sure. If no citizen contributes to the country, just like any relationship, there won’t be one.
AC
It has been more than a decade since I last watched a National Day parade – in person or on TV.
As far as I am aware, the theme is static and increasingly stale, endless repetition of the myth of how Singapore transformed from a fishing village into a modern metropolis.
Associations of the NDP with the rampant abuses of national service personnel changed the event from bland to distasteful. And distaste worsened into revulsion when one considers the extravagant display in contrast to the tight-fisted penny-pinching policies when it comes to spending to help Singaporean fallen to dire straits.
Earnings of lower income Singaporeans have dropped despite GDP growths. Conservancy charges have increased steadily despite huge surpluses in town funds reaching record heights. Transport operators granted fare increase after fare increase despite abundant profits. And wage increases for the workforce are blamed for contributing to inflation.
What is there to celebrate?
mr kit
Its the same problem with some of my chinese friends (mainlanders). Where does the distinction between state and nation end? and when you celebrate the true aspect, the other side assumes it for its own benefit.
Jackson
Not just you, I also feel nothing for National Day coz every year NDP is about the same. In the past I would feel something for Singapore when held at Padang or National Stadium. Now all is lost. FYI, during aug9 I wasn’t celebrating for NDP08, rather I was outside celebrating with my own friends. NDP can’t attract me anymore.
When the tv says “Celebrate 43 yrs of achievements”, I wonder what is there to celebrate when so many issues are still outstanding and not properly addressed eg. inflation, income disparity. And the fact that ministers can increase their own salaries but not ours, this really makes me angry.
artmgs » Blog Archive » Reflections on our National Day
[...] atmosphere of the party, the true meaning of “Celebrating the Singapore Spirit” occurred to me. A party for patriotism on National Day, by John [...]
CoffeeTalk
Same goes for Chinese New Year and any festive celebrations as well I guess. The more we celebrate, the less enthu we get over the years I guess
Phu
Town has a name which means Back Of The River? Hougang
What DOES OG stand for? Ocean Garments
And what am I referring to when I order rochor mee?? SImply, hokkien mee.
=)
clement
NDP? I used to look forward to it..until I realise the old guards were retiring one by one (except one..you know who). I salute them and the pioneering Singaporeans for building our country to what it stands today. Then, came the self-serving new guards..all in the name of talent and what not…and the high paying JOB (NOT DUTY, mind you) for leading the nation. So, 43 years of progress for the nation? Got to give some discount…at least 10 years, because the last decade, at least to me has been progress in the salary of the elites and the powerful (not those at the bottom of the ladder). I stop celebrating National Day at least ten years ago..
A Tan
John, Jian Wei, Gerald and the TOC people behind the video,
You are right to bemoan the explicitly linkage between the governing party and Nat Day.
But do not forget that it was the was government in the 1960s that created the tradition of Nat Day parades (shades of USSR, Eastern European and Red China) and celebrations. Trying to create a nation, or so the government said.
It’s just that the governing party remained the same. So it does make sense: in a way.
But the tradition has taken a life of its own, independent of its creator with S’poreans celebrating Nat Day in their own ways: sometimes resenting the linkage between governing party and offical celebrations.
As evidence for both, one can cite what John, Jian Wei, Gerald, and the TOC people behind the video have done.
And the WP MRT ride yet again shows that patriotism is not a governing party monopoly. Incidentally, did the WP have to get permission for that ride?
BTW, I seem to see less flags being flown in HDB estates and high rise apartments this yr. What do others think?
AC
I think that the number of flags put up by residents is significantly lower than what is currently seen – apparently there’s a practice for the RC/town councils to put up flags at highly visible blocks. The flags in these cases are free, and for 3 room flats its the RC/town council people who hangs the flags up and not the residents.
lim
Uh, just wanted to highlight that there is nothing illegal with opposition parties celebrating national day.
Whether the opposition parties do or do not celebrate is of course the choice of the individual parties.
“But that night, I found that a celebration of our culture, the essences of the city we live in, and of course, our food made me feel a real attachment to this little piece of rock; and that, I think, is a demonstration of real patriotism.”
I can’t agree more! Thank you for sharing John – I look forward to more! :)
Wizard
When politicians proudly have their smiling faces plasters on walls, street corner and lamp-post in the name of national day, it gives people the impression that we are celebrating the party’s birthday and our national day. Patriotism in Singapore has been redefined as “Love for or devotion to the government”. Your article has correctly reinstated that fact that the party is not the country. I love my country enough to get angry when i see all that is being said and done by people who claim all the credit but never take responsibilities. Honour is one word that is lacking here.
Thank you for highlighting
“15) lim on August 12th, 2008 3.51 pm Uh, just wanted to highlight that there is nothing illegal with opposition parties celebrating national day.”
Very sad hoh, to celebrate something so simple. Yet some of us are not sure whether it is right (legal) to do so or not. Sometimes, we trumpet the many niceties that we have aplenty but the frightening part is that we also question some basic common sense that should come to us naturally.
Great article! :) Like mentioned elsewhere, we don’t have to love the government to love our country.
by the way, which town has a name which means Back Of The River?
What DOES OG stand for?
And what am I referring to when I order rochor mee??