Singapore's cultural ballast?

Yesterday we celebrated Singapore's National Day. It was the 45th year of independence. Singapore was a country that was not meant to be, if you look at geopolitical and economic circumstances in the 1960s. But somehow, we managed to get from "third world to first", as Lee Kwan Yew puts it. It's mind-boggling when you think about the incredibly small geographical size of Singapore, and how its success is entirely due to its people.

When a nation's most valuable asset is its people, it is important to retain the 'talent' in some way or another, since we could jolly well immigrate somewhere else. Our ex-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong gave voice to this particular concern (In the 2002 National Day Rally, he spoke of 'quitters' versus 'stayers') Many of us can afford it, and have the skills to eke out a new life overseas. While watching the National Day Parade 2010 (NDP) at the Padang, the familiar scenes of the various ethnic groups that makes up Singapore - Malay, Chinese, Indian, Peranakan etc - were played out. And I was thinking what makes a Singaporean, in his late 20s, stay anchored in Singapore.

I wouldn't be a good example, for I hadn't been away from Singapore for more than a month at a time. Neither am I particularly westernised, for I retain a very strong attachment and interest in Southeast Asian cuisine, history, culture. And at a more academic (which means less feelings invested) level, I am interested in Chinese history and culture.

In that last paragraph, I've already alluded to the multiple cultural identities I possess. I consider myself a Southeast Asian Chinese, distinct from the Mainland Chinese. I am personally very proud of Southeast Asia as a highly diverse region, which has a lot more peace and less conflicts than other regions of the world which have lesser racial, ethnic and religious diversity. I love the amalgation of cultures in Southeast Asia, without a doubt as well. But I still feel for China, for I understand this is the foundation of my Chinese upbringing, with its Confucianist exhortations of fillial piety, doing well in school, ancestor worship, and respect for hierarchy.

But what about other Singaporeans who may not fully comprehend the rich culture we have? For some Singaporeans who have gone through the 'system', so to speak, but went overseas for a stint of study or work, the contrast can be, jarring, and the allure of a new life, all too real. If the cultural ballast (i.e. the culture that holds us down, keep us rooted to 'Singapore') that Singapore has is not strong enough in their minds, then it's all to easy to lose these people.

And that makes me ponder about what Singapore's cultural ballast is.

Anecdotal information I gathered:

• Food, hawker food. Cheap and very good char kway teow, bak chor mee (my 21-year-old brother who is in Perth for training misses this particular dish), laksa, etc. One thing for sure, it's the variety that really pulls us all in.
  
  
• Familiar institutions and people we grew up with. To quote a friend, it can get quite "anonymous" and "faceless" in a large city. It's easy to feel like a little speck of dust moving along the arteries that is the streets and subways tunnels of a large city. One can feel very insignificant and anonymous. While this may be a much sought-after experience for celebrities, it can be very lonesome and depressing for a newcomer. In Singapore, it is very easy to meet family, relatives, friends, for the island is really SMALL. And people do recognise you in the neighbourhood. It is also all too easy to bump into someone you know in the city area.
  
  
• Being Singaporean, regardless of ethnicity. In other countries, the fact that you are Chinese, Indian or Malay means that others will automatically assume you are from Mainland China, India or Malaysia. That doesn't happen in Singapore, especially when you speak Singlish. That is a fantastic language which blends together aspects of so many different cultures and ethnicities. It is something that to me, is organically Singaporean.
  
  
  

To me, these are great cultural ballasts, but are often not given enough attention. I would like a NDP in the future to showcase our delicious foods, our Singlish, our multiculturalism (besides through stereotypical song and dance)! These are just some of the many things that makes Singaporeans feel, Singaporean. :)