Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to Singapore,

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Here’s wishing Singapore prosperity, peace, harmony and vibrancy for all the years to come. Happy Birthday Singapore!

Wow, 43 years didn’t zoom by for nothing. We’ve had plenty of accomplishments to call our own, and received numerous accolades for the miracles that were offshoots from a teeny-weeny island.

As I hung our flag that day for the first time (my mum used to be the one doing it), feelings of patriotism wasn’t born out of that action as I discovered. Rather, I recalled those days when I was overseas, either working or on a holiday, and when we inevitably talked about my home country, I found myself defending stuff which were criticised by them.

Strangely, I would have complained about certain policies myself back home (didn’t I?), but when those same words came from a third person’s mouth, someone whom have never lived here and know our culture well enough, I stood up for this city. And rather amazingly, as I did that, I learnt to look at our country and the way it has been run in another perspective. I guess this should be a good thing, right?

This may be a small city, but the lion’s roar is loud, clear and definitely going to last.