An interesting conversation

Today, while traveling home on bus 66, I chose a seat nearly at the back of the bus, since I was feeling a little down that I had forgotten to file one assignment into my Chinese file and delayed my submission.

By chance, I overheard a conversation between two youths who apparently just started work. One of them said something like, "you know ah, my friends told me yesterday that I did not act like a Singaporean". The other replied, "Aiyah, go to eat Mee Siam ans drink Kopi O lah." Then the former added on, "Chicken rice too." And that was it. End of a could-be-more-developed conversation.

Still, from this short but meaningful conversation, I would like to comment on their opinions on what the "being Singaporean" is. To them, the "being Singaporean" is following the same set of behaviour that all Singaporeans should follow. I think this has become some sort of culture for us. However, the culture I am referring to does is not race and religion. I am talking about behaviour and preferences. We have a deep rooted Singaporean Culture, an example of which is our supposed love for the Chili crab dish and Chicken rice.

Then again, does it stop there?

Personally, I do not think so. I think being a Singaporean just means that we need to have pride in our country. It is not so much of showing off to other countries that we have the best batch of educated students or that we have the most unique culture. I think as we grow up, we are influenced by the adults around us, who have already integrated into society as the "model Singaporean". I do not rally support this attitude. I mean, how can a country survive with exactly identical people, doing exactly identical things, living an exactly identical live and have an exactly identical preference? I am not denouncing the idea that Singapore should have a special culture, but the culture cannot control us. I do not think we should be judged based on the Singapore culture. We cannot criticise others for not acting like a Singaporean because in the end, it is us, the Singaporeans of today, who will have the say in what "being Singaporean" is.