Hear the Singa (Lion) roar!

Hello. You can call me Ako (sounds like echo). I was born in Singapore in the early 80s. I grew up in Old Airport Road (Kallang Airport), a calm-on-the-surface little place just east of the National Stadium in Kallang. 

Although my family is not entirely Malay in ethnicity, we have somewhat assimilated into the Malay culture, retaining some of our own cultural practices as easily too, by merging them together. Growing up with a rather culturally Malay background, I was always taught to be polite, respectful and patient with others.I was taught that while it is surely fulfilling to cave in to one's desires, I should always think of other people's needs above my own.

What a load of pish posh that was, but actually solid advice at the same time too.

Living in China, it is really challenging when I have to explain that Singapore is NOT a Chinese country. The ethnic Chinese accounts for the majority of Singapore's population, but that only in part represents us as a nation. Often times, I ask them to look at me and tell me if I look Chinese at all. I am then met with sheepish smiles and later an insistence that they saw a programme on the local TV network here showing how it IS a Chinese country and everybody speaks Mandarin. 

Even worse is when I talk to some misinformed individuals from some countries ( I'd rather not say who for the sake of being P.C.). Singapore? Which part of China is that? Sometimes, I really felt like holding a giant bloody MEGAPHONE from Bukit Timah and bellowing out from the deepest recesses of my stomach. We're in SOUTHEAST ASIA you morons! 

Singapore is a MELTING POT. We have Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians, Peranakan and so on. More to list here but quite frankly the list keeps adding on. We speak mostly English but we also speak Mandarin, Malay, Tamil, Gujarat, Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hainanese, Hakka, Boyanese, Javanese, Buginese, etc and even SINGLISH. Whaaaaat? Singlish you say? YES. It is a very interesting, emotive, functional, colourful and exclusive language. If you don't understand it, well... tough. Try learning it then.


What is it like being a Singaporean? 

There are a million ways I could answer that question, but a picture is worth a thousand words. Well... many pictures.. and these are not even close to a whole lifetime of memories! (I will add on more pictures as and when, because I can!) I do not own these images, but rather borrowed them from people on the world wide web. Credits go to them. Thank you.