Memories from First Scouts Days

J (6Y) received his neckerchief on 6 May 2015

C (7Y) received her neckerchief on 10 May 2023

In remembrance of and following the footstep of our former Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, J and C have both decided to join the scouts in Denmark.

J first joined the scouts at the age of six years old for four years until COVID-19 stroke in 2020 where all the activities were suspended. C just started scouting this year at the age of seven years old.

Along with Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the current Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsieng Loong, the former Prime Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong, Former Chief Justice Yong Pung How, former President SR Nathan, and Ong Teng Cheong, the first elected President of Singapore, had also been scouts.

Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental, spiritual and social development with a strong emphasis on duty to God, duty to country and helping other people, through the Scout Method, that they may play constructive roles in society.

In the words of Mr. Goh Chok Tong, a former Prime Minister of Singapore, "The scout movement helps to lay the foundation for active adventurous boys to grow into strong, dependable men. The discipline and kindness of a scout, the pledge to do one's best to help others and to make friends and establish harmonious relations - these are the laws of the scouts. Scouting therefore builds character and nurtures the young to be resilient."

Among various outdoor activities, scouts niche areas are pioneering, campfire and camp craft skills.

The scouts movement is very much part and parcel of the Singapore education system. The movement is an integral partner that helps youth build character and leadership.

Singapore's success in nation building from being a third world country to a first world, while having compassionate and benevolent leaders with a strong value system, who truly give and care for the country and its people, to a large extent, has a strong influence from the scouting tradition in Singapore.

In this aspect, Singapore is rather similar to Denmark.

J's first Scouts Camp on 5 July 2015 (6Y)

C's first Scouts Camp on 17 May 2023 (7Y)

C's first Scouts Camp on 17 May 2023

J (6Y) receiving and wearing the Scouts uniform for the first time on 9 September 2015

C (7Y) receiving and wearing the Scouts uniform for the first time on 31 May 2023

C (7Y) in the Scouts uniform on 7 June 2023

J (6Y) wearing his scout uniform in his scout group opening and closing meeting ceremony on 9 September 2015

C (7Y) wearing her scout uniform in her scout group opening and closing meeting ceremony on 31 May 2023

Former Singapore Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, bottom row fourth from the right, had been a scout. 

Former Singapore Prime Minister, Mr. Goh Chok Tong (third from the right) had been a scout.

Former Singapore Prime Minister, Mr. Goh Chok Tong (center) as a scout during his teenage years. 

https://youtu.be/296Ey6ja0g8

References:

https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/20100227_0001.pdf

https://scout.sg/sites/default/files/A%20Tribute%20to%20Mr%20Lee%20Kuan%20Yew.pdf

https://theindependent.sg/goh-chok-tong-posts-photo-of-a-young-lee-kuan-yew-as-a-scout/

https://sgscouter.wordpress.com/

https://www.scout.sg/

https://scout.sg/programmes

http://hppelicanscout.blogspot.com/2010/03/100-years-anniversary-dinner.html

https://raffles-chapter.weebly.com/uploads/6/2/2/3/6223075/to_sir_with_love_-_transforming_boy_scouts_to_leaders_in_society__preview_.pdf

The Road Ahead (Lyrics & Music Score)

The Road Ahead 

Verse 1:

One man on an island

One drop in the sea

All it takes to set a wave in motion

Is a single word, an action

A hope that we can be

The change that we've been

Longing to see

Pre-Chorus:

For our home, our land, our family

It's all within our reach

Chorus:

See this island, every grain of sand

Hear this anthem, it's the voices of our friends

Come whatever on the road ahead

We did it before, and we'll do it again

Verse 2:

When the moments turn to hours

And the day's last light is gone

Look around us always and remember

There were times we were uncertain

But we just kept walking on

It's always darkest just before the dawn

Chorus

Bridge:

Our home, the home we share

Where the garden always grows toward the light

Though the road ahead is daunting

I know we're gonna be alright

Chorus x2

https://youtu.be/II_5jBaYmGQ

https://youtu.be/Y_ktQTYuPX8

https://youtu.be/esjQ5jQ4PU0

Additional Information:

Singapore National Day is coming up on 9 of August, and I am trying to teach Baby FECS and Little FECS this national song. This song was last year's National Day's theme song and is our niece, YQ's favorite song. She asked for this song during their visit in June during bedtime "hygge". It is also our favorite song. So we will try to learn to sing it by heart and remind us of our time together in June. Oh how I miss all of you :-)

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZLitNdYUx0

Happy Belated 51st Birthday Singapore

Big Brother asked, "Mom, how come we didn't celebrate the Singapore National Day like last year and take family picture for memory?"

Mom: "No surplus this year, mommy's too tired, and behind in everything... replying emails, replying whatsapp, laundry, grocery shopping... everything... :-(...)."

Big Brother: "Very easy what..." He went to fetch the Singapore flag and gave it to little sister and waved it, "See now we just celebrated it :-)"

Better late than never, Big Brother saved the day :-)

So here is a Happy Belated Birthday, Singapore :-)... at least we made it in the month of August!!! :-)

Unconventional Things to See in Singapore

Here are links some of the interesting places to see in Singapore that I am gathering for our visit to Singapore:

1. Unconventional Experiences

http://thesmartlocal.com/read/unconventional-experiences

2. Hiking Trails

http://thesmartlocal.com/read/hiking-trails

http://www.goodyfeed.com/6-hiking-trails-in-spore-thatll-make-you-sweat-and-curse-and-also-satisfied/

3. Buildings

http://thesmartlocal.com/read/iconic-buildings

4. The Green Heart High-rise Forest (Not yet completed)

http://www.techinsider.io/singapores-cloud-forest-revolutionizes-green-spaces-2015-11
http://www.gustafson-porter.com/marina-one/

5. Parks in Singapore

http://www.yoursingapore.com/en_ph/editorials/parks-for-petits.html#singapore-for-kids

6. The Best Singapore Water Parks

http://www.yoursingapore.com/editorials/the-best-singapore-water-parks.html
http://www.littledayout.com/article/singapores-best-swimming-pools-with-water-play-features-for-kids.html

7. Best of Tiong Bahru

http://www.yoursingapore.com/walking-tour/culture/in-the-neighbourhood-tiong-bahru.html

8. 10 Must-Do's in Singapore

http://www.yoursingapore.com/editorials/10-must-dos-in-singapore.html#see-do-singapore

Singapore Presentation

I asked to observe J's class for a day, but the teacher asked me to make a presentation on Singapore - nothing comes free in this world ;-P

But I went overboard... with my over zealousness, my aim of 10 slides became 100 slides. I managed to cut down to... hmmm... 80 slides.

But since I love Singapore so much, I do it with pleasure, heart and passion. I have already enticed a friend of J to visit Singapore. So I am taking the opportunity to market Singapore and to entice more of his classmates to visit Singapore :-)

Well besides that, this presentation is more for me. A snap shot of Singapore in my heart and memories in years to come. It is a pictorial presentation that captures a little about:

1. The geography of Singapore in relation to Denmark

2. The history of Singapore and its beginning

3. The society, its festivals, cultures and tradition

4. The local food.

5. Sight-seeing places that we love and recommend

6. How Singapore celebrate its National Day

The price I paid for this project? Many late nights, skipped meals and skipped time with J. I do regret, but I have the tendency to work day and night to bring something into fruition. I am glad that this is completed, so that I can now give my family and J my full attention.

If you are a Singaporean overseas and need to prepare a presentation for your children's school, feel free to take a few from mine if you wish. I have spend so much time compiling the pictures, I might as well share it :-)

You can download the powerpoint presentation here.

It takes 12 hours of direct flight from Denmark to Singapore. It can take up to 15 hours if you have to transit.

Singapore is often compared to Bornholm in terms of size. The size of Bornholm is 588 sq. km. The size of Denmark is 43,094 sq. km. Thus Singapore is only 1.7% of Denmark in terms of physical size! But the roughly the same population size of 5.5 million people live in Singapore! It is one of the most dense countries in the world.

You can compare Singapore to New York City, which is slightly bigger than Singapore with 789 sq. km. New York has a population of 8.9 million.

http://www.singstat.gov.sg/latest-data

Singapore aspire to be the Switzerland of the East in the 80s. Today, its GDP per capita exceeds the Swiss by 45%. It is the 3rd richest country in the world - behind Qatar (133,040 USD) and Luxembourg (100,779 USD). However, most of its wealth is unfortunately, very unevenly distributed. It is mainly contributed by the world's high net worth individuals who have chosen to "settle" or have a "holiday house" in Singapore. So although they hold PR or citizenship status, they are essentially foreigners or foreign-owned. Having said that, there are quite a number of high net worth Singaporeans and local millionaires, although the wealth as said, is very unevenly distributed, compared to the more egalitarian Denmark.

Literacy rate is just behind Denmark, which has a literacy rate of 97 %.

Life expectancy in Singapore is 3rd highest in the world, just behind Monaco (89,52 yeras old) and Japan (84.74 years old). Singapore has definitely done well thanks to the excellent health care in the last 30 years. Hopefully this will be maintained and improved further.

Singapore river is where the island's civilisation started. All trade and goods passed into Singapore rivers, and the rows of shop houses in the pictures are actually go-downs. These buildings are preserved in what the present day called Boat Quay.

The coolies below were mainly from China and India, and they helped load and unload goods when boats arrived at the Singapore river. They are the pioneers of Singapore. It is their sweat and blood that enabled Singapore to prosper, including the enterprising Chinese merchants of those days. The majority of Singaporean population traces their roots back to these coolies. These coolies had a hard life, but they were extremely hard-working. This is still the virtue known of the Singaporeans today.

At the top right corner, you can see how it looked like in the olden days. The river was really dirty and smelly. It has been cleaned up, as Singapore developed and become more affluent by the Singapore government, a project spear-headed by our then Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.

Singapore was founded as a British colony in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles. Singapore fought for independence together with Malaysia, only to be expelled by Malaysia in 1962. Singapore gained its independence in 1965, led by the then Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, who is known as the founding father of modern Singapore.

Here is a little more about the history of Singapore in a time-line.

This is the flag of Singapore and what it signifies.

The orchid named "Vanda Miss Joaquim" is the national flower of Singapore.

The Merlion stands guarding the gate of the Singapore River.

Mr. FECS "drinking" from the Merlion ;-P

Singapore is a multi-racial country and we pride ourselves for living together in peace and harmony. This is really precious that we should not take for granted.

The Chinese in Singapore celebrates Chinese New Year with a month of light-up in Chinatown.

Lion dance is a must have during Chinese New Year in Singapore, as it signifies bringing in the prosperity. Can you spot who the last lion is :-)?

It is a tradition for all Chinese families to have the all too important Reunion Dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year. One of the dishes that we cannot do without is the Yu Sheng. It is best described as a kind of salad, with sweet, sour and savory taste all in one. The higher you toss the fishes, the more it is supposed to bring in prosperity.

The children dress in new clothes on the first day of Chinese New Year and go visiting their eldest with their parents to pay respect.

The elders give a red packet containing money to the children. This is the best part I like as a child.

When we come home at night or the next morning, we will be counting our "harvest" from that day. Here our Little FECS is counting his "harvest" of red packets.

We celebrated our 50 years of nation building this year.

What we achieved today is thanks to Sir Stamford Raffles, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, our pioneers and the people of Singapore. May we have the next 50 years of peace and prosperity to come.

References:
http://www.singstat.gov.sg/statistics/latest-data
http://www.yoursingapore.com/en_au/about-singapore/people-of-singapore.html
http://blogtoexpress.blogspot.sg/2012/02/ways-done-in-past-wedding-reception.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2993296/A-rare-glimpse-colourful-colonial-life-Singapore-s-infamous-Raffles-Hotel-Liz-Taylor-Charlie-Chaplin-stayed.html
https://www.gfmag.com/global-data/economic-data/richest-countries-in-the-world?page=9
http://www.worldsrichestcountries.com/
https://www.google.dk/search?q=eurasian+families+in+singapore&biw=1706&bih=825&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijyvrzoKHJAhUEiiwKHVtRAUsQ_AUIBigB#tbm=isch&q=european+families+in+singapore&imgrc=_
http://www.geoba.se/population.php?pc=world&type=15
http://country-facts.findthedata.com/
http://www.sporela.com/index.php/latest-singapore-news/1697-sg50-national-day-parade-2015
https://www.singapore50.sg/sg50/about
https://www.singapore50.sg/SG50/GalleryLanding/GalleryPhotoList/GalleryPhotos.aspx
https://www.google.dk/search?q=singapore+skyline&espv=2&biw=2882&bih=1469&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwihmtmBqqvJAhWHDywKHbs3DP8Q_AUIBigB#imgrc=_