Wednesday 18 May 2011

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J Summary (2Y2M13D) - Giving Respect to "Majulah Singapura"

Lately, J is very jumpy during bedtime. He likes to play basketball, ping pong ball and blabling in his bed. It has been very challenging to get him to settle down. One evening during bedtime, I sang "Majulah Singapura" (Singapore's National Anthem) which I introduced as part of Heritage Education sometime ago. All of a sudden, he became very quiet, willing to lie down in his crib and listened very sensibly. I thought it was a coincidence.

The next evening, I tried again. J was reciting the numbers repeatedly, and it was time to stop. I started singing "Majulah Singapura", and again he dropped what he was doing, lie down more still in his crib and listened.

The other evening, Daddy was very sweet to suggest that I sing "Majulah Singapura", while I was about to drop it, and again, J (and Daddy) listened attentively.

This evening, when I tried again and sing "Majulah Singapura", he listened very attentively and held my hands.

After 3-4 experiences, these could no longer be a coincidence. I know it could not be that he understood the concept of standing still when singing the National Anthem, but it must be something about the tune, or something in my singing or my voice that made him willing to settle down from what he was busy with doing and listen quietly.

I don't know how long this will repeat itself, but I am taking all these moments into my heart.

Singapore recently had its General Election. I am never one who follows the General Election, but something touched me inside the heart with this one, which I could not quite explain. Never before do I feel so Singaporean. I cannot explain it. I started introducing "Majulah Singapura" back into the bedtime routine with J.

I wrote about how sad I was when I was back in Singapore last December to see the beautiful transformation of the Singapore Waterfront... funded by casinos. I felt hopeless then. And I wrote in a post, that I didn't have an answer. Despite the superb economic growth and affluence, there is a sense of emptiness... a large part of the population is suffering from not being able to bring home enough income to meet the increasing cost of living... the soul is lacking. Now I know that I am not alone. Perhaps, that is why I felt so Singaporean these few days. From the main party PAP to the opposition party WP to SPP's Chiam See Tong to the Singaporean voters, this election revealed that we all truely have one heart. It is a win-win election. And it now fills me with hope.

And J, thanks for these moments. You never know how much it meant to mommy. Let's continue to together keep Singapore in our prayers here from Copenhagen.

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