National Day has just passed and although I wasn't one of the thousands at Marina Bay celebrating, the pride of being a Singaporean radiated more strongly than ever before in my 32+ years of being one.
This year saw me travelling much more than I had ever done so in my life. I've been zipping in and out of the airport, going from one city to another, crossing time zones and continents, that I once kidded with my friend that I'm taking the plane more in a week than I have the bus or MRT.
But having travelled so many cities had made me appreciate the life I have in Singapore, and truly, each time I come back home, passing through the immigration counters, I whisper to myself, "This is home, truly."
Cliche as it might sound, Singapore indeed has made me feel so much at home - a place where efficiency and service are taken for granted until you go to a place less efficient, and well, less polite.
I had waited in the airport once in a well-developed city - 40 minutes to get through immigration, and another 40 to collect my luggage. It didn't matter that I had a 'priority' tag on my bag. It came out all the same as the rest.
The difference when I just got back from another city. Zipping through Singapore's immigration took no more than 5 minutes, and by the time I had gotten to the belt to collect my luggage, there it was waiting for me.
People complain about the service on the Singapore Airlines. I don't. Because I've flown airlines where crew bitch about passengers at the gallery, or even if you're travelling on the business class, you're asked if you want to eat as if you were a kid. I travel in Economy in our own airlines, and nevermind that I'm an Asian, the verbage and courtesy shown to all passengers, regardless, is the same good service. Ten minutes before landing, a passenger asked for a blanket, and the crew swiftly got a brand new one out. Nevermind the insanity of the request. This is what I call service.
A man who sat beside me once on the plane was curious about where I was heading to. "Singapore", I told him. "Is that your home?" "Yes, it is," I replied. "Ah - explains your fluency in English."
This is what Singapore is known for - its people are fluent in a multitude of languages, thanks to its well thought out education plan, and the leadership of someone I truly admire, our Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. Without his foresight, I wonder where Singapore would be today.
So yes. I am so proud to be a Singaporean. And nevermind that we are young. We've come a long way since 43 years ago.