家 - Home - Happy Birthday Singapore!

家, or home, is where the heart is, no matter where you are. What is a home? The dictionary's definition are: the place or region where something is native or most common, a dwelling place or retreat, the place in which one's domestic affection is centred, a house, an apartment or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family or household.

A House Is Not A Home - (Burt Bacharach & Dusty Springfield):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF0c2so977A

A home is a residence or refuge. The physical aspects of which are it is a building where you live, rest or store your personal property. Even animals have their homes. It is a also a place where a person grew up or where they feel they belong. It can be just a native habitat or a place where all your friends are. Yet if you ignore the physical aspects of it such as a place or location, it becomes a state of emotion or somewhere you find comfort and love. Nomadic people's culture means they never had a permanent home. Home is really where your heart is.


When you are away for a long stretch of time, do you miss home? We can get homesick so to speak. Just the food alone can make one homesick. You long for something only your home could provide. It could be the snow or sunshine or simply your daily meals. Why is that so? It is simply because we homo sapiens are creatures of habit. I know some of you are full of sh*t. You sh*t before you leave home, you sh*t when you reach the office, sh*t at hotels and everywhere but when you travel far away, you can't sh*t to save your life!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jHRsuWIioA&playnext=1&list=PL020FEB730427E174

Why is it important for people to have a home. If you do not have a house or home then where do you return do? We are like homing pigeons. A house provides you a basic standard of living for you to have shelter - roof over your heads to shield you from the elements like the rain, the heat and the snow. The walls protects you from wild animals including the human types and gives you security and privacy. It gives you light, warmth when it is too cold and coolness when it is too hot. Yet a house may not be a home. A house is not a home unless there is a continuous supply of food and fire = love and warmth for our heart, our mind and our body.



Today where we the original immigrants are now Singaporeans, we find ourselves with more other and newer immigrants. Everywhere you go today, you will find so many non-Singaporeans or immigrants on our shores in every facets of our daily life. I found Chinese shoppers at Mustafa looking for curry powder, Chinese delivery men and fish monger, etc. Regardless of whether these are Chinese, Indians or even Westerners, these are people who through no fault of theirs came over to our shores and their need was simply to seek a better life for themselves and their families. There is no crime in it. Some are through marriages. Let us welcome them and there is no better way or a better day to do so than on our National Day. Show them our hospitality. This is happening in many countries and is inevitable except having some controls. A better way is to embrace it and make them part of us by ease of simulation.

The world is so inter-connected today that some of us can even feel at home in a few places. In high stressed pressure cooker Singapore, people tend to think of home more like a house than how or what a home should really be. Home is where your heart is. Your heart goes where your treasures lay. What is it that you treasure most? If you are departing, I hope that you will be back like the terminator - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTx9WMsxLLM

If you are making a home coming, I welcome you back!


You do not have to be very far away. Just taking time to go to and walk through your old home or estate will bring back such fond memories that is if you can still find it untouched or unchanged. All of you must watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD5RLNQiTIQ (Another Home).

I accept all of you, my fellow Singaporeans, the proud and arrogant, the loud, the quiet, the rich, the poor, the nutcases or the good, the bad and the ugly for this is home!


Being patriotic does not mean hanging out the flag or singing some songs. It is better to keep it in our hearts and wear it on our sleeves. How do you represent Singapore in your sphere of influence? When you travel, how do you behave? Do you pass snide remarks about others or do you keep boasting about how great you are? Do you shout or talk down to others when you are abroad? You are an ambassador wherever you go and whatever you do. How do you work with or treat others when they are here? This is one way of representing Singapore and gained the respect and admiration of others to show and share the true spirit of Singapore.

I made a pledge not to drive on 9 August.



















Then let us remember to take another pledge, for greater effect, put a clenched fist to the heart:


"We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation."


This is our home. Happy Birthday Singapore!

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