S’poreans around the world celebrate SG50
SINGAPORE — They came together, all seeking a slice of home from thousands of kilometres away. Some feasted on hawker fare while others watched the National Day Parade. About 13,000 of them even received NDP funpacks.
Overseas Singaporeans joined in the nation’s Golden Jubilee festivities through more than 60 celebratory events held across the world. Celebrations began as early as June while other events will be held later this month.
In Bangkok, the Singapore Embassy held a reception on Sunday evening. More than 150 Singaporeans, including some tourists, turned up to watch the NDP “live” and enjoy a buffet that included favourites such as laksa and Hokkien mee as well as a giant SG50 cake.
The Singapore Malaysia Club of San Diego, United States, also celebrated on Sunday with a hawker fair to showcase the cultural diversity of Singapore and Malaysia. About 350 participants showed up at the Admiral Baker Recreation Center in San Diego and tucked into chicken curry, char kway teow and other dishes, said the Overseas Singaporean Liaison US Facebook page. The Consul General of Singapore in San Francisco, Mr Christopher Cheang, and the Consul General of Malaysia in Los Angeles, Mr Raja S Ridzuwan, attended the event.
About 100 Singaporeans and their families and friends in London watched the parade via “live” streaming over lunch yesterday, said the National Population and Talent Division.
Singaporeans in Germany gathered in Munich last month for a “makan session” in a park and filmed themselves reciting the Pledge, while the Singapore Shanghai Business Association will put up a skit called Memories of Singapore — A Walk Through Time (A Melodrama in Four Acts).
Singaporeans in Australia also celebrated in various ways.
In Melbourne, 30 families will hold a potluck event and the Singaporeans Of Victoria, a student association, will host a Golden Jubilee Ball for more than 600 guests this Sunday. The High Commissioner of Singapore to Australia, Mr Burhan Gafoor, will be guest-of-honour at the ball, which will feature performances by Kumar, YouTube duo Munah and Hirzi, and The Sam Willows’ Benjamin Kheng.
Mr Raymond Tham, a Singaporean in Australia, teamed up with student Jolynn Tan and photographer Vince Chong to develop Web banners and A4 templates for National Day celebrations.
Another initiative to mark the Republic’s Jubilee year is a coffee-table book documenting the stories of 30 Singaporeans in the US. The brainchild of Seattle-based Lim Ai Lin and her team, the book tells of what it is like to live away from home. Ms Lim, who has been living in the US for 11 years and is the director of a Singapore-based company dealing in automated material-handling systems, began compiling the stories in 2012.
“The book is a gift for every overseas Singaporean, who has cried silent tears when missing a birthday, New Year, wedding, birth or death of a loved one at home,” she wrote in the preface of the book titled What I Miss About Singapore From USA.
It will be launched on Aug 23 at a lunch celebration attended by Mr Ashok Mirpuri, Singapore’s Ambassador to the US. Over 220 people, mostly young professionals working in tech firms such as Microsoft, Amazon and Google, are expected, said Ms Lim, who is in Singapore until Wednesday.
Among those who contributed to the book is Mr Zeng Zhicheng, who is pursuing his graduate studies in physical therapy in New York City. Serving in the Singapore Civil Defence Force during his National Service motivated him to become a student resident firefighter with the campus fire department while at the University of California, Davis, he wrote.
Living overseas has exposed him to foreign cultures, but has also allowed him to appreciate “what we have at home”.
“My Singaporean identity also largely stems from the appreciation of a 1-year 10-month-long lesson known as NS,” Mr Zeng added. “Not only has that taught me valuable lifelong skills, it has the greatest influence on my decision to pursue opportunities in service and dedicate myself to helping others.”
