What warms my heart….

When I was young, I lived in a big kampung that was populated with Singaporeans of different races. We would run over to each other’s front yards and play together. We loved festive seasons because from the open backyards came the aroma of the freshly-baked cookies/cakes and piping hot cuisines. Then we would play common games and sang “Chan Mali Chan” together even though the Chinese, Indians or Eurasians might not understand the lyrics. This was how we were raised assimiliating into each other’s culture and living in harmony regardless of languages, religions or races.

In today’s Singapore, our young ones celebrate Racial Harmony Day and they are taught not to discriminate against other races. During festive seasons, I still get to enjoy the cookies shared by my Indian and Malay friends and have gladly attended traditional weddings of our fellow brothers and sisters of other races. 

As Singaporeans who were borned and raised here, we have learned to respect each other’s culture, way of life and cuisines. Besides the school, our two boys have been introduced to the rich culture of fellow Singaporeans and even that of other countries (Re: Our earlier post on visit to Little India). When our boy discussed with us the theme of his artwork for Racial Harmony Day, we have shared with him what it means for Singaporeans to unite, be tolerant, co-exist in harmony and be gracious towards others.

Part of Brendan’s school art assignment to display the kids’ support for racial harmony 

The Irony….

When the recent case of the “Cooking Curry” incident blew out of proportion, our boy was following the news too.

“So, does it mean that new citizen who migrate to Singapore can dictate our locals when they can cook curry? Aren’t we taught to be more tolerant and respectful of others? So, can we also go tell our neighbour to eat durians only when we are not home since the smell makes me nausea and I can’t concentrate?”

[The solution endorsed by the authority puzzled his young mind. It confused our young one that he could complain to authority over the most minute matter including aroma of food and create mountains out of molehills.]

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When our schools and parents have been inculcating in our children the importance of racial harmony and progressing towards a gracious society, what has been done to ensure that the influx of immigrants into Singapore is assisted or indeed integrated into our society/culture, social issues are avoided and racial harmony remains uncompromised (not even to mention moving towards a gracious society as ONE SINGAPORE)?

I am not against immigration or emigration. My family, too, had considered the option to emigrate or reside in a foreign land for some years previously.  That’s when I started to read more, research and seriously asked myself whether I would miss my country, my relatives, my friends and get used to my new environment with my family.

While emigrating…….

- It is  an important consideration for migrants to understand more about another country’s culture, lifestyle and many other factors before they make a serious consideration to take up the citizenship there.

[Simply google and we can find out more about other's cultures, living conditions and cuisines. Then, it is also not difficult to find out that our Singaporean cuisines include Indian Curry, Malay curry puff and Chinese curry chicken noodles.]

- Learning to assimilate into new environment and accept/integrate into other’s culture is critical.  Not to discriminate other’s culture and standard of living is being polite and considerate.

- If I had made the choice to be part of a new country, I would learn to embrace their way of life and at least make more local friends than foes.

- It is hard to adapt but do not intervene in local’s lives.

- Remember a neighbour could be more helpful than a distant relative (even a Chinese proverb teaches that).

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Seriously, not to mention the sentiments of adults. From the minds of our younger generations : they might be CONFUSED.  On one hand, they were taught to accept, tolerate and respect. Then, what have they learned from the lesson on ”the endorsed discrimination of a local cooking a Singaporean cuisine in her own compound OR allowed to cook curry only when our new citizen is not at home.”

[Even I am confused. When we wrote a complaint to HDB years ago of a neighbour, living below our unit who burned incense papers every single day in her balcony with daily smokes crowding our rooms and affecting the nasal condition of our baby, the officer mediated by informing us that she has the rights to perform her religious ritual within her premises and it is sensitive to mention religion. So, what's the problem now for someone to cook their local food at home?]

While we endeavour to move towards a more gracious society and upkeep the tolerance, acceptance and co-existance spirits in Singapore, our kids are fast to learn otherwise too from what they hear, see and read in their everyday lives. What is taught has to be consistent with how the growing society acts or there will be two words to describe their little minds : CONFUSED and INCONSISTENCY.