I haven't really considered myself as being very patriotic in the past.
Sure, I like Singapore and I feel a strong sense of attachment to it, given the fact that I grew up here and it is where all my childhood memories lie and where my family and most of my friends and loved ones reside.
But I am not overly passionate about this tiny and young nation to the point of making red and white outfits an integral part of my wardrobe or memorising the lyrics of "Stand Up For Singapore", "Chan Mali Chan" and "Munneru Valiba", among others for fun.
It was only while I was studying overseas and away from the comfort zone that I have called home all my life, thrust into a potpourri of various nationalities, being enlightened about how life is for many of my foreign friends back in their homeland, that I started to have first thoughts about what it is being Singaporean.
The Singaporean identity.
What exactly is it anyway?
Many a time I have been asked this question by my foreign friends, Japanese, Brazilians, Chinese etc etc and I was hard-pressed on how to answer it in the best way possible.
Coming back home after a 5-year absence, I started to immerse myself slowly into the Singaporean way of life again.
And through exchanges with my countrymen and countrywomen and constant struggles to adapt to life again back home, I have gradually grasped the idea, the notion of what it means to be Singaporean, of what it is that makes a Singaporean.
It was the height of the SARS crisis when I first returned home.
Looking at how everyone in Singapore rallied together to overcome this horrifying virus, of how health workers selflessly did their utmost to help those who were unfortunately struck down by this illness, of how we bounced back in resilient fashion, made me aware of the fact that we Singaporeans are not so soft or mollycoddled after all as some have claimed.
Indeed Singaporeans are a resilient lot, not yielding in times of adversity. Easily adaptable too.
Just attended a National Day observance ceremony at my workplace on 8 August.
Standing to attention when the anthem was played, looking at the red and white of the state flag, made my hair stand on end and goose pimples to appear on my skin.
Pride of being a Singaporean.
And looking at the flag of Singapore slung under the belly of the Chinook helicopter to the strains of Majulah Singapura during NDP made my heart burst with pride.
Maybe I have been passionate about my country after all. All it took was some time away from home for this feeling to manifest itself.
Looking forward to more good years ahead for Singapore.
And the day when Majulah Singapura would be played at some medal ceremony at the Olympic Games, with one of our own standing at the centre of the winners' podium, the gold medal slung around his or her neck.
