One For Every Year
Come Aug 9, Singapore will celebrate 38 years
of independence. And in this very spirit of celebration, ROXANNE TOH
and DAWN TAY mull over the 38 things that make us proud to be Singaporeans.
By Roxanne Toh and Dawn Tay
. Urbanwire reporters
email reporters
. email story . printer friendly version
1. Just the two of us
The medical team at the Raffles Hospital was at it again, notwithstanding
the unfortunate outcome of the operation to separate the Bijani [Iranian]
twins. This time, it was a pair of Siamese twins from Korea. 4-month-old
Sa Rang and Ji Hye, conjoined at the lower spine, who were successfully
separated on Jul 23 after only 2 hours in the operation theatre.
2. Under the same bright star
U.S President George Bush and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong made history
when they signed the U.S.-Singapore
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on May 6, bringing an end to almost 2
years of negotiations. The FTA will eradicate any tax on American industrial
and consumer goods exported to Singapore, making them cheaper. Restrictions
of services in sectors such as finance, education, information technology
and medicine, will also be lifted, thus offering more job opportunities.
In 2001, US-Singapore trade reached a whopping $33 billion . With the
FTA, we're sure to see bigger figures.
3. North-East line
Fully automated, the $5 billion Mass Rapid Transit North-East line by
Singapore Bus
Services covers an underground stretch of 20km. The newest addition
to Singapore's impressive transport system boasts the world's first
heavy driverless metro train. With 16 stations spanning Punggol to Harbourfront,
long and dreary bus rides are now a thing of the past for northeasterners
travelling south.
4. Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay
Opened less than a year ago, the Esplanade
is Singapore's largest performing arts centre - aimed to "entertain,
engage, educate and inspire" everyone. Since the 1800s, the Esplanade
Park had been popular among Singaporeans as most recreational and leisure
activities were held there. Thus, the location of Esplanade - Theatres
on the Bay has much historical significance which brings back good old
memories of the past…
5. Fighting SARS successfully
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic shook us badly
when it claimed hundreds of lives worldwide since March. But on May
31,Singapore was taken off the World
Health Organization (WHO) SARS-affected areas list, when measures
taken to contain the virus proved to be very effective. The Health Ministry,
National Healthcare Group, Singapore Health Services, Health Services
Authority and Health Promotion Board organised a commemoration ceremony
on Jul 22 to pay tribute to SARS victims and health-care workers.
6. Singapore Sports School
Come next January, the Ministry
of Community Development and Sports (MCDS) will open the doors of
the Singapore Sports School. Aspiring sportsmen-and-women will receive
a well-rounded education, thus benefiting from the flexible syllabus
the school has to offer. The school will offer quality training and
provide full sports science support to 8 sports namely, football, swimming,
badminton, table tennis, sailing, bowling, athletics and netball - each
with their own academy. Goal 2010 or otherwise, we definitely are entering
a golden era of sports!
7. A is for Abigail
Only 11 years old, Abigail
Sin is Singapore's youngest concert pianist.
The Methodist Girls' Primary School student started playing the piano
when she was 5 and by 10, she had obtained her Associated Board of Royal
Schools of Music (ABRSM) diploma in Piano Performing.
If that isn't enough, Abigail has 2 CDs to her name and has performed
both locally and abroad, in Bangkok and even Manchester. More recently,
on Jul 18, the bespectacled pint-sized girl participated in the President's
Young Performers Series with the Singapore
Symphony Orchestra. She has also been presented with a $200,000
Youth Award, part of which was used to buy her dream Steinway piano
from Hamburg. She's got rhythm, she's got money… who could ask
for anything more?
8. Beating down terrorism
Since terrorism became the nefarious taboo the world over, Singapore
has unravelled plots to undermine the peace we have come so often to
take for granted. The decision to stand firm in our cause against terrorist
groups and the likes has made us one of the more popular targets for
Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda and the Jemaah
Islamiyah (JI). But we've been more than successful in keeping the
unfurling of terrorist schemes at bay - whether it is through stricter
regulations or heightened vigilance. Bravo!
9. Let's talk about bread, baby… Let's talk
about you and me…
Rice may be our staple, but the ones raking in the dough are the bread
makers. Not just the roti prata and roti kaya, but all the queues at
roti re-inventive BreadTalk,
and all the pretenders that have come in its wake. The local boutique
bakery franchise, which has seen 22 outlets spring up all over the island
in a mere span of 3 years, has even opened their first outlet in Jakarta.
Closer to home, keep your eyes peeled for BreadTalk's very own Chinese
restaurant, end of this year, which will hopefully dish up chilli crab
to go with the bread.
10. Girl power!
Floorball was
introduced in Singapore 10 years ago when a Swede collaborated with
the People's Association
and Singapore Sports
Council to integrate the sport into their various programmes. The
sport soon became more than a recreational activity. And it was taken
to the next level when a women's national team was formed. The team
has wowed Singaporeans over the years having defeated stronger opponents
from U.S.A and Australia. In May the D group girls beat Hungary 8-3
and U.S.A 5-3 during the World Floorball Championship 2003. They came
in as one of the top 10 teams in the Championship. Singapore will be
hosting the next World Floorball Championship in 2005.
11. e-Singapore
The several million dollars the government has pumped in to connect
everyone in Singapore by adopting wireless technologies is commendable.
Being highly literate and IT-savvy has helped facilitate bigger, better
innovations and the advanced use of technology. Today, booking a taxi
is just a call away as taxi companies are equipped with the Global Positioning
System (GPS). Making donations via SMS is now possible as well.
12. What Time Is It?
Produced by Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore Pte Ltd (APB), Tiger
Beer has been rated by many credible sources as one of the best
beer in the world claims that the Asian Wall Street Journal had rated
Tiger as the "best among 18 brands". Crates of Tiger Beer
were also seen at Prince William's much talked about 21st birthday bash!
Cheers!
13. Racial Harmony through Dance
Yes, we actually have our very own folkdance called the Chinese Indian
Malay Others (CIMO) Dance. Unlike the traditional ones from the Philippines
or Indonesia, the CIMO Dance is a fusion of dance movements from the
3 major and other minority cultures in Singapore. This creation is testament
of the racial harmony our nation has successfully maintained over the
past 38 years.
14. Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
The languor of Banyan
Tree Hotels & Resorts makes for the perfect getaway for many
young couples all over the world. The spectacular architecture of the
resorts - a marriage of tradition and modern sophistication - has bagged
numerous awards for the locally owned Banyan Tree since 1997. These
include American
Design Awards 2003 Gold Award and Conde
Nast Traveller UK Hot List.
15. Education System
Education has been an integral part of our government's nation-building
strategy since 1965. And the lack of natural resources can only be compensated
by properly schooling our population of 4 million. Our literacy rate
in 2002 stood at 93.7%, which is a growth of approximately 5% from 1992.
The average number of years of schooling for Singaporeans aged 25 years
and above has also increased to 8.5, from 7.0 10 years back. (Information
from Singstat)
16. AIDS campaign
Prevention is certainly better than cure. The Action
For Aids (AFA) is a non-profit, voluntary charity organisation that
aims to prevent the spread of AIDS through public education. The organisation
represents our contribution to the region in reducing the number of
AIDS cases. UNAIDS, a joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS
and the World Health
Organization (WHO) have estimated HIV prevalence rate in Singapore
at 0.15%, for adults aged between 15-49 years old. This is the same
figure as that of UK's and Australia's but lower than USA's.
17. ERP System
This is yet another first: The Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) System.
At a time when other countries are gradually adopting similar systems,
we're already cruising on the freeways.
18. Should I stay, should I go …
After much dispute over the conservation of Chek Jawa, this natural
heritage is here to stay. The coastal habitat off Pulau
Ubin is now a favourite spot for families during the weekends, away
from the hustle and bustle of city life. We ought to be proud of this
little paradise Mother Earth has bestowed upon us.
19. Our transport system
Admit it, we're always complaining how expensive it is getting around
Singapore and how tapping the ez-link card can get cumbersome. But if
you compare our transport fares to countries like Australia, you'd be
thankful you're paying at least 4 times less! Both SBS
Transit and Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) take a total of 261
different routes, ensuring that travelling is made convenient. Despite
complaints, we don't really face problems getting a cab as we have a
fleet of 19,007 taxis, according to the Ministry
of Transport.
20. NEWater
Love it or hate it, NEWater
is here to stay. NEWater is produced from used water, which has
undergone rigid purification, and treatment procedure by advanced dual-membrane
(microfiltration and reverse osmosis) and ultraviolet (UV) technologies.
This initiative has helped supplement our water supply, bringing us
a step closer to a self-sufficient Singapore.
21. Corruption-free government
We haven't seen our government officials getting rowdy in the Parliament
House. Neither have we read reports on scandalous acts by them. If not
for a government free of corruption, we would not be where we are today.
According to research website
nationmaster.com, Bangladesh's government is rated the most corrupted
at 8.8, while China takes the 10th place at 6.5 (0 - highly clean 10
- highly corrupted).
This brings the average corruption level to 6.92 in Asia and thankfully,
we aren't one of the contributors!
22. Wild Rice Productions - Ivan Heng
A successful director, playwright, actor and set designer, Ivan Heng
has done Singapore proud with his theatre productions, which have travelled
to over 20 cities. The founder of Wild Rice Productions has countless
achievements under his belt. They include scholarships at Yale Drama
School, the British American Drama Academy and the Royal Scottish Academy
of Music and Drama. He has trained as a director with the late Kuo Pao
Kun too. With these valuable experiences, Heng has brought local productions
overseas, such as Emily of Emerald Hill (Melbourne Festival).
23. Changi Airport
For the 17th consecutive year, Changi Airport has been voted "Best
Airport-Asia" by readers of Cargonews Asia and has bagged the "Airport
Service Excellence Awards" given out by the IATA Global Airport
Monitor Organisation. Serving over 60 airlines from 145 cities, attracting
25 to 40 million passengers annually worldwide, this is an airport not
to mess with.
24. Singlish!
Yah lah yah lah, [Translation: 'Yes, yes'], we've been constantly reminded
by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to speak proper English, and not Phua
Chu Kang English. A good many English-speaking campaigns have been
held over the years to underline what our PM Goh has said. But just
as long as we can switch from proper English to Singlish, isn't that
something to be proud of? This is after all, hor, our very own unique
language.
25. The Fullerton Singapore
New Year's Day 2001 saw the opening of a grand dame, who has since become
one of the most imposing sights at the mouth of the Singapore River.
This postal-office-turned-premier hotel boasts world-class facilities
and 400 rooms and suites. The Fullerton
Singapore has been ranked by publications, such as Conde Nast Traveler
and Business Traveller Asia Pacific, as one of the most prestigious
hotels in the world and being "The Best New Business Hotel in Asia
Pacific (2002)" respectively.
26. A Sticky Situation
Kudos to the U.S.-Singapore FTA for heralding the return of chewing
gum. One caveat though: The gum is available only as a prescription
drug. Before you get too jubilant, you'd be wise to watch where you
step or what you lean your head on the next time because it could very
well be a patch of sticky gum you're attaching yourself to.
27. Local girl- Stefanie Sun
This NTU (Nanyang Technological University) Marketing graduate was talent-spotted
in 2000. Since then, Stephanie
Sun has become one of Southeast Asia's most recognisable female
faces. Sun's music has won her a very strong following in this region
and in her short singing career she has received numerous awards including
the Best Female Artiste and Most Popular Artiste. Love her or hate her
- Stefanie Sun has undeniably done us proud.
28. Bee Cheng Hiang
Have you always stood in the long lines but never wondered where this
brand originated? Singaporean entrepreneur, Mr Teo Swee Ee, is the founder
of this well-liked festive goodie, bah kwa, or barbequed meat. Come
Chinese lunar New Year, one has to be prepared to stand in snaking lines
just to purchase a box of this delicacy. But its popularity doesn't
wane outside of the New Year either. Today, Bee Chiang Heng has received
many awards and has even expanded to countries such as Hong Kong.
29. The Singapore Zoological Gardens
$9 million spent over a span of 6 years was what it
took to finally open the Singapore
Zoological Gardens in 1973. The zoo's remarkable hospitality and
distinctive attractions are reasons why the zoo has caught the attention
of tourists all over the world and Singaporeans alike - just another
achievement which has put our tiny island on the world map.
Image taken from www.zoo.com.sg
30. Raintree Pictures
Its first full-length feature film Liang Po Po-The movie received a
mix of cheers and groans. Less than 5 years later with 9 movies released,
Raintree Pictures has endeared itself to both audiences and our
nation's leaders alike. Its newest movie, Homerun
looks primed to set a new box office record following the recent success
of I Not Stupid, which garnered more than $3.8 million in local box
office receipts according to The Straits Times Interactive.
31. Singapore Sling
| 
Image taken from www.ginvodka.org |
The Person: Mr Ngiam Tong Boon
The Achievement: Created Singapore's very own cocktail, The Singapore
Sling.
The Year: 1915
The Place: The Raffles Hotel
The Recipe:
1 lime
1 oz. Gin
1 oz. cherry brandy
1 oz. Benedictine
Club soda (or ginger ale)
The concoction, courtesy of www.thecocktailpage.com:
Peel the lime in a continuous spiral without allowing
any white fibre to adhere to the peel. Combine gin, cherry brandy, and
Benedictine in a mixing glass with several ice cubes. Stir and strain
into a Collins glass with several cubes of ice. Fill with soda. Add
the entire lime peel and serve with a swizzle stick.
32. Creative in Technologies
Who can forget Creative
Technology's ever-famous SoundBlasters? A world leader in computer
entertainment, the brainchild of Ngee Ann Polytechnic alum Mr Sim Wong
Hoo is the first local company to be listed on the NASDAQ.
|
Image taken from www.bengawansolo.com.sg |
33. Bengawan Solo
In the business 24 years and having a chain of 38 retail outlets island
wide, Bengawan
Solo still is finding its way into the hearts of many Singaporeans'
homes. The bevy of awards it has earned is testament to the fondness
both Singaporeans and tourists share for their confections. Some of
the specialties include kueh lapis, or multi-layered cake, pineapple
tarts and pandan kaya [a coconut jam] cake.
| 
Image taken from www.singaporeair.com |
34. Soaring the Skies with Singapore Airlines
Its rep has taken a beating recently with labour disputes
and the shameful way it's treating staff for bigger profits. But some
people call that good business sense. Did you know that
Singapore Airlines (SIA) was the one that brought passengers complimentary
drinks, headsets and inflight Nintendo
games. The Group's hall of fame consists of awards such as "Best
International Airline," "Best Airline Wine Cellar," "Best
comfort of seating" and "Best inflight entertainment,"
given out by Business Traveller Asia/Pacific 2000. Yes, these multi
award-winning fleets assure you nothing but the best.
35. Safety in Singapore
A comparison with other major cities, made by the government, reveals
that Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world. The low crime
rates may be attributed to upright governance, proper education and
vigilant law enforcers.
In 2002, the crime rate per 100,000 people stood at a low 768 - a decrease
of 320 from 4 years before according to Singstat.
36. Red as Singtel
Asia's biggest "multi-market mobile operator" has won the
"Best Asian Telecom Carrier" for 6 consecutive years. Singtel
operates and holds investments globally in over 20 countries, with
its 2 main hubs in Singapore and Australia - the latter established
in 2001 when Singtel acquired Australia's second fully integrated telecommunications
company, Cable & Wireless Optus. With 120 years of experience in
the telecommunications industry, Singtel has come a long way in bringing
Singaporeans together and making the world a smaller place for everyone.
|
Image taken from www.pfs.com.sg |
37. Our 5-Star Chicken Rice
Served at hotels or otherwise, this palatable offering
is definitely something to be proud of. And nothing on our list is quite
like it - tender slices of chicken topped on fragrant rice. Even celebrities
from Hong Kong and Taiwan get their personal assistants to queue for
the brown paper packets served at Boon Tong Kee and the likes. And nothing
could be more accessible either, since it beats Colonel Sanders and
the golden arches of McDonald's with a stall at almost every other corner
of our streets. Prices of chicken rice range from an inexpensive $2
at hawker centers, to Mandarin Hotel's famous $20 chicken rice.
38. And the story goes…
Oh yes, and this is what we're most proud of- the fact that we have
a new achievement to add on every year. Happy 38th Birthday, Singapore!
