Happy 46th Birthday, Singapore!
Today is National Day, and beneath the general sense of relief that yes, another public holiday has arrived, lies the more perplexing question of what has become of my Singapore, my home, and whether in another 5 years I will even recognize it for what it has become. Already, it has changed so much in the past 5 years alone. I look back to the Singapore of my schooldays, and it is a Singapore which inhabits only the now out-of-print and terribly hard to find books by Catherine Lim. You know, Little Ironies and its ilk.
This past year, especially, I have been hard put to love Singapore the way I did during my starry eyed young-motherhood, where the perks and benefits for a dual income family with young kids seemed neverending and there was no grass greener than here in my own backyard. In my job, I deal with so many foreigners that I wonder, has the native Singaporean become extinct? Then I go out in the streets, and all around me, I hear accented Chinese, or melodious English, and I look around, wanting to hear the distinctive Singlish accent that identifies us to one another around the world. It has indeed become a rare creature, these days. Is it any wonder that I now cast my gaze further afield, for surely I have found that Singaporeans abroad appreciate our home far far more than those here who take it for granted?
So when our MWL DT assignment for August was to do a LO for Singapore, I was at first nonplussed. What could I scrap without taking too much away from the spirit and intent of the whole holiday? It took me a while, but then first my daughter and then my son came back from school singing our national songs, the good old ones like We are Singapore and even the more recent Home, and it made me think, yes, deep down inside, buried under all that disenchantment, a Singaporean heart still beats. I should be glad for the little things, and get with the program. I just wish the channels wouldn't change that darn fast, though!!!
In the end, though, we have come a long way. Doing the sums in my head, I was born when Singapore was a mere child. Today, she celebrates her 46th birthday. We have come so far in so many ways, in so short a time. We should, and we must, celebrate that. We have social stability, a world-class transport system, a great national air carrier, wonderful roads. There is much to be thankful for. And so, in giving thanks for this little red dot, I salute the spirit that has made Singapore what it is today. Majulah! the Singapore Spirit...
Supplies used:
Patterned paper -- Jenni Bowlin, Bazzill, Melissa Frances, Creative Imaginations
Cardstock -- Bazzill
Thickers -- American Crafts
Metal clock, masking tape, filmstrip ribbon -- Tim Holtz Idealogy
Filmstrip die, rosettes dies -- Tim Holtz Alterations by Sizzix
Letterpress Plates -- Sizzix
Flowers, crystal swirls, glass pebbles -- Prima Marketing
Trinket pins, sheer tags -- Maya Road
Alpha stickers -- Making Memories
This LO is also in support of this month's challenge that MWL is running, more details can be found at this link : www.madewithlove.com.sg/blog/2011/08/02/national-day-scrapbook-contest/
There is a great grand prize to be won, and the challenge itself is extremely simple, just scrap a 12 X 12″ layout on the subject of *Singapore*, *Home* or *Family*. It can be a purely paper layout OR a canvas, as long as the size is 12 X 12″. You can use any scrapbook product you like, though we would love to see a product list.
So what are you waiting for? Get out your supplies and get scrapping... :)