I'll be There for You, Singapore

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CiNE65 is a short film competition for film enthusiasts to tell their Singapore story.Through this competition, CiNE65 aims to capture our Singapore identity.

Temporary stationed overseas till the end of the year, is the grass really greener on the other side? It may look like it,

but come Dec, i will be knee deep in snow.

For the Singaporean who doesn't know the tricks of dressing for winter, i don't think i'm looking forward to sub zero.

There are currently 1.2 mil foreigners on our shores with many more eager to enter. If there're so many wanting to enter, why are Singaporeans so eager to leave? Worse are the ones who complain 24/7 and not actually do something about it. Is that really who/what a Singaporean is?

I currently work in a team with all walks of life. The American and Europeans have never interacted with a Singaporean before. They ask me what my country is like and what we are like.

While i said i cannot be representative of a Singaporean because i'm OTT with my dirty jokes and weird interests,

I did say taxi rides don't cost $30 for a 5 minute ride like it does in Europe,we will queue hours for food and that you can recognize a Singaporean distinctively through the way we speak.

My Hong Kong friend being able to connect in many ways because her nation is also 'small' & receiving many foreigners, she asked if we had our own army. She then asked if it means anything to me if my lover is a storeman as opposed to an officer when serving the compulsory service. I replied her if not for medical reasons, but purposefully chao keng so he can have an easy ride out or because he sees no reason in serving the nation, he wouldn't be the potential husband i'll sort after.

          
Surprisingly, despite Hong Kong not having their own army, my friend chorused in unison that she would also prefer a man who did his best in army.

It all boils down to a mindset. Do you make full use of a mandatory journey and turn it into an opportunity or do you turn bitter and sour? Life is full of unexpected events. When the MRT breaks down, is it an opportunity to call an old friend and catch up while waiting for service to get back on? A train delay in Singapore means getting home still in comfort. Missing a train in Europe means ending up on the train floor scented with vomit like i did travelling back from Florence.

Oh, not forgetting the union strikes that happen very frequently in the worst times possible, especially when you really need to get somewhere. Flights get cancelled, trains stop, service staff are non-existant etc. The locals don't bat an eyelid to the inconvenience, we should be ashamed of our behaviour during MRT break-downs and the many other complains.

Shops don't open on Sundays, which means you can possibly go hungry (very dramatic for a Singaporean). Leaves me no choice but to have a tomato buffet.

 Singapore too expensive to live in? I just bought a peice of toufu for $7, because its 'exotic'. A major determining factor for foreigners to relocate to Singapore is because of safety. Overseas, you have to look over your shoulder and clutch your bag all the time. I had my own scare in the supermarket. My friend who lived in Singapore for 4 years just moved to Milan and within a year, her wallet was pick-pocketed 3 times. She now chains her wallet in her handbag. Once, she felt her wallet tugging within her handbag and caught the criminal. She was a 11 year old Romanian! Gungho her brought the thief to the Italian police only to be told there's nothing they could do because she's a child. They suggested she 'write to the newspapers' instead. What absurdity!

What a coincidence that our international dialing code  (+65). is also our year of independence. 1965. ciNE65 is a short film competition for film enthusiasts to tell their Singapore story. In this second season of ciNE65, entries share their take on the theme "I'll Be There For You, Singapore" through a 3-minute film.

Launched in July 2011 by Nexus, ciNE65 invites the public to tell their Singapore story. Through ciNE65, they hope to harness the potential of short films to touch the hearts and minds of Singaporeans.

It did to mine.

I actually feel very proud that despite countless Europeans have never visited Singapore, they have heard of the wonderful things of this nation. We really have put ourselves on the map. Show your love for Singapore by voting for the shortlisted films here. You can even create your own movie poster on their Facebook. Vote for your favourite films and actors before 8 July to help pick a winner AND win shopping vouchers worth $200.

          
I will also be giving out movie tickets in my next post so watch this space!