FEELING THE HEARTLANDS IN SYDNEY

PIONEER heads to Australia's most populous city to check out Singapore Day, where thousands of overseas Singaporeans get to enjoy mouth-watering hawker fare and popular local acts.

Tall grey pillars, a round communal Chinese chess table with six cylindrical stools, and signs warning against littering, parking of motorcycles, playing football and roller skating.

To many Singaporeans, it is a common sight. But for those living in Australia, this replica of a typical HDB void deck was a nostalgic sight that evoked feelings of being back home.

And this slice of home was set up at the entrance of the Singapore Day event held at The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney on 12 Oct.

A taste of home

Incessant chatter peppered with Singlish like "We always see this downstairs!" and "Eh, look, no soccer" were heard as the gates opened and waves of Singaporeans surged in.

By noon, the air was filled with the alluring aroma of popular hawker fare as Singaporeans queued to savour every local dish available: Char kway teow, bak chor mee, chilli crab, nasi lemak, chicken rice, bak kut teh, fried rice, Indian rojak, satay and so on.

While enjoying their food on their picnic mats, the visitors were also treated to entertaining performances.

Cheers and roars of laughter came quick and easy when Gurmit Singh emerged on stage as Phua Chu Kang with his iconic curly hair, mole and yellow rubber boots. Together with fellow cast member Irene Ang (aka Rosie Phua), he acted out a skit based on the popular TV series.

The Noose cast members Chua Enlai and Alaric Tay, as well as prominent local comedians Mark Lee and Hossan Leong, also entertained the crowd with hilarious acts and skits.

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Although most of the attention was on the food and the performances, visitors also took some time to tour the informative showcases set up by various participating agencies such as the Housing Board, Media Development Authority (MDA) and Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).

"These booths really help a lot in keeping us updated so that we know what's going on at home," said Mr Kelvin Low, who visited the event with his wife Wendy and seven-year-old son Kingston.

Volunteering at the MDA booth, Lieutenant (LTA) Yap Quan Yi had taken a 90-minute flight from Brisbane to Sydney just to help out at the Singapore Day showcase.

Currently pursuing a degree at the University of Queensland, the Infantry Officer said: "I saw it as an opportunity to bond with my fellow Singaporeans, especially since the Singaporean community in Brisbane is quite small. Here, you can also get to see and interact with Singaporeans who have been living in Australia for a long time, so you can find out what Singapore means to them."

He added with a laugh: "But of course, the food is the most important lah! It's what we've been missing all this time here."

On the MINDEF booth, LTA Yap commented: "It gave the overseas pre-enlistees a good sense of what is to come for their NS (National Service), and a general idea of the progress the military has made."

Keeping up with NS

LTA Yap's sentiments were shared by most of the visitors who toured the MINDEF booth.

After viewing a demonstration of a medical mannequin at the Medical Simulation Training Centre (MSTC) showcase, Mr Raj Singh Bhatti was impressed with the advances in the SAF's medical training.

His 12-year-old son James also found the mannequin extremely life-like as it could exhibit vital signs, such as breathing and eye pupillary reaction.

Mr Bhatti added: "Safety standards and training procedures in the SAF have improved a lot over the years, and I definitely feel more assured for my sons who will be serving NS in a few years' time."

While the Electronic Individual Physical Proficiency Test Scoring System (ELISS) and Virtual Battlespace 2 remained hot favourites of the MINDEF showcase, many Singaporeans also tried the combat rations. Some even considered it comparable to the hawker fare!

Mr Bernard Gan, who had completed his NS more than 20 years ago, was one such person. "The food now is definitely much better than in the past. Soldiers now have a greater variety of food to choose from."

Feeling a sense of home

Rounding up the day, celebrities led by renowned musicians Dick Lee and Olivia Ong got the crowd singing and waving their Singapore flags to the melodies of much-loved songs like Home and We Are Singapore.

And as the event came to a close, many overseas Singaporeans trudged out of The Royal Botanic Gardens with reluctance. While leaving the premises, a visitor said: "I hope they hold Singapore Day in Australia again. Maybe not next year, but they'd better do it again!"