LITTLE RED DOT IN THE BIG APPLE

Journalist Sheena Tan travels to New York City for Singapore Day, held to engage overseas Singaporeans and bring them a slice of home.

Bright neon signs that form the backdrop of a 2am shopping spree in Times Square, the smell of burgers and fries at almost every turn, and the sound of chatter in different languages.

That introduction to New York City made me forget all about the backache I got from my hell of a plane ride.

Yet at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, just half an hour away, it was something else altogether. For one day on 14 Apr, sentences were sporadically punctuated with "lah"s and "lor"s, and whiffs of fried noodles in black sauce wafted in the cool breeze.

In the cosmopolitan Big Apple was a mini-Singapore, with everything Singaporean packed into an area the size of the Padang. And I thought Singapore couldn't get any smaller.

At home, overseas

Stepping into Prospect Park for Singapore Day, I felt right at home walking past a replica of an HDB lift lobby with the Marina Bay Sands in the background, and watching hawkers whip up local fare. And the sight of throngs of Singaporeans rushing to the hawker stalls like bees to honey was oh-so-familiar.

In a showcase of local talent, celebrities such as Michelle Chong and Chua En Lai from The Noose entertained visitors throughout the day with music and comedy.

However, the loudest applause went to Mr Yam Ah Mee, Chief Executive Director of the People's Association. All he did was say "Pursuant to Section 49..." and the audience almost split their sides laughing.

In between watching the performances, I found time to tour booths such as those of the Home Affairs and Education ministries. One common remark I heard from overseas Singaporeans was "Wah! Changed so much!". I had to agree. Even I have trouble keeping up with the developments back home.

A visitor to the MINDEF booth attempting a standing broad jump at the ELISS station.

Bringing NS to the US

What some overseas Singaporean men did not expect was a booth about National Service (NS) by the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). In it were the Electronic Individual Physical Proficiency Test Scoring System (ELISS), the computer simulation training program Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2), and a Mobile Field Kitchen (MFK).

"We want to reach out to parents with sons eligible for NS, and update overseas NSmen (Operationally Ready National Servicemen) on the latest developments in the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces)," said Commander Central Manpower Base Senior Lieutenant Colonel Sim Hong Meng.

At the MFK where visitors were offered heated combat rations to sample, I stifled a chuckle when I heard a middle-aged lady asking if it was part of the Makansutra hawker stalls. I even overheard a guy in his 40s exclaiming "These are much better than the food I used to eat during my time!" as he chomped on combat rations.

The hot favourite that day was the black glutinous rice (Bubur Pulut Hitam) dessert, and I could have sworn I saw some guys coming back for seconds, and aunties for thirds.

Over at the MINDEF booth, visitors got to put the energy gained from all that food to good use and learn about the latest updates in the SAF.

At the ELISS station, I was amused at the sight of able-bodied men vigorously doing sit-ups, chin-ups and standing broad jumps because their female friends were watching, while chubbier ones shied away from the station precisely because the ladies were there.

Staying in touch with NS

On the changes he noted after visiting the booth, 2nd Lieutenant (NS) Avery Chew, an NSman pursuing his undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia, said: "As a 2IC (2nd In Charge) in BMTC (Basic Military Training Centre) during my NS, I did the old SOC (Standard Obstacle Course). Today, I found out that it's been tweaked and it now includes the VOC (Vocation Obstacle Course), which I think is more realistic."

When I congratulated him on his 15 perfectly-executed chin-ups, he replied shyly: "Even though I'm overseas, I try to keep fit regularly, because I know I still need to go back for my In-Camp (Training)."

Another visitor, Mr Vaidyanathan Srinivasan, who works in a bank in Manhattan, New York City, came for a different reason. "My son just received a letter about NS, so I wanted to find out about the enlistment procedure, his diet during NS and whether he could choose his vocation."

He added: "We found the staff and exhibits very helpful."

Bringing Singaporeans home

As the day drew to a close with celebrities leading everyone in Singapore's unofficial national anthem Home, I was reminded of that spirit of unity present at National Day Parades back home, even though we were halfway around the world. At one point, I was compelled to put down my camera and notebook, just to sing one chorus and soak in the atmosphere.

To end Singapore Day on a high note, a Mambo Jambo segment in the programme had everyone grooving to signature hits like Love in the first degree and That thing you do, which were reminiscent of music played at local nightspot Zouk.

The morning after, I met a close friend whom I had bumped into at Singapore Day. For two years, she had been based in Sydney, and was currently in Boston on a work trip. Over breakfast, she told me that she'd be heading to Africa in a week.

"Wow, you globetrotter! What's next after Africa? Back to Sydney to get married and have kids?" I asked.

She shrugged and after a pause, said: "Actually I'm thinking of going back to Singapore. After this Singapore Day thing, now I really miss home."