THE SINGAPORE EXPERIENCE IN LONDON

In today's globalised world where borders are merely lines on the map, many Singaporeans now live in different countries, miles away from our sunny shores. At the recent Singapore Day in London, thousands of them experienced a slice of home.

With a large fraction of the Singaporean diaspora in Britain being NSmen, an exhibition by MINDEF at Singapore Day also helped them get in touch with the latest developments in the SAF. PIONEER walks you through the Singapore Day experience.

"There's a place that will stay within me, wherever I may choose to go, I will always recall the city, know every street and shore..." The lyrics of this song, Home, originally sung by Kit Chan, was something overseas Singaporeans identified with at Singapore Day 09 on 25 Apr.

More than 12,000 overseas Singaporeans from all over Europe, including Britain, France and Holland, came home to the familiar sights, sounds and tastes of the Lion City.

With an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry at the entrance, performances infused with Singlish and whiffs of freshly cooked Singaporean fare, the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, where Singapore Day 09 was held, were unmistakably Singaporean for that one day.

Themed Relook, Refresh and Reconnect, the event, organised by the Overseas Singaporean Unit was aimed at engaging overseas Singaporeans by refreshing their memories of home.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng, who was the guest of honour at this third instalment of Singapore Day, emphasised the need to stay in touch with Singaporeans abroad, in good and rough times alike.

The previous Singapore Day events were held in New York and Melbourne in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

Overseas Singaporeans queueing for up to an hour just for a taste of their favourite hawker fare.

The way to the heart

At the opening of the gates in the morning, scores of people made a beeline for the hawker stalls offering food recommended by food guru K F Seetoh of Makansutra fame.

Enticed by hawker fare such as Hokkien Mee, Bak Kut Teh, Chwee Kueh and Mee Siam, overseas Singaporeans had absolutely no qualms about queueing more than 50 minutes to get their hands on the sumptuous spread.

A Chemistry student at Imperial College London, Lieutenant (LTA) (NS) Terrence Thong, raved about the palatable treats: "Having been here for six months, I've not had Laksa and Char Kway Teow and food like this for some time, so the food here was definitely the main draw!"

With mats and wet wipes provided in the goodie bags, visitors picnicked under the London skies while being entertained by performers such as Taufik Batisah, Rui En, Jack Neo, Hossan Leong and the Dim Sum Dollies - played by Selena Tan, Emma Yong and Pamela Oei.

With mats and wet wipes provided in the goodie bags, visitors picnicked under the London skies while being entertained by performers such as Taufik Batisah, Rui En, Jack Neo, Hossan Leong and the Dim Sum Dollies - played by Selena Tan, Emma Yong and Pamela Oei.

Keeping pace with NS

Designed to form a miniature Singapore, the Singapore Day 09 site was divided into segments such as Tanglin, Marina Bay, Kallang and Raffles Place. These corresponded with exhibitions by the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), the Housing and Development Board (HDB), the 2010 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, and a recruitment booth by Singapore employers respectively.

These exhibitions were aimed at updating overseas Singaporeans on the latest developments in Singapore.

The largest exhibition, which was a National Service (NS) exhibition organised by MINDEF, showcased advancements in training in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), and in the engagement of the NS community.

The NS exhibition was aimed at connecting with overseas Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) and their families.

"With a substantial number of NSmen overseas, we want to help refresh their memories of their past NS experiences, and also share with their families, and

Ms Yum Kah Leng, a member of MINDEF's engagement team, addressing a parent's concerns about his son's future enlistment.

CPL (NS) Chua attempting the ELISS sit-up station, while 2WO Hashim (standing, second from left) explains the system to the former's sister Wei Lin.

even foreigners, what NS is all about," said Major (MAJ) Terence Yeow, Head Engagement, Performance and Engagement branch, G1 Army, who was part of MINDEF's organising committee for Singapore Day 09.

Engagement officers were also on hand to address the concerns of overseas NSmen and their family members, as well as that of pre-enlistees.

Ms Teo Yee Ling, an NS relations officer from National Service Affairs Department, who was also part of the engagement team, was glad to address queries from NSmen regarding Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) and exit permit matters.

"It was good to find out about the problems overseas NSmen face, so that we can see how we can improve our administrative processes to minimise disruption and inconvenience for them, and also look into how we can better engage the NS community outside of Singapore," she said.

Captain Nancy Tan (left), from Headquarters, 6th Division, answering queries about combat rations on display at the NS exhibition.

Down memory lane

The key feature of the NS exhibition was the transformation of the SAF through the years.

Panels on the walls displayed comparisons of past and present NS environments, covering various aspects of the NS experience from an improvement in the bunks to advanced training techniques.

Enhanced personal gear, such as the new combat uniform, was also on display.

"The Personal Equipment exhibit was the first thing that caught my eye because for the first time, I got to see the new uniform up close, having heard so much about it from friends," said LTA (NS) Thong, who served as a Combat Engineer at 30th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers (30 SCE).

"Also, looking at the exhibits brought on a sense of nostalgia, as they got me reminiscing about Army life back in 30 SCE," he added.

Second Lieutenant Chia Bing Qiang, an SAF Merit scholar studying Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London, camouflaging visitors' faces at the MINDEF booth.

Visitors also had a chance to experience the use of technology in the training of SAF soldiers through Virtual BattleSpace 2, an interactive computer simulation training program.

In addition, the NS exhibition featured MINDEF's latest efforts in engaging the NS community through new media platforms such as YouTube, Flickr and the NS portal.

Fit, fast and fab

A key highlight at the NS exhibition was the Electronic IPPT Scoring System (ELISS) exhibit, complete with chin-up, sit-up, and standing broad jump stations.

2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) Mohd Hashim, an ELISS fitness specialist who was manning the ELISS station, was there to share about the electronic conduct of IPPT tests.

"The response at the ELISS exhibit has been very good since the gates opened. The majority of the people have not seen the ELISS before, so I explained to them, especially the NSmen, how it works," he said.

An obvious crowd pleaser, this exhibit saw people of all ages and genders try their hand at the stations, in a display of their physical prowess.

"The exhibits, like the Electronic IPPT system, were very informative and interactive for us NSmen. They updated us on what's happening back home in the SAF," said Corporal (CPL) (NS) Chua Wei Ming, a Medical student in University College London, who attempted ELISS for the first time.

Visitors wrote and put up well-wishes such as the above on a board at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games booth.

Something for everyone

With its interactive displays, the NS exhibition attracted not just NSmen, but families and foreigners visiting the booth.

Finding his tour of the NS exhibition an informative one, CPL (NS) Kwok Jia-Chuan, a History student at the London School of Economics, said: "There were a lot of opportunities for hands-on interaction, and for everyone to discover what the SAF is about."

From the young to the young at heart, there was something for everyone at Singapore Day 09.

Youths and young children flocked to the 2010 Youth Olympic Games booth to play table tennis, soccer and basketball.

Visitors to that booth were also invited to register as volunteers for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, and to pen down well-wishes for the games participants.

Some found themselves at the HDB booth looking at the infrastructural development of Singapore, and at the Ministry of Education booth, getting updates on developments in the education sector.

Others went around with cameras capturing significant moments such as photo opportunities with the artistes and fellow Singaporeans whom they met and some had their faces adorned with camouflage paint at the NS exhibition.

Feeling right at home

The conscientious efforts by organisers and partners, the culinary skills of the hawkers, the animated performances by artistes, and the exuberant participation by visitors all contributed to delivering a slice of home to the overseas Singaporeans.

Summarising his trip to Singapore Day 09 as a fruitful and worthwhile one, CPL (NS) Chua commented: "It was enjoyable coming here and seeing my friends and fellow Singaporeans. And I got to experience what it's like to be Singaporean again, after being away from home for almost a year."

Ms Sherlyn Wong, a History student at the London School of Economics, agreed, saying: "Having been away from Singapore for 10 years, it's fun to see so many Singaporeans in one place. There's so much good food, and a great atmosphere. It's really nice to have some memories of home."

Concluding the event was a finale performance by all the artistes, singing the aptly chosen song Home, which had the overseas Singaporeans joining arms, and chorusing: "For this is where I know it's home... for this is where I know I'm home."