Why Singapore has YOG

It is midway through the first Youth Olympic Games organised in Singapore. As a Singaporean and a fan of all kind of sports, I definitely looked forward to this occasion and I have carefully kept track of the Singaporean athletes. I must say that I am relatively satisfied for how they have performed and I hope that this would kick start and increase the standard in the declining sports scene especially in sports which are underfinanced. Now it is a good time to analyse why Singapore initiated YOG and what good it brings to Singapore.

In the opening ceremony speech where the chairman of the International Olympic Committee, Mr Rogge, mentioned that the purpose of the competition was to combine sports, education and culture. I believe that this is a breakthrough in the sports scene of Singapore, because the bar that the athletes have set is something that the Singaporean athletes may attempt to emulate, but more importantly expose them to the sporting world other than the Singapore-dominated competition in the Southeast Asia Games.

Secondly, the YOG unites people together. In a world where the term "competition" is encrypted in our minds, the YOG breeds healthy competition, and also demonstrates a high level of sportsmanship and brotherhood throught the shared identity in their passion for sports. No matter the race or religion, sports have been on of the few mediums where the world can be brought together without discrimination of one another.

Apart from promoting sports among Singaporeans, Singapore benfits through the publicity they get through organising the YOG, which brings out the best out of Singapore, which will definitely bring more revenue and economic benefits to us. Mr Rogge has commended the YOG for being a success, and this would undeniably be one of the greastest achievements and heights Singapore has reached in its promotion of global cultural hub.

Lastly, Singapore benefits in promoting sports and health among civillians. Organising such big events will raise interest among Singaporeans, who would get interested in certain sports and would participate in them. With such widespread live coverage of the competition live on television, many people would be watching it and some would pick up certain sports, which would make them healthier both physically and mentally.

Sports bring out the best and worst in men, from the greatest example of sportsmanship to the worst cheats in doping scandals. Through this global event, it would bring countries to unite together to be the strongest supporters for their country's athletes. The first Youth Olympic is only the developing stages. With more awareness for this competition, the International Olympic Comittee would hit greater heights in promoting sports.

I would be backing Team Singapore, and I wish the very best to the rest of the Youth Olympians who have demonstrated what we can expect of them.

National Day

Yesterday was Singapore's 45th year of independence. 45 years on and we have steered to great heights today. Seeing what I see today makes me be proud to be a Singaporean. Now why should I be proud of Singapore?

Firstly, I would say that I am most proud of how I am able to have the space and freedom to learn what I want under a controlled environment. I appreciate how a balance have been struck between censorship and freedom. This optimises my learning and gives me the ability to think out of my reach. I think that this would definitely have a great impact of how I think and imagine as I grow up to be a member of society. Is Singapore a nation? I would love to think of it as one, but unfortunately, I do not think that it qualifies as one. As one would know, Singapore does not have a distinct cultural heritage to be one. This is partly Singapore has progressed too quickly, having a ambiguous cultural mix of the east and west. It is hardly something to be proud of, because we do not have anything which we can call it truly Singapore. It may not affect the growth of Singapore directly, but it would definitely affect the mindset of Singaporeans. It would be interesting to see how Singaporeans manage the contrasting cultures to create it into our own.

So my resolution for Singapore is simple. Find your distinctiveness in the midst of the intensive competition and need to globalise. It is the only way to reach out and unite the people

15 min Drought

Two days ago, I experienced a drought at home. Maybe it was man made, but I still felt the crunch of not having water. Actually, my father was fixing the shower and had to turn off the water supply. At first, I did not really care much about the change, but it really hit me hard when I was brushing my teeth. The first time I turned on the tap, I realised that here was no water flowing out of it. I did not really care less because I simply just used my water bottle, hoping that there was enough to last me throughout my brushing of teeth. However, I was in for some trouble. Once I rinsed my mouth, one fifth of the water was gone. While I was rinsing my mouth halfway, I realised that there was no more water left in my bottle. I went to refill my bottle feeling annoyed. After rinsing my mouth and washing my toothbrush, there was no more water in my bottle again. And I have not even washed my retainers. So I had to refill my water bottle again.

What really hit me after the incident was that I had to used so much water just to brush my teeth. 3 of my 500ml water was all that I needed just to brush my teeth. I did not really expect that I would have experienced so much difficulty in brushing my teeth. So basically I learnt that should appreciate that I am so previledged to have water running out of my taps. It really makes me reflect on how Singapore has progressed from a developing country to a developed country. Now that National Day is just tomorrow, I believe that each and every one of us should have such experiences so that we value what we have now, being thankful in what we do, appreciating where we are living.