Singapore is Not a City...

but a Country.

The announcement by Minister of State for Trade & Industry that Singapore would be hosting an F1 race right in the city centre next year would have been met by excitement and enthusiasm across Singapore, with perhaps the glaring exception of the Traffic Police who will already be messing with their brains on what traffic plans to put in place to ensure the roads designated for the race are blocked off, other roads that may pose a threat to terrorism are blocked off, and yet, access into the city doesnt come to a halt. One must surely hope that there won't be too many road blocks resulting in a repeat of IMF 06, where instead of generating more visitors, retail hotspots such a Suntec City experienced record low crowds as people avoided going into the city at all. But that, won't be the crux of this rumblings.

It is admirable, maybe even necessary for our economic miracle to continue, that Singapore has chosen to 'take the plungé' in recent years to really liven up the city. From attempts to invigorate the night life through brining in international clubs such as MoS, Crazy Horse (which has since closed down), to the endeavours to attract high-rollers by having not one, but two landmark casinos; to beautify yet further our already beautiful city with a modern landscaped parks right in the middle of the city centre, to have a postcard recognisable skyline with the Esplanade, and the Singapore Flyer, and not forgetting to enhance sports and leisure in dramatically renovating the Kallang waterfront; to say that change is in the air would be an understatement. And now, F1. In the space of less than 5 years, this supposedly çonservative state, has sought to emulate and combine the jewels of London (think London Eye & MoS), Paris (think Crazy Horse), Sydney (think Royal Opera House), Las Vegas (you are already thinking it), New York (think Central Park), Monte Carlo (think F1); all into this small island. Copycat or not, one cannot help but marvel at the boldness of this masterplan unfolding. My youth and love for excitement and risk-taking tells me I love all of this. And yet, I will not discuss the possible economic repercussions of such a masterplan, as that would take an entire thesis by itself. (For the record though, I do believe this is the way to go as far as making Singapore a fun place to be is concerned. )

The point in this post, though, is right at the beginning of it.

Notice I said London, Sydney, Las Vegas, etc.etc, and not UK, Australia, US or France. 'Financial hub of Asia', 'Metropolis of Asia', 'Garden City', etc.etc., how used we have become to such descriptions of Singapore, given by none less than various ministers over the years since independance. But it has struck me hard, that Singapore is NOT a city, it is a country. Small yes, with maybe no land for countrysides and farms yes, with maybe a strong reliance on international trade and tourism yes... But for all that we are, we are not, and should not, and can not, see ourselves as a London, or New York or Paris! For, for every London, there is maybe a Bath, a Cornwall, for every New York City, an Ithaca County, for every Paris, a Bordeaux; but for every Singapore, there is still only, another same Singapore. And I don't know why, and can't fanthom why anyone who loves Singapore, actually actually wants it to be a London or New York City.

I hope the masterplan for Singapore is not as single-tracked as it seems. I hope that for every Singapore City Centre development given attention, thought, hardwork, ingenuity and bold change, equal attention is given to the Bedoks, the Jurongs, the Toa Payohs, the Ang Mo Kios. (where incidentally, the majority of the population does reside in, and not the city) .We are such a unique country, a country the size of a city! And I feel we can aspire to develop our country, with individually distinct and characteristic local areas, within this small space of a city. Sure, efforts have been made by HDB, to redevelop and regenerate the older estates such as Toa Payoh, but what I am really thinking about, is to go beyond that. Bring that same amount of boldness in transforming the city, to the heartlands. Things such as our coffeeshops underneath our flats is something special and unique, and we can choose to focus new plans on how to best create good social spaces in our countrysides (yes! OUR country sides, Jurong, Pasir Ris, Woodlands, are at the side of the country!) as well to complement plans for the city.

My dream is that in 10 years time, packaged tours to Singapre will include Tampines Town in its itinerary. Because that's what we are.