Not Your Average Singaporean

22nd October 2009, Thursday

I think I am a sore thumb that stuck out in a land which conform and condescend.
A land where people tends to just follow a fad and find its cool to follow what people like.

There's nothing wrong with it of course but slowly you will lose your self identity I feel.

There are many classic examples of typical islander around me and of course I still communicate with them in all modes but there were times where I felt I was not intrigued in certain level when talking with the "drones".
Of course on the flip side I can't be possibly befriending and liaising with people with their staunch interest and ideology, there would be exasperating for sure as well.

Over the course of the past 2 decades, I had been molding myself into a sort of Singaporean who develop an eclectic taste though it was not as arty farty as it seem but I just do not think I fit into the general public somehow.

I had been reading regularly of late on my daily journey to and fro from work.
Neil Gaiman who would be in town in a fortnight's time had been the author I was focusing on and after growing up on "The Sandman" and later "Stardust", I was a born again Gaiman fan for sure and looked to pick up more of his novels (not many actually as compared to graphic novels).
With my growing interest in writing I ought to read more to expand my literary skills and style of writing but I detest going to the library and can't possibly keep buying books.
Let's see how things go from there.

I like Gaiman's rotten Americanism but his spooky tales from the old Victorian English period is appealing as well.
My interest on the 2 major English speaking nations across the Atlantic was immense.
Of course I love the American style of satire and ridicule humor. "South Park", "The Office" and even talk shows like "The Late Show with David Letterman" are important dietary essence in my current well being.
Hollywood films be it blockbusters or indies, be it romantic comedy or at times mystery adventure (I steer away from horror and grotesque features), I am always looking for movies to keep me preoccupied.
However I tends to sneer at big money productions which drones are inclined to watch.
As much as I refrain from "Dragonball Evolution", I still paid good money on "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra".

I love English dry humor as well though strong accent can be a deterrence.
Grew up on children show and comedies like "Mind Your Language", "The Black Adder", "Allo Allo" and "Goodness Gracious Me" from Thames or BBC but these days the spectrum had been much limited.
Ricky Gervais' sitcoms are always welcomed and I would pay good money to watch his standup comedy while I fancy Simon Pegg too.

I always have a strong inclination towards the colorful European cultures perhaps firstly from watching professional football and of course food as well.
I love world cinema and European affairs are high on my list as I tried to catch as many interesting films from the great continent as possible.
Quirky French films have to be a favorite of mine.
I would love to pick up all major spoken languages in Europe and tour all prominent cities inside out, perhaps that's for the next lifetime.

As I cringed at how fabricated the Koreans are, developed some sort of a loathing for the Chinese and found Taiwan and Hong Kong too one dimensional, Japan had always appeal to me that other East Asian country could not.
Of course visiting the lovely nation on yearly basis and having lovely friends there help to bolster the affection for the country many in their 60s still could not forgive for the atrocities of the second World War.
Anyway I am a sucker for their history, their geography, their current affairs, their food, their traditional culture, their pop culture, their fashion trend, their literature, their language, basically I am a walking Japanophile as somoe might claimed.

Many local who as mentioned riding on the crest of the fads might had pledged allegiance to the Korean scene now, I had always been dedicated to the sushi-inventing nation.

Of course I do not follow blindly and there are still many aspects of Japan that does not appeal to me, nevertheless it has plant a seed in me and now reaping the harvest I am sure.

Sometimes I wonder listening to classic J pop songs to accompany the writing of Neil Gaiman is the best combination but hell it worked for me.

Then our budding nation of Singapore, the place where I call home.
The place which I hope could be less of a heat cooker or less sardine packed crowded everywhere.

I am not 100% patriotic. I don't agree to all government policies nor I like most of everything here, be it TV, avenues for entertainment, taxes et al; but I have no qualms about staying here for the rest of my life.
It's a nifty place if you want a peaceful, monochrome life, even commuting day in day out with drones.

I am an amalgam of the good things I fancy from the West and the East while highly contended with everything going on for me on the incredibly hot island of Singapore, I am just not your average Singaporean that's for sure.

Japanese word of the day:アイデンティティ (Identity) I fel mine is a bit smudged, in just the way I like it