Nothing & Everything

You wonder why I have put the word "National" in parantheses. Usually, writers do this when they mean to reflect the word as having a meaning other than what the word implies. First, let us analyse and search the meaning of the word "national" :

from Cambridge Dictionaries Online :

Definition
nation Show phonetics
noun
1 [C] a country, especially when thought of as a large group of people living in one area with their own government, language, traditions, etc:
All the nations of the world will be represented at the conference.
The Germans, as a nation, are often thought to be well organized.
Practically the whole nation watched the ceremony on television.

2 [S] a large group of people of the same race who share the same language, traditions and history, but who might not all live in one area:
the Navajo nation

national Show phonetics
adjective
relating to or typical of a whole country and its people, rather than to part of that country or to other countries:
a national holiday
Britain has more than ten national newspapers.
The company's national headquarters is in Rome.
The children were wearing traditional national costume/dress.
The government's view is that raising taxes now would not be in the national interest (= would not be good for the country).

national Show phonetics
noun [C usually plural]
someone who officially belongs to a particular country:
Thirty people, including six UK nationals, were killed in yesterday's plane crash.
All foreign nationals were advised to leave the country following the outbreak of civil war.

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What we are able to extract from the above is that "national" carries a meaning of collectiveness. Something that is in common, a common belonging if you will. We will most certainly see certain aspects of "nationality" on "National" Day. For example, large groups of people mostly decked out in the red and white "national" colour assembled at the "National" Stadium to witness and enjoy the "National" Day Parade.

Participants will feel united and a sense of belonging as a result of the euphoria and the atmosphere. All different multi-races will sit together side-by-side in the stuffed and cramped terraces, cheering, singing...as one. Civil servants, private sector, NGOs...all borders and lines blurred on this particular joyous occassion. Lights, colour, vibrant dance moves, music and patriotism all ingredients mixed together. The parade will boast the "nation's" military might and technology. Climaxed by the one and only fireworks display. A burst of colour and sound, loved by many if not all participants.

And then it ends. The jostling will begin. The participants start their way home and suddenly, the lines are not so blurred anymore. The cheering and singing will be replaced by the honking of cars and motorcycles, not to mention some expletives, on the road which by then would have been already in jam due to the huge mass of participants.

The public transport is not spared either. Rushing for seats will be the train-takers. Train doors opening will signal the start of a crunching scrimmage which I honestly think only belongs on the rugby field. And in the devastating aftermath will be sharp threatening looks - opponent to opponent. Where have all the sense of belonging gone?

The buses will witness a more horrifying phenomena that the world has ever seen! It is the amazing effect of older citizens on the seated passengers to strangely doze off once they board the buses. Not to mention the aura of a pregnant lady or better yet someone with a toddler or a baby, most passengers will be affected and start to doze off or have a sudden interest in newspapers and books. This unexplained phenomena can also be adapted to the trains. Where have the courtesy gone, in which the "nation" have seen a lot of campaigns for?

Back on the roads, its another sequel of the Fast and the Furious with the taxis pitted against the cars and motorbikes. One will always have a few "nice" words for the other. And a "collectively" big part of Singaporeans will almost forget that civil servants endorsing their passports and checking their cars are of the same "nationality" as them. Complaining is free-of-charge so they try to do lots of it. They seem to forget that time when they sat together, cheering and singing, in the cramped terraces, in patriotic harmony.

Looking back, "National" Day is aptly named because the word "Day" is in singular form thus bearing the meaning that we are a nation only on that one day. Therefore, the cynicism, complaints, rudeness, unfeeling, hypocritical character of the "nation" is justified for the rest of the 364 days of the year.

My two cents worth. Prove me wrong and I'll be happy to call myself a Singaporean...