A salute to the Country!!

Today was a day I was to go onsite along with an engineer. I was assigned to Edwin, a name that seemed so familiar in most cases we dealt. Now what was official can be left aside. I am already dreading the time I would have to return to office and speak about all this. But there was a different learning experience in this trip for me.

I was taken onsite to the Military Camp (MINDEF) that was a long drive up north of Singaopore. It was just like a Mysore highway drive but even moe sceneric on the way. There were resovoirs on the way where we stopped. Edwin told me that here was Singapore a country with no much natural resources but they sell water to some countries including China.

The camp was mind blowing. The security is very strict here. we had to surrender our identity passes at the guard post.What I saw inside...Hmm..where do I begin??? There were so many young guys being trained. they were involved in so many physical activities, running sprint, march, swimming, learning to use the big guns...and they were all my age or younger.

Edwin explained with pride how each Singaporean had to attend to 2 years in the camp where they served their nation. He recalled is times with so much passion that I was amazed they could love it so much. He said they believe in "Nationality before community, Society before self."

I met up with many officers and cadets. Spoke to them about so many things and one common voice that echoed from each heart was "Proud to be a Sinaporean." There were many who beleved that it is the people who made singapore so rich today. He said that the government comes from the people and we are the people.

I met WO Raja, name we had so often seen in our records. I was awed by this person. What a man, what personality and aura he had. With people like him you have no doubts a country will progress. He believed that accepting change is the biggest ability of a nation. If we change according to times we will prosper, individually and as a community. But they also held high value for their history and roots...

Now you know how smitten I am by the visit. A real eye opener...and now on the lighter note...more shopping!!! He he!!