Soul-searching

In July’s Letter of the Month, one of our readers wrote in to ask, what is the soul of Singapore?

A good question that got me thinking.

To me, the soul of Singapore can be found in its food – in the mix of spices and flavours that come from the flow and ebb of cultures and ethnicities living together.

It can also be found in the streets, in the different styles of traditional architecture of Kampong Glam, Little India and Chinatown.

And surely the soul of Singapore extends even into the heartlands as felt in the daily rhythm of life in Singapore’s suburban neighbourhoods? The laughter of children in the local playgrounds. The musings and gossips of long-time neighbours over coffee at the kopitiam.

Technology has made us accustomed to having immediate answers to everything. The soul of a place, however, is harder to pin down and takes a lot more time to unravel and define.

With Singapore’s birthday just around the corner, what is your answer going to be?

Sincerely,
Oliver Chong
Director
Communications