I can’t write anything that I don’t feel for, and to be frank, Singapore was not on any “passionate” scale in me.
I thought of the days where I struggled in the educational system, and was labeled a “troublemaker” when I tried to create anything out of the norm.
I thought of the days in the army, where people greet each other with a shake of the head and deep weary sighs.
I thought of the days where it was just so difficult to be a film director and composer in our society.
But then again.
I remembered how fun it was to “cause trouble” for my teachers when my I made “explosions”, weird science experiments, and all the excuses to make a film for class.
I remembered the friends I made in the 20-man-bunks of the army camps, that grew into a brotherhood as we laughed about our situations, caused a racket across the floor with our nightly guitar sing-alongs, and went through the thick and thin from Ngee Soon, to Pasir Lebar, to Taiwan, and to dear Tekong. Till this day we still meet to celebrate our birthdays.
I remembered that this is place that I met my wife, when the government started the Singapore Management University, and we became the pioneer batch (We got together on the 28th of August 2000, and I believe that by default we are the “longest couple” there haha).
I remembered the challenge and excitement to create films despite all the restrictions, lack of resources, and constraints. Finding ways to shoot “aliens vs cars chase scenes”, “giant robots smashing our city”, “bringing snow into our tropical landscape”. It would have definitely been less fun if everything was easy going.
Today, I live in a 3-room flat with my wife, and 2 year old son. Although things aren’t perfect, there’s air-conditioned public transport at my doorstep, coffeeshops/hawker centers are just near my block, and we like to explore the “weird” mama shops all over the town centers that seem to have anything and everything. At times we can take walks in the park till nightfall without fear of being mugged. My son has 2 playgrounds he can “choose” from, and enjoys playing with the random mix of children regardless of race or country.
And it is with these thoughts that the sound of “I Still Love You” finally began to form in me.
I picked up the ukulele, turned on the recording system, and the music arrangement just flowed…and strangely it began with a joyful exclamation of “Woah O Oh!”(I’ve never Woahed so much in my life). And the rest, bongos and all just came in, as I suddenly felt for the song written by Galvin Sng and Siang Yu.
It became a great experience working with the many people who were part of this for no returns, but only to express that they truly loved Singapore ( John Rajan Nair, Grace Ong, Hazel Tan, Victor Gan Yixiang, Jerrold Chong Yuan Pei, Jiaying Lee, just to name a few, and many many others).
I never thought that I had it in me, but at the end of the day, it’s simply true, that Singapore, “I Still Love You.”
It’s where I’m born, grown, and gave me the many stories to this day.
[And my son wakes up in the morning, climbs onto my bed and says, “Daddy, I want to hear the zeng-zeng-zeng, Woah-O-Oh song now please…”:) ]
