The past month was crazy.

Since Phrase 2, my schedule is suddenly packed. Mainly because other than the Courses I am taking, I'm on a project to look at Domestic Travel too. On top of that, I'm doing part time at Red Dot Brewhouse. However, I am very grateful that despite my busy schedule, I have friends who tries to squeeze in some time before or after my work, for a Birthday treat. Unlike past years where I throw huge parties and invite my entire social network over, this year is initiated by my friends. Feels great, that the entire month of July has been filled with such breaks.

So this year National Day feels very weird to me. As I am working, I am surrounded by Non-Singaporean colleagues, and the patrons are half expats, an the other half nonchalant about it. For once, I felt alone. I guess I'm probably the only one humming over the familiar tunes as the music plays in the background.

Every National Day, I would either be in a KTV, or somewhere with friends. I'm not the one who would physically join the crowd for the fireworks, nor rush to some pinnacle or book a table at a rooftop bar for the fireworks, but at least I would be with people who have at least a sense of belonging, a little hype about the special day. Last year, due to Tourist Guiding, I'm with a guest at Mr Stock, full of praises, full of joy.

So in the spirit of SG55, Robin and I gathered a few guides who are available for a quick 3h video shoot on Hari Raya, and took a half day filming segments at his house and mine, to put up a Music Video. Hilariously, the guides available turns out to be all guys, so we joked about Let's Go Boy Band hahhahas! Historically, no Tourist Guide groups have done a Music Video like this. I must thank the spontaneous spirit of Robin to agree on this less than 2 weeks before National Day, and that he sacrificed 2 sleepless nights for the editing. I dream that one day, the entire Tourist Guide community can piece together some kind of theater show having Tourist Guiding as the theme.

https://www.facebook.com/kyanta.yap/posts/10157414485170060

This entire year, makes me even more grateful that I am here in Singapore. The support I get, the people I meet, the sights and sounds around me. I'm also excited to be part of the next 20 years, for when I look at the current revised syllabus in Primary and Secondary schools, I am very optimistic about the next generation.

Though sweeping statement, but generally, my generation has been what they called the Strawberry generation, for we were raised by those who went through the industrial revolution, and thus we were brought up to expect good grades = good job = good life. So my generation would choose stability and career progression over risk and entrepreneurship. The kind of self employed are usually financial consultant rather than start ups too. But Singapore being at the plateau, this mindset hinders progress, we need breakthroughs and innovations. Therefore the infrastructures and ecosystems supported for the future. Financial literacy, exposure, design thinking, are even taught on secondary level. The access to information, the convenience, the avenues of groupthinking and networking, is plenty in the next generation. Though before that, we might need to deal a little with the "Ice Cream" generation first, where I defined as people raised by my generation who have everything taken care of thus privileged, entitled, and fragile, so much so that it actually takes effort to hold them up else they would just melt.

Truly excited for the next half of the year, when I see my project into completion, and a little glimpse of hope that I will be back in action for Guiding again, though not tourist, but at least I hope I would be on the ground.

Ciao,