Aug 9, 2015
Happy National Day!
seen from Germany
seen from Netherlands
seen from Netherlands
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Czechia
seen from T1
seen from Australia
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Malaysia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from China
Happy National Day!
Now reading...
Lee Kuan Yew. 1923-2015. Pencil on paper.
Portraits are still a tough one for me, it’s not perfect but I’ve tried my best 😣 thank you @katrinagor ’s mum for requesting this!
We must keep our heritage and respect the culture and language of our different races and be proud of Singapore. Never be impressed by the white man who thinks he is superior to you. We are no less and probably more capable than he is.
Dr. Lee Wei Ling
Daughter of the late Mr. Lee Kwan Yew
So I just really wanted a platform to pen down my experiences during this tremendous week. It was a very long and teary one.
The language here isn’t particularly polished as with my official tribute, because I don’t want the need to type properly taint my thoughts and raw emotions.
The day I found out about his passing, I penned a tribute because I was very touched by the outpouring of emotions by Singaporeans, and his death reminded me of the vulnerability of life. But truth be told, on this first day, his death has not quite sunk in yet. Then, I started reading every single tribute there is to him, refreshed facebook constantly because the posts about him are an endless stream; tumblr, wordpress; instagram. There were so so many heartfelt poems and essays that I felt like sharing on fb. Wednesday, my friend and I wanted to queue to pay our respects. but it was four hours long. and we thought THAT was long, boy were we wrong. We decided to wait another day and see. I attended his tribute at tampines and wrote a condolence card and I was tearing so much I wanted to leave the venue immediately. I really agree with what my sister said today about the silent majority. She said that unlike some unconstructive opposition, the supporters of the incumbent government always knew that they don’t have to make unnecessary noise and never really had to write tons and tons of articles attacking other parties just to show their support to the party. They just do it with silently with their votes. And it is only till today that we see that there are actually so many supporters of PAP around us, speaking up for our founding father because at this critical point there is a compelling need to. What pleasantly surprises me is also how many people my generation are also supporters of Lee Kuan Yew. I also want to bring up two points. I am very very regretful, as with many others, that we didn’t show our appreciation for him before he’s gone. But for some of us, I don’t really think its that we don’t know how to show our appreciation until he’s gone, but truth is Mr Lee doesn’t like us to idolize him. And we thought we don’t have to show our appreciation or fight against dissenters because he will still be in power anyway. I also want to say that even if we raise up our phones to take photos, it is not for that few seconds of social media fame, but because we want a memory of him that we can call our own. We wanted to remember the moment where we paid our last respects. Again I don’t know why this loss feels so personal to me and my family, and we never really knew how his death would affect us emotionally until now. I really wish he could see all this grief for him, and as I see his coffin, I just wished that he was aware of all of these. As a fan of hk dramas, I watched this particular drama before. so this guy had cancer and he pretended to have passed away because he thought that it will shorten the pain of his loved ones. in the end he secretly attended his own funeral and realised how much his closed ones miss and love him… If only… If only… Friday, my mother and dad woke up at 6 am with me attempting to queue. It was good family bonding time as we waited around the civillian war memorial and lim bo seng fountain. We didn’t manage to queue to the end because it was 10 horus. I don’t think my parents could have endured that long. So we left, but I felt very empty the entire day. Saturday, I checked the queue duration. By some stroke of luck, 4 hours. I texted some of my friends asking them if they want to go. I know they really wanted to go but for reasons they couldn’t. I made up some excuse to console myself, and my friends and I quickly arranged to attend the procession together the next day. Went to buy lunch and when I came back I realise my sister was still at home and she just woke up from her sleep. She asked me if we should go try our luck. The next thing we knew, We are now in the queue. again. After we successfully paid respects, I was asking my sister, why are so many people queueing for back breaking hours just for that 5 seconds. She told me “if not now, then when”
So… one of my close friends was right.
When you queue, it isn’t really for that 5 seconds to pay respects in the Parliament House. When you queue, it is for you to witness how his passing has made Singaporeans of all ages come together. When you queue, it is for you to see for probably the one and only time the singapore spirit. It was such an experience my sister and I were really very touched. Basically almost everything that you need while queueing has been sponsored and there were so many so many volunteers giving them out. Umbrella liangteh cardboard wet wipes water h20 polo buns ice cream rice; I basically had a full lunch there although my sister and I armed ourselves with biscuits and bread before heading there. And then you hear the familiar Singlish and the Singaporean voice asking if anyone needs water and reminding us to hydrate ourselves. The most touching moment was probably when we reached the ACM museum. This army guy was telling us that the reason why we are stopping here was because there’s a tunnel ahead and its very stuffy in there, so that’s why we are stopped there where it’s more airy. He told us that after crossing the tentage it is our last stretch and just one more hour to go. Basically he said somemore things although I can’t remember what, but I think everyone was very comfoted and everyone said thank you almost unanimously, in that Singaporean voice and clapped for him, Singaporean style. Seriously, these acts above can touch even the most indifferent of hearts. The army dudes were sooooo encouraging congratulating us for coming so far. and the volunteers. I mean why are the volunteers doing all these right they don’t even have to do it or they won’t waste time faking it if they didn’t care for his passing. But they did. It’s incredible. Someone asked on an online platform what was our motivation for waiting for the funeral procession. I say, because there is only one founding father that Singapore will ever have. and he was a great one, a titan as they called it. Everyone waited without complaints, completely. We may squeal as rain poured on us, but that was all. Nobody forced us to do it. We shared umbrellas and people held out their phones to let us watch the funeral procession live. It was raining like crazy, crazy is an understatement, but everyone basically just stuck there till the end. When the carriage finally came everyone around me put down their umbrellas and wave their flags shouting his name again and again and again, together. And the males around us stopped to salute and the dude that has been offering me shelter from his umbrella said “goodbye”. I cannot forget his voice. And there was also the 21 cannon sounds, befitting of his farewell. Thank you to all my friends for being as patriotic as me. Thank you to those for sharing this experience with me It’s incredible. The day before he passed away, it poured like crazily I was at nus alone and telling my friend how it was so scary. It was like a sign. After that the next six days there was mere light showers allowing us to pay our respects. Even on saturday we were blessed because there was forecasted thunder and showers which deterred the crowd that’s why my sister and I could pay our respects. Then on the last day when the cortège was about to depart from the Parliament House it rained like crazy. Like what someone said “for the religious, heaven knows we are crying”. THE TIMING IS CRAZY. Because shortly after the cortège passed us the skies cleared I’m not even kidding. And afterwards I heard from my friends that there was a rainbow. And the thing is Mr Lee had a quote about rainbows. so grateful that im not the only one who feels so sad at his passing keep asking myself why do i seem to cry so much or care so much? at someone ive never spoken to? why do i cry more for him than anyone else in such a long time? am i weird? should i even be crying? im just a gen y who didnt go through what the pioneers did, am i allowed to cry as hard? nonetheless i still did, in the solace of my mother and sister (and secretly my father i think) any eulogy, tribute, or story we encounter or shared with one another was enough to send us into a crying parade. but at the end of this week, i realise a lot alot of my peers are the same, from crying to attending the procession to queueing up to 10 hours for paying respects. and im comforted :’) for close to an entire week, my life kind of revolved around his passing. wearing black everyday, wondering whether it is a good time to go and queue now with my LKY buddy. everyday I felt guilt and anxiousness checking the hours required to queue. finally a miracle was shown and I queued with my sister. until sunday my mother and I woked up earlier than we would like on a sunday to just stand near the padang for two hours. and im glad im not alone, i have my friends, family and singapore this entire week. Hes everywhere. Military, zoo, merlion, water, river, it’s like the entire city is his and he has played “sim city” successfully, to quote my sister. Because of him,i can type this in English To end off, this was my official tribute to him: In Honour of Mr Lee Kuan Yew “Gone. The saddest word in the language. In any language.” - Mark Slouka
29.03.15
It has been an overcast day, and a week blanketed by gloom to cover heavy hearts. I have not said a word about what has unfolded within the past week for many reasons. But now I have decided to pen them down in clarity.
There is endless gratitude, for the opportunities and privileges I have had in this country during my time as a result of the work and toll of the pioneer generation, which he undoubtedly had a hand in all the hardship, and with it great changes that happened in singapore.
There is empathy, for the family who has had to speak to a nation in smiles and constantly fight back tears, to be stronger than people of this nation just because they have to for a nation that is watching; to have to prolong grief and grieving to seven days that must have felt like years, to share a father with a nation (and at times be subjected to hate and insensitivity of others) because it is not their choice to choose. I have been to a couple of funerals within eighteen years of my life and growing up made me realise the immense weight of death. The weight that it bears not on the deceased, but on the living — how broken people can be while aching in loss is unimaginable. There comes many firsts with death, as with birth.
There are many moments where I feel more sorry than sad; for not being able to relate to the contributions he has made in a time I had not lived in, for not being able to say more or feel more than I perhaps should have. I have never been patriotic about this country, and probably never will be. Despite the comfort in seeing how others have come together in harmony and in great respect for our founding father, I am not compelled to jump the patriotic bandwagon. But I will admit this has been a safe home for me. For that, I am thankful.
Here, I merely say my prayers for a man of unwavering love, who never gave up on the greatness and goodness of his dreams – a person worthy of utmost honour and respect.
Above all, there comes the warmest warmth in believing that the love of his life awaits him once more.
My farewell to Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Dear Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Your state funeral, with the highest honors we can give you, has ended about an hour ago. Up till now, I am still in a bit of denial that you have left us. Even though I have personally never met you, I have known you for all my life, that you were a very well respected man who gave your whole life for us. From being the first prime minister of Singapore, rising up to senior minister, then minister mentor. Even after you left the office, you still continued watching over us, every single day until your death bed. Today as I watched the live telecast of the state funeral, I was filled with indescribable emotions. It was raining heavily as your body was moved from the Parliament house to the University Cultural Centre (UCC) at the National University of Singapore, where your family, the president, cabinet ministers, the judiciary, members of parliament and world leaders are gathered. Singaporeans from all walks of life, from as old as your age to as young as infants, lined up the whole way to the UCC. It did not matter how hard it poured. They were resilient, and they’ll stay no matter what to bid you a final farewell. Just like the past few days, where thousands of Singaporeans queued up day and night, bearing the hot sun to go to the Parliament house to pay their last respects. I was one of the many people, along with my parents, who queued up for hours to go into the Parliament house. It already gives me great honor to be able to bow in front of your body to pay my last respects to you. To be able to bow in front of the man who built Singapore from a third world to a first world nation, developing the high rise flats most of us stay in now. Prioritizing education, transport, an anti corrupt government. A multi-racial society so we don’t have to worry about racial riots. Making sure we have clean water out of our taps. Empathizing greenery around us. Making sure security is high, so that we (especially the women) can walk out alone at night safely without having to worry about being attacked. And developing Singapore into a global trading hub, so businesses grew, which strengthened our GDP and economy as well. The contributions and efforts you have put in for us are endless. Indeed, as you have said, you gave up your life, to get a successful Singapore, which you were able to see. 50 years ago, you cried for the nation, when Singapore gained independence and separated from Malaysia. 50 years later, all of us, as one nation, cried for you. Thank you very much Mr Lee. May you rest in peace with your wife, and continue watching over us from the heavens above. Farewell.
“No words can describe how grateful we, Singaporeans are towards your great contribution for our country. It was very inspiring of you, to make the first step in believing that our once undeveloped country can be so well developed into a first world nation we are today. Without your efforts in believing how we all can have a better life, we wouldn’t be able to have such great education, transportation, housing, safety and so much more. With that, we are capable of punching far beyond our limits and you’ve gained so much respect from the people of our nation. Thank you, for making Singapore possible. Your hard work, persistence and effort in building our nation, will always be remembered in our hearts. We, Singaporeans, will work hard and make you proud. May you rest in peace.”