Singapore: A funny look from ground zero

Technorati tags: Humor, Comedy, Singapore, Hossan Leong, Ground Zero, YouTube, Perspective, Indignation 2006

Walski's note of appreciation: Thanks a bunch to Walski's favorite Singaporean blogger, Ballsy, for pointing him to this little YouTube gem.

Most times, how we see people in other countries, even our closest of neighbors, is colored by what the media, or their leaders, have to say. The recent row over a certain Mentor Minister's words may lead some of us to paint in our minds a certain generalized mental picture about Singapore and Singaporeans. Okay, yeah, and then there are also all those Singapore stereotypes we've heard so much of...

Be that as it may, it is always amusing and enlightening to hear about Singapore from their ground zero; how their normal citizenry act, feel and think. Walski came across this hilarious YouTube page earlier this afternoon.

Apart from it's obvious comedic value, it does give a different perspective about how Singaporeans view themselves, and a concise 5-minute lesson of their history, in song.
(Hossan Leong's History of Singapore in the full post)

Sometimes, the true measure of maturity and class is the ability to laugh at ourselves, and recognize the idiosyncracies that make us unique. Walski thinks that we tend to take ourselves too seriously, making us feel on-edge all the time.

The moral of the story: Never judge a country by its press coverage... of it's leaders, in particular.

Walski's personality fact note: Hossan Leong is one of Singapore's most successful and popular television and theater actors. And like anyone with some level of notoriety, he has his own Wikipedia entry. He currently hosts the Morning Jam Show on Singapore's Power98fm, co-hosted by 'Sembawang Girl' Maggie Lim. (information presented here is from - where else - Hossan Leong's Wikipedia entry)