Winners for A.C.T.S Essay Writing Competition 14th theme:Our Country, Our home

1st prize: Kan Chi Mun, 13, ACS Barker

 

“Rick Lee” ~ Home

As I sung the 1st note of the NDP theme song and the crowd cheered, tears started flowing down from my eyes. This truly I knew was my country, where I belonged. How did I write it, or where I sought my inspiration from you may ask. You may think that it was easy. Well, this is how I really did it……

I had just reached my hotel room and I looked out at the beautiful Big Ben and if you guess where I was , well, I was in London. I had just attended my friend’s wedding and I was just admiring the scenery when someone knocked on the door. I opened it and it was from the mail room.” Excuse this is for Mr Dick Lee. Thank you.” I opened the envelope. It was from my producer. I frowned, as I certainly remembered telling him not to send me any messages when I was in London. Even so, we were in 1998. Why couldn’t he have texted me or sent me an email?

Anyway, I opened the mail and it read this: “Dear Mr Lee, I was online yesterday and I read in an article that sadly, you are the most overrated artist in Singapore. I’m sorry to tell you this as this is a real blow in terms of our companies’ reputation. I hope that I can do my upmost to help you . Regards, Producer”. After I read this mail, I crushed it up and threw it in the bin. I thought to myself:” Is the reason why I am successful because of my name? Maybe I am getting old? Maybe I am not original enough anymore?” Out of the blue, I remembered my producer talking about this NDP Song Writing Competition which allowed ordinary people to write a song for the NDP. It then struck me that this was my chance. I could write a song and if I win, I can prove myself and regain my name. However, there was just one problem.” If I put my name as Dick Lee, people would recognize me and I would be disqualified. Wait….wait. Ah! I know! I’ll put my name as……Rick Lee! Then, no one would know.”

I got down to work and I started writing the song. Just as I was writing the 1st note, I logged into the website and my mouth opened wide agape. It was 12pm and it was due by 10pm tonight!! It was due in 10hrs. I wondered how I was going to do it. To make matters worse, I did not have a recording studio, my producer was busy and all I had was a recorder and a guitar. In spite of the odds, I wrote the tune with ease. I thought that it was a piece of cake. I thought” Well, since I wrote the music so easily, the lyrics must be a walk in a park.” I was positive about the chances. I was wrong. Deeply wrong.
I had a mental block and I had no idea what to write about. I decided I needed some fresh air. I walked out of my hotel room and the 1st thing I saw was the River Thames. It reminded me of the Singapore River and a river represents like sailing down a river that brings us life. I took that down on my little notebook and maybe as a possible line in the song. I felt hungry and I went to a coffee shop nearby. I was about to order my coffee when I caught the sight of a durian. Just then, I remembered something. “ That really looks like the Esplanade!” I started feeling inspired and I sat down and wrote some lines. “Whenever I am feeling low, I look beside…..no one around me and……what rhymes with low, ah, know. I look around me and I know” I started muttering some of the words”. I finished my coffee and I walked out and I continued walking to seek more inspiration. I walked towards Chinatown and I imagined as Singapore. All the Peking Duck and all the tasty noodles reminded me of the great Chinese restaurants we had in Singapore.” Well now I certainly have enough inspiration.” I told myself. I headed back to my hotel room and wrote the song.

I finished it within an hour and now I had to choose a title for the song. It had to have a title that had meaning and one that had significance. After much consideration, I decided to call it…… “Home”. It meant so much to me that Singapore was where my “home” was. I filled up the online form as Rick Lee, I submitted my acoustic song “Home” and I geared myself for the worst. I waited nervously for the next few days and I waited and waited and waited. A few days later, it was time for me leave London. I thought that no answer after a few days meant that my song was not chosen. I grew impatient and agitated.

I was packing my bags when I got a knock on the door. I opened the door and it was the mail room. I predicted the “inevitable”. I opened it and I trembled like a leaf. I opened my eyes and I could not believe it. I…….I won the competition! My self-confidence was back and I flew back to Singapore in a merry mood. Time went by and National Day was approaching it was time for “Rick Lee” to perform. I was nervous as I thought I would be in trouble if they found out who really composed it. I braced myself for that day. The day arrived and I went backstage to prepare. They took attendance and finally they said,” Mr Rick Lee? Hello?” There was a moment of silence and uncertainty. After a while, I summed up the courage and I stood up. Everyone was stunned. I then confessed,” I signed up as Rick Lee. I wanted to see if I was actually good if not for my name. After the whole parade, it was time for me to perform. “And now, put your hands together and invite Mr Dick Lee and his NDP song, “Home”………….

2nd: James Francis Shutler, 14, SJI

Fighting for my Country

I had a headache.

It’s not as mild as a migraine. It is in a class of its own.

Let me tell you why I have a headache; why me ears are bleeding torrents.

The first reason…

Smoke billows everywhere – an acidic fog. The stench of Sulphur from the explosions smells like mountains of rotten eggs.

The explosions get close and personal with shells falling all around me.  They are deafening! – In the literal sense.

 The smoke is just as dangerous as the dancing flames that are consuming fallen trees…and my fallen men. Burns send stabbing pain through my legs each step I take. The smoke has my lungs on fire; I am gasping for oxygen…

I race through the dead, smouldering forest of trees. Bombs from zero fighters thunder all around me. A blinding flash – a shell, lands to my left. I throw myself to the ground as the first shockwaves arrive.

Then I hear something new – the rattling of machine gun fire as the forest floor erupts into a myriad of colourful leaves.

That can only mean one thing. The Japanese are closing in.

I curse as I stumble. Damn! Another bomb blast – another wave of intense crushing pain on my skull. I double back, leaping over fallen logs and fallen soldiers as I crash through the undergrowth, signaling and directing my surviving soldiers towards the next hill where we will make our final stand. “Let’s move! Move! Move!” I step in pools of muddy water that are a sickly red colour.

Now…the second reason;

At least half my men left are inured – only twenty left. Twenty fresh recruits– against hardened fighters.

No…against cold-blooded criminals.

My hands, torn and bloody, scrape across the slick, wet gravel as I clamber up the hill. I help hoist up my men, my comrades.

 My friends. 

 It is more than likely we will die today.

 We shift over a couple of fallen logs to form a triangular barrier, to provide cover from bullets. From up here, I can see pockets of dead soldiers, many of which we mine. Under-equipped, weak form hunger, and taken by surprise – we stood no chance. Especially after being left behind. We were the first & last line of defense, a ploy to give others time to regroup.

 I feel more responsible for their deaths than their merciless Japanese killers, or their controlling British masters. I was their leader… I still am.

 If it is time they want to buy, time they will get. We will to our best to see to that – but the price would be paid in blood…       

I make eye contact with each and everyone of them as we reload the last of our ammunition. “This is our home, and that of your families,” I say, capturing their attention. “Defend it with your lives.” 

A hear a chorus of assent. It is amazing how injured, battle-weary soldiers can find strength from the camaraderie of friends, brothers in blood – bonded on the battlefield. They have a common enemy, and a common aim.

 To save our home.

 I think back on every soldier that died since the start of the war in South-east Asia – every smile, every laugh, and every word they spoke comes to light. Would they be remembered?

 In volunteering to fight, we left everything behind – our families, our jobs, and our normal lives. Why? Why the sacrifice?

I see movement in the undergrowth 80 meters away. I signal to the others.  Japanese infantry are crawling on their bellies like the snakes they are.

I see each of my men slowly position different targets in their sights. Even the badly injured. Then comes the agonizing wait. They do not know where we are, so our first volley must have maximum effectiveness. At this moment, I feel a surge of pride for my troops. “Patience.” The enemy gets closer…

 Closer…closer…now!

 Bullets rip through the undergrowth, silencing the cries of alarm form the Japanese. High on the hill, we are safe from return fire – for the moment.

 The next two hours are hell on earth. We have no time to rest, each of us had to keep up to ten attackers in check at any point in time. They are trying to overwhelm us as quickly as possible with numbers.

Suddenly, sky lights up as their artillery tries to pick us off from afar. Shells explode close-by, shattering apart our defenses and killing half. our number. Terrible pain in my left arm

Here is the third reason: Life is full of hard choices.

I hope I make the right one as I order the survivors to retreat up the hill. Just in time too, as the place is awash with flames as a shell scored a direct hit. But we are now vulnerable. We are quickly cut down by a hundred of advancing soldiers. I feel a bullet tear through my side as I collapse against a tree.

The battle is over.

Slipping in and out of consciousness, I am constantly jerked back to reality with shafts of agonizing pain as I am beaten, kicked, and dragged up and tied against the tree. Their commander walks over with a bayonet, and an inhuman smile.

I stare him straight in the eye.

I want future Singaporeans to remember this day – when a small regiment held off an army for as long as we could. I staring defiantly at my killer as the cold blade am thrust into my now convulsing stomach. I do this to honour our Malay regiment, and all who gave their lives.

Then I realize why.

It is because we fought, not for ourselves, but for other things. For our families, our children, for peace, and for our dream of a better world, and of a Singapore where we would be our own masters.

Singapore – Our country.

Our home.

 Then I slip away from life, and my headache…is finally gone.

3rd: Ethan Lee, 13, Ngee Ann Secondary

Singapore, My Home

I am from a small tropical island called Singapore. Various people from different countries think that we are a poor third-world country. Some people even think that we are a part of China. However, we are a first-world country that I am proud to be a citizen of.

Every year, we have a National Day Parade on the ninth of August to celebrate our nation’s independence. This year, Singapore turns forty-eight and I am proud of all of her achievements like having a world-class airport like Changi Airport and fun and amazing tourist attractions like Resorts World Sentosa and Singapore Flyer.

I remember, two years ago when I was Primary 5, I went to the National Day Parade rehearsal at the Floating Platform. It was a National Educational (NE) field trip. My school provided lunch for the whole cohort. and distributed goodie bags. They were filled with noisemakers and toys, like what you would find in a birthday goodie bag (I guess, because it was Singapore’s birthday) except that this one had vouchers. Since I am clumsy and oblivious to many things though, I lost many things in my goodie bag.

 After that, we boarded a bus that would take us to the Floating Platform. When our school got there, many other schools were there already. We got to our seats and settled down, waiting for the parade to start. Despite already having lunch, we were still hungry. Fortunately for those who brought money, curry puffs and drinks were being sold during the parade. I enjoyed the parade. There was a lot of music, fun and stories about old and modern Singapore told by our host, Gurmit Singh, who I found really funny. We saw the army, the navy and the parachutists, “The Red Lions” at the parade as well. This year, they had a new member, Shirley Ng, the first female Red Lion. There was an army ceremony that I found  really cool, but some people did not. I guess the people in Singapore are diverse, not only in race, language and religion, but in thought and opinion as well.

Further into the parade, it was getting late and I was getting tired. We sang the national day song for that year, “In A Heartbeat”. It was followed by the saying of the national pledge. I was starting to doze off until something made me go wide awake. Fireworks were let off and lit up the whole place. During the fireworks display, I noticed something else. The surrounding buildings were being covered with lasers, giving the atmosphere an even brighter perspective that made me happy.

The whole experience was very fun. Although the parade was not the best of performances, I found it great to have fun with family and friends. These are one of the many things that make me proud and happy to be a Singaporean. I hope that Singapore will prosper in the future and we can live lives as a peaceful and happy community in the guidance of ourselves and the cabinet of ministers guiding us. I wish Singapore a happy birthday and a good future because she is my home.