Go the extra mile and put on a smile. Do we Singaporeans practise that? Or are we too caught up with our diurnal activities that we sometimes forget and let the blues get to us?

I was rather troubled one day over certain issues and was walking amidst a large crowd teeming with people rushing about their hectic schedules. While ascending the escalator, I looked up, and all of a sudden a large smiley face materialised before me.

Well, the smile was on a shirt which said "Don't worry, be happy". That ameliorated my bad mood quite a bit somehow. I smiled and thought to myself later on, "That person probably didn't know that by wearing that shirt, it made a difference to someone. That it sort of snapped me out of my reverie".

I guess it's the same with the smiles we can have on our faces. A very powerful expression. If a smile on a shirt can make a difference, what about one that's on a person's jovial face? I've had a gamut of experiences where the other party's smile and kind attitude made my day. It's actually worth reflecting on such things. Singaporeans do smile!


People meet people all the time. So, what's next? The cheery auntie at the canteen always had a smile on her face whenever i came up to patronise her stall. One time, she offered me a glass of warm water as she noticed my lips were cracked and she was concerned. Another time, I was having some buffet and was waiting for the uncle in front to finish taking what he wanted. After he had done so, he grinned and passed me the ladel saying, "Thanks for waiting".

On another occasion, I was at the counter and was about to pay for my licence with cash. I didn't realise that there was a sign stating that payment could only be made by NETs, which i didn't have. Naturally, I became a little agitated when the lady informed me of this. However, she smiled and said that it was ok and that she'd sort it out for me. Service with a smile.


In contrast, I was waiting in the queue at a bubble tea shop. The guy in front of me happened to be a little indecisive and changed his orders twice. The girl who was serving him got impatient and gave a rather repulsive frown. This made the guy roll his eyes in nonchalance.

I suppose boredom will be incipient as we go about doing mundane tasks, daily jobs which seem to be the same each day over time. Perhaps inadvertently, this might affect our mood and we might convey it to those whom we are serving. And so people might feel it's difficult to smile and it's redundant as there's no point in doing so if you only smile on the outside but not on the inside.


I've learnt that doing mundane tasks and going through similar routines day after day helps in character building. It's vital in building oneself as a person. We all have a role to play in society, in the family etc. So we take pride and joy in what we do and know that this is what we have to do. We appreciate the simple pleasures in life and the familiar new things that we tend to overlook many a time. That makes us smile on both the inside and the outside.

Well, one may think that sometimes people may find it weird that you're smiling at them (Casually). Whether you're a sales person, a stall holder, a business man or even a passer-by, it's always alright to smile. We are all Singaporeans after all, haha. As long as the smile makes a difference to one person, it's worth it. Disregard the fact that some may think it's weird. During the first Combined Rehearsal, there was this young child who noticed I was wearing the red NDP "Come Together" shirt and said "Hello" to me with a grin. "Friendly," I mused, as it reminded me of foreigners who sometimes greet us on the streets when we go to their countries .


So lets give that Singaporean Smile. There's no need to hold back. Lets ruminate on all this as we celebrate our nationhood and as we continue to work for our nation for yet another year (After turning 44). Yes, it will be a busy year for us Singaporeans but I believe we all are capable of sharing that warm attitude, sharing that Singaporean smile.


Smile, it's worth it. It's not an inscrutable concept, but a simple and straightforward one. :-)