Just a quick note to my international friends.. my country, Singapore is celebrating it's 50th birthday today on 9 August 2015.. and because it is the 50th birthday, the celebrations are a whole load more extravagant, with the intention of making it a very special occasion encouraging the citizens to be united and to keep striving for the future, while not forgetting the contributions of our pioneers.
On a personal level there's plenty to talk about but.. this is a gaming blog so let's talk about that.
Being a Singaporean gamer & collector, I feel I am very privileged in a lot of ways.
Our education and having English as our first language has enabled us to enjoy a lot of the Western games in it's entirety. Subtitles and translations lose some of the meaning in dialogue and I appreciate the fact that I can experience conversations and dialogue the way gaming scriptwriters wrote it.
Being fluent in English, it allows me to converse with most people around the world because of this. I am able to communicate easily with other gamers and collectors, on Social Platforms. There's also a high chance of meeting another English-speaking player online. Team co-op games with strangers? No problem!
Singapore is also known as a major trading hub and in some ways, it makes it convenient for us. If I can't find something in Singapore, I can easily ship something in from overseas. I can't count the number of times I have bought games and other stuff from overseas; Amazon, eBay and the countless number of online stores..
With internationally-recognised Credit & Debit Cards, access to PayPal, purchasing something I can't find locally is just a few clicks away. Shipping times are decent and packages rarely ever go missing. With so many different couriers to choose from, I can also sell my unwanted items overseas in as little as 2-3 days.
And it's not just as a consumer, more and more companies are setting up their regional HQs and opening up opportunities in Singapore. Bandai Namco, Ubisoft Singapore & 2K Asia are some famous publishers and developers that have seen the benefits of setting up base here in Singapore. Last year, we even saw our very own version of E3 in Singapore, started up by a local!
There are plenty of job opportunities being opened up and gamers are also getting closer to their favourite games!
Readily-available Internet access anywhere is something that we take for granted but this isn't a privilege a lot of countries enjoy.
How many eBay auctions I have sniped while on the go. Even pre-ordering some PCS Collectibles' statues while on the bus to work. Connecting to my MKX Mobile whenever I feel bored. Having a solid Internet connection, getting a new PS4 controller, within a day, when my old one is spoilt. Getting the latest AAA game on release day.. These are just some of the things that I probably wouldn't have appreciated on a normal day.
But, as I watch the celebrations and looking back at our history over the years, it's clear that these conveniences and privileges that I am enjoying now weren't something that happened overnight. Over the years, so many people have contributed in one way or another to develop the Singapore that we are now enjoying.
So, on this special day, I would like to say a huge thanks to one and all who have contributed to the development of our country and would like to wish Singapore a very Happy Birthday and continued success for the future!
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