Is Kampung Spirit dead in Singapore?

What is Kampung spirit to you? Is it simply a matter of knowing your neighbour’s name? Being friends with your neighbours? I mean we know how difficult it is these days for various reasons (or excuse. LOL). For starter, we are not at home as much as our grandparents who really lived in a kampung back in the days and that gave us very little opportunities and reasons to keep the whole kampung spirit alive.

I’m saying it’s difficult but I’m not saying it’s impossible. I do remember being rather close with my neighbours growing up. We use to play together, run around the corridor, playing block catching, and probably partly because my neighbours were really nice and lend me all their toys. This whole friendly neighbourhood thing needs two hands to clap. I remember the last time I tried saying hi to my new neighbour and all I got was a weird “do i know you?” stare. #TrueStory.

You guys remember project refresh? Yeah, it’s that event where Young NTUC partners with the North East Community Development Council (CDC) to aggregate stakeholders within the North East District to help their residents. This includes GRCs/SMCs, SACs, schools and corporations who provide essential goods and services such as furniture, appliances, pest control services, as well as cleaning and painting equipment and supplies.

Life works strangely in full circle for me. So right after the previous event where they help the residents at Punggol where I am staying now, their latest project which happened before Chinese New Year happened at my “hometown” – Tampines.

The 12th iteration/edition of Project Refresh returned with the highest number of volunteers ever. Some 1,000 volunteers from unions, schools, corporate organisations, grassroots and Tampines residents stepped up to refresh the homes of low-income seniors and seniors, who are living alone in Tampines.

I met these two young ladies, Yan Tong and Wendy at the event. They are both 1st time volunteers at Project Refresh and also residents of Tampines.

After talking to them, I learnt that Yan Tong found out about this event via a direct mailer which she found in her e-mail for being a NTUC Member because of her PLUS CARD. I was pretty amazed/amused at the same time that someone actually reads those mailers! I mean there are a lot of stats that shows the fact that the conversion rate of edm has been on a decrease.

After reading the email, Yan Tong decided to be part of the event and try something new. Meanwhile she also invited a few friends to come along and that’s how Wendy ended up at the event as well. It must be a good day for them since they got to help out in the neighbourhood and also met me in the process. Right? RIGHT? RIGHTTTT??? XD

Besides cleaning the unit they also spent some time talking to the resident which they find it really meaningful not just because of the cleaning but actually having an opportunity to make a new friend.

Me being me… I have to ask some difficult questions right?

“Since we are on the subject of spring cleaning… Have you spring clean your own house?”

Them;

“Actually no. HAHAHAHHA. Can don’t tell my mum about it?”

See! Putting others before themselves. Good people lah. However, I forgot to check if they are single, else I can also help to promote them and hope they find true love. LOL. (Damn kaypo I know. Typical uncle and auntie… Truly one of the many signs of aging.)

Besides them, other volunteers from the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) and Tampines grassroots also contributed their time not only to clean the houses but also come together to put a smile of the residents’ faces in different ways such as help with Chinese New Year decorations such as Chinese calligraphy writings as well as red packet lantern making and more to decorate 59 Chinese households. Volunteers also extended the spirit of celebration and brought cheer to the homes of Malay and Indian residents by giving handmade cookies, mandarin oranges and red packets to less-privileged families.

Remember your primary school Chinese education where they taught us the saying of 远亲不如近邻 as well as 远水救不了近火？If your answer is yes, your Chinese teacher would be proud of you. So I guess that’s the meaning of Kampung spirit isn’t it? Getting help from your neighbours when you need it.

P.S. But please don’t tell people you read this article and anyhow go knock on your neighbour’s door and ask them to clean your toilet because Smith said so lah. Help lah!