Revisiting Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

We saw that for the month of August, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (晚晴园，孙中山南洋纪念馆) had a culture festival and days filled with carefully thought-out activities (all conducted in Mandarin, unless stated otherwise) and such, and free entry for Singaporeans. So we went to take a look, hoping to see it through new eyes and check out the new items acquired. The woman at the reception counter was most friendly. She enthused, "You know Pornsak? He'll be here to host a programme too! Pornsak. Very good!" She was meant with our blank stares. We were like...WHO??? We had to glance at the activity calendar just to know how to spell his name, then google.

There was a little room which hosted a temporary exhibition that paid tribute to 95th Anniversary of Nanyang Girls' School. Many of my Singaporean girlfriends' mothers were from Nanyang Girls, and it was rather intriguing to read all about the achievements that generation had done for us, especially in Chan Choi Siong, who was the first woman to be elected as Member of Parliament and initiated the discussion on the Women's Charter, which, aided by the voices of many women, eventually developed into the powerful Charter (which can be further improved on) we know today. Also featured was Singapore's first female Olympian Teng Pei Wah who represented the nation for the 80-metres hurdles in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

I was keen on the other activities. Like ahemmm...the introduction to tea appreciation and calligraphy. Tagged along a group of students with an enthusiastic guide who repeatedly made the point in Mandarin that Nanyang was where it (the revolution) all began. (“南洋是革命的起源地”) Really? Really?! That's not completely accurate. Whatever happened to the May Fourth movement in 1919? Okaaay...I confess, I wasn't really interested in staring at the latest addition of phone card from the olden days imprinted with Sun Yat Sen's photo, and more coins and more images of him. Seriously. That man has achieved cult status on this island.