Day 2 Regardless Of Religion [Ryanna]

It is difficult to be completely free from religion in Singapore. Walking down the winding streets of Little India, small, secluded shops selling statues of mainly Hindu gods, will also have one or two pictures of The Last Supper on sale. Even though I am a Freethinker, I still visit the Buddhist Master every Vesak Day to pray for good health. I partake in the Buddha Bathing ritual, to cleanse my soul of any greed and dirt that would have accumulated over time. On Christmas Day, I look at the wide spread of sumptuous home cooked food prepared by my extended family, and bow my head in reverence as they say Grace before the meal. On Hari Raya Puasa, I visit my grandaunt’s home and enjoy delicious traditional Muslim food, freshly cooked by her calloused hands that would have only known how to prepare Chinese meals, and yet she learned the new dishes when she married a Malay man and converted to becoming a Muslim. This reflects the diversity in Singapore, where people are not discriminated against for their religion, and everyone has a mutual respect for each other. It leads to a culture that is unique to Singapore, and for that I am proud of.

To reflect my thoughts, I wrote the following poem: