What It Means To Be Singaporean

On the eve of the eve on National Day, sitting in this godforsaken, sweltering, smelly city with bombs going off now and then (latest attack..this morning near JF's office) I was thinking about what it means to me to be Singaporean. Yes the safety, cleanliness, security, efficiency, clean air and water....I miss all that about home.

But the most recent sense of national pride that I felt is: When I saw a CHARLES & KEITH shop in Cevahir last week!!

CHARLES & KEITH is my absoulte favourite Singapore shoe store...EVER.
Every time I go in, I leave with at least one (or 3!) pairs of fab shoes.
Great designs and great prices! When they started doing handbags a few years ago, I was over the moon.

So imagine my joy when I saw a CHARLES & KEITH in Cevahir last week. I was almost moved to tears, no kidding.
Cevahir is one of the biggest malls in Istanbul. Stores are a mix of international brands like Zara, Pull & Bear, Next, Mothercare, as well as Turkish high street brands.

I felt SO proud to see CHARLES & KEITH here. They also have another store in ASTORIA (another mall in Istanbul, but not as centrally located and as big as Cevahir)

Like WOW here's a homegrown Singapore brand halfway around the world. Plus it's my fave shoe store to boot. I guess Americans probably don't feel the same sense of pride when they see a Gap or Levi's store overseas, but to me seeing a homegrown Singapore brand that I grew up with go international, well it's really something.
Of course the stores in Istanbul have less than half the range of the average CHARLES & KEITH store in SG, and prices are about 3 times higher, but still the fact that they're here, makes me smile :)

I still remember shopping at the very first CHARLES & KEITH store in Amara Shopping Centre more than 10 years ago.
They had great, affordable shoes then and still do now. The 2 brothers were then making their shoes out of a factory in Ang Mo Kio. Now they're in 25 countries all over the world.

I guess it's a little strange that my sense of national pride comes from a SHOE STORE. But hey, shopping (together with eating and movies) IS our national sport.



That said, it gives U a pretty good idea of how we'll do in Beijing! Ok so we may not be bagging the Golds (or even Bronzes) and Team Singapore getting into the first round of ANY EVENT at the Olympics may be cause for nationwide celebration. (BTW GOOD LUCK TEAM SINGAPORE! At least just TRY to trump the next door neighbours at anything lah ok?)

But by jove, our brands will one day conquer the consumers of the world! Muahahahahahah world domination through retail!

Charles & Keith Wong, way to go and HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!

Coffee Bean and A-1 Curry Puff, please hurry up and come to Istanbul so I can have my fix!

(Incidentally, THIS National Day, I will be sitting in some cafe in Rome, dearest hubby by my side, stuffing my face with REAL Gelato, hunting down the legendary Italian 5kg jars of Nutella and looking forward to meeting the Pope. To show my national pride, I will be wearing a red and white striped T-shirt which makes my baby belly look rather fetching :)