Voted in the Presidential Election

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the polling station in my neighborhood and voted in the presidential election of Singapore. I was expecting to wait in a long line, but there were only a couple of voters ahead of me, so I could finish casting my vote within just a few minutes. This was the first time that I’ve voted in an election since becoming a Singaporean citizen, so it had a special significance for me.

In this election, we had three candidates running for president, all of whom had impressive qualifications. The night before the vote, I watched the online presidential forum, where the three candidates took turns to express their views about such topics as how they intend to protect the financial reserves of Singapore, and how they will function as the symbol of unity among the people of different races and religions that make up the population of this city-state.

It was not exactly a presidential debate, as each of them simply articulated their views within a certain time frame, and there were no back-and-forth discussions between the candidates. But it was just as well - the entire forum was conducted in a highly civilized and mutually respectful manner, a far cry from the barbaric and disgraceful demeanor exhibited by Donald Trump in his debate with Joe Biden in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Having watched the forum, I once again felt grateful to be living in this country.

In light of what’s been happening lately in other countries, I don’t take democracy for granted. It is something to be fought for, and I am glad to have participated in the democratic process. I will continue to faithfully play my part by voting in future elections.

After casting my vote, I walked around a bit in the neighborhood, and stepped into the nearest Starbucks. While sipping a cup of coffee, I read a Japanese book that discusses the factors that explain the disparity among different municipalities in Japan in terms of the longevity of their residents: certain cities clearly appear to provide more conducive environments for long and healthy life compared to others.

The author posits that having infrastructures that facilitate healthy living, such as the availability of parks with walking paths and supermarkets with fresh produce, is key. It was also intriguing to know the influence that poverty can have on the future health of a young kid - apparently, it can have a life-long impact as their choices including dietary and book-reading are shaped for their entire lifespan during these critical formative years. Unfortunately, those who spend their infancy in poverty tend to suffer higher incidences of developing diabetes and dementia when they get older.

I am 49 going on 50 this year. At this juncture of my life, my preferences and habits are largely set for life. Nevertheless, as I intend to live out the rest of my life healthy and happy, I need to keep up the physical exercise and continue to stay away from junk food.