Saturday, 13 Jul 2002

Singing in sign for the parade
- The Straits Times

Being deaf is no barrier to taking part in the National Day Parade for Touch Silent Club's signing choir

George and Alice Lim are determined to make sure their part in the National Day Parade this year goes perfectly.

To that end, the hearing-impaired couple have been putting in hour after hour of rehearsals, week after week. Some days, they start at noon and do not get back to their home in Choa Chu Kang until after 10pm. But the hard work has not fazed them, nor have the two hours of travelling by bus and train to get from their home to the rehearsal hall at Bukit Merah, or the hours spent waiting for their turn on stage at the National Stadium.

"It's a wonderful opportunity," Mr George Lim, 39, said in sign language through an interpreter. "We meet new people, experience new things, and we're proud to be in the parade."

His wife, Alice, 41, signed teasingly: "He's very handsome when he is on stage."

The couple will be participating in the event for the first time.

They are part of the 100-strong signing choir from the Touch Silent Club, which is part of Touch Community Services.

The choir will accompany Singaporean pop singer Stefanie Sun, 23, as she sings the theme song, We Will Get There, and sign the lyrics of the chorus.

Said Mrs Lim with a laugh: "We have to learn the signs and make sure we do it in sync with each other and with the song. My husband is much better than me. He teases me about not signing perfectly all the time."

Fellow choir member Jannie Lim, 37, said through an interpreter: "This is my chance to take part in the National Day celebrations. I've watched the parade on television in the past, and it is amazing to be able to be there in person."

Madam Lim, a clerk at International Enterprise Singapore, managed to catch up with friends in the deaf community, and, in her own words, 'become more adventurous'. She said: "It's very challenging, learning to do something new, but it is my way of supporting the nation, doing my part as a Singaporean."

All three are looking forward to having their friends and family catch glimpses of them on the television broadcast.

Mr Lim admitted with a grin: "We've sent SMS messages to our friends and family and they will be looking out for us on television!