Happy Birthday Singapore!

Last week I vitnessed my first Singapore National Day and I must say I was impressed! Singaporeans are very patriotic as a nation; I haven’t seen this pride in any country, OK, maybe America... Singapore celebrated its first National Day in 1966, one year after Singapore's independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965. Every year all island gathers in the main areas of Singapore with all the country officials, the army, performers and thousands of volunteers who help out with the celebrations. Usually there are civil-military parade presentations and ceremonies in the afternoon in Padang area of Singapore that finish with amazing fireworks in the evening. I watched the whole parade on TV, as advised by my colleagues, so I had a very good and close view of the whole event! I also saw some of the fireworks from my balcony, after all I live on the 29th floor and Singapore is not that big.

What amazed me the most was the pride and joy of being a Singaporean! It is really unusual that the people are so affectionate about their country! Every year there are new National Day Songs written for this occasion and all Singaporeans know them as they promote the event and the theme song weeks before the National Day! This year it was ‘Song for Singapore’, and some of the previous years’ ones were ‘Shine for Singapore’, ‘There’s no Place I’d Rather Be’, ‘One United People’, and one written in 1984 and still performed this year – ‘Stand Up for Singapore’. All Singaporeans knew the lyrics of all the songs! All island was decorated with various Singapore symbols and emblems, every window in every building had a flag even 2 months before the event! Everyone was wearing red and white on Singapore’s 45th Birthday, as they call it, the colors of the Singapore flag. Also, every year the National Day has a theme, this year it was ‘Live Our Dreams, Fly Our Flag’, and some of the past years’ themes were ‘Our Global City, Our Home’, ‘A Progressive Society’, ‘City of Possibilities’, ‘Come Together - Reaching Out. Reaching Up’. So I suppose you can see what I mean saying that Singaporeans are outstandingly patriotic! It is very diverse here and it is perceived as strength, as it brings growth and prosperity to the country.

I admire the patriotism of Singaporeans, but for me it was another public holiday Monday that I could spend home at swimming pool, Jacuzzi and with the cable TV that I had installed 2 days before the National Day! Happy birthday Singapore!