Happy 40th Birthday, Singapore!

It started pouring early this afternoon but I knew the rain would soon go away, because today is an important day for all of us, for Singapore. True enough, the rain stopped after a while and soon after the sun was out. The vibrant sunshine was back to dry up all the wetness and get us all ready to have a good time, coz we have a party to attend! It’s the biggest party ever, everyone’s invited to join in the fun, including myself! It’s the only party where everyone puts aside our differences for a moment and all come together to celebrate for a special someone. It’s a holiday! It’s Singapore’s party today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SINGAPORE!!!

I joined in the party from the comfort of my home, as I always do every year. By 5.30pm, I was sitting comfortably on my sofa, ready to catch the 2005 National Day Parade Live on my home TV set. I think the hosts at Padang today did a great job in lifting the spirits of the audience and getting everyone involved in the celebration. The mass dance, Singaporean style “Kallang” wave and all the waving of torches were so fun! Personally, I think music will always be an essential element we cannot do without regardless of the occasion or event, and of coz National Day Parade is no exception. The accompanying music for the various events tonight was marvelous; they effectively brought out the mood of each theme and complemented the performances perfectly. My personal favourites were the live band playing for the marching parade *toom toom toom toom, 1 2 1 2*, and the music played while the fighter planes performed their tricky stunts *vroOm*..it made the whole thing very grand. ;)

My favourite songs that were newly written for the celebration this year included the one sung by Joi Cai, and “Sing Our Wishes” by a kids choir. I thought the latter was a truly unique Singaporean song, coz the 4 main languages used in the lyrics were mixed in a very fun way that gave it a lot of local flavour, and I like it a lot! More importantly, the song was specially written for the kids, and the kids singing it were so lovely! They looked so adorable in their yellow uniforms and danced the same steps while singing the melodious tune..it was a really pleasant sight to see the innocent smiles on their faces. I sure enjoyed the song as much as they did themselves! =)

My personal favourite of the celebration is definitely the finale, kickstarted by the song sung by Rui En and Taufik, followed by my all-time favourite national day songs, which I will never get tired of year after year..they just sound as good everytime I hear them! *Stand up, Stand up for Singapore!* And finally the climax of the night..fireworks!! I was already going “waah..” over the display on TV, I think I’ll be jaw-dropped throughout the whole 2 mins or so if I were watching it live at Padang..They’re sooo BEAUTIFUL! Everytime a firework opens up, it is like a new hope for our country and our people..the feeling is just indescribable. It’s simply breathtaking~ Hahaha.

National Day in the past has been just like another holiday to me, nothing special that I feel on this joyous occasion. But this year’s National day felt a little different for me. I guess it’s the “take for granted” attitude that I used to have, but as I’ve grown older, I’m learning to be thankful for a lot of things. I was actually moved to tears on a few occasions while watching the parade and celebration..I’m not sure why I got so emotional all of a sudden, but I just felt very touched and happy for all the things our country has achieved for herself through these years. It was a really memorable night to see so many smiles on all the Singaporeans’ faces, young and old, who have come together to one place to celebrate for our nation’s birthday. Those are smiles deep down from the heart that I see, priceless gifts that warm the heart.

Today, I’m glad to say that I’m . This is the place where I was born, the place where I took my first breath of air, the place that gave me my first years of education, and eventually completed my University education, the place where I kickstarted my career, and the place that gave me my family and all my friends. Without Singapore, I definitely wouldn’t be who I am today, enjoying a good life with my loved ones. This is my home, I love Singapore, and I’m glad to be a part of this important day. =D

What would be my wish for Singapore on her 40th birthday? I’ll keep it simple - I just hope our nation will continue to prosper, that its people be blessed with peace and happiness, and we can all come together every year like this on this very day to celebrate National Day, for years and years to come. Singapore, Happy Birthday!

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This is my Country
This is my Flag
This is my Future
This is my Life!
This is my Family
These are my Friends
We are Singapore, Singaporean
We are Singapore, SINGAPOREAN!!
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