10 August 2007

Heart on Sleeve, Red’s the Colour

It’s Singapore’s birthday again. Another year, another over-the-top celebration. The TV doesn’t stop reminding you of the important date. It is one birthday that the celebrant is not too shy to reveal her age. It’s forty two. It’s all over the many banners fronting the HDB estates, complemented by the many flags hanging down living room windows. It is one day, besides the lunar New Year, where people find reason to wear red.

Are Singaporean’s really a bunch of patriotic people? Or is all this due to the success of the nationalistic propaganda machinery’s campaign at tugging heartstrings? From the National Day Songs to the Live Telecast of the NDP, nobody is left untouched by the National Day effect.

Having spent previous National Day holidays taking photos around town, there was no such endeavour from me this year. Just enjoying the break from the comfort of my home. I did watch the live telecast on TV and must admit the view of the celebrations at Marina Bay looked quite impressive on TV. I remembered watching the Singapore NDP celebrations on TV while growing up in Muar. It was quite a spectacle back then. I guessed I had always wish that Malaysia’s National Day celebrations would one day emulate Singapore’s grand party, but somehow every 31st August morning, a hopeful me would wake up to unspectacular march pasts and bring speeches on RTM (Radio Televisyen Malaysia).

Anyway, to Singapore - Happy Birthday!

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