Happy Birthday Singapore

Festive feeling everywhere you turn.

An enlightening feel for everyone, especially after a hard day at work.

Happy 45th, Singapore!

Though I do not feel as enthusiastic about our National Day celebrations as I had for many, many years before, the efforts put in by each and every grassroot constituency is nevertheless commendable.

National flags fly at every home in Cheng San neighbourhood

We used to display the national flag out our window a whole month before 9th August. We did that religiously for many years from the time we moved in. But it stopped when the flag was torn, weathered through the years. We did not get a new one...

We used to brave the crowds to catch a glimpse of the many practice-runs of fireworks on weekends leading to the actual day. Always among the thousands, my camera and camcorder all set hours before the sun went down and the fireworks glittered the sky.

Little national flag flying along Tampines Avenue 9 pathways

To date, I have never gotten any luck with getting tickets to watch the National Day Parade live at the then national stadium and at the new location nowadays, Marina Bay floating platform.

So I have resigned to watching the parade on TV every year.

I know nothing beats watching it live. We did watch it as close to the venue as possible and watched the brilliant fireworks lighting up the night sky accompanied by the sonic booms. It was exhilarating each time.

National & Youth Olympic flags fly high along Rivervale Road

The combination of all that and together with the wide-eyed, wide-smiling crowd gave a very happy vibe and a silent pride in my heart whenever the national anthem was sung toward the end of the parade.

Nowadays, always a year younger than the nation, I have lost much of the excitement to celebrate. I am just happy that it is a holiday. The brilliant fireworks inside of me has somewhat been reduced to a few sparks as I age.

Festive & with national pride over at Cheng San neighbourhood

Hopefully this young nation will always be as energetic as always. Maybe it is Sonny's time to feel that vigor and even more during this festive occasion. I am just happy to witness it quietly from the background.