　おいしい！

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Tomorrow is National Day. The 9th August. The 41st birthday of my country.

I always like National Days. The National Days of the past were pretty interesting to me. I can recall National Day 1990 as the first time I watched the whole programme on TV from the beginning to the end. In school, we received a beautiful National Day limited edition $1 phonecard with a cool design of the flag against a purple background. Everything is crayonised and really cute. As it is my first phonecard, I really treasured it. I used to have a penchant for phonecards back then and have a mini collection. I believe the phonecard now lies somewhere in my house. Some boxes in the storeroom, or in some drawers that have not been opened for years. If I can manage to find it, I will post a photo of it here. Alumni from C.H.I.J Ponggol should be able to recall the existence of one such phonecard.

As a matter of fact, I really love singing National Day songs. The old traditional ones are the ones that I like best. Songs like "One People, One Nation, One Singapore", "We are Singapore", "Count on me Singapore", "Five Stars Arising", "It's the Little Things", and "Jia1" sung by Kit Chan. The new songs of current years have lyrics that are easily forgettable and does not tug my heartstrings as much. I would say my favourite song is "It's the Little Things" and the close runner up will be "Jia1" (My Home) I wrote it in Hanyu Pinyin as I prefer the Chinese version much more than the English one. I used to sing loudly in Primary School with the rest of my schoolmates with our songsheets and the fire of patriotism really rose in me. Even now, if I sing these songs, I will feel so inevitably touched and a sense of nostalgia so great that memories of each national day of the past flood into my mind.

I went to my first National Day Parade in 1996 with my then best friend and her family. It was a spectacular event. The grandeur of the National Stadium. The throngs of people in red and white with face paint of the national flag, the crescent, the five stars. The awesome contingents of soldiers, guards, airforce, navy; the school uniform groups :the girl guides, scouts, bands, red cross, NPCC, and the various contingents of communities. The flag bearers of the armed forces, the teenagers in school uniform groups. The commanding officer shouting instructions. The scale of the event. It totally swept me off my feet! It was really something to be sitting there in the spectator's stand, cheering, singing National Songs, doing the Kallang wave that I really feel the love for my country! Taking the plege as a whole stadium, standing at attention as a whole body to the national anthem. Just being there, really makes one feel like a citizen of his home, his country.

That is the reason that I always find a way to attend National Day events. No matter if it's the parade itself or the previews. I had been a fund raiser, going around collecting donations from the event attendees to help charitable organisations, so as to watch the parade in the stadium. I had gone to as many previews as I can to feel the real nationalistic spirit that one can only feel at the event grounds. My last National Day preview wasn't that far away. It was just last year. Being 22, sitting in the drizzle with my chums, wearing the yellow duckie lookalike ponchos, munching tidbits provided in the goodie bags and laughing ourselves silly with lame jokes and the like. The National Day parade and its preview are ageless. Everyone is able to enjoy themselves and have an incredibly good time. At times when I was unable to get tickets, I remembered going to Kallang basin with 2 canoeist pals and watch the fireworks from there, together with hundreds of others having picnics on the shore, armed with camcorders and cameras, taking pictures as the fireworks go off, basking in the nation's celebration.

I wonder when will my next National Parade/ preview be? One has to attend to feel the emotions the event evokes. It's something that a TV emission will never be able to do justice enough. Being overseas make me appreciate the warmth of Singapore. The every cheering food, the fast and high level of services, the cleanliness of the garden city.

Although I am perfectly happy in my current environment, in the beautiful countryside of France with my beloved hubby,from time to time, it's my home and my friends that I dearly miss...

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS

Over the years, I've grown, to be a part of you
You've cared for me, and opened the way
To a happy and beautiful life
You make me feel warm and safe
And give me hope for brighter days

Chorus
It's the little things that we share
The love and joy that's in the air
The children's laughter everywhere
And all our favourite things...

Over the years, I've learnt we share a destiny
And no matter how good others may be
No one cares like you care for me
Cause deep down inside
I feel you're a part of me
My Singapore,
The place that I call my home

12:30 pm　うまい！Y