100801, 0106hr, Singapore time.

today is singapore's 36th birthday. today being the 9th, by the way. as part of our policy development program, all of the psc scholars were given a ticket to the national day parade, sort of to get a feel of the national patriotic spirit or something. i've been to npd twice before this, thanks to agnes, so i'm not really new to this. but i'm always still so excited. haha...except this year, i'm not quite excited enough to really wear red and white clothes there.

i don't like the parade this year as much as i did before, i think the atmosphere's kinda "weak" this year...i remember the last one i went to, i think it was the 1999 one, everyone was practically screaming their throats hoarse by the end of it all, but today, i didn't have any need for the lozenges that came in the goodies bag. oh well.

if you think about it, the ndp is organised by the military, for the simple reason of them being the sole organisation with enough manpower and resources to run the show. but it still feels quite weird, to associate this whole extravaganza with the typical military man in his starched uniform. haha...

my favourite part of the parade is the contingents' march, or whatever it's called. very very cool... especially the military guys, represented by the guards of honour. they looked so smart in their formal uniform [also known as their number 1] *drool* i think i got hooked on this whole military parade thingy the day i went to my brother's commission parade and saw those guys march in their number 1 as well, and realised that my usually-quite-hideous brother looked rather smart in his uniform. i firmly believe the uniform lends an appearance of righteousness, integrity and bravery...ah...so cool.

oh, and the fireworks too...i can go all poetic about how gloriously shortlived the fireworks were, and blah blah. but i think it all comes down to the colours, they're really amazing. that against the black sky, these firework shots "blossom" into those huge and beautiful "flowers" -- sparkling flowers that eventually wilt and die all within seconds. i didn't used to think fireworks are worth so much excitement at all, but that was before i saw these huge ones blossom right above my head.

actually i know that the ndp is really just a huge propaganda exercise. but i don't really mind, possibly because i think the week of talks at the civil sevice college is already more than what one national day parade can offer. and at the same time, i don't see those talks as brainwashing, or in the same league as the much hated "national education" that we jest about during our jc days. i find those talks quite interesting and enlightening really. i guess this is a sign of me being quite ready to join the civil service. i am really more pro-government than not.

love singapore! despite everything, despite complaints and all, i think most of us all do, don't we? ah, feel so patriotic today. hee.

this is home, truly..where i know i must be...