Singapore’s National Day is not until August 9 but last night I was lucky to get a sneak-peek at the huge celebration to take place.
The event is so big that many practice shows are held to warm up for the main event and last night was the official dress rehearsal. A friend of mine was able to get a hold of a couple of the elusive tickets and she thought I’d like to join because I wouldn’t be here for the real thing. I was in.
The event started around 5pm and was held in a huge open-air stadium on the bay with the downtown skyline in the background. A main part of the show was a chapter-by-chapter story of Singapore’s history from discovery up to the modern metropolis it is today. There were elaborate performances to illustrate this history with hundreds of dancers, musicians, and the comical hosts.
The more traditional part of the show was the military parade in which contingents from all the branches of military paraded in front of the Minister of Defense for inspection. To make the segment a bit more exciting, there was a “terrorist attack” and the military sprang into action complete with tanks, boats, and Black Hawk helicopters. There was even a squad of paratroopers who swooped in from high in the sky. It was pretty entertaining.
After the military saved the day and the spectators were feeling patriotic as ever, the Singapore story continued with more epic performances, flashy costumes, and of course, fireworks. It was pretty much exactly like the real show in August except for some notable absences of celebrity guests and government officials, like the Prime Minister, who will be there on the big day.
As the finale was wrapping up, we spectators were treated to another surprise…in the form of a massive downpour of rain. Our flimsy ponchos were no match and we were soon up to our ankles in runoff. Needless to say, we were drenched in no time. But most people stood their ground, waving their flags and glow-sticks, their national pride not to be washed away.
This whole patriotic scene definitely made me miss the U.S. but I still couldn’t help but feel a little bit at home with these people from all over the tiny island nation, soaking wet, but still proud to be Singaporean.
