Happy National Day, Singapore

It's the 9th of August.

So I says to MDH, I says, "Today is National Day."

MDH is in the shower, and he gets all excited and starts making up a National Day Song, because I have told him that every year there is a new National Day Song for Singapore.

"Hooray for Singapore! We will all work hard," he warbles, "We will work hard and live in a tiny flat and the cars are very expensive and the lifts don't stop on our floor, but we don't complain, because it's Singapore and we love it here because it's so clean. It's so clean and the roads are good and our taxes are so low compared to 40% in Englishland and Singapore is so great. Let's sign on the line with the pen with the rubber band string...!"

(MDH has been listening to the mr brown podcasts. I have been trying to educate him on Singapore and all it's lovable quirks, you see. MDH's singlish has improved drastically. There's nothing like immersion therapy.)

This year, I am not going to miss the National Day Parade again! There is a live webcast of the NDP celebrations and I am looking forward to it, yes I am. I miss National Day and all it entails - the flags, the bunting, the fireworks, the heckling of the people watching the parade's live broadcast on TV...

Yes, every Singaporean I know mocks National Day, but at least they still acknowledge its existence and they know all the words to 'Majulah Singapura'.

Here in the UK, there is no equivalant day for celebrating 'UK-ness' and I don't actually know anyone who is able to sing the entire 'God save the Queen'. I think the closest thing they've got to National Day over here is the Queen's Birthday, and who knows when that is. I think it has a parade of some description, and perhaps some fireworks, but it's not a public holiday. What is the use of a National Day which isn't a public holiday? I ask you.