Happy Birthday Singapore!

Today is SIngapore National (Independence) Day. Singapore is now 41 years old. And let me tell you, this is a big deal here. They have been practicing for the parade (which actually seems to just involve festivities in a stadium showing off the army and singing but no parading around the city) for weeks. The military planes have been doing drills every weekend. There have been commercials on TV advertising this event. The most memorable one is actually this catchy song sung by a very beautiful woman, which goes something like, "And I will sing a song of hope; a song of peace; a song of harmony. And I will know, wherever I may beeeeeeeee, you will always be a part of meeeeeee". Its more like a music video than a commercial and it lasts a couple of minutes. And they have been playing it constantly on all three of the channels I get on TV. (I don't have cable yet, but I would bet they've been showing it there too.) People have been displaying flags everywhere. So yesterday, when my coworkers were leaving, I wished them a happy National Day. And they laughed at me. Apparently people don't do that here. And then they started making fun of me by wishing each other a Happy National Day.

So I celebrated by going to the twins' house and having a steamboat, which is a typical asian meal, kind of like fondue except you cook the food in boiling broth, which is then a base for soup. It was delicious.

Happy National Day!