Hey Wayne, interesting reflection. Point: are you confusing and conflating National Day Parade with National Day? NDP is a state thingy, the state's celebration of National Day. National Day is a day that belongs to the citizen. One is an event, the other is a time - time for reflection as you have put it. NDP is propagandish, militaristic and communistic (the only other countries that have such parade 'celebrations' are communist states), but National Day is not. The state event attempts to put its stamp on the time. What I like about what you are saying is that we all have our own ways of celebrating National Day, independently of NDP and the state. In fact we celebrate it the way we like, whether taking a holiday, shopping, sleeping in or blogging. Instead of seeing such acts as unpatriotic, they are actually true to the nature of National Day: we are citizens claiming the time that is ours, to think or live the nation the way we like. NDPists , pessimists, and other sanctimonious patriots, get lost, the nation is ours, not yours.

Wayne:

Nice post, though I would tend to agree with Dansong on the need to differentiate between the NDP and National Day. It is perhaps an evolutionary relationship -- I am skipping NDP on TV this year (I've always either attended or caught it on TV every year previously) as I realise that there are indeed other ways of celebrating our nation's birthday, such as catching up with friends who have returned from overseas, or sending a Happy Birthday to all bloggers here ;-)

Nevermind whether what significance of national day is. All we know it is simply just a day of wayang and propaganda and idealism.

So what not enjoy the national day today because it is public holiday.

Anyway the show must go on whether it is wayang or not.

We must go on too. NDP is here to stay every year whatever it is. So today, spare PAP because it is National Day. Leave the bashing and criticisim for tomorrow onwards.

So enjoy the holiday today because tomorrow will be another stressful or rountine day for everyone.

Dan and Spurfans

Thanks for your comments. First, It is difficult to differentiate between the parade and day itself in terms of its relationship and the function it plays on 9th August. Question: Has there been a national day without a parade historically? Has the function of a national day parade in relations to the day change fundenmentally for us to be able to differentiate the event (as one militaristic and communalistic) and the day itself (as one for many Singaporeans the day revolve around).

Ironically, as you might and already point out, my article tries to show that even if the day revolve around the parade, the agency of Singaporeans (pre, current and post ND) allows social reality to differentiate from the myths that bloggers and the government puts upon Singaporeans (as either totally brainwashed/irrational or totally model Singaporeans). Hopefully it shows some of the "bright" grey of being a Singaporean on National Day.

Leslie,

Thanks for your comments too. I enjoyed the holiday by going out, watching the parade on TV and going to watch the new film by Royston Tan. But that doesn't mean we leave our thinking caps and critical (in a constructive way lah) in the rubbish chute during a holiday. I don't most Singaporeans do that =)

Hi Wayne: Wondering if you have come across this article before--Kong, L. and Yeoh, B.S.A., "The construction of national identity through the production of ritual and spectacle: an analysis of National Day Parades in Singapore", Political Geography, 16.3 (1997): 213-39. Thought it would be of interest to you.

Wayne,

Question: Has there been a national day without a parade historically?

I am afraid I may have to point out the obvious -- the first National Day technically occured in 1965; the first National Day Parade took place in 1966.

The first National Day i.e. the day of our birth was one of tears (remember LKY) and a C-section on a national scale, if I may borrow a medical term. The first National Day Parade took place in showers (if I remember correctly) where we celebrated our resolve to remain independent.

As such I would say that the day itself is very much distinct from the festivities we witness dueing each NDP.

On an ironic note, my gathering with friends didn't materialise, and on the way back I chanced upon the final segments of NDP, thanks to TV Mobile. I have to admit that it is the *significance* of National Day (brought out through NDP) that still brings a patriotic lump to my throat. May love and peace be unto all Singaporeans this special day :-)

Hey spursfan and Wayne, =)

I was about to capitulate to Wayne's point when I read spursfan post. Haha, you are right! Our first n-day was covered in tears and a short traumatic disappearance of our leader, wasn't it? And the second in metaphoric tears. In fact, this is a good point, of comparing the the n-days and the ndps, to see the marked difference in tone and spirit. These days, it is carnivalesque postmodern consumption kitsch glossing over the real problems that the nation must face up to and tackle. Not coincidentally, the nation/ndp is re-oriented to face the IR across the bay. Haiz, how come it became like that? (Rhetorical sigh and question).

In any case, Wayne, I see your point. I just came back from a friend's gathering, and of course, the NDP was the center of the attention and conversation. It was quite funny though. Some friends would crack jokes ala Mr Brown and poke fun at the NDP (at every burst of the fireworks, she would say that's my 2% GST increase), while some would try to discuss it in all seriousness ala Singapore Angle (why should the National Anthem be in Malay), and some in all trivial banality ala ... (oh those pretty remote controlled kites), while one was somewhat upset with the un-patriotism we were showing. All in all, we did reflect as a group on our Singaporean-ness, somewhat, barely, but yes, at least I thought of xenoboy, mollymeek, Loy and Wayne and their reflections on the nation.

Dry and stale. Simply uninteresting.
Read half way and gave up.

Dan and Spursfans,

I accept that a National Day and a National Day Parade clear dichotomy (and our reactions towards people have ambiguity) is definitely an ideal situation.

Though, I have to disagree on the technicality - "National Day" was placed upon 9 Aug deliberately by the PAP government for the purposes after 9 Aug 1965. The first national day was in tears for our leader - but again, what did it meant for the ordinary people? Did people huddle in anguish or was it another ordinary day of shopping, going to Johor, unloading goods at the harbor, and eating tu-tu kuehs on the roadsite?

Arguably, the meaning of National Day as proposed by the state for ordinary Singaporeans came with NDP, when the first NDP began in 1966. (I say argubly, because perhaps Hui Chieh's recommended article might shed more light on it)

The fact that we still have a national day parade attached with our national day today (could be possibly for another long long article) could also be ascribed to the fact that our nation state is still in flux. Singapore, as I argue, is a nation state still in the making. For example, it is remarkable how many articulate Singaporeans I spoke to still feel that merger with Malaysia is an inevitable economic consequences for Singapore in the future. In the year 2007, it is amazing that many Singaporeans reject as shown in their everyday life of a multi-cultural and multi-religious country we live in. Historical continuities and discontinuities in migration-related subaltern issues speak less to the rich and famous in Bukit Timah than to the Jalan Besar, Geylang and Redhill neighborhood residents.

And Dan, your idea on parades and communism was very thought-provoking. You mention that most countries with parades are communists country. Could the common denominator be that these states with elaborate parades are states still in a state of negotiation? The historical issues of Tibet, Xinjiang and more importantly in my view, Mongolia are transformed spectacularly into a entertaining show in a national day parade in China. (I bet the Olympics opening night might show some of this underlying tension) North Korea's Central government insecurity might lie with its dealing with the psychological boundaries of its provincial leaders - Witness the undercurrents in the Kaesong Industrial Park's wage and political issues. Witness the failed economic SEZ in the north of north Korea. A National Day Parade (Airang) not only showcase propaganda in the function as you described, but also reminds provincial leaders of the Korean Workers' Party who's the center. While the peripheral regions seeks economic rapprochements for the sake of political legitimacy and survival, a NDP watched by tourists, the BBC, the CNN and the world can remind the peripherals leaders (who are de facto essentially the center of North Korea economic engine) who's boss.

I might be reading too much into these issues, but I just wanted to run with this thought experiment and see how it goes.

Hui Chieh:
Thank you very much for the recommendation. Will get the article.

Have a Happy National Day to one and all! Cos the authentic meaning should be in our hearts everyday (Now I sound like my numerous teacher-friends on 8 Aug celebrations)

Wayne,

You may wish to consider an interview with people who have lived through the early 1960s (sorry to say I don't qualify lol). My gut feeling is that if someone were having a baby, he'd be fully aware of all the issues relating to such a momentus event.

Similarly in the events leading up to the announcement, people who were here for the money/opportunity were at each other's throats (not much $ in that), blood was spilled (even less sense in that), and the people were all geared towards growing with Malaya. With the sudden announcement, even the most blase initial response, plausibly 'When can I visit my relatives up north to make sure they know I'm alright?' would have meant that there was some impact on the individual level. Not to mention the age-old 'Will I still have a job?' concerns, especially given that the island-state was in danger of having its economic ties with Malaya significantly reduced.

Indeed there is a possibility that we may yet reunite with our neighbours (thanks to some creative writing by ST some years ago), perhaps 100 years down the road. Yet herein lies the contradiction -- the views of the articulate hardly constitute those in the heartland. One would think it unlikely that the response to any proposed merger would be a simple 'Okay lor'... In any case, it would take a major political revolution in either state before such a scenario ever becomes probable.