Saturday, May 28, 2005

Applications open through June 5 for fun on August 9

It is fitting, I suppose, that one must apply two months in advance to celebrate Singapore's National Day, August 9. You can apply to watch the National Day Parade (known popularly as NDP) in person, but there is also a consolation prize of getting a funpack and watching the ceremonies from an LED video screen in various places around the island.

It is also fitting that there is only one big event like this in a country of 4,000,000 people. Singaporeans love to compete for limited seats, whether it's school admission, bus seats, or NDP tickets. Wisconsin also has a population of about 4,000,000, and I figure there must be well over 100 Fourth of July parades in Wisconsin every year. When my sister was in a pom-pon squad, she and my parents went to several of these; there is definitely not a shortage. I guess there aren't very many marching bands in Singapore, so maybe that's the limiting factor.

It is also fitting that one can apply by SMS. That's two strikes against me. First off, I am not a Singapore citizen, so I am ineligible for fun on that count alone. But pre-paid mobile phone subscribers are also inelgible to apply by SMS. Imagine the chaos that would break loose if foreigners with pre-paid mobile phone plans showed up for National Day!

On Labour Day (May 1), I also had the privilege of paying $1 to be admitted to The Istana, the official residence of the President of Singapore. Citizens and permanent residents were admitted free. Surprisingly, they took everybody's word for it. Ah, Singaporean hospitality!

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