NDP 2011 is over. 

Oddly enough, there were less cringe-worthy moments this year than last. As usual, I'm in awe of the military segment. The march-in before the Colours might have been a little messy but the contingent after did quite well. I get chills looking at a perfectly executed drill and this time was no different. I half expected the main contingent to do an abrupt stop as they were marching forward towards the audience stands which would have been truly breath-taking.

The performance portion of the parade was rather touching although there were moments where I was wondering, "What the heck were they thinking?" I liked the story about the Mother and Son that held the performance together. It's been a long time since I've seen Sharon Au and just seeing her on stage brought back memories of the late '90s when she was still on tv. I don't understand our nation's fascination with drag though. It all started with Jack Neo's Liang Po Po and Liang See Mei. And now, we have Gurmit and En Lai in scary drag. The spectacle was both endearing and rather disturbing. Their comedic timing made it somewhat less disturbing to watch though. 

Of course, there's the fireworks that never fail to leave an impression. I loved that they had the fireworks coming from the tops of the buildings around Raffles Place. There's also the very pretty ones that look like willows in the wind. 

As much as I've laughed at the performance this year, I have to say that I'm touched. It must be shocking coming from me but it is what it is. Am I entirely sold that this country is home? Maybe not. But I have been listening to "In A Heartbeat", as annoying as those repetitions might be.

Day 3 in the recap of NDP songs past, we relive a holiday favourite, have bigger names doing NDP songs and also a relative unknown belting out the song one year. 

One United People (2003)

This year sees Stefanie Sun doing the NDP song again. It's the first time anyone has been asked to do the song more than once, and it's also the first consecutive performance. I have to admit I only remember this song because I was such a Stefanie Sun fanboy back then. As much as I like the melody, I'm cringing so hard at the lyrics I could get a stomach cramp. I mean, "We are one Singapore...", "thousand different voices..." just is too much, especially when repeated several times. Perhaps that's why this is another song that doesn't get much replay time.

Home (Remix, 2004)

I think by now, the organizers kinda got the message that Home was a favourite. Why they ever decided to remix it as a choral piece will constantly evade me. I think this was the one time I hated the song... :X

Reach Out For The Skies (2005)

I think I kinda liked this year's song because it was peppy, upbeat and didn't really have a hint of Nationalism. The song was fun and they tried to hip it up with the hip hop moves. I think this was the year they started trying to have dance moves incorporated so that the crowd would have something to do during the actual parade. That's the one thing I don't like about this song. They did get Rui En in this, which I thought was kinda cool...although the Chinese version was BAD. Her voice just does not sound good in the Mandarin version.

My Island Home (2006)

This was the year they got a relative unknown to perform the NDP song. They tried to replicate the theme about home and such but it didn't really work. Around 0:55, I felt like I was listening to a song from the 80s or something. It's got a good melody going with the build-up and all but it's just not working...That the singer isn't a big name doesn't really help in being remembered. 

There's No Place I'd Rather Be (2007)

I remember liking this song the first time I'd heard it. But that's about it. This song reeked of sap and was way too reminiscent of a broadway ballad. I get that they want us to come back home but evoking all those places just makes it so showtune. That, along with the whole I've seen the world but I wanna be here idea just didn't sit well with me. I think it was also because I'd come back from studying in China and I really didn't feel that way. By then, I was so resentful that I thought the song was way too pushy. It's a little too grandiose to be for the masses and maybe that's why it's not got such a high replay rate.

Hang in there people, it's just 1 more day left of NDP theme song recaps. You've probably survived the worst songs so it's all uphill from there. 

Singapore's National Day is coming up in just a few days' time on 9 August. I've been listening to this year's theme song In A Heartbeat by Sylvia Ratonel (which I'll get to eventually) and kinda diggin' the melody. 

The whole montage of change and such made me wonder about the previous National Day songs that we have and what they sounded like originally. Being the erudite schoolboy that I am, I immediately found a list of National Day Parade Theme Songs on Wikipedia that has every song I can remember (or have already forgotten as you'll see later). 

Considering the 20 songs that there are, I've decided to write about 5 songs every day starting from the very beginning (according to Wiki, anyways). 

Here today for your viewing pleasure are:

Stand Up For Singapore (1984) 

There's a whole chorus of people going at the song. There's a kind of upbeat feel that's quite infectious and you can't help but feel all hopeful and stuff. Maybe that's what they wanted people to feel about the future then. 

Count on Me Singapore (1986)

This is distinctively different from the upbeat feel of the previous song. It feels more like a karaoke session with backup singers and the midi sounding music in the background belies its age. I have to admit that Clement Chow's (the lead) voice is quite soothing to listen to but that's beside the point. At this point, some songwriter's decided that the whole repeated refrain is a good thing...so the only lines I've ever really remembered from this song are "We can achieve" and "Count on Me Singapore". These are just about as subtle as a blow to the head with a signboard saying those words. At least it shows they got the message across right?

We Are Singapore (1987)

I liked how this song kind of reflected the whole development of Singapore. The simple beginning echoes early days as a fishing village which then develops into a full blown chorus. Every time I hear "This is my country... (you'll have to remember the rest yourself)" I keep picturing someone presenting the items ala Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune. I never quite understood the bridge into the "We are Singapore" bit because it seemed so distinctively different from the beginning...but what do I know? I'm just a crazy boy writing about NDP songs.

One People, One Nation, One Singapore (1990)

At this point, I'm not too sure how they decide when to release a new NDP song. I have to admit that this is my favourite out of the original four...at least where the original versions are concerned. Even though they do repeat certain phrases ("join our hands...", "Every creed..." etc.), it doesn't feel like a giant slap to the face. I have to admit that the rhyming is a little bit forced at some points ("Strangers when we first began / Now we're Singaporean"), but it's just the right mix of kitschy and poignant. :)

Home (1998)

And then we have the longest lasting NDP song in modern history. This song has been sung, re-sung and re-mixed in so many ways that they show how much of a favourite it's become since 1998. This is perhaps right up there with the original four as the most memorable NDP theme songs. I'm not too sure why there was an 8 year break between this and the last song but if I recall correctly, this was done at a time when the government realized that its citizens were starting to flock away because of the lack of attachment to the island. The best thing about this song of course, is that they don't slap "Singapore" on hoping to turn it into a crowd pleaser. They also decided to take on a different strategy which obviously worked. I think that's why this is one of the most replayed NDP songs thus far.  

And so, there you have it, the first five NDP theme songs in Singapore history. These are probably the most memorable 5. I'm pretty sure (just about) anyone off the street can tell you about these songs. At least, 50%?

Ever flipped through the autograph pages of your high school yearbooks? 

Read through the comments that your best friends, friends and acquaintances have left behind and you'll find what each most remembered you for. 

As I read through my yearbooks from Grades 10 to 12, I could see how things had changed and how my friends had changed their perceptions of me. 
In Grade 10, I was a quiet boy whom no one really knew. The most they could say was that I knew my schoolwork.
In Grade 11, I was the boy people knew from Chemistry. I was the boy who helped so many of them with Chemistry homework, who came to become 阿萧 in Chinese class.
Just before graduation in Grade 12, I was a corruptor of sorts. I talked to my friends about sex, tutored people in Math, Chemistry and helped in English.
I've been quiet, loud and constantly of help to my friends. I've mixed with the Polish contingent and learnt their folk songs, fished Spanish swearwords from my bus-mate/neighbour's dictionary, picked up Cantonese from my Hong Kong/Canadian friends. I've gotten used to the idea of a home that isn't tied by location but by people. 

Now though, looking back on my years in university, it seems that I'm not really that person anymore. I don't hang out in school enough to actually be of help to most people. I can't really tutor anyone because I'm having trouble in my own studies. I'm forced somewhat to identify myself as a Singaporean because I was born and grew up here but am separate from the other Singaporeans owing to those years of high school I had overseas. 

And so here I am wondering about how I've changed, wondering how the army and the last 4 years in Singapore have affected me. I feel like I've somehow regressed to who I was before leaving: just the quiet guy who minded his own business.

If there's something I have to keep reminding myself, it's that the journey is supposed to be more important than the destination.

I suspect it's because I tend to get caught up in tasks and become single-mindedly obsessed with completion. Perhaps, now that I've identified it...