One of the theme songs to National Day might be ‘One People, One Nation, One Singapore’, but at a recent rehearsal I attended, I couldn’t get a different chant out of my head: ‘One tall guy, one bald guy, one ang moh!’ Never before had I been surrounded by such a sea of healthy black hair – disturbing not because my hair was a different colour, but because most of it is gone. I felt my naked scalp glaring like Rudolph’s red nose as I took my seat for the proceedings, being very conscious to slouch so as not to block the view of the many schoolchildren and parents who had been invited to attend.

Don't rain on our parade - Expect to be wowed by the spectacle at NDP '08

As the rehearsal began, I couldn’t help feeling like an outsider, and maybe just a little homesick. So I started thinking of ways in which ‘National Day’ would be different back home in the USA. The first thought that came to mind is that the portaloos wouldn’t be so clean, wouldn’t have little sinks in them, and certainly wouldn’t flush. Also, the guy lurking outside them with a pair of tongs and a spray bottle would be unsettling instead of reassuring.

During another of the National Day songs, there was a lyric that went, ‘Pop the trunk and we’re doing the cheer’. Back home, that would be rewritten as ‘Pop the trunk, and we’re slamming some beers’. Oh, if this were an event in the States, there would definitely be some beers to slam, too.

The non-alcohol buzz was another ‘oddity’ observed. As one of the early acts hit the stage – an impressive routine featuring the D’Passion Wheelchair Dance Group – the looks on the faces in the crowd were truly appreciative. As the hosts of the event arrived via jet skis and jeeps, the audience appeared positively jubilant. And when the Red Lion paratroopers soared out of the unsettlingly windy skies and onto the promenade, people were clearly enthralled.

But soon, as the hosts grew more and more zealous in their attempts to make the crowd interact – shake their blow-up hands, twirl their plastic flowers, dance and clap along to various songs and cheers – the audience response definitely cooled. I couldn’t help but think that some booze assistance here would have helped loads. Luckily, things revived a bit as the parade began. Like most residents here, I think of Singapore as a safe city. Now I know why. As representatives of the civil defence, military and what the Government calls psychological aspects of ‘Total Defence’ marched out and stood in formation that spelled ‘NDP 08’ (‘National Day Parade’), I definitely felt secure. And maybe just a little scared.

Speaking of being scared, the performance put on by the Black Knights was frightening, in a way that a really good horror movie gets to you. I felt chills down my spine as they soared in ridiculously tight formations at absurdly high speeds. Oddly, the crowd didn’t react as enthusiastically to this display as they had to the earlier arrival of the ‘president’ who, as the announcer clearly stated, was just a simulated president. Ah well, I’m an American; I go for special effects over politics any day.

Perhaps the biggest difference I found in the two holidays is that National Day is a celebration of unity, while in America, our annual nationhood party is called Independence Day. Unfortunately though, independence has looked more like isolation for the US lately, so it felt good to be among a youthful nation celebrating the politics of inclusion. Which is why, as I listened to the songs (which were often a little too simplistic) and watched the parade (which did go on just a tad too long), my Western cynicism began to melt (it was pretty hot out there) and I found myself feeling, as one of the songs stated, that Singapore really was ‘my island home’. Even if I was an ungainly, view-blocking ang moh.

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