August 9th - Singapore's National Day - Flags & Fly-pasts

 

Every year on Singapore National Day, August 4th, you have a parade in the centre, a fly past, and other events scattered around the heartlands. 

The red and white flags are flying from government buildings, hotels, housing estates and condos.

Singapore flag on the balcony of a bedroom at the Tanglin Club in the centre of Singapore. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

 A big celebration.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Singapore National Day Aug 9

Note the date in your diary to be sure to be in Singapore if you or friends or family live in Singapore.

Covid brought an end to the pre Covid public displays with crowds in one place.

More opportunity to see fireworks or flypasts from your suburban area.

 Note national days in your diary. Singapore National Day on August 9th. Come to Braddell Heights Toastmasters Club at Braddell Heights Community Club. Wear red and white, the colours of the flag.

Singapore national day - August 9th - what is everybody doing?

 

The Singapore flag. I have chosen a version with a black border so that you can see it against a white background.

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Some people are picnicking by the riverside. They are wearing red shirts and white shorts, or red shorts. 

Shorts? Yes, it is hot. Singapore is in theory the same temperature all year.

Singapore has the same time all year for sunset. It gets dark around 7 to 7.30 all year. When it starts getting dark I know it is time for my online Toastmasters speakers' club meetings.

The organized displays included the National Day Parade, and a descent of parachutes, plus a display of defense by the armed services.

WhatsApp is awash with messages and images and videos of singing of the national anthem and inspirational songs.

Useful Websites

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ndp-2022-a-night-of-celebration-at-singapores-first-full-parade-since-pandemic

The fireworks and song. Expand to fill your screen.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/ndp-2022-live-updates-2866506

Tamil song or anthem celebrating with English translation subtitles.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/shabir-singai-naadu-tenth-anniversary-singapore-2863906

The Latest On Lockdowns In Singapore July 2021

 In Singapore more restrictions have been imposed. By the swimming pool in the Condo the security staff were removing the white plastic chairs and loungers. No longer do the swimmers have four chairs around a table. Now only two. This is to stop people gathering to chat.  

What will you miss if you are not in Singapore for National Day?

You won't miss out on the goody bags which used to go to every household of citizens and the expats who had earned the status of Permanent Residents. The goody bags last year, 2020, included a patriotic white mask as well as the expected little flag to wave.

This year, 2021, the goody bag go only to the people watching at Marina Bay, who have been allocated tickets. The places go to the heroes and heroines, the support staff, teachers and servers at hawker centres (food courts). The bags will contain essentials such as a bottle of water in a reusable container instead of the throw away one use container bottle, at the request of environmentalists.

Expect these events to be televised for the benefit of everybody else in Singapore - and worldwide. Watch out for alerts in the local Asian newspapers and TV stations, as well as YouTube, Facebook and whatsapp.

What of the rest of the population? As in the previous year, those who cannot see the celebrations in the centre of the city, those in the so-called heartlands, in the UK we would say suburbs, can see local fireworks displays. However, even these can attract crowds. So to prevent or postpone mingling, the other events are postponed until we are beyond the current heightened alert. 

What might you want to investigate? 

The Singapore flag.

Singapore Landmarks

The Singapore Song 

https://mothership.sg/2021/07/ndp-packs-2021/

Useful Websites

About the Author  

How The Helicopters Flew The Flags

Helicopters and Singapore flag on National Day, August 9th, 2020, Singapore. Photo taken and edited by Trevor Sharot.

When I tried to copy the photo from Facebook this is the blurred result. So I asked Trevor to email me the original.

On the evening of Singapore\s National Day, August 9th, helicopters carried the Singapore flag. My husband Trevor Sharot took a photo from a distance. The original photo showed skyscrapers and the helicopters far away. He edited it by extracting and blowing up just the section showing the helicopters and the flag.

Helicopter Designs
When the picture was blown up, you could see that the helicopter carrying the flag was a different design to the two escorts. All the helicopters had two blades rotating.  You need two blades going in different directions. The one on the tail of the plane may be smaller, simply to counteract the spinning, which would otherwise send the helicopter round and round.

Flying Flags Through The Air
The flag has discs along the lower edge, like the weights hidden in the hems of heavy drape curtains, and up the side. I presume this is to support the flag

If you have ever tried to photograph a flag attached to a flag pole, blowing in the wind, you will know that currents of air drive the flag this way and that. The flag folds into creases, and obscures any distinctive corner design. The movement makes it hard to photograph.

A lot of preparation and planning has to go into flying anything attached to a plane or helicopter. You can't have cords and fabric flying around and getting caught in the helicopter doors or the blades.

I remember hearing that in World War II, for every pilot flying a plane, you needed 9 more people on the ground at the base. For the pilot, plane, and journey, you need somebody providing food, servicing the plane, planning the flying route, and more.

Useful websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Singapore
Fly past and flag towed by helicopters in previous year 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U_0HVj12a8

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, British, with Singapore Resident status. Angela is a member of five Toastmasters clubs.
Toastmasters International has several speakers clubs.

Singapore National Day Sunday August 9th 2020 - Be Prepared To See, Sing, Eat and Drink Singapore Style

The Official National Day Celebrations period lasts from July 1st to September 30th. Three months! That covers most of the UK summer holiday period for families, schools and universities.

When I first came to Singapore I was impressed by all the flags and wondered where they came from. Now that I am a Permanent Resident I know. This year the government gave every household a pack in a handy fabric tote bag, containing a large flag with two tapes so you can tie the flag onto the railings of your balcony.

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Inside the bag was another smaller flag you could hold in your hand and wave.

Red represents universal brotherhood and equality of man.

White represents purity and virtue.

The crescent moon represents a young nation in the ascendant.

The five white stars represent, democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality. The stars are arranged in a circle in the red upper half of the flag.

This year, 2020, for the first time, we were given masks and a thermometer. So, if we go out to watch, we will not be spreading germs.

The day's events start at 10.20 am.

You can expect:

A speech by the VIP.

A fly-past.

A parade of the national organizations, the armed forces, the emergency forces, all ages.

In the afternoon there's more.

Fireworks.

Nowadays no need to leave home. Watch it all on your screen.

If you want to join in or understand what they are singing. Here's the national anthem.

The Story Of The Anthem

"Majulah Singapura" is the national anthem of Singapore. It was written and composed by Singaporean musician Zubir Said in 1958. Seven years later, the anthem was adopted. This song must be sung in Malay, although there are translations provided in the country's three other official languages—English, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil.

Singaporeans are encouraged to sing the national anthem during times of national celebration or at important national events such as at the National Day Parade, at National Day observance ceremonies held by government departments and educational institutions such as schools and universities, and at sports events that Singapore teams take part in.

Since everybody else will be singing in Malay, you might as well practise at least the opening and ending, better still all of it.

Rumi	IPA transcription
Mari kita rakyat Singapura Sama-sama menuju bahagia Cita-cita kita yang mulia Berjaya Singapura. Marilah kita bersatu Dengan semangat yang baru Semua kita berseru 𝄆 Majulah Singapura! 𝄇[1]	[ma.ri ki.ta raʔ.jat̚ si.ŋa.pu.ra] [sa.ma sa.ma mə.nu.dʒu ba.ha.gi.a] [tʃi.ta tʃi.ta ki.ta jaŋ mu.li.a] [bə(r).dʒa.ja si.ŋa.pu.ra] [ma.ri.la(h) ki.ta bə(r).sa.tu] [də.ŋan sə.ma.ŋat̚ jaŋ ba.ru] [sə.mu.a ki.ta bə(r).se.ru] 𝄆 [ma.dʒu.la(h) si.ŋa.pu.ra] 𝄇

 Here is the Chinese (Mandarin)

Singaporean Mandarin	Hanyu Pinyin
来吧，新加坡人民， 让我们共同向幸福迈进； 我们崇高的理想， 要使新加坡成功。 来吧，让我们以新的精神， 团结在一起； 我们齐声欢呼： 𝄆 前进吧，新加坡！ 𝄇	Lái ba, Xīnjiāpō rénmín, Ràng wǒmen gòngtóng xiàng xìngfú màijìn; Wǒmen chónggāo de lǐxiǎng, Yào shǐ Xīnjiāpō chénggōng. Lái ba, ràng wǒmen yǐ xīn de jīngshén, Tuánjié zài yīqǐ; Wǒmen qí shēng huānhū: 𝄆 Qiánjìn ba, Xīnjiāpō! 𝄇

Singable English version (unofficial)

Come, fellow Singaporean people,

With joy aglow we shall as one progress;

May our yearning so noble

Bring Singapore great success.

 Come, let us unite together,

All of us with a new vigour;

Let our voices soar:

Onward! Oh, Singapore! 

I would like a more universal theme, with everyday language, whilst retaining the same syllable count and beat or intonation.

Here's my fist effort:

Come, friends, join Singaporean peoples

Bring smiles and plans, in teams we'll progress

May dreams build towns tall as steeples

Spread Singapore's great success.

Join us, we'll work and plan together

Young, old, rich, poor, in all weather

Bring health, wealth, calm, love, laughs, more

Garden home, Singapore.

You may also have seen versions of a popular song.

What food could you eat? 

Singaporean favourite foods include:

Fish and Chips

Scones (Make your own or buy from Four Leaves in shopping malls such as Bukit Panjang)

Chinese

Chicken rice

Duck rice

Indian

Fish head curry (From restaurants in Little India in Singapore)

Roti Prata (Flat bread made by rolled out in fat fingers of dough like making spaghetti, roughly spiralled and jumbled and pressed together and cooked like a pancake.)

To drink Singaporean Style

Tiger Beer

Some factory tours may be available. Check current situation from their website.

Check the quality of your nearest branch as they are franchises.

Malay

Kaya toast for breakfast (Buy kaya jam in jars)

Kaya is coconut jam, yellow colour, made from coconut cream, eggs sugar, and sometimes added pandan leaf (pale green faintly flavoured)

Add coconut cream or coconut to savoury dishes or desserts

Durian (strong smelling sulphorous fresh fruit or fruit puree on other dishes or more delicate flavour on cake or ice cream like a cross between banana and chestnut)

Useful Websites

National Anthem in Malay, Chinese, English and other languages

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majulah_Singapura

Road Closures

https://www.ndp.gov.sg/traffic-advisories/

Tiger Beer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Beer

Kaya toast

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaya_toast

CHICKEN RICE RECIPE

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainanese_chicken_rice

https://www.facebook.com/NDPeeps

Author

Angela Lansbury

Please share your favourite posts. Join me on Facebook, LinkedIn.

I am the immediate Past President of Braddell Heights Advanced, Toastmasters International speakers' training club. We are a President's Distinguished Club. 

Come to Singapore in August And Take Pictures - Singapore's National Day Flags are still Flying

Flag of Singapore.

Singapore's National Day is August 9th but a Singaporean told me that the flags and banners are up until the end of the month. That is good news, for fun and photography. So you can enjoy all the flags and banners throughout August, this year, next year, every year. Many people visit Singapore in August, which is peak travel time because in the UK, Europe and worldwide it is summer holiday from schools and colleges and universities. Singapore is a popular stopover between the UK and Australia and New Zealand and the reverse direction.

I left Singapore for England the day before National Day, but the flags had been on sale and I bought some in Daeso, the Japanese shop where everything costs only two dollars, for the meeting of my Toastmasters club, Braddell Heights Advanced speakers' club, where I am the President.




Here are some of my favourite photos:
Flags galore from a housing estate (HDB - Housing Development Board), opposite Redhill MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) station.


Rows of flags on bunting.

The white crescent and five white stars.

The Merlion, head of a lion, a symbol of Singapore. The name Singapore is derived from Singa pura, lion city. Lion or tiger?  But there are no longer any lions. The last lion, or tiger, the story goes, was shot under the table in Raffles Hotel.

I saw more flags in a private condo, Cashew Heights, where residents own or rent apartments around a central swimming pool. The main clubhouse building has flags on both sides of the balconies.


Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Around the condo pool, even the little barbecue buildings are decorated. Each one has its own flag.

BBQ with Singapore flag in August after National Day.

What you will see on the internet or next time you visit:
1 The parade past the padang (central grassy area, like the city's bigger version of the old village green). Patriotic residents waving flags and children and adults with their faces painted with the flag.
2 Fly-past of aircraft creating red and white of the Singapore flag in the sky. Watch the Mexican wave - in Singapore known as the Padang wave, created by each line of people standing and sitting down in turn creating a visual wave effect.
3 Speeches by VIPs.
4 Fireworks displays.


Singapore Flag On A Car, for National Day, August 9 and all August. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

All August
You will see the flags flying, fluttering in the breeze, on public and private buildings. If you take a bus you will pass huge signs on the huge community housing estates.

Even the cars are flying flags from the wing mirrors. The flags can be attached to the window or wing mirror.

Buy Singapore flags from Daeso.
Or online from Ebay.

My Singapore hat was bought from the YWCA for only five Singapore dollars.

Useful Websites
singaporeair.com
daeso.com
ebay.com
amazon.com
ywca
Toastmasters International find a club
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/national-day-parade-1966-10-things-about-the-inaugural-parade
https://www.wiki+singapore+national+day
National Day song on Youtube with many singers of different ages and races.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZyiSEyx_Kg

About the Author
Angela Lansbury is English, British, and has family in the UK and Singapore.

Singapore's National Day - what is it and where to see celebrations?

Singapore flag. Red horizontal stripe above white. White crescent, for the emergeing nation. Five five-point stars. I like to think of it as five languages.

Flags
Singapore's National Day is celebrated every year on August 9th. For days, weeks, the red and white flags of Singapore have been flying on skyscraper office blocks, shopping malls, public buildings, schools, condos, HDB government built public housing estates and railway station ticket booths.

I also saw flags on car exterior mirror backs. At one time there were strict rules about how to show respect for the flag. But now the rules have been changed. In the USA you can use the flag on a car, a tablecloth, a tee shirt, your face, just about anywhere, flying the flag and displaying it everywhere is not seen as a sign of disrespect but enthusiasm. Singapore is starting to follow this attitude.

Speech Previews
At least three Toastmasters International clubs had Singapore and National Day as their theme in the days in August leading up to National Day, with a request to wear red and white.  I went to Changi Simei near Changi Airport for an evening meeting and they had Singapore flags for everybody to hold. Then I attended Eminent Communicators at Dell near Changi Airport for a lunch time meeting. Again they had flags.

I am President of Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters club and I bought bunting (a ribbon suspending triangular flags) and a pair of flags on stands, at $2 each from Daeso the budget Japanese supermarket.

 I saw the flags for sale in two branches, by Exp MRT station (one stop away from the airport).

I bought my flags at another branch in the eco friendly shopping mall beside Farrer Park MRT station near Little India.

Singapore has spent millions on National Day, seen as essential for promoting shared identity and harmony between the different races and religions of Singapore.


I prepared a slide presentation about Singapore for my Toastmasters Internation Braddell Heights Advanced Speakers' club's midweek meeting on Wednesday 7th just two evenings before National Day. Some of the table topics (picked off the table) for impromptu speeches of two minutes.

One of the speakers described his visit to a local school where dance troupes from the four major ethnic, religious and language groups showcased their dances, Chinese, Malay and Indian, all joining to celebrate together whilst harmoniously using their own group's unique features to contribute to the collective joy of the occasion.

After National Day, at the Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters club, we will celebrate Singapore again, this time with our recent memories of Singapore National Day. The meeting will be on Saturday August 2019. The club meets the first Wednesday evening 6.45 for 7 pm and the third Saturday afternoon 1.45 for 2 pm.

The Singapore flags are put into storage. They can be brought out again next year and on other national occasions.

Events
Street parade transport including President in an open top car.
Fly-past of planes towing a flag and puffs of red smoke.
March past parade of adults and children.
Lunches, teas, dinners and fast food kiosks with festive flags and cakes.
Finish with fireworks.

News And Replay On Screen And Phones
See it on YouTube, CNA (Not CNN but Channel News Asia), and in newspaper. Local papers are The Straits Times and The New Paper. You can subscribe to them on the internet on your lap top as well as reading and watching on your handphone.

October 9th culminates with a fireworks show, the main one in the centre but other events around the sity state island.

Websites
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ndp-2019-27000-turn-up-at-the-padang-for-singapores-bicentennial-birthday-bash

About the Author
Angela Lansbury

Singapore National Day Celebrations To See: Oct 6, 9, 10

Flag of Singapore

Singapore National Day is August 9th, and it celebrates independence in 1965 from Malaysia, now the neighbour with whom Singapore makes constant efforts to stay on good terms.

The national languages of Singapore are English, Chinese (Mandarin), Malay and Tamil.

Events to watch in person or on TV:

1 The parade.

2 The speech.

3 The fireworks.

Things to do:
Volunteer to help.
Attend events at your Community Club.
Watch TV.
See the parade.


Birthday Banner at Community Club in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Photograph flags in streets and banners adorning Community Clubs.
Select red and white outfits to wear, such as white shirts and blouses, red ties and jackets, red shoes, red brooches..
Find red and white food or drink such as:
White bread and tomatoesL yogurt and strawberries, milk, white lassi, red and white plates.

Writing from Singapore in the week of Friday 28 July 2019 I can tell you that the Singapore flag has been displayed along the streets and on the buildings for days.

Singapore flags reflected in the pool. Cashew Heights. Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.




Flags on a balcony at Cashew Heights condo complex.

Happy Birthday Singapore vertical banner. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Features on the vertical banner to notice and point out to tourists: red and white of the flag with a crescent and stars, the Merlion symbol, the fireworks

I am president of Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Club and we will be wearing red and white, the colours of the national flag, at our meeting held two days earlier, July 7 2019. Other Toastmasters Clubs will do the same.

You can buy Singapore flags to drape over the back of the car's exterior wing mirror. Novelty, souvenir and stationery shops also sell attractive round badges with the flag symbol.

A preview of the fireworks takes place on August 6th. You can see a video preview online. At the weekend, on Saturday 10th of August, 2019, another five fireworks displays will be in the heartlands, the suburbs.

Good vantage points are high residences or offices or rooftop bars (which might sell tickets or increase prices like on New Year's Eve). If you can hear te fireworks but not see them at a buidling such as a hotel, try walking around to a public area such as a stairwell or lift lobby on the other side of the building.

Check last train times. Wear read and white and keep your camera charged and with you ready to capture the magic moments.

Make A Cake
American
Earlier in July I wondered how to make a cake for July 4th and the whole month at my Toastmasters Club meetings showing the American flag. I now know you can use raspberries or strawberries and white icing, and red food colouring. (For an American or UK flag for the blue add blueberries.)

Singapore
Cheapest, smallest, simplest. Buy a cupcake. Cover half with white frosting. Put red jam or dyed red over the other half. (Or red foil taken off a wrapped chocolate.) Cut white frosting into a crescent and five small five point stars. And / or add the letters Sg. And place the cake on a large plate on a print out of the singapore flag.

Red Food Colouring
When I looked at rainbow cakes most cooks said that natural dyes such as beetroot and strawberry gave very pale colours and you would get better results from food colouring.

Flags and badges
Flags and pages are sold at novelty stores, cheap Singapore dollar or two dollar stores, stationery stores.

You can buy a hat with the letters SG for 5 Singapore dollare from the shop in the YWCA.

Useful Websites
FIREWORKS
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ndp-2019-fireworks-to-be-set-off-from-singapore-river-for-the-first-time

DIY & BOUGHT FLAG CAKES
Simple flag cakes in red and white
https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/a-slice-of-patriotism
https://bakeavenue.com/products/singapore-flag-cake
Elaborate cakes showing flags, personalities, landmarks, Merlions and more
https://mothership.sg/2015/08/this-is-the-amazeball-result-when-19-super-creative-patissiers-bake-birthday-cakes-for-singapore/

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages.

What to see at City Hall MRT and the Padang in Singapore

City Hall MRT escalators bring you up outside a shopping mall with a large Starbucks and McDonald's where you can meet your friends, but if the weather is clear there's plenty to see outside.

Facing the road, you see the padang in front of you. The Padang, a Malay word, is not a paddy field, more like a playing field. In the old days National Day parades and other events would be held here in front of city hall. (In the UK, you will more often find a 'town hall' on the main square or green.) The dignitaries would be watching from seats set up in from of the City Hall.

Nowadays (2019) you can see people on the Padang racing around, desite the heat and humidity, energetically playing all kinds of sports.

Notice the Characterful Cricket Club
To your right is the Cricket Club, a low building with attractive orange roof tiles. Across the road from it is another building with orange roof tiles and a white tower, the old Vic theatre. Nowadays live performances are usually held at the larger and modern stadium just along the road.

See Singapore Recreation Club building
On the opposite side of the padang to the cricket club is the Singapore Recreation Club. In front of the SRC is a small fountain and an account of the club's history. As you walk up the  road towards the SRC, you come to a dogleg double road crossing. To your left is the Swisshotel. In the distance, framed by trees, is the cricket stump silhouette of the magnificent triple tower Marina Bay Sands, one of Singapore's main landmarks.

The SRC is a members' club with a swimming pool. Sometimes the ground floor conference room is rented to other organizations. I have been there two or three times to the SRC Toastmasters Club. The SRC has a bar where you can sit looking out across  the grassy padang, watching the tennis and the team sports. Inside is a swimming pool, open to visitors for a fee. So, if you know somebody who is a member, accept any invitation offered, work out what it will cost them or you, and enjoy.

In a case in the hall they have on sale long full size umbrellas at a reasonable price in assorted colours.

MRT Stations Nearby
Pick up a copy of the free MRT map which is is a rack by the window of the ticket office in most stations. On the back is a mini map headed Approximate Walking Time Between Stations Nearby.

The brisk walker who devised this map for hurrying commuters claims that you can walk to Esplanade on the yellow circle line in five minutes, or Bras Basah in only seven minutes. If you find yourself between City Hall and the other big train hub Raffles Place, note that it is only a ten minute walk from Raffles Place to Chinatown.

To change from the blue Downtown line to the Yellow circle line go to Promenade.

Promenade MRT station platform mural. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Useful Websites
singaporeair.com
visitsingapore.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.