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9 Gems About Our Little Red Dot (Happy 49th Birthday, Singapore!)

By Ang Xue Er

This year, the National Day Parade (NDP) that marks Singapore’s 49th birthday on Aug 9 will once again be held at the Marina Bay Floating Plat-form.

To celebrate this significant day, fire-works will light up the sky of Marina Bay against the backdrop of Singapore’s Central Business District.

Why do we celebrate National Day? The question sounds clichéd, but have you ever wondered why? After all, it has been revealed in a Sept 11, 2012 report in The Straits Times that the cost of the

NDP has more than trebled in a decade, reaching S$17.2 million in 2011.

That said, one should never neglect our little red dot’s birthday because, well, we are Singaporeans!

Below are nine gems about our little red dot that give us a sense of belong-ing:

1. Singlish lor!2. Illness, no fear, thanks to our effi-

cient healthcare system and spontane-ous response to emergencies.

3. NEWater to the rescue, the solu-tion to Singapore’s water sustainabil-ity, allowing us to depend less on our neighbours.

4. Singapore = Food. Gobble up mouth-watering varieties of delicacies a stone’s throw away, wherever you are.

5. Always on good terms with other countries, peace and safety is Singa-pore’s priority.

6. Perfect geographical location, pro-tecting us from practically all natural disasters.

7. One for all, all for one. We are mul-tiracial and multicultural (who can for-get our ‘gotong royong’ spirit), and have been more civically engaged over the years – arguable, yes, but at least we are

speaking out more now. 8. Changi Airport! Having claimed

over 450 awards, it is undeniable that our airport is one of the world’s best.

9. We are our country’s resource. Every Singaporean is of utmost impor-tance to the sustainability and growth of Singapore – not just economically, but culturally and spiritually.

Happy 49th birthday, Singapore! We wish you many more successful years to come.

Children wearing paper crowns are seen in Singapore on August 8, 2007. Singapore will celebrate its National Day on August 9.

ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/Getty IMAGeS

People wave national flags as they mark Singapore’s 44th National Day on August 9, 2009.

AFP/AFP/Getty IMAGeS

zcOOL/FRee VectOR