[Chingay at the Padang]
1. This year's Chingay Parade at the Padang was exceptional. It opened with the display of an F1 car accelerating alarmingly and then coming to a screeching halt followed by an eye-popping 'kebelakang pusing' before accelerating again in the opposite direction. Zipping back and forth, the noise was deafening. Judging by the surprisingly high demand for F1 tickets, many Singaporeans must find all this quite thrilling.


Photo credit: People's Association

2. The fireworks display at the end began with the firing of long strings of crackers. Only then did I realize why earplugs were offered to me earlier (which I politely turned down thinking they were not necessary). Tan Swie Hian painting with a fat brush and black ink while perched high up as the skies were lit made it a dramatic finale.


Photo credit: People's Association

3. This year's Chingay gave a sense of the Singapore that is to come - the Flyer, F1, the IRs, the APEC Summit next year, maybe (fingers crossed) the Youth Olympics in 2010. The city is looking more and more beautiful, in the daytime and at night. We are fortunate to be positioned smack right at the centre of a new Asia, buoyed up by the growth of China, India and the Middle East.

4. Part of the positive mood was engendered by the new budget announced the day before. Our finances are strong enabling the Finance Minister to be extra generous to lower and middle income Singaporeans, while at the same time taking care to invest in the future.

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