<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Parade is not just spectacle, but passion for S'pore
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WITH reference to Monday's article, 'NDP: Has it lost its relevance to youth?', it is sad that so many youth are unable to relate to Singapore.
As our society matures from a Third World country to a world class city, many are unable to see and strive towards the next level.
With success, many have gained immense material affluence, but rather than pursue excellence and betterment of ourselves, many have lost their focus by pursuing materialistic wealth and fame. Also inevitably, we lose ourselves in day-to- day problems and frustrations like inflation and Electronic Road Pricing.
According to Mr Eef Gerard Van Emmerik, in 'Patriotism for the price of a song?', the engineered mass euphoria of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics is definitely more spectacular and impressive, many times over, than our National Day Parade (NDP).
The NDP is not just about fireworks, or the spectacle of light and sound. It would not be possible at all if not for the thousands of students and youth volunteers who sacrifice many weekends and afternoons to make the show possible. No show on earth is like our NDP because nowhere else can you see Chinese, Malays, Indians and other races perform together. There is real peace and harmony in this country.
It is sad that many youth take for granted the peace, security, freedom and independence as one people in Singapore. If as human beings, we cannot appreciate the things around us, then there are very few things we can cherish in life. Life will truly be an empty existence.
No matter how successful we are, our size and numbers will remain small. The NDP has a much deeper meaning to many who live on this tiny island and we have the right to celebrate. We may not win any Olympic medals, but as Singaporeans, we and our forefathers have championed against all odds to become one of the greatest sovereign city states in the world.
The NDP is about our passion for our country. No other show on earth will move our hearts or touch our souls.
There are more than six billion people on earth and I am fortunate and happy to have been born on this little red dot we love, as anywhere else would not be home. Syu Ying Kwok
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WITH reference to Monday's article, 'NDP: Has it lost its relevance to youth?', it is sad that so many youth are unable to relate to Singapore.
As our society matures from a Third World country to a world class city, many are unable to see and strive towards the next level.
With success, many have gained immense material affluence, but rather than pursue excellence and betterment of ourselves, many have lost their focus by pursuing materialistic wealth and fame. Also inevitably, we lose ourselves in day-to- day problems and frustrations like inflation and Electronic Road Pricing.
According to Mr Eef Gerard Van Emmerik, in 'Patriotism for the price of a song?', the engineered mass euphoria of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics is definitely more spectacular and impressive, many times over, than our National Day Parade (NDP).
The NDP is not just about fireworks, or the spectacle of light and sound. It would not be possible at all if not for the thousands of students and youth volunteers who sacrifice many weekends and afternoons to make the show possible. No show on earth is like our NDP because nowhere else can you see Chinese, Malays, Indians and other races perform together. There is real peace and harmony in this country.
It is sad that many youth take for granted the peace, security, freedom and independence as one people in Singapore. If as human beings, we cannot appreciate the things around us, then there are very few things we can cherish in life. Life will truly be an empty existence.
No matter how successful we are, our size and numbers will remain small. The NDP has a much deeper meaning to many who live on this tiny island and we have the right to celebrate. We may not win any Olympic medals, but as Singaporeans, we and our forefathers have championed against all odds to become one of the greatest sovereign city states in the world.
The NDP is about our passion for our country. No other show on earth will move our hearts or touch our souls.
There are more than six billion people on earth and I am fortunate and happy to have been born on this little red dot we love, as anywhere else would not be home. Syu Ying Kwok
