Yesterday was Singapore's 41st birthday, and we were privileged to attend the National Day Parade at the Singapore National Stadium.  We always make it a point to watch this amazing spectacle on TV, but this was the first time we got to be there to see it live!  That's Roboboy in the forefront, next to me, and Dancing Queen is on the other side of me.

From the goodie bags filled with bottled water, snacks and gifts to the pre-parade show hosted by local celebrities and featuring local musical talent, it was a great show!

There were aerial acrobats who performed their stunts 40 feet above the crowd, dangling from massive helium balloons, an award-winning high school marching band, and a wonderful display of our military and police forces, marching proudly in formation in their respective uniforms.

It was so exciting to see both the president and prime minister in person, as they arrived in their motorcades and took seats of honor to view the parade.

There were deafening, dramatic flyovers by military jets and apache helicopters, a combined choir made up of secondary school kids from schools all over the island, and after the sun set, a dramatic light show performed by hundreds of local school children and participants from local organizations choreographed to make amazingly complex formations and colored light displays.

And it all culminated in the best fireworks display I've ever seen in Singapore.  The stadium literally shook with the roars of the 55,000-strong crowd of patriotic Singaporeans, all enthusiastically wearing their national colors of red and white.

They have much to celebrate.  Forty-one years ago, Singapore was literally forced into independence when it was thrust out of Malaysia to stand on its own two feet.  This tiny island nation had virtually no land and no natural resources, and her leaders wept at what they believed was the beginning of the end of this little country.

But today, Singapore proudly stands as a major hub of southeast Asia, a leader in technology, with one of the busiest ports and one of the leading award-winning airports in the world.  This cosmopolitan metropolis has risen to the forefront in the region, and it stands as a testimony to the determination, hard work and sheer grit of its people.  It is a beautiful, clean and green city, with low crime rates where a person can feel safe to walk its streets.

Even though I am not a Singaporean, and even though I am unashamedly and fiercely proud to be an American, I am proud to be a part of this amazing country.  It is a beautiful blend of East and West, marrying the many cultural flavors of its inhabitants into its own unique flavor and style.

So, happy birthday, Singapore!

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