Benjamin Shears Bridge fireworks spectacular… another first for Singapore…

The Marina Mandarin in full support…

Just look at the crowd!

This is the Esplanade bridge and One Fullerton with the Merlion Park at the corner.  The place was packed to the brim!

Display of the military colours and the gun salute… the artillery guns were firing (see the smoke near the foot of the bridge) in salutation.

The huge flag passing by the grandstand in Marina Bay…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ZANNNIE!!!

The helicopter flypast sent the crowds hysterical…

The background is the coastal line off the East Coast of Singapore

Pssing by at eye level was the Chinhook chopper, escorted by 4 Apache choppers, carrying the HUGE Singapore flag for a flypast of the parade venue.

Ta-da!

This was at a large field (The Padang)where the National Day Parade (NDP) was originally held and on alternate years with the NAtional Stadium.  This year, the NDP2007 is at Marina Bay and The Padang was filled by thousands of specatators who did not have tickets to the grandstand seats and wanted to be close to the action.

There was a large screen broadcast for these spectators.

HAPPY 42nd BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE!!!

This was my first shot… I was on the 48th storey of the Swissotel Stamford.

Notice the vague outline amongst the crowd?

This is the music score for our National Anthem… the original!  The composer passed on many years ago but his legacy and contribution to Singapore still lives on everyday.  The lyrics are in Malay, the national language of early Singapore (though these days Queen’s English is pretty much the accepted “national language” and American English is extremely prevalent).

Tomorrow will be Singapore’s 42nd National Day. 

I might be a bit slow for the next few days collating pictures of the fanfare (possibly to last till month end) and should be back after the weekend!

This is my friend, mentor and ex-boss who got married yesterday at the Arts House (Old Parliment Building).  Pictured here, he was playing a piece for his bride.

Congratulations to Steve and Helen!

This is a nice corner of busy SG called Little Bali.

It is a refurbished building of almost colonial times that now houses a food hawker centre.  Very popular during lunchtimes.

The property market in SG has in 2007 ballooned at least 20%, especially for the high-end market.  We are seeing record breaking S$5000 per sq foot (psf) properties in the heart of the city centre, when barely 6 months ago, it was a record breaking feat to get S$4000 psf.

I saw this new board in a field next to an existing development as I passed by to get a Macs Drive-thru breakfast.

Property launches are popping up all over like mushrooms and people have been snapping them up faster than hot cakes!