Celebration

Our shopping centers must be full of similar regular entertainment. Chadstone, Southland and the rest. Even the celebration of the founding of the Armed Forces perhaps, as down here in the forecourt of Singapore National Library on Victoria Street. The Hollywood musical is the form: high wattage amp blaring, a chorus line of young kids stepping, MC calling children up onto the stage for mock interviews and give-aways. 

The camp element fully represented with the soldier boys impressively kitted out, rifles in place of batons, thrusting and lunging. The chief MC spent a lot of time in the US. Voice perfect for this kinda thing. Almost as good as the original—rhythms, jokes, fillers all adeptly handled. Given the importance of the particular matter—National Security after all—the girl is probably from the TV ranks, carefully selected for the position.

         Better, Stronger this year's tag.

         The flights of the migs and the heavier bombers not as numerous lately. Given the size of the island, invariably the planes fly very low. How else to land on their own territory. Not surprisingly, the Malaysians have been complaining of encroachments into their air space. Very easily done here. By the time the jets are up and air-borne, deceleration would need to be activated in order not to over-shoot the territory. Thousands of invasions the Malaysians have recorded in the past few months, all deftly denied by the Singaporeans, initially with the standard no comment.

A tricky little balance in power and neighbourly relations, here as anywhere else. 

Yesterday's front page news reported an amiable exchange of land on the border. The matter had been attempted a number of years without success. Even old man Lee Kwan Yew didn't manage to bring it off ten years ago, after numerous diplomatic meetings.

         A couple of generations ago of course, before the split, Malaysia and Singapore were one country. The Joo Chait area now interesting as a minority Malay quarter. It and Geylang by far the most interesting places thus far, three weeks into the trip.