it just had to happen. this year's national day does seem a little bit different to me. a little bit more hype, a little bit more oomph and a little bit more life. but it just had to happen. the pirates struck again!

i dont think any of you would be surprised to see fake billabongs, adidases or OPs hanging around in market centres, vendors undoubtedly hoping to make an easy (albeit illegal) buck riding on these brand names. but lo and behold, guess what i saw at blk 85 - fake ndp 2007 t-shirt and shorts set! yes! they come in only one colour - red top and white shorts. for a very very low price of i don't know what. Get them while stocks last!

talk about national fervour and patriotism. lol.

anw, since we're on the topic of singaporeanism, i was inspired by the sunday times, which published the 7 wonders of singapore, to come up with my own list. however, they included certain non-material things like food and LKY, which i felt didnt really fit the 'wonders' list. so, for my own 7 wonders list, let me just put a disclaimer: it has to be a damn building. ok, so here goes:


The Esplanade


what else, i mean, can incite so much adoration and hate among singaporeans, yet best represents the nation's fascination and obsession with the Durian. it is so subtly ironic that we are our finest arts venue looks like our smelliest fruit and is yet an architectural wonder. definitely a singaporean wonder.







The Fountain of Wealth




World's largest fountain, featured in the amazing race, VJ and TJ love to go there for Onite to compete whether the beige is better than the green and vice versa. enough said.


Raffles Hotel


Nothing to do wif raffles here. but i like historic buildings and raffles hotel tops it off. i wanted to put fullerton originally, but, hey, you can't beat raffles hotel.


The Zoo



ok, technically it's not a building. but doesnt the zoo just rock your socks? it's great, it's primary-school children fun. makes you feel like a child again. of course for us ulu singaporeans who have no idea what animals feel like, the zoo is just great to look at God's magnificent creations upclose (discovery channel not counted)


The National Stadium


it's old, it's derelict, it's going to be torn down, but it's one-of-a-kind. the so-called Old Lady of Kallang deserves to be a Singapore wonder because it is just soooo amazing. you have to be there to actually understand the feeling.



The (Sentosa) Merlion

the one at esplanade bay is nice, but it's the one at Sentosa that's just the best. apparently it's the largest structure in asia, i dont know how true that is, considering how big some of the buddha statues in china are. but hey, if the guys at sentosa say so, it should be so. but the sentosa merlion is definitely a wonder. if you'd been on the top of its head it's quite a view.


Victoria Concert Hall

ignore sir stamford raffles in the picture. the vch is really nice. historic, colonial, looks just great. tucked away near the singapore river, it brings back many nice (and not so nice) memories of plays that were staged there that i have seen. it's in my list for its history and quaintness. how very british...