Singapore Lights Up 2008

Singapore is a multiracial, muticultural society.

So if something is done for one race, the equivalent shall be done for another as well.

Anyway, after dinner with Sylvia and Sheena, I was kidnapped to view all 3 light-ups in Singapore before the Chinese Mid Autumn Festival ones lights off after this weekend.

Selamat Adilfitri in Geylang to celebrate Hari Raya which is the Malay's New Year.

After Geylang, we headed to Little India. Tamil words and Happy Deepavali which means Festival of Lights, which if i'm not wrong, is the Indian's New Year.

And down to Chinatown for Zhong Qiu Jie which is Mid Autumn Festival.. and the reason why we celebrate... ... shall be described with the elaborate light-up...

Do you see the maiden in front of the moon right in the middle? She's called Chang'er. See the rabbits below? Actually there should only be one. She flew to the moon after stealing and eating the longevity pills from the evil Emperor.. and a rabbit went with her to accompany her on the moon... And so the reason why we celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with mooncakes..

Can't imagine that the Chinese can find all sorts of reasons to celebrate huh? Oh well, thankfully there was a more reasonable reason to celebrate in later years.. in a bid to overthrow the Mongols, message were passed to the Chinese in the cakes to rise up on the 15th of the 8th month when the moon is full. The Yuan Dynasty was successfully overthrown and thus the Chinese celebrate the victory.

Don't trust my stories? Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival

So much for the Chinese, Malay and India culture. Some would say "but i thought there are 4 main races in Singapore? What about the English?"

"Ah" I say "The English has the lights up too-- Right in the heart of the city of Singapore, for very first night race in the world - F1."

And so I rushed home to catch a glimpse of the first night race in the world on TV.