National Day

On 9 August, we celebrated our nation Singapore's 44th National Day! Yes we are a very young country, and a very small land, we are a richly multi-cultural society, a modern city, cosmopolitan if I may say, we have our share of problems and grouses, we may not seem particularly patriotic, but we are proud of our young heritage, we have our unique and Singaporean ways, food, even English (which we endearingly call ''Singlish")! And most of all, this is where we call home. I'll like to share this song we love, written locally and sung by a Singaporean singer, Kit Chan, called, "Home". I'm sure you feel the same way about wherever in this world you call home. Enjoy!
Here's the lyrics:
HOME
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Whenever I am feeling low
I look around me and I know
There's a place that will stay within me
Wherever I may choose to go
I will always recall the city
Know every street and shore
Sail down the river which brings us life
Winding through my Singapore

Chorus:
This is home truly, where I know I must be
Where my dreams wait for me, where that river always flows
This is home surely, as my senses tell me
This is where I won't be alone, for this is where I know it's home

When there are troubles to go through
We'll find a way to start anew
There is comfort in the knowledge
That home's about its people too
So we'll build our dreams together
Just like we've done before
Just like the river which brings us life
There'll always be Singapore

( Repeat Chorus )
For this is where I know it's home
For this is where I know I'm home

On National Day we went to the beach in Sentosa with our friends the Wong family and had a wonderful (and hot and crowded :)) time. This year, we had a thing going nationwide to have everyone say the Singapore pledge at 8:22pm, (where the parade is estimated to end) wherever we are. We were having dinner at the time, and some young people in the next table burst into it, and our boys followed suit (I am afraid we adults embarassingly can't remember all the words of the pledge).
This is our pledge:
We, the citizens of Singapore
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society,
based on justice and equality,
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.
It was quite a nice moment, watching our children say it with so much enthusiasm. :)

Hope I've done my little bit in introducing you to our Singapore!

Here's more layouts I completed, some 12X12s to add to our 2009 album. I've decided to add them into my 365 album for the year, rather than make a separate album. There will be lots of white 365 pages, interspersed with these, I think it will be interesting (!)
This first one is from our first rock concert in many years! (I think I've attended only 3 in my life, one of which is to Michael Jackson's concert in Singapore more than 10 years ago!)
Credits: Background blended from papers by Vinnie Pearce and Lisa Sisneros, Greatest hits record & Super Star & RockOn stamp by Dani Mogstad, foil paper, and title stamp by Studio Mgl, Let's Rock strip by Susan Fitch.

And this one is from a day visiting the science centre and Marina Barrage - which is this amazing engineering thing they did to build a dam across where the Singapore river goes into the sea, making it like a reservoir, to provide water supply, flood control and a new area for water sports!
Credits: background paper by Redju, journal mat from Brandy's project 365, Smile by Leah RIordan, earth and flower by Lyndsay Riches, journal strip by Misty Cato, Border word art by Weeds & Wildflowers, alpha by Brittish designs

Here is an example of how Jared's daydream finally became a reality. He is a persistent child, and a very curious and imaginative one too! Love the boy. :)
Credits: background paper by Cher Pea designs, blue paper by Weeds&Wildflowers, fishing rod by Jady Day Studio, alpha by Suzy Q Scraps, fish element from Seni's little sea, daydream workart by Sahlin Studio

Here's the record for posterity of my (still) nearly a teen. (can you believe he is still twelve and about 5'8''?) He will tell me loads but if I try to pry, then I get the strong and silent type. lol. Love the boy too!
Credits: background paper by Mira designs, title mat by Lisa Marie Hankins, speech bubles by Miss mint, J Crowley, Ksharonk, Mel Wilson, Simply Scraps, word art by Chantal, 'special' by K Pertiet, red alpha by Suzy q Scraps, painted alpha by Weeds & Wildflowers.

And now here's my most enjoyable 365 layout yet, I think! I got this idea off a Jounalling off the edge book, and had so much fun adding bits and pieces and paint strokes to create this. Think I'm gonna use the template more than once for sure! You can download it further down! Show me what you did with it!Credits: flower doodle by Emerritt designs, yellow paint strokes by Rachel Young, plastic paint dots by Sugar Plum Paperie, blue paint stroke by Carrie Bombria, alpha by Weeds & Wildflowers, Days words by Mel Wilson, Girls word art by Miss Mint, doodles by Scrapkitty designs, Britt designs, Megan Turnidge, Lyndsay Riches, blue circle stamp by Jackie Ecles, family element by Jay Day Studio.
Download here to play. Show us what you did with it by leaving a link to your blog/gallery or send it to me at yindgs at yahoo dot com dot sg

And here is another painterly layout I did of the short trip me and dh took to Bintan (it's only an hour away by ferry). I love the graphic look I got, digging through my stuff to find these doodley pics. We had such a good time there, it's really great we still have so much fun, so much to laugh and talk about, still best friends, after 27 years of friendship and 15 years of marriage. We know we are really blessed.
Credits: Background paper by Eclectic Designs by Gabi , heart element by Zazou, doodle frame on right by Traci Reed, doodle on left by Julia Can Der Werf, red dot stamps by E.M. designs, love actually word art by Faith True
This template is now available as a set in the store HERE