The Chingay Parade, “Asia’s Grandest Street & Floats Parade,” was two weeks ago and I have been culling through 300 photos. I think about fifteen of them are worth viewing, a major disappointment even though I do not think there is a way to truly capture the spectacle of 7,000 performers and fifteen floats moving along a portion of the Formula 1 track.
Five of about 27 dragons dancing through clouds of smoke from firecrackers.
I have never been to Mardi Gras or Brazil’s Carnival but this was the clean and controlled family version. It was planned and carried out with perfection. Hundreds of volunteers whose sole job as “motivators” was to stand outside the entry gates to welcome and cheer people as they arrived. Not a scrap of garbage on the ground. The most polite energetic audience you have ever seen, including a couple busloads of Navy families.
Chingay culminated with a crowd sing-a-long called “Let Us Celebrate, We Are One”. A very Hands Across America-like song except that it was preceded by about 27 dragons dancing through a cloud of firecracker smoke, followed by close to fifty lions and fifteen floats celebrating everything from the Lion City, Harmony in Diversity, families, Star Wars, and public housing. Yes, public housing. It was surreal.
I see a river flowing
Moving past the boundaries
And crossing lands
Linking people as one
* * *
And with friends and family
Passion and harmony
A parade for everyone
A parade for everyone
Let us celebrate
Cos We are One
About 85 percent of Singaporeans live in public housing!
A parade for everyone / People's hearts together as one / Let us celebrate /Cos We, we are One
Vader's Fist, 501st Legion. But of course.
Naturally, of the 300 photos I took these were the ones in focus. A few others may be seen by clicking HERE or on one of the photos. Next year I will bring my tripod so that I do not have blurry pictures of 7,000 costumed performers and dancers. If you want to visit Singapore, I highly recommend February 11 and 12, 2011.
