Vancouver Drift

Singapore National Day

An Evening of Dinner and Dance

On August 19^th, more than 300 people were in gathered in attendance to celebrate Singapore’s 41^st National Day. Fellow Singaporeans and their guests were gathered in the long banquet hall of the Continental Seafood Restaurant. They were treated to a night of dinner and dance, courtesy of the Vancouver-Singapore Club.

Singapore’s 41^st National Day, on the 9^th of August, 1965 marks Singapore’s independence from the British, and their struggle to become a nation comprising many ethnicities. Those in attendance were treated to a film of the 2006 National Day parade. After all stood for both the Singaporean and Canadian national anthems, dinner was promptly served.

In addition to the twelve course dinner, that included crab, noodle and soup dishes, the night was topped off when the lights were dimmed, and a live band played while couples enthusiastically put on their dancing shoes and began to fill the hardwood dance floor. It was a scene right out from a Chinese movie from the 1960s, with the lead singer crooning traditional Chinese songs over modern synthesizers. It was quite a sight to see uncles and aunties ripping up the dance floor with spry and nimble steps that put modern night clubs to shame.

With each twirl and spin, it was both a carousel moment in time for the older generation of Singaporeans and a flickering glimpse back to their past for the new.