Merdeka!

30 August 2005. 12 Midnight.

48th year after Merdeka. I’m home but I can hear fireworks faintly from where the countdown is in the center of town about 4km away. 48 years sounds like a long time but in the history of a nation 48 years is relatively short period of time. The elders of the country are worried that the younger generation might forget or worse not know what merdeka is all about. In school, history is not a favourite subject for most pupils so the details about the struggles of leaders of the country then trying to gain independence largely escaped them. Nevertheless merdeka celebration in recent years takes on a new dimension with the Merdeka countdown is being carried out very much like the new year celebration with live concerts and fireworks. People like that, especially young people. Unless you are VIP, you'll need a lot of energy to brave through the big crowds celebrating at various spots. To go the first question asked would be where are we going to park the car.

Flags everywhere in many places this Merdeka day, but it does seem that this year there aren't that many flags around. In my street the only big flag on show is on my gate and another one at the end of the road, certainly no atmosphere here where I live