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The main portion of this website was created on National Day, 2002 (A Public holiday and I had cancelled all appointments in order to spend 12 solid hours of "concentrated" writing for this site). So allow me to commemorate this important day of Singapore by sharing excerpts of two articles that were published on 9 August 2002 in The Straits Times to express how this song's lyric " ..this is my country.. this is my future... Singapore, my homeland....." meant to me. Though they were only short paragraphs but I hope you would be able to feel how my heart beat with gratitude and comfort that I lived in the midst of grateful and caring people in this country.
Article 1: Reaffirming his salute for the ninth consecutive time ".............Today, I am extremely grateful to our leaders past and present, and especially to the Senior Minister, the father and architect of modern Singapore. Through his farsighted visions for the country, he has brought about a stable and thriving environment for us to live and work in, one in which I am able to care for my parents in the way that I hope to. At the same time, I am able to give my children what my parents had to strive so hard for in the past........" by Mr Frank Chew of Diamond Industries of Singapore
Article 2: Lean times, but ex-pupil isn't forgotten "............Rivervale Primary School makes third successive donation to help 11-year old boy who is bedridden after a car accident two years ago. On 8 August 2002, the family of young Ryden Lee Xiong Ming (who was nine years old and in Primary 3 when he was knocked down by a car while on his way to a tuition class), accompanied him for the presentation of a S$16K cheque by the school. His former form teacher (sometimes also accompanied by his classmates) began visiting him every week shortly after the accidents. They talked to him and sang songs they had learnt in school, even though the boy was in coma. Nowadays, the teacher drops by at his flat and talks to him and touches his hands during her 2-hour visits........."
To see more photographs or read more stories of the National Day , click here.
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Two years later, on this special day that I had written my website, I scurried through the papers to see any familiar articles………… To my very pleasant surprise, Ryden Lee (13 years old now) is once again mentioned in the paper. His former school, Rivervale Primary School is still holding fund-raiser to help pay his medical bills. Though Ryden has not been attending school since the fatal accident 4 years ago, the school principal, Mr Yeo Ah Tee has unfailingly invited the Lees to school celebrations. Pupils who knew Ryden when he was in school still send him hand-made get-well cards and his former class teacher, Mdm Tan Koon Loo, visits the boy at his home almost every month.
Mr Frank Chew once again expressed his sincere gratitude to the leaders of Singapore for building the country and wishes her a 39th Happy Birthday through its one-page publication.
This year is also Mr Goh Chok Tong’s last National Day celebration in the capacity as the nation’s Prime Minister. He will hand over his duties to our newly appointed PM, Mr Lee Hsien Loong on 12 August 2004 after serving the country for 14 years and stayed on the Cabinet as Senior Minister.
I personally wishes Mr Goh and Mr Lee all the best as each of them takes on to their new duties for the country.
NATIONAL DAY 
