Yeoh Siew Hoon writes a birthday message to Singapore, which turns 40 this year.

I am writing this after having just finished watching the biggest fireworks display over Singapore's harbour.

It's midnight, August 9, the day Singapore turns 40.

Actually, this has not been the first nor will it be the last fireworks display.

The pyrotechnics started at least a month ago. There have been endless rehearsals to make sure that this year's National Day Parade which takes place today – and where the biggest fireworks display will happen – goes without a hitch.

Every weekend, the past month, I have seen fighter jets zoom past my place. I have seen military helicopters carrying tanks and armoured vehicles fly under the flyover that leads to the East Coast Parkway.

This is one serious birthday party.

As such, I thought it fitting that I write a tribute to my adopted home.

So let me tell you about my Singapore.

My Singapore is a bit like everyone's. Clean, green, safe – the three most common adjectives used to describe it by residents, visitors and those who haven't visited but have heard about it.

But to just describe it as clean, green and safe would be like saying it's just a sterilized, well-washed vegetable (safe, healthy but rather unexciting) and that would be doing it a big dis-service.

Truth is, my Singapore is a bit like a woman turning 40. Like a woman on the threshold of her fourth decade, Singapore is filled with all the fears and insecurities of ageing – will people still love me when I am all wrinkly and old – yet full of promise and possibilities – look at how far I have come and I have so much further to go.

And so you find Singapore today, caught between paranoia and promise.

At 40 years old, Singapore has built up a wonderful legacy.

Its infrastructure is world class. Its airport is talked about, admired and envied by everyone. Its hotels are second to none except in average rates where they are definitely down the table compared to some other capital cities in Asia – which is good news for travellers.

Its mix of cultures – Indian, Malay and Chinese – has had time to simmer and stew into a seamless brew of scents and spices that is, forgive the pun, Uniquely Singapore. And even though some travellers may complain about the price of beer here, this is one brew they love and travel miles for.

Over the last few years, like a more confident and matured woman, Singapore has also been lifting up its skirt a little. It's cut loose on nightlife, entertainment and the arts scene. The bar and club scene is vibrant, dynamic and fun, even non-stop. Now Singapore parties all night while cities like Bangkok go to sleep early.

Why, it even dared to strip down to bra and panties to dance on bar tops.

It tried a few daring moves. Hip, funky hotels (Scarlet), theme bars (Eski) and beach parties appeared. It skydived, reverse bungy-jumped and raced its way into the media spotlight.

But like all women, it can be fickle, maybe a little unsure about how far she should go before she is judged by a jury of her peers. There have been some contradicting signals sent out. A gay party, the Nation Party, was refused a licence and thus it moved its merry way to Phuket.

But one cancellation does not a nation make. And Singapore forges ahead. She knows she's got 40 good years behind her, and a lot more years ahead.

But she should also know that heck, at 40, a woman had better stop flirting and teasing with change and instead, embrace it firmly and desperately, and go where no woman has dared to tread.



The SHY Report
A regular column on news, trends and issues in the hospitality industry by one of Asia's most respected travel editors and commentators, Yeoh Siew Hoon.

Siew Hoon, who has covered the tourism industry in Asia/Pacific for the past 20 years, runs SHY Ventures Pte Ltd. Her company's mission is "Content, Communication, Connection".

She is a writer, speaker, facilitator, trainer and events producer. She is also an author, having published "Around Asia In 1 Hr: Tales of Condoms, Chillies & Curries". Her motto is ‘free to do, and be'.

Contacts: Tel: 65-63424934, Mobile: 65-96801460

Check out Siew Hoon's new website, www.shy-connection.com, which features a newly-launched e-zine with a difference.