National Day is upon us, so the Istana was open to members of the public today. The Istana refers to the presidential abode. According to my son who watches too much YouTube, it is only open four times a year. Regardless of the accuracy of his statement, I was motivated to take both kids to one of my country’s most sacred places.

Actually, today marked my first visit to the Istana. There are several things which parents would only do for the sake of their children. Honestly, I was never interested in the grandeur of the presidential grounds. Thus, I was surprised to see just how spacious the Istana was. We might be one of the smallest countries in the world, but we still have the bandwidth to treat the President with dignity and ceremony.

It was unfortunate that the main building was under renovation, so we couldn’t get to see and imagine how our President hosts foreign dignitaries. But as you can see from the enclosed picture of the villa, it showcases a Western architectural style, paying homage to how Singapore was once a British colony. Hence, I was astonished to find that the Istana boasts a stunning Japanese garden. I mean, the majority of Singaporeans are Chinese, so I felt a bit of dissonance, scratching as to why Chinese aesthetic sensibilities were not infused into the garden. But I gotta admit that I enjoyed the optics of the Japanese garden. Sleek and tranquil and just very clean-cut optics.

I was glad to have visited the Istana today. Seeing Singaporeans from all walks of life congregate together to drum up hype for our National Day in subtle little ways made me feel a sense of cohesion and camaraderie with my fellow countrymen.