Brought 3 kids (Nathan together with my two May Ann and Mei Si) to the Asean Aerospace Show at Changi Exhibition Village last Saturday. Mag's employer Eurocopter South East Asia has something big to do there so we got in for free. It was a hot Saturday afternoon but it was very interesting getting close to missiles, defence weapons, cockpits of planes, Super Puma helicopters, etc Never did any national service myself so the deadliest thing I ever got close to before this are cranky kids



We spent the afternoon exploring armoured vehicles, guns and weapons as we never have before. It was an eye opener for us but one of the best moments was when we found Mag's company's Guest Room for air conditioning, pastries, drinks and ice creams. The Ben & Jerry icecream was great .. the first time I tried B&J and I like it better than Haagen Daz or Gelare. Maybe because they are free. I don't know but I keep telling people that some of the best things in life are free.



Anyway after the break we went outdoor to the runway and at the tarmac, we got near to 2 or 3 dozens of airplances which I could only recognise the F-series fighter planes. Though this F-18 figher is much cooler,



I prefer this vintage looking one.



I'm a sucker for anything classic. Think gone are my days where bigness and speed rules (and coolness is just as important as oxygen). It is better now for me to just be myself, act my age, soak things up rather than let them fly by me. I learned from GK Chesterton that its better to be like ordinary boys living in a magical world than to be a larger than life hero living in a dull world. The first just like in old time fairy tales has so much more to live for. We were all like ordinary boys and girls in the bigness of the Airshow.

At the end of the day Mag asked the kids what they like the most about the show. I was surprised it wasn't the cockpits, the model airplanes, nor was it the Ben & Jerry Ice-cream. It was infact little pin badges they collected from some of the booths which they wear on them proudly throughout the show. What goes through a little young mind I can never fully understand but I can get a bit closer everytime. Infact we can get a bit closer to everything that we have had courage to try to do.. We just need to stop thinking that life has to be perfect and start living knowing making mistakes is always a step forward.

It was a good Saturday afternoon for us all at our first and perhaps last Aerospace show in Singapore. I think next year, they are moving to Hong Kong which is sad because that leaves 'boys' with one less thing to look forward to.