It isn't General Elections. It isn't even the National Day Parade.
But it's still the event of the nation -- the swearing in of our new prime minister.
So two weeks ago, the boys and I gathered at Stanley our sex bunny friend's spacious and cosy Queens Close flat for a watch party.
At 6:30pm Singapore-Hong Kong time, a "very cute" Grab delivery rider passed us our tze char orders.
Stanley the sex bunny gave him five stars solely based on his looks.
"I only wish Grab gave us other rating options too. Like, you know, assessing their drivers on Q&As, followed by the swim suit round," he said, setting the plastic bag of food on his table.
But there was no time to ponder on Grab's rating system right now.
"Hurry up," the bossy Stanley yelled as he commanded Carl the dense one and me to set the table.
That evening, we were to have an after-work dinner at Stanley's followed by wine as we tuned in to the country's most watched event: The swearing in ceremony.
"Fuck, he's cute," Stanley said, getting into the mood of the swearing in ceremony.
To prove his point, Stanley shoved his phone in our faces.
A black-and-white video featuring a very young Lee Hsien Loong was playing on his IG reel.
Carl the dense one was fascinated.
"He's such a twink! So young, so handsome, so full of drive," said Stanley who went on to constructively suggest that in our upcoming General Elections, the government should seriously consider letting voters assess their future leaders and MPs based on looks, Q&As and the swim suit round.
"I'm so sad for PM Lee," said Carl the dense one who cannot name all past prime minsters of Singapore.
"And why's that so," Stanley challenged.
"It's... a demotion," said Carl in a timid tone.
Stanley didn't want to waste time engaging Carl so he made full use of his life by filling everyone's glasses with red wine (Rioja).
"I actually feel happy and sad for Loong," Stanley said, referring to our ex-prime minister as if they were Bosom Buddies.
"If he weren't the son of LKY, he may not have needed to choose the life of politics," said Stanley, political commentator.
"Agreed," said Carl, who has no idea what he's agreeing about.
"Wow, Lawrence Wong's wife is hot," Stanley said. They're going to make a goodlooking couple on the international stage.
"I think this person is cute," Carl said pointing to the screen as the camera panned to Xie Yaoquan, one of the youngest and most muscular lawmakers.
"I will sleep with him," Stanley agrees, adding "I also don't mind Tharman. I love men in power".
"You don't mind a lot of people, Stan," I cut in. "Men in top positions, or sideways or even bottom -- you'll take them all."
Stanley pouted as if he were hurt and then said "Oh, Joseph Schooling is in the crowd."
He shook his head. "Didn't the fella take drugs? Can he even enter the Istana?!"
Carl -- who doesn't read the news nor keep up with current affairs -- has absolutely no idea what we're talking about. He proceeded to sip his Riojia and watch out for other muscular guests at the Istana.
While the boys and I aren't exactly fans of the politics, Stanley would always find ways to gather the boys.
But that evening's gathering meant differently to some of us.
For Stanley, it was the end of the charming Lee Hsein Loong's era.
"I've always found him very handsome," Stanley repeated for the umpteenth time, licking his lips.
"And he truly deserves the nation's love," he added, giving the word love unhealthy emphasis.
"But what I cannot stand, is how every Tom, Dick and Harry are posting photos and tributes to him as if he were dead," Stanley said.
Carl looked up from his phone, tilting his head as if to ask who died, then decided he would fare better in his iPhone game than to ask us anything.
Indeed, our past week's social media posts had been filled with people posting photos with Mr Lee.
"I conclude that for this bunch of pathetic losers," Stanley said, "it's not about their tributes. It's about showing off they once had a close brush with our charming leader," Stanley said caressing his chest.
For Carl, it was like he was an alien who just landed on earth and is taking this chance to absorb new information.
"So... this person is our new prime minister?" the dense one asked, pointing at Tharman who's strolling in to the Istana.
For me, what struck me was that our new PM is taking a lot of effort to show he's one of us.
That he's not blue blood.
That he, like us normal Singaporeans, have normal parents who work, and a normal childhood and could afford overseas education only because of a scholarship.
Stanley pointed out that all three of us are way luckier than Lawrence Wong given that we all were born into relatively well to do families who didn't have one parent work as a cabbie or hawker and squeezed into one-room flats and who all come with sob stories.
Then again, we didn't make it as prime minister, did we?
My point is, PM Wong made it very clear that he's his own man. One who embodies meritocracy.
This point struck home big.
He has to prove he is his own man -- that if you work hard, you will get there.
What's more, he's born in the 70s, like all of us.
Would that mean he would know best, what our generation is going through, and thus, be more mindful of the needs of our generation with his policies?
By the 45th minute of the swearing in, Carl was visibly bored.
He dozed off.
Stanley asked me how I envisioned a Singapore under PM Wong.
I shrugged.
I hope he is grounded.
The fact that he makes a great show and tell of his humble beginnings and his promise to listen to us, and for our "hopes to inspire" him and our "concerns to guide" him, I certainly hope he does his best. And stays on track.
No matter which leader takes the helm, the key is for him to do what's best for us.
Stanley says he likes that PM Wong wants to make Singapore a place for everyone to feel happy in, as long as we worked hard.
And when Stanley didn't throw in a sex joke, I knew he was serious.
Carl, confused to the max and bored to tears, did his very best to join the conversation.
"So, if you guys were in the Cabinet, what positions do you all want," he asked.
Without missing a beat, Stanley replied.
"I don't know if I'll be in the Cabinet -- I'm long out of the cabinet or any closet. But if I were to choose a position..." Stanley paused and left it hanging.
Carl was finally engaged for the first time of the evening.
He laughed and raised a toast to all of us.
"And to Singapore. May it prosper," Carl said, adding "Happy National Day!"
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