nonseng

Martin's Place, Sydney / August 2007

Today is Anzac Day, a day of remembering the Australian and New Zealand soldiers during WW1, while the rest of us laze around on a public holiday. It's probably Australia's most important national occasion. It's like Hari Pahlawan but bigger and more serious. So no, it's not about collecting donations whenever the day comes around (they had a habit of passing the tabung around at school). It's about waking up early in the morning to pay respects during the Dawn Service. Businesses in Australia are only allowed to operate after the services, in respect of Anzac Day.

Managed to catch the live telecast of the Dawn Service in Gallipoli, Turkey.

(In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. The plan was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman empire and an ally of Germany. They landed in Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for 8 months. At the end of 1915, the allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered severed causalities and endured great hardships. Over 8000 Australian soldiers were killed. It has been a memorial ground ever since. - The Anzac Day Tradition)

Services, across the world, are held at dawn to mark the time of the original landing/the quiet peaceful moments for soldiers/favoured time to attack.

The one in Gallipoli was my favourite because they were at the cove, facing the sea. They laid wreaths, had a period of silence, flags at half mast, etc. My most favourite moment was when the Turkish, New Zealand and Australian national anthems were sung.

It made me teary (!!!).

Definitely as 'Lest we forget' moment there in Gallipoli.

Listening to: -