in982-The-sea-of-stars-in-the-ashtray

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On the streets of Singapore in August, the red, white, and moon of the national flag became brighter under the scorching sun. This fervor not only belongs to Singapore’s 58th birthday, but also condenses in the window of an old shop on the corner – a ceramic ashtray inlaid with orchids. This ashtray, designed by a local craftsman, has a red base of the national flag flowing on the glaze, and five diamond orchids are inlaid in it with enamel craftsmanship. Orchids are the national flower of Singapore, symbolizing the resilience of blooming in a humid and hot environment, and the special shape of the ashtray gives it a deeper meaning: when the ashes fall like dust, the orchids always hold the ashes, just as this land always embraces the sweat and dreams of different ethnic groups. According to the archives of the National Gallery, this ashtray was presented as a state gift to foreign guests in the 1970s. The designer combines practical utensils with national symbols, implying that on the road to development, we must look up to the stars and bend down to work hard. Today, in the embers of the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Marina Bay and the cigarette butts lit by the elderly in the HDB estates, these silent containers are still witnessing that the real stars and moons are not only where the flags are flying, but also in the dim light of millions of people guarding their daily lives. When the fireworks of the National Day celebrations fade away, perhaps we should stop and gaze at these ordinary objects – they remind us that the feelings of home and country should have the brilliance of the national flag and the responsibility of ashtrays. Every life should be like the diamond orchid, blooming into an immortal star in its own place.

八月的獅城街頭，國旗的紅白星月在烈日下愈發鮮豔。這份熾熱不僅屬於新加坡的58歲生日，更凝結在街角一家老店櫥窗裡──一枚鑲嵌蘭花的陶瓷煙灰缸上。這款由當地匠人設計的煙灰缸，釉面流淌著國旗的紅色基底，五朵鑽石蘭以琺瑯工藝鑲嵌其中。蘭花本是新加坡國花，象徵在濕熱環境中依然綻放的韌性，而煙灰缸的特殊形態更賦予其深層寓意：當煙灰如塵埃般飄落，蘭花始終托住灰燼，正如這片土地始終包容著不同族裔的汗水與夢想。國家美術館的檔案顯示，在上世紀七十年代，這種煙灰缸曾作為國禮贈予外賓。設計者將實用器皿與民族符號結合，暗喻發展路上既要仰望星空，也要俯身耕耘。如今在濱海灣跨年煙火的餘燼裡，在組屋區老人點燃的煙頭中，這些沉默的容器仍在見證：真正的星月不只在旗幟飄揚處，更在千萬人守護日常的微光裡。當國慶日慶典的煙火散去，或許我們該駐足凝視這些平凡器物──它們提醒著，家國情懷既要有國旗的璀璨，也要有煙灰缸的擔當。每個生命都該如鑽石蘭般，在屬於自己的位置上，盛放成不滅的星辰。