NDP Preview 06

Feeling decidedly more cheerful, yes.

Friday night and Saturday morning were painfully dreary, sunk in utter sianness, and I'd have moped about at home all day and have it spill over the weekend, had I not met Char for the NDP preview. It wasn't quite so tempting to move out-of-doors at all, with the weather hot and humid, and both of us in a thoroughly unmotivated mood, but I figured that the atmosphere would do us both good :)

It's been ages since I last went for NDP, and this year's significant, because they're gonna tear down and rebuild the monumental stadium that had existed for as long as I remembered. :( National stadium holds a lotta fond memories, for the NDPs I used to go almost bi-annually as a child, and for the annual track-and-field championships during the SN days. Lots of warm fuzzy memories and rousing vibrant atmospheric feel to tap into :)

We decided that since NDP is an event full of pride and hope for the future, we should go along with the spirit. Therefore we shall not proceed inside without first taking Promising Pictures.

Promising young Singaporeans 展向未来

Sorry, couldn't resist *grins*


Love the view =)

Char got Grand Stand tickets, a fact that she didn't let up too quickly. "Must strut down the grand stand", she declares in glee, so we breezed in through the uncrowded west entrance feeling suitably important, occassionally sweeping our hands dramatically to the side to emphasise the fact that we have "so much space... since important people don't have to queue their way in" (Yes, we are very qian bian, but the mock exaggeration and ridiculous dramatisation are irresistably fun. Need to amuse ourselves, no?)

Red-and-white spots.

(Hot and crowded, yes, but we get shade and a lotta space at the Grand Stand *grins*)

To get into the spirit of things we resolved to be totally enthu about anything that comes... that is after all where the fun part of the parade is =) So the clappers were blown (mine was lao hong can, how annoying), the little Singapore flag was waved vigourously and we cheered and kallang-waved and made noises obligingly at the emcees' requests. Sing-along was not quite as friendly a segment, though... We were quite annoyed that the songs this year were relatively obscure ones. Wei, what happened to Jia and Where I Belong and We Will Get There and We are Singapore and Count On Me Singapore? Even favourites like Munneru Valiba and Di Tanjong Katong were left out completely... *grumbles* And I didn't quite catch the theme song of the year either, but we contented ourselves with yoodling cheerfully along to an approximate lyric and tune anyway.

Parachuteer's graceful landing:


Uniformed groups, impressive as always.


Two Chars pose.


"Please rise to sing the national anthem..."


It's been ages sings I last heard these words, and the Majulah Singapura once sung daily in my younger school days take on a much more significant meaning, along with a sudden rush of pride and nostalgia. Am born and bred a Singaporean, and am super proud to be one too =)

Theme of the year glowing in the night


Pretty balloons!


Posing before the end of the parade


Haven't felt so unrestrained and exuberant and cheerfully crappy for the longest time, singing spontaneously at the top of our voices and raising the energy level way up all by ourselves. *thoughtfully* It's so rare nowadays, to be able to act unabashedly, to gush about silly little things and yet appreciate everything that goes on around you with such easy-going gusto. Char's infectious when it comes to things like that, thank goodness for her =)

I shall get myself an old Sing Singapore CD (what's with all these weeeeird new songs they sing nowadays?) one of these days and sing at the top of my voice at home =)