NDP 2009. its that time of the year again! National Day! this year's NDP was once again held at the Marina Bay floating platform, set against our very own CBD backdrop. before attending the show, i couldnt help but agree with many others when they said, "its the same thing every year". i mean, i've really seen quite a couple of NDPs and to be honest, it is somewhat similar every year, with some new additions/tweaks made. however, the feedback i had received from those who saw the preview earlier said otherwise... i had the chance to be there this national day and witnessed one of the most splendid NDP ever! the humor injected into the show was much welcome. there was a flow from the way the parade started, all the way right until the end. of course, there were the usual crowd pleasers like the "red lions free fall/parachute jumps", formal parade march past, F16 bomb bursts, mass dances, fireworks, etc. the difference was how some segments were presented. this year's parade removed quite abit of the "formalities" and replaced them with more lighthearted moments. the parade was short and sweet, something which should be quite welcomed by the marching contingents (though they have to march a 3.2km city march after leaving the ground, i believe they will choose to be moving rather than standing still while waiting for the choir to sing songs..). oh yes, i mentioned the flow from "chapter" to "chapter". instead of dividing the show into a couple of segments, this show promised to have a constant flow and boy did they deliver. i especially loved the way the show progressed from the "historical reenactment" to the "bomb threat/terrorist attack scenarios", then leading to the "celebrations by having a parade". a very creative way to bring in the traditional "must-haves" and yet make it seem different. after the formal parade, the show transformed to a show resembling a musical. songs were aplenty, not just the usual national day songs mind you, but also pop songs that we are all so familiar with. this year's show showcased quite a number of our own local musicians. it was evident that the crowd was enjoying the show, as many sang along. in order to keep things relevant (its national day afterall), video clips of speeches made by key leaders (during challenging times) were injected into several parts of the show. many showed their appreciation for our leaders by putting their hands together to clap after each of these clips were played. when it was time to sing the national anthem, i was once again overwhelmed by the sense of pride and patriotism in me. it was an awesome feeling that gave me goosebumps, a feeling that words alone cannot describe. this year's pledge taking was made even more special as there was huge publicity on "The Pledge Moment @ 8:22pm". it is a brilliant idea to gather the nation to renew our pledge towards our country together. (though it may seem silly if people were to do that without any live telecast of the show around them) all in all, i've definitely enjoyed the parade, like i always do! as usual, photos up next! 
the haze definitely made sure we saw its presence! 
"Majulah" 
that's all! Happy National Day! | 
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