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Fireworks - You can catch
a great view of the fireworks display from the rooftop of Tower
4 at Suntec City. A platform has been specially built for people
to view the skyline.
But it is not open to everyone. You have to sign up
for a local tour package to be able to get onto the roof, where
you can have a great view of the fireworks display at the stadium.
Some people have taken up a local package to have
the privilege of seeing Singapore's glowing skyline, with the fireworks
display as a bonus.
But if you prefer something a little more down to
earth and very Singaporean -- eating and drinking with your friends
at the corner coffeeshop -- Geylang Road is the place to be.
From here you can still see the fireworks shooting
overhead.
Aerial salute from Air Force
- It's the high point of any National Day Parade but it is also
one tricky operation.
Pilots put in three months of hard work for just that
few seconds in the limelight.
The Super Skyhawk and F16 Fighting Falcon pilots trained
twice a week for about one and half months, before combining their
efforts to execute the synchronised display at breakneck speeds.
Said Commanding Officer, 142 Squadron, RSAF, Lieutenant-Colonel
Lester Tan: "Formation flying by itself, for pilots is a bread
and butter issue. It should not be that difficult from an individual
pilot's point of view but to fly in a formation then the safety
aspect has to be taken into consideration, that is, now we have
more aircraft in a smaller airspace."
Lt-Col Tan is leading the Skyhawks this year and any
mid-air decision he makes will have an impact on the three F-16s
which are trailing behind.
"The only thing that is going to affect this
formation will be the decision taken by me not to do a normal bomb
burst if the weather doesn't permit and I have to come down lower
and not do a normal bomb burst," he said.
If that happens, the F-16s which are less than 2 kilometres
behind, will have to slow down.
Flypast of Singapore's state
flag - It lasts less than a minute, but the flypast of the
state flag at the National Day Parade takes months of practice,
hours of painstaking preparation and split-second timing.
Measuring 30 metres by 20 metres, it takes 16 men
about an hour to prepare the flag.
Lieutenant Tay Thiam Chuan, Deputy Engineering Officer
of 127 Squadron, RSAF, said: "Every inch has to be folded correctly
so that on the actual day the flag will unfold itself beautifully.
"Secondly, it is the rigging of the flag, all
the bolts and nuts have to be checked and double checked. That's
because the overall weight of the whole flag weighs 1.5 tonnes including
the three ballasts."
To be sure the flypast is picture perfect, 13 other
flags are on standby on the actual day.
At Pulau Sudong, the flag is rigged onto a Chinook
by the air crew. If the flag tears or doesn't fly properly, a backup
Chinook takes over.
Costumes - Design work
for the 7,000 NDP performers started as early as February and production
kicked in two months later, with some minor hiccups along the way.
First, production was delayed when workers at the
mills in Pakistan went on strike. Contractors also had to disinfect
costumes made in their factories in China as a measure against SARS.
INT Dance Equipment Supply, one of the successful
contractors making the costumes, says there's more room for creativity
when working on NDP. So what can we look forward to ths year?
Besides the multi-cultural themed costumes, organisers
have also included street fashion to reflect the MTV generation.
And like previous years, the outfits are for keeps.
Parade firsts - This
year, the audience will receive clapper sticks, which are actual
spatulas used for cooking, to stir up more excitement in the parade.
Cheerleaders hope these clappers and a new Singapore chant will
sizzle things up.
And the audience will be able to do more than just
wave and clap when President Nathan arrives. They can join in the
action by welcoming the President with a giant banner that unfolds
over the choir and spectators.
Bugles, traditionally used by the military to rally
the troops forward will appear for the first time at this year's
parade to usher in the the pomp and pageantry of the military march
past. The soldiers will also be doing some fancy
footwork.
And no band music for the men in green this year.
The Army are marching in to songs instead.
Goodie bags - Besides
the usual glow stick, flag and snacks, sapctators can expect a GlowCard
in your goodie bag this year.
The GlowCard by Singapore Technologies Electronics
and its unit, InfoWave, works like a digital thermometer and can
read your temperature in just 6 seconds, compared to the 30 to 60
seconds needed by conventional thermometers.
The first batch of GlowCards will be distributed at
the National Day Parade.
They will have serial numbers, an NDP logo and will
come in five designs. Each card will feature a basic element of
the universe - gold, wood, water, fire and earth.
Limited edition NDP book
- 220,000 copies of "What makes us Singaporean?" will
be given out at the preview and the actual parade.
This book that captures 'things that make us Singaporeans'
consists of a 'rojak' of poems, cartoons, photographs and quotes.
After sieving through almost 10,000 entries, the editors
finally decided on 200 pictures and 200 quotes that make us Singaporean.
The Education Ministry plans to print another 280,000
copies for students.
World's largest photo collage
- National Day Parade participants are smiling for Singapore to
in a bid to create the world's largest photo collage.
Some 17,000 photos will make up the collage and the
bill for the photos for NDP student participants will be picked
up by Global Active, as a reward for their hard work.
Raymond Huang, Chairman of Heartware Network, said:
"This photo collage is very special because as we build up
to National Day, it really sends a signal to Singaporeans and those
staying in Singapore that 'you matter'. Because the photo collage
as you can see, it grows as you put more photos on it."
Members of the public can also have their picture
added to the Singapore map at Novena Square. It will cost the public
$10 for two photos, one for the collage and another to take home.
The money goes to charity.
Coins - The Singapore
Mint has put together two special coin sets for National Day. The
"A Nation Celebrates" and "A Nation Pays Tribute"
collectibles are limited to just 1,000 sets each.
You can also order the coin sets online at www.mint.com.sg.
Singapore songs - "One
United People" beat its predecessors to become the most easily
remembered national song.
Songs for Singapore were first commissioned in 1984,
beginning with "Stand Up for Singapore."
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