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Fireworks
Display
The
fireworks display may last just minutes but it takes 5 days to prepare
for the big burst.
Fireworks
are stored at a restricted area outside the National stadium.
Here,
security is tight and more than 50 SAF personnel and police officers
needed to guard the place.
And
before the shells can be fired up, the nearby greenery must be watered
and covered with ground sheets to prevent the heat emitted from
burning the grass.
But
all the work is worth it as the display promises to be even more
spectacular.
Not
only will there be some 60 different fireworks from around the world
set off right through the parade.
Six
fireworks designs will make their debut at the National Day preview
and parade.
On
top of the three-and-a-half minute fireworks finale, organisers
will also punctuate the parade with a variety of low-level sparkling
displays.
Costumes
& Props
To
source for new ideas for this year's costumes and props, organisers
have roped in a designer from China to work with Singaporeans.
The
designer's contributions include nine types of costumes, 1,500 pieces
in all.
Organisers
said the foreign designer was roped in because he is used to designing
for large-scale performances.
Major
Hamarian, Chairman of Logistics & Finance, explained, "By
way of shipment and air freight. That was taken into account because
of the sheer size of the costumes and props."
Goodies
Galore
The
fun pack is one of the most sought after souvenirs from the National
Day Parade and this year organisers have stuffed the bags with new
items such as a torch shaped like a mobile phone and a can shaker.
There's
even a new slingback bag to replace the old haversack.
Altogether
there are 20 items, including munchies, an 8 Days magazine and a
cap.
NSmen,
who are the National Day elves, prepare some 2,000 fun packs each
day to meet the target of 200,000 that need to be ready before the
parade.
Hear The Lions Roar
There
will also be more decorations at this year's parade, like painted
lions that will greet spectators around the stadium, and huge balloons
that will be lit up to give the celebration a carnival feel.
Special
water features will line the main stage.
And
a giant helium balloon all the way from Britain will be featured
during the show segment in the parade.
MediaCorp
artistes Cynthia Koh and Vincent Ng will be attached to flying harnesses
that will allow them to do mid-air acrobatics for about one minute
while being suspended some 20 metres, or six storeys, above ground.
Security
Though
the National Day Parade is still more than three weeks away, some
$200,000 worth of surveillance cameras have already begun recording
every movement in and around the National Stadium.
More
than 60,000 people, including the Cabinet and foreign diplomats,
will be present at the parade, and with thousands of performers
and contractors going in and out of the stadium in the weeks leading
up to the big day, organisers are not taking any chances with security.
Fourteen
security cameras are located throughout the stadium and nearby vicinity,
and the areas will be monitored 24 hours daily until the parade
is over.
The
PTZ cameras can pan, tilt and zoom in close enough to make out licence
plates on any suspicious vehicles.
Offices
in the Control and Command room, who have the challenging task of
monitoring every movement, will also be alerted within two minutes
if someone leaves an item unattended.
Even
with the surveillance system, there will still be the usual checks,
metal detectors and bag searches.
The
Young Ones
A
record number of youths are taking part in this year's mass displays
and performances, and the youngest erformer is Amira Lim who is
just six years old.
Amira
will be tap dancing away this National Day with 70 schoolmates from
Haig Girls Primary.
NDP
2004 creative director Glen Goei said, "This year, we are using
a lot more younger performers than ever before. In particular we're
using a lot of primary school kids.
He
added, "We've always had a cross-section of ages. What I missed
from last year was the use of kids below age of 12. This year, one
of our acts is all about future, hope, and emphasis is about youth,
about young people.
NDP
Song
Don't
expect a new National Day song this year. Instead, organisers have
revamped an endearing favourite, "Home" composed by Dick
Lee, for the celebrations.
The
song was first sung by Kit Chan at the National Day Parade in 1998.
Making
a comeback this year, the song will be sung by three child soloists
and students from Tampines Primary and Tanjong Katong Girls'.
Flying In Style
Members
of the special Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team or DART will
make a swift entrance this National Day, flying fox style.
Though
this isn't the first time SCDF officers are zipping down the line
for the parade, it has been some 10 years since Singaporeans last
saw the officers flying into the National Stadium in such spectacular
fashion.
MoBlog Nation
Some
Singaporeans are making history in the run-up to this year's National
Day Parade, by putting their diaries online and the rest of the
nation can, for the first time, interact with them using mobile
phones.
Singapore
is the first and only nation in the world to adopt moblogging, or
"Mobile Web Logging," at a national event.
Singapore
actually has the largest per capita of bloggers in the world.
And
the NDP committee thought this would be a great way to get Singaporeans
here and overseas interacting.
Bloggers
have been posting anything and everything from life in Singapore,
to the country's rich heritage to photos of loved ones on the National
Day Parade website.
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