As all Singaporeans know (or at least those with kids:), every primary 5 student has to attend a practice session of the NDP, called the “National Education Show”, as part of their rights of passage towards becoming a full fledged, card carrying Singaporean. The daughter of a friend of mine is in primary five this year, and here is what her mom told me her daughter told her that she loved about her experience at the 2009 “National Education Show”.
The Attire!
People dressed in Red Tops portrays a sense of unity and identity.
The NDP Logo!
The NDP 2009 Logo depicts a stylized hand reaching out to Singaporeans of different backgrounds, connecting all Singaporeans as one united people. A motif of the heart on the palm of the hand embodies our compassion and care for our citizens. The five stars forming the fingers symbolize democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality, in vibrant colors, reflecting our nation’s diversity. Reaching up in celebration of our progress as a nation, the shooting stars represent our hope for a better future.
The NDP 2009 Theme Song!
With the theme of “Come Together – Reaching Out, Reaching Up”, it is a nice tune.
The Floating Stadium!
The National Day event is held at the Marina Bay floating stadium. Also known as the Marina Bay Floating Steel Platform, it is the world’s first and largest floating stage. It has a seating capacity of 30,000 red, blue, yellow and green seats.
The View from the Floating Stadium!
You can see the Singapore Flyer, the city skyline, JB, Indonesia and the integrated resort.
The 21 Gun Salute!
The 21 gun salute was done using cannons inherited from the British Army. This is a yearly tradition, to show respect and honor to our Political Leaders.
NDP Performances!
All the performances were nice and impressive, especially the one that showed the history of Singapore. The history was told in 10 chapters starting from chapter 1, which was about Sang Nila Utama, the first ruler of Singapore, to chapter 10, which was about the World War 2 period.
F16 Flyby!
Five aircraft flew straight up into the sky! As they did, they separated so that the formation of the aircraft looked like the 5 fingers of a hand. It provided a reminder of this year’s NDP Logo.
The Fun Pack Goodie Bag!
The Goodie Bag comes in 5 different colours: orange, purple, pink, blue and green. The front cover is detachable and, when detached, it becomes a handbag. The sponsors this year are Tote Board, Singapore Pools, Singapore Turf Club, DSTA, PSA, Sembcorp Marine, StarHub, ST Engineering and SingTel. Items in the goody bag include a book of vouchers, a handheld heartshaped torch, a drum, tattoo, a postcard, a Singapore Flag, High School Musical Magazine, sweets, drinks, bread and a chicken burger etc.
Fireworks!
The fireworks were the biggest, most spectacular event of the evening! Each burst brightened the sky. There were lots of “Woo”s and “Wah”s from the crowd as they watched the beautiful explosions dissipate into the night sky. Before disappearing completely, a fresh round of fireworks were launched. It was an incredible show!
The Top10s and pictures are based on what a primary 5 student described to her mom after attending the NDP2009 preview.
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