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Singapore National day 2010




Last Saturday was the National Day National Education show for the Primary 5 students. My wife and I happened to be at the right place at the right time, in the city vicinity around evening. With this year National Day being held at the Padang, being at the city at this time proved to be right for those interested to catch a sneak preview of the grand show.

National day in Singapore returns to the Padang every 5 years. Whenever the parade returns to the Padang, viewers would be treated to a grand Military column contingent apart from the regular marching contingent.


It was definitely sad for me once again, for the straight 10th or 11th time since electronic balloting was implemented for the NDP tickets. My family and I were not chosen year after year despites our exuberance every time the electronic balloting begins. We are not choosy, just choosing 2 preview tickets each, yet luck evaded us every time. Anyway that was history.


When my Dear and I were outside Suntec city last Saturday, we were really seeing fleets of armoured tanks, military vehicles and personnel on standby for the parade preview. The roads were blocked off to the public and this definitely made the Suntec City shopping mall and the nearby shopping centres much easier to shop with the much reduced human traffic. Many curious shoppers doled out their cameras and handphones and went zapping at the military presence on the public roads.


The sight was impressive! The last time I saw military tanks on public roads was during March on TV when the “red shirts army” created havoc in Bangkok city areas, causing the local government to crack down on them with tanks. Luckily, in Singapore, the only time we see tanks on roads is during the happy moments of our country’s greatest day.


For those without the highly-coveted NDP tickets, the most common and popular way to soak in the fun and excitement of NDP is to be at the city areas on 9 Aug to watch the sparkling fireworks displays, like me.


Immediately just 2 to 3 hours after NDP, the gates of hell would open wide and out will be all the ghosts from hell for their annual hungry ghost festival! Post NDP parade revellers should try to go home before 12 am as it is a working day the next day after National Day and to avoid seeing something that I believe they would rather not see.
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