By Joanne Lee at ST.com Headquarters
Melissa Pang at Media Centre, Marina Bay
Reico Wong at F1 Pit, Marina Bay
& Bryan Huang taking on-the-ground photos

JOANNE (ST.com HQ, 5:27pm): IT'S National Day!

The straitstimes.com team is bringing you blog updates LIVE from the National Day Parade, the biggest event of the year. Join us as we feed you with audience reactions, behind-the-scenes interviews with performers - all the excitement at the Esplanade and Marina Bay that you won't see on TV.

Stay tuned for all the fun happening at Singapore's 44th birthday party.

(Read about the Parade's preparation here.)

Melissa (Media Centre, 5:46pm): I was at the Esplanade all afternoon and got a chance to catch up with the early birds who arrived to get some good spots.

Celebrating in red & white.
ST Photo: Bryan Huang

Seated far right of the Merlion is Madam Nilawati Mohd Yassin with her sisters, cousins, and grandchildren - 22 of them in all. They arrived at the Merlion Park as early as 12pm to "chope" or reserve seats, and their spirits were high despite the sweltering heat. Packed with kuehs, fruits and bottles of water, the family looks forward to their favourite part of the parade - fireworks, of course.

Reico (F1 Pit, 5:46pm): I was backstage at Marina Bay earlier and security is tight as performers and all personnel entering the performers' holding area have to go past scanners and metal detectors.
 
A long queue of performers is still forming over at the makeup stand. The makeup artists have their hands full trying to get the performers ready. "We do the makeup for about 80 kids each a day and it can be quite a task," said Wan nur Hazirah, a NDP make-up artist. Still, she smiles at me cheerfully and says it is a fun and exciting experience to be able to help in the nation's celebrations.

Ridhi Nares, 13, from Bedok North Secondary School patiently waiting for the hair stylist to add the final touches to her hair. She wants to look her best as she performs on the nation's big day.
ST PHOTO: Bryan Huang

Performers are still sitting around and chit-chatting as they wait their turn to be brought to the waterfront promanade. "We've been practicing for months now, ever since May, and we're confident we'll not make a wrong move, " said Nuramira Roslan, 19, from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Decked out in a bright orange and yellow costume, she is to take part in the cultural performance combining all the different races.

Melissa (Media Centre, 5:54pm): I also met NUS exchange students Johan Sjoewall (from Sweden) and Callum Taylor, Luke Cameron, and James Broughton - a trio from Britain - who've been in Singapore just two weeks, and already they love our country!

The quartet stood out as all of them were carrying the Singapore flags. They were effusive in their praise of Singapore. They love its "multiculturalism" and "cleanliness", and also appreciate it for being so "well-organised", "nice and cheap", and "exciting". You know it's true!

ST PHOTO: Bryan Huang

Melissa (Media Centre, 6pm): We spotted many groups of foreign workers in the crowd, either watching the free outdoor theatre performances or just chilling out in the sun. Seated on a grass patch was Bangladeshi Mahabul Hossain, 39, with his friends - all of whom are construction workers. Mr Hossain has been in Singapore since 1994 and enjoys soaking up the National Day Parade atmosphere.

He said: "Since I can't go back to Bangladesh to celebrate our national day, I'm here to celebrate Singapore's birthday. It's all the same."

When asked what his favourite part of the parade is, he quipped: "Everything also like!"

ST PHOTO: Bryan Huang

Reico (F1 Pit, 6:10pm): Performers in white costumes and carrying sky-blue sashes are slowly walking towards the waterfront promenade, where they will wait their turn to go on stage.

Melissa (Marina Bay Grandstand, 6:15pm): The audience is getting very excited as the Red Lions parachuters emerge from the hazy skies. All cameras are pointing towards the sky and I see quite a few mouths open in awe.

ST PHOTO: Melissa Pang

Joanne (ST.com HQ, 6:31pm): The audience has been practising a welcome drumbeat for the last few minutes as they wait for the Prime Minister, Senior Minister and Minister Mentor to arrive. They are now starting up the drumbeat as the ministers pull up. Here comes Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

Joanne (ST.com HQ, 6:36pm): And now that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has arrived, the party is really going to begin, starting with the story of Singapore from when Sang Nila Utama spotted a lion on our shores when the prince was sailing past.

Melissa (Grandstand, 6:44pm): Lion dancers take the audience by surprise as they appear from behind the Grandstand and wait amidst the seats waiting to go on stage.

They're not going on stage, they're actually children holding up a lions head dancing on the podium. Some kids are enjoying the music and dancing along. A boy to my right has his ears covered. Music not to his liking perhaps?

Joanne (ST.com HQ, 6:48pm): The audience is now on the edge of their seats as a fake terrorist threat is simulated and the SCDF vehicles burst on scene. Navy boats are now speeding into the Bay.

ST PHOTO: Melissa Pang

Reico (F1 Pit, 6:49pm): Huge crowds of performers in colourful costumes start to stream into the backstage area of the parade grounds even as the show goes into its second chapter on defending our homeland. The cheers and happy voices of the performers can be heard as they gear themselves up even as the loud simulated bomb explosions go off onstage.

Joanne (ST.com HQ, 6:55pm): It's like a movie sequence being played out, with news reporters and actors acting out what happens if a terrorist attack ever happens here. The big screens are playing how our National Servicemen would be activated and a land-air assault would be launched.

Melissa (Grandstand, 6:55pm): I've managed to get a member of the audience to tear away  from the performance for a bit. Mr Eric Yong, 52, is here at the Parade alone as he only managed to get one ticket. This is his first national day parade as a spectator. His other experience at the NDP was as a participant in 1975, when he took part in the march pass. He's enjoying the parade so far, and his favourite segment was the Red Lions parachuters.

ST PHOTO: Melissa Pang

Joanne (ST.com, 6:58pm): Well, this year's march pass is about to start in earnest as the Parade commander Lieutenant-Colonel Yong Chee Meng starts to bellow out the orders to get things going.

Continued here from 7pm.