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ST Online Team
@ NDP 2009
NDP LIVE BLOGGING 7 - 8:30pm
August 09, 2009 Sunday, 08:30 PM
The ST Online team blogs live on the ground from NDP 2009.
Continued from 5:30 - 7pm. Reico (F1 Pit backstage, 7pm): Some of the guard contingent stand in the wings backstage, smiling and chit-chatting quietly as they give their uniforms one last check before they are due to march in. Looking smart is definitely the key for their next few moments.
Joanne (ST.com HQ, 7:11pm): President S R Nathan has just pulled up in what is his 10th year overseeing Singapore's National Day Parade. As the familiar strains of our National Anthem is struck up by the band, everyone rises to their feet with proud faces and looking at the giant national flag fly-by hoisted up by helicopters. Reico (Marina Bay backstage, 7:13pm): As the National Anthem is played, eveyone drops what they are doing and stands up straight at attention. It is indeed a solemn moment, especially at the parade grounds, where the level of respect for the country is at a high.
Joanne (ST.com HQ, 7:14pm): The sun is fast setting, making the 21-gun presidential salute all the more spectacular. Melissa (Marina Bay Grandstand, 7:18pm): A quick weather update: Thankfully the humidity of this afternoon is gone. It's a really, really lovely evening to be out, a gentle breeze passes ever so often. Pity about the haze or we could've enjoyed the parade against the backdrop of a beautiful sunset. Reico (Marina Bay Grandstand backstage, 7:21pm): As the first few rounds of the 21-gun salute fill the air, I see the young performers jumping in shock at the loud shots. But they immediately smile and laugh at their own startled reaction, and put it down to part of the excitment of participating in the parade.
All the events on stage seem to simply heighten their excitement, and they burst into cheers once again as they spot the grand contingent marching in front of them.
Melissa (Marina Bay Grandstand, 7:29pm): It's the United Nations at Marina Bay! 26 members of the Young Reporters Training Camp from all around the world were given passes by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) and to watch the parade. Gloriose Nukamabano is really glad to be here. The 17-year-old from Rwanda says our celebrations are "really beautiful and interesting".
Joanne (ST.com HQ, 7:44pm): The story of Singapore continues with a musical trip through the decades played on the big screen at the Marina Bay Grandstand flanked by two tall set-ups which look like performers in HDB flat windows. Melissa (Marina Bay Grandstand, 7:52pm): I just exchanged a few words with a life-sized furry crocodile or buaya. He has just hopped off stage after his act, which involved "scaring people". In reality, this "crocodile " is an army recruit. He has been a Singapore permanent resident for four years now and it is his first time taking part in the Parade.
Reico (Marina Bay Grandstand backstage, 7:52pm): The girls from the Acropolates pole fitness team run back in with big smiles on their faces after their performance in the Chapter 5: Fast-forward segment into Singapore's modernisation period, where they performed together with the wu-shu and gymnastic team. "We were all geared up and all the practice has been worth-it," said Ming Leong, team leader of the Acropolates team. "It was challenging to do the pole stunts, especially hanging inverted on the pole and doing spins. We got a few bruises as there was friction between the skin and poles, but it's worth it!"
Reico (Marina Bay Grandstand backstage, 7:59pm): As the strains of Koh Chieng Mun singing "I Will Survive" resounds loudly from the stage, performers from the various segments join in and sing along fervently with big grins on their faces... And continue to sing along with pride as the next song "Home" starts up. I bet the performers are really feeling the lyrics of the national day song more than ever before! Melissa (Marina Bay Grandstand, 8:02pm): We just watched the "When I Grow Up" video segment which features kids describing their ambitions. Little Andrew, the last of the lot, received the loudest cheers when he said with a cheeky grin: "When I grow up I want to be President of Singapore!" Melissa (Marina Bay Grandstand, 8:07pm): The grandstand is awash with a sea of red and white hearts. The Singapore Flyer too is glowing red and white. White lights, bringing out the patterns in the Flyer, blink to the music. Against the song "Home", it is a very heartwarming moment. The song ends with red heart-shaped helium balloons released into the sky, fading in the distance. Reico (Marina Bay Grandstand backstage, 8:16pm): I had a few words with some of the army personnel decked out in silver shiny costumes. They were going back on stage for their final performance as Electrico belted out their national day song. Although the army men were sweating furiously as I asked them how they were feeling right at that moment, they only repeated one word - "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! To be able to join in the nation's celebrations this way is just wonderful!" Melissa (Marina Bay Grandstand, 8:19pm): Just had a word with Singapore Polytechnic student Ronald Choo. He volunteered to be a motivator at the parade, a job that requires plenty of arm power and dancing ability. He's furiously waving his red heart-shaped torch to Electrico's national day song to get the audience moving. Melissa (Marina Bay Grandstand, 8:21pm): It's everyone's favourite national day song! Stand Up For Singapore. All are up on their feet waving their heart-shaped torches and singing along, even the elderly folks on my right. The audience goes wild as bursts of fireworks light up the sky!
Reico (Marina Bay Grandstand, 8:24pm): As host Gurmit Singh stands on stage to close the show, everyone prepares to round-off the night's celebrations with one last solemn moment - to take the national pledge and sing the national anthem. Uniform personnel stand at attention and face front in serious salutes. Melissa (Marina Bay Grandstand, 8:27pm): An inspiring moment as members of the audience, performers and government ministers all quieten down for the national pledge and anthem.
The calm is short-lived though and everyone is back to partying again. The crowd roars for the president as he makes his exit. Reico (Marina Bay Grandstand, 8:27pm): As the fireworks fill the air, eyes moved upwards to the sky to catch the magnificent color bursts. And as the strains of Majulah Singapura ends, everyone around me start screaming in joyful cheers. Happy 44th Birthday, Singapore!
Melissa (Marina Bay Grandstand, 8:29pm): The parade has come to a close. Performers are still on stage and on the track. Most of them are moving to "We Are Family" in self-choreographed dance moves. They must be glad months of hard work has come to fruition. Spectators are eager to exit the grandstand but the crowd is moving very slowly. Joanne (ST.com HQ, 8:30pm): And on that note, all of us at ST Online would like to wish all Singaporeans a Happy National Day. Thanks to all of you for joining us here on the ST Blogs from all over the world! Tags: ndp 2009, singapore 
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UPDATE:18/8
On the subject of The Pledge.....
I asked..NOW, HANDS UP...ANYONE...WHO BELIEVES THAT THE STRAITS TIMES SHOULD NOT GIVE US THEIR PLEDGE?
NO HANDS UP, YET...STILL.
So it seems we all agree its (very, very) long overdue.
I wonder if ST has taken note of this?
Not one, not two, but FIVE Straits Times journo's have now called to say..YES..YES..YES..YES...YES...that the Straits Times SHOULD give its readers a pledge.
And I too was surprised as to WHO (now) two of them were!!!
For those who want to, here is a site to broaden your horizon.
I chanced upon....... http://www.p65.sg/
An open, inclusive platform for Singaporeans to share their experience with.
Something the ST does not encourage in its Forum pages, unless it suits the ST to publish, that is.
By the way, did someone say these (ST) blogs are getting boring!!
@Goldfish: I too agree with you.
The other reason maybe the Online Ed did not have her pix added to the ST Online Blog team was....she did "not have a thing to wear to show off" on the sunday.
So she allowed her younger reporters be photographed instead.
After all, she is not going to have her pix taken, wearing just any old outfit, is she? Heaven forbid!!
We proudly proudly recited THE NATIONAL PLEDGE at 8.22 pm on 9/8/09.
It would be great, in our 44th year as a nation, that the ST also makes a pledge to its long suffering readers.
Maybe it should be along these lines..
WE the Straits Times...
*We will NOT continue to treat our readers with contempt, but with empathy.
*We will NOT continue to only publish what WE like. But what our readers should read and want to read.
*We will print the whole news and nothing but the news. We promise that Singaporeans should NOT have to read news about Singapore in other newspapers.
*We will NOT bin the letters we receive that WE do not want to print. We will publish them.
*We will give any reasons or answers for our doing. That as you can understand is new to us, to be answerable, but we will try.
*We promise to listen to our readers views (if it makes you happy to hear it) and NOT to just to listen.
*We understand fully we have a license to print money but that means we have to give back even MORE to the community. Not just lip, service but real money.. even more to the ST Money Box.
*We remain a monoply, (thank goodness) but we have to act as if we are not. But you know, really thats how we survived so successfully and profitaby these last 164 years. So, one small step at a time, please.
*We understand that Singaporeans have no choice of any other newspaper. That's it. No argument.
*We remain committed to our advertisers who by the way have absolutely no other newspaper publication choice.
*We will endeavour to provide value for money to our advertisers so long as it suits us, first. After all, they have no where else to go. And we do have shareholders and highly paid editorial executives.
*We must be seen to be concerned about the social..oops..we mean..municipal issues of Singaporeans. Our writers must be trained to write about them. Not easy, but we will try, hard. Maybe we should read the AsiaOne forums to feel the pulse of what our readers are crying about.
*Our writers must learn to blog about the social...oops..we mean...municipal issues confronting Singaporeans. But, in the first place, we have to learn and listen from our readers. Forgive us, we have since 1845, be so mindset that changes are difficult.
*We will employ and encourage more Singaporeans to join the ST as writers and not be too dependent on foreign staff.
*We must NOT be hesitant in apologising to our readers. Saying sorry, you can understand, is the hardest word.
*We will re-train our writers NOT write what WE want them to write and say, within fair reason. You will agree,its a new beginning for us. Because for as long as we have been, our writers are taught to only write what we tell them to write. But, we realise change happens but please dont expect any changes to happen overnight, or at all.
*We will continue to add to this pledge, as we see fit.
Lest you forget, after all, WE are The Straits Times.
ALL THIS WE PLEDGE AND PROMISE.
Okay, hands up....anyone....who believes that the ST should not give us this pledge?
happy birthday Singapore! :)
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