The National Day Parade 2008 - National Education Show

Not the actual day of 8th August and thus not the National Day Parade 2008. However the taste, smell, texture and ingredients are exactly the same except for a change of name and the fact that most of the spectators are primary school students! Their mind are young like dry sponge and a National Education is super absorbent to them as far as molding the mind of love and loyalty to country is concern (or maybe a stench of propaganda?). Adults like us are too concern with raising cost of living and excessive erection of ERP gantry. So its just another meaningful activity to fill me up for the weekend.

Anyway, the highlight of NDP2008 must go to the RSAF Black Knights aerobatic team. I think this years aerobatic is the best so far I seen. The most dazzling display goes to 2 F-16 Fighter Jets making a heart shape in the sky. Next, seeing the Chinook flying our huge national flag with 3 Apache escort in the midst of our National Anthem is always a grand and impressive sight. I felt a really strong connection to the Chinook for every single minute its airborne bring a sense of satisfaction to the servicing me and my fellow colleague done to this stallion of the sky. Alway glad to see the final result of all our sweats, brawls and brains. Finally, during the NDP-08, a short video segment pay tribute to the "man-in-blue" who maintain the machines of the sky. This is good man...otherwise the public always have the wrong impression that all our flying machine are maintenance free and Air Force is all about Pilots like Top Gun.

I was hopping to see a mobile column display of our Army boy equipment, but I guess the venue is too small for those vehicle to enter. Nothing too disappointing compared to a malfunction of a single fire work that night, instead of 5 burst from each tower on stage, 1 of it failed to launch. I knew it because the mid section of the music comes with 5 cymbal beats the 4th beats came without the fire work. The other misfortune goes to 5 Victorian Style pillar display, 4 raises while 1 did not and when the 4 raised pillar descend, 1 was stuck. I'm sure this will not happen on the actual NDP 2008 for its not a good to have only 4 launch of the tower's firework instead of 5, or 4 pillar raising or descending while 1 did not, this means one of our Country Defenses failed. Very bad omen. Anyway right below is my photo blog of the NDP2008- National Education Show.

"My first experience watching the National Day parade, not as a marching contigent but as a spectator.This is the second year in a row the National Parade was held at the Marina Bayfront performing platform. Oh by the way, its the National Day Parade - National Education Show thus this pictures are not taken on National Day itself which is 9th of August every year since1965. Call it a full scale rehearsal or preview, its one of the few oppurtunity the NDP 08 organizing committee can get the feel of the parade itself and to resolve area of conflict before the big day itself."