E-lyn ThamAh the special time of the year is upon us again, when Singaporeans from all walks of life come together in a rousing celebration of all things Singapore. This is the time when we see people all decked out in red and white, singing National Day songs with all their hearts.
Yes, National Day is just around the corner, and this year we turn 51! *throws confetti in the air* And of course, what’s National Day without the good old National Day Parade?
This year’s parade is back at the National Stadium, woohoo! To make you even more excited than you already are, here are ten things you can confirm plus chop look forward to this NDP 2016!
1. There are adorable little red-heart tattoos in your fun (back)pack
One of the best things about attending the NDP is receiving the fun pack, or as it’s more colloquially known, the shiok goodie bag. Inside we normally find the usual bottled water, biscuits, tissue, plastic Singapore flags, but this year we also find a comic strip, a nifty little scarf, and what do you know – adorable little red-heart tattoos. How can anyone resist wearing their hearts on their faces?
The heart-shaped tattoos come accompanied with lion and flag designs, and you can plaster them all over your chio faces and arms. Don’t worry, when it comes to National Day, there’s no such thing as overkill. P.S. They’re totally temporary, so go all out!
Also, the fun pack can be converted to a backpack. And big enough for you to throw all your barang barangs in. How sweet is that!
2. You get to do the Kallang wave after – wait, how many years has it been again?
Just too many! Did you know that it’s been 10 years since the NDP was last held at the National Stadium? Wah, such a long long time ago! For all you nostalgic kids out there – take it from us when we say there’s nothing like doing the Kallang wave back where it all began.
3. All your OCD streaks will be so oh-so-satisfied
Just look at that order, that coordination and that colour categorisation! That… ah, we could go on and on! But just to put it out there – anyone with an OCD streak is definitely going to get a kick out of watching those lines magically align.
Yes, this segment strangely made us oh-so-satisfied.
4. Learn to sign “Count on me Singapore” and watch as the entire stadium does it in unison
This is a really cool segment of the parade where the whole stadium signs together to the tune of “Count on me Singapore”. An inclusive Singapore, where no one is left out, is something we aspire to achieve! Which other country can have one old man fall down, and have a Malay man, Chinese woman, Indian man, and a Bangladeshi man rush to the rescue? If you haven’t already, read the full story here, but we digress.
It’s absolutely heartwarming to see the entire stadium doing sign language. What can we say? Bagus lah, Singapore!
5. There will be a UNICORN galloping around the stadium!
Image credit: NDP 2016
Our first reaction was – what? A unicorn? What in the world…
There’s actually a really relevant story behind it. SG50 was all about commemorating how far we’ve come, and now SG51 is about building our Singapore of tomorrow. As aptly put by our dear Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, “Singapore is like a unicorn. One of a kind, a special animal, no other in the world. It works well, has unique solutions.”. Hence, ta-dah! A glorious unicorn. We likey!
And yes, the unicorn even flies. Never thought we’d live to see this – the day where a unicorn actually galloped around the National Stadium!
6. Not sure if we were at NDP 2016 or a football match, but the scarves will totally get you in the mood
Kudos to the organisers for including these scarves in the fun pack! Waving these little buggers in the air made us feel like we were cheering on the Barcelona football team, or you know, our humble Singapore Lions.
They make pretty good photo props as well. Just saying.
7. Get all trippy with neon lights and great music
This year, the parade is all about envisioning the future of Singapore. So cue flashing neon lights, dancers decked out in luminescent vests, and twirling acrobats suspended from the roof. This completely took us by surprise, as it’s completely different from the NDPs of yesteryear. But boy oh boy, was it a pleasant surprise! We were this close to standing up and breaking out into our dance moves, in tune to the thumping music. Way to create an atmosphere!
Also, you get to feast your eyes on a floating sky city, which actually transforms into a giant tree of life. Pretty awesome, we must say!
8. Go to Infinity and Beyond with these cute little glowing wristbands
You get these wristbands when you first enter, and they actually don’t look anything like wristbands. More like a piece of plastic connected to a strip of paper. Our faces must have said it all because a soldier hurriedly assured us that we’ll be taught how to use them later. Ahhh, the sound of sweet understanding.
So turns out that they’re cool little devices that you strap onto your wrists, and they change colours to match the performances. Automatically! So throughout the performance, you’ll see the stands awash in intermittent shades of blue, red, and green due to 55,000 of these babies twinkling merrily in the dark. Pretty much felt like we were Buzz Lightyear taking on the galaxy. To infinity and beyond!
9. There are outdoor AND indoor fireworks – we kid you not
Watch as the stage erupts into a fiery conundrum of shooting sparks because, INDOOR. FIREWORKS. ‘Nuff said! Don’t know how they managed to pull this off, but it’s pretty darn cool.
There are outdoor fireworks too, no doubt. How can there not be? The blasphemy!
10. And of course, what’s NDP without the National Day songs?
Sing your hearts out to this year’s theme song, “Tomorrow’s here today”, as well as the ever-loved oldies such as “Home”, and “Stand Up for Singapore”. We’ve grown up with all these songs, and they’re nostalgic to boot. Belt out those tunes under a shower of confetti – be warned: some pieces might float lazily into your mouth. But to join in the deafening chorus of National Day songs? Well worth it!
So cancel all plans for 9 August 2016, grab a bucket of popcorn and get ready to wave your Singapore flags loud and proud. The NDP 2016 is one show you definitely don’t want to miss!
Cliche as it may be, but indeed this is home, truly.
