Watching this year's National Day Parade from the comfort of my couch at home, it dawned on me why the feeling felt rather unfamiliar - I had not watched NDP at home since 2001.
Since young, I would have the habit of watching the Parade on television. My whole family would watch as we would see the helicopter carrying the Singapore flag fly past the tv screen, and then rush to look out of the window as it flew past in the skies. Or see the jets zoom past the National Stadium, and then wait for the loud sounds above Thomson or Pasir Ris. Not too sure if any of you have such similar recollections.
In 2002, I attended my first National Day Parade, but in the special capacity as a host. Even though it was my first Parade live myself! Being part of the Taiwan Immersion Programme, I received tickets to bring me and my guest from Taiwan to the National Stadium. Stefanie Sun sang the theme song that year, and I remember marvelling at how the Taiwanese seemed more excited at seeing her than the Singapore hosts ourselves. At the end of the Parade, the Taiwanese students were very impressed with the fireworks and the carnival patroitic atmosphere. I was proud that after 36 of independance, my country had both military discipline, as well as unbrideled passion to show off.
Fast forward to 2004, I remember on my first day of enlistment into the Singapore Police Force Officer Cadet Course, we were informed that we would be marching as the Guard-of-Honour contingent at NDP. I had hated marching ever since BMT, but what come after was really quite bad. 3 months before the Parade, we were already training 2-3 times a week. Every Wednesday, we would troop down to Khatib Camp for rehearsals, and every Saturday it would be the Stadium itself. The irritation with the repeated rehearsals was incresingly replaced with the fear of messing up as the Parade drew near. Even though there were so many of us, and we could hardly be seen cleary from the spectator stands, there was still the fear of 'all eyes on you', and there was still the television cameras! But I do remember feeling a sense of accomplishment as I marched out of the Stadium for the march past on the day itself, if not for the deafening cries of the crowd, still for the remarkable effort I had had to put in.
The love story with NDP continued to 2005. This time, I was sitting in the Operations Control Room of the SPF with the Deputy Commisioner of Police watching the procudures from the CCTV cameras. We were activated from the early morning, setting up the Mobile Control Room (control room set-up in a vehicle) , watching the crowds from the various MRT stations filter into the National Stadium, till the crowd cleared after the Parade ended. There wasnt really much to do really, as there were no security threats. But looking at the crowds from the cameras, the horrifying thought of what would happen in the event of an attack did fleet past my mind, but I think we were quite ready.
2006 would have been the first time in 5 years I watched the NDP from home, but instead, I watched it from the television in the Singapore General Hospital ward. My mum had been admitted just a week before National Day. I remember some relatives of patients wheeling the patients into the corridors of the ward so that they could see the fireworks from the window. I didnt really know if the patients could appreciate the fireworks at all, being ill as they were. Were the smiles on their faces true smiles of joy as the fireworks erupted into the skies? Or did they simply want to give their relatives something to be happy about, while their hearts feared that it might be their last time watching fireworks? I really do not know. But I know that on National Day, the mood in the ward seemed much more lively than normal, as relatives and friends of patients took the chance of the public holiday to accompany their loved ones. That night, a few of my friends brought me to Kbox in Chinatown to unwind. We had frog's porridge thereafter. I am not too sure how many of them remember that as well.
2007. As I watched the Parade, with my Dad, Grandmother and sister, these are the thoughts and memories that flashed through. I will be flying to Hong Kong later today. Could have flown on National Day itself. Somehow decided to stay in Singapore for the Parade.
