Last Saturday, with some help from 24seven and Clarence, the family managed to get tickets to the Last Combine Rehearsal of the National Day Parade 2010.

I have been to some of the Media Events regarding this year’s NDP, and I kind of knew what to expect. I have already got hold of my favourite NDP Tote Bag earlier, and now I was just looking to collect the other designs. Little did I know – that the best was yet to come!

In retrospect, the most eventful part of the parade was not the traditional Parade per se. With hundreds of people marching in, standing in the middle of the padang…and just standing there…This inaction is a non-event that had the kids sucking on the packet drinks found in their NDP Tote bags.

Previously, they scrapped the March Past by every contingent some time ago…but looks like they brought it back this year!

From the Commandos to the PUB staff marching past the President…this event was very time-consuming and very Zzzz…

Look at Nathan’s BIG EYES…He was BORED!

However, the other parts of the parade were totally different!

The kids were excited when:

1. The Parachutes came flying down from the sky. Watching the airborne rangers in action, was a 1st for all the kids and they thoroughly enjoyed it.

2. Nathan loved the Ariel display, which had the F-15s and F-16s flying by.

Nadine was covering her ears, but the good thing was that she did not cry. Nicole was also unusually quiet, as she found the jet engines really LOUD!

On the other hand, Nathan loved the jet planes! I think it is a “boy thing”, as he loved the fire engines, tanks and police cars as well!

3. And everyone loved the performances!

As the sun began to set, we were introduced to the musical genius of Dick Lee.

To tell you the truth, I was already impressed with the new renditions of the ageless National Songs at the Media Launch…but together with the floats and the live performances….the parade was brought up to another level!

Even though this was just a rehearsal…the catchy music and beats really got us going…It got all of us standing up and swaying to the songs! We were definitely Standing up for Singapore!

If you are someone who is really into fireworks…there are also tons of fireworks going on throughout the performance.

Many of the items had their acts coordinated with the fireworks, and this made me a very trigger happy camera man. I was spinning around like a mad man, trying to get the best shot!

If you have got tickets to the actual event…Don’t give them up!

The NDP parade is definitely an experience!

This is a parade, that will be enjoyed by the young and by the adults as well! I may not have been to a parade for a long time…but this is one that I definitely enjoyed!

If you are going down to the Parade on the 9th of August, here are some helpful tips for you:

Tips for Parents:

1. No need to bring additional Drinks

The Tote Bag given by the organizers contains 4 bottles of fluids. There is one mineral water, one newater, one H-two-O isotonic drink and one ‘Yeos’ packet drink. This makes every TOTE bag very heavy, and my veins were ‘popping out’ when I had to carry 5 bags by myself.

2. The TOTE Bag weighs a TON

If you are just carrying 1 bag, that is ok! But if you have a grandma or young children with you – expect your knight in shinning armour to be weighed down by the bags.  I threw away the non-essential items like the game box when I had time to settle down in my seat. It was too heavy for Daddy to carry everything home all by himself.

3. Park near an MRT Station

I parked near the Circle line, as I find these stations nearest to the Padang, and the City Hall station seems to be a “magnet” for crowds. Stations like “Promenade” seem to be under-utilized, and they make great escape routes, when the Parade ends.

4. Wait till the crowd clears…

If you have young kids under 4 years old, don’t head for the exit immediately after the parade. The stairs are a ‘killer’ for the children, and they will be in danger of trampled upon after the parade. So, wait till the crowd clears, when the Parade ends! This is not a day for you to be Kiasu!

Feel free to drop any tips and comments before you go!