here's a little tribute to our officers, Keith and Jimmy...

ndpeeps: Any final advice for those who are still serving NS?

jimmy: (suddenly solemn) Like it or not, it's still 2 years of NS (although some is 1 yr 10 mths). Serve it... Rather than to "geng" through the whole of the 2 years, why not do something fulfilling?

Welcome folks to our live blogging of Media Event 1. Keen to find out more? Scroll down to read what happens live on the scene as the event unfolds! Cheers! :-)

1220- There's a time for work and there's a time for play.

1200 - Keep up the good work :)


Our chairman's here too! I guess he's impressed with what we've got to show, haha. And look, the students are still here. They must be enjoying their tour around the exhibition and having their pictures taken. They are probably glad that they get some time off from school today! lol. :)


1140-Looks like we aren't the only stars here! haha.





1125 - Time to sell your product!




The eager beavers who arrive first at the various booths are having an engaging time with the booths' representatives. The representatives are "marketing" their platforms with gusto. After all, they've put in a lot of hard work for this!




1110 - Hey Colonel, I've a question!



Alright, the speech is over. People get off their seats and the reporters scramble to have a word with Colonel Ang. These reporters are adamant to get their questions answered, they didn't come here for nothing.

1055 - Applause!


The dazzling camera flashes..the resounding applause..Colonel Ang has ended his speech. His main message is that NDP belongs to everyone, and so lets all COME TOGETHER and board the ship for this NDP journey!


Some of our booth ICs preparing for their turn to market their product!

1045 - Eyes on the stage!




Our charismatic speaker has taken the spotlight! Many are either listening intently or taking down notes in a frenzy. Some engaging speech we have :-)

1030 - "Ladies and Gentlemen, please be seated"



The event has begun and the jovial reporters have arrived! People are getting seated and getting their notepads out, eager for the content to arrive.


1015 - The show's about to begin!


Ahhh, now you know what some of our bloggers look like! Many words are being exchanged between those in uniform and those in working attire, all excited for the event to commence!

0845 - Welcome Colonel Ang!


Our chief presenter, Colonel Ang, has arrived! Almost immediately, he is surrounded by curious people from the media and soon he's innundated by questions. But he remains calm and seems to be enjoying it a lot!


0800 - Lets get started!


Like the typical (or unique) Singaporeans we are, we arrived very early at our exhibition site to prepare for the event. Laptops sprung open, bags and unsightly cables shoved under tables, presenters preparing their speeches--some hustle and bustle!


A Prelude to New Media's Showtime!

Media Event 1

Well, it's been a while since we've started working on New Media for NDP! We've been through some hiccups, attained some achievements that can put a smile on our faces, and now we're gonna have our Media Event 1. During this event, the various platforms of the new media team will be showcasing what we have in store for the people for NDP! Lets hope that everything will fall into place and this can be a morale booster for us as we continue to journey towards NDP :).

Join us in our very first Live blogging experience! haha..we're maturing as a blogging team. Check out what's going on live here at Media Event 1 at the Marina Bay platform!

in bugis, my friends and i came across an uncle selling hand-made crafts. the exquisite vases, recycled from used cans, stood neatly in rows within a styrofoam box. no one stopped to chat with this uncle; perhaps no one noticed his existence.

intrigued, we decided to interview him and make him the next protagonist of our 'the human touch'.

as we were interviewing this uncle, a crowd gathered.

we learned that he worked from 7 am to anywhere between 5 and 8 pm daily, be it rain or shine. such draining hours!, i thought, i wouldn't want to lead his life. can you imagine a life of long working hours and a low yet unstable income?

'uncle, how's your business nowadays?' my friend asked out of concern.

'ai yah, the economy's bad now and who would want to buy such stuff from an old man like me?' he sighed and answered.

as the interview unfolds, we found out more about him. this uncle, he didn't want help from others. he wants to depend on himself, on his craftworks to make a living, not survive on the charity and sympathy of others.

emotions - admiration, respect, joy - threatened to overwhelm me. admiration for his nifty skills; respect for his independence; joy in his indomitable spirit. words deserted me. i couldn't help but be impressed by this uncle. i also felt a twinge of shame. how often have i bypassed these people without noticing their presence?

the crowd circling around us didn't purchase any of his finely-wrought vases. it's okay, i guess, if one didn't have sufficient cash to buy any of his handicrafts. but it would be decent to chat with this uncle, instead of simply ignoring him.

a little 'hello', a little 'how do you do?' goes a long way, friends. next time you see an uncle peddling his wares, ask after him. and perhaps, in chatting with him, be inspired by his determination to live and make a living.

interested? find out more about this craftsman..

A touching video by Rony Tan..

Rome was not built in a day..and neither was Singapore. We've been through innumerable arduous journeys that date back a long way before Singapore gained her independence. Can we smile at our bustling cityscape today and think in retrospect, "It's worth it"?

I was reading our NDP 09 EXCO chairman's new blog post on "Is this worth it?" and it fuelled some thoughts that I'd like to share. After all, being on the New Media team for NDP isn't an easy task; so it's good that we find some time to ruminate on our purpose, mindset and direction with regards to the hard work we'd be putting in for NDP. Is all the effort worth the while?

Lets take a quick journey back into the past to reminisce about (well, at least for the older generations) our NDPs back in the good ole'' days when Singapore was just a baby merlion.



And that was in the 1960s...

And then we advanced somewhat in the 1970s as the difference in photo quality illustrates. Wow, imagine that one of those young ladies could be our mums.haha.

Time passed and we arrived in the 1980s! Ever wondered where those dazzling fireworks come from? Well, that picture shows you where! I wonder how deafening the blast of the pyrotechnics would be from those ''blasters"?

'

Well, it was the 1990s-life's good.

Ahhhh..and we're in the new millennium-the age of technology...and we've arrived at the floating platform! Marvel at our annual awe-inspiring display of fireworks.
-Surrealism.

Well, our NDP journeys have progressed remarkably through the years , and so has our nation. Singapore managed to blossom into a first-world country from a third-world country within a short period of time. Isn't all this worth celebrating?

Everyone loves to be a part of a larger community, it's kind of a common innate desire. For us, this "larger community"would be Singapore. So do we love Singapore?

Like what our chairman said, the NDP participants have worked tirelessly. The drummers from Drumfest, the performers from SOKA, the fighters from Martial House, the drill squads etc..each and every individual effort goes a long way to contribute to the success of NDP.

Being able to take part in NDP is a great privilege, an experience you'd relish in the future. Every year, different groups of people get to put their best foot forward for NDP. I'm sure our parents who have seen Singapore mature over the years enjoy the sense of nostalgia and good memories of having participated in previous NDPs. I guess we all have analogous experiences. For instance, soldiers may have to trudge through the forests on survival courses for days--they might feel disgruntled while going through all that..But in the future when they look back, those are unforgettable memories that they would wanna keep. This isn't exactly the best analogy to use but the point is that we'd laugh and smile over the sacrifices made for a greater good.

Some may argue that the money and resources used for the celebrations can be put to better use elsewhere. But just imagine living each year in Singapore with absolutely no inkling of celebrating our nationhood. If one were to see the big picture, alot would be undermined if we were void of NDP celebrations. Unity, harmony, the desire to reach for our goals together, could all be adversely affected. It's just like why we celebrate our birthdays, or Mothers' Day or New Year? Can't the money and resources spent on these be used for more practical purposes? That's where some fail to see the significance of such events.

So why do the partipants sweat so much for all the NDP preparations? Yes, Singaporeans are hardworking and lets be proud of that. But the answer's simple, they love their country. It is just great to be able to be a part of celebrating all that's good about our country.

Well, it must be tough at times for the participants of NDP. Some have to endure the sweltering heat during rehearsals, some have their weekends burnt whilst others, such as the organising committees, might face some unhealthy stress while trying to meet deadlines. Our chairman has described some touching examples in his post.

At the end of the day, I'm sure that no matter what complaints the participants may have, beyond the sweat, blood and tears, within them there's a sense of pride and satisfaction in being able to play a part in this year's NDP. This sense of pride and love for our country is the nexus of our motivation to want to do Singapore proud in NDP.

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So what do you think? How do you wanna contribute to NDP? It could be as simple as starting to be more appreciative of the fellow Singaporeans around you. As for the parade? How about coming down to witness together our "Coming of Age"! Click Here if you're interested in getting or winning some NDP tickets! There are many cool contests to be found there too. Check back again for a new post on e-balloting for NDP tickets!

every year, our parade focuses on the achievements of our nation, of our many accomplishments and awards. but, what about those people who made such achievements possible?

from the sweepers who clean our walkways to teachers who educate us, from buskers who perform to soldiers in national service, we aim to uncover the little ways in which everyone contributes to our nation. their efforts, we feel, should not go unrecognised...

let us draw inspiration from these people, our people, and find out more about them, their weaknesses and strengths, their frailties and attributes. let us know more about their stories and lives so that they would not merely be strangers along the roads.

and in our search for inspiring characters, may we define the spirit that is unique to Singapore.

the human touch - touching stories, touching lives
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Walking past the Paragon in Orchard Road, we came across a busker playing an electronic keyboard. He was sitting on a wheelchair with an amputated leg. Adroit with the instrument, melodious tunes resounded within my ears. We decided to approach him and express our interest in an interview.

Flipping through his scores, we saw songs from varied genres presented and musical notes denoted with numbers instead. As we conversed in Mandarin, I found that I was speaking to Mr Zhang and that he has been performing for the last 3 years. He spoke with an air of carefreeness and optimism, displaying pride in his music.

'Music is my hobby', he said, 'and it transcends all language barriers.'




Performing to share his music with anyone who is appreciative has become a essential part of his daily life. When asked about how the opinions of others affect him, he firmly replied that what others feel did not matter. All he wanted to share was his love for music and to him, that's the most important; Money was secondary.

Being one who enjoys music, I share his sentiments and passion for music. His wish to perform for others was a simple one and his disability was no hindrance.

We did not enquire about his past. There was no need for it. What lies ahead of him should be the focus. If his health permits, he would continue his daily performances.

In the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road, would you notice the lone musician and his music? Halt your footsteps and let your ears do the job. Savour his music and the story behind it.

let's look forward to a collage of photos (garnered from our flickr albums) weekly!