If the NDP 2008 journey is measured in terms of stops en route to August 2008, then the journey is almost complete. If the road to the 9th of August is measured in terms of the preparation done by the individual segments and components of the EXCO, the National Day Parade is truly at hand. And if it is measured in terms of bonds of friendship created and cemented over time, the time is ripe.

Yet somewhere in the smiling faces at the EXCO Meeting, along the “Walk-The-Ground” guided tour that ensued, amidst the food, drinks and laughter at the Happy Hour that night, one still found sufficient novelty to forget that this was the last EXCO Meeting before the National Day Parade itself.

The 5th EXCO Meeting cum Happy Hour commenced at 3pm on Friday, the 6th of June 2008 at the Function Room of the Marina Bay Multi-Purpose Facility, where EXCO members, sponsors and partners alike gathered and discussed key issues concerning NDP 2008. Various issues were discussed at length, from updates on the Parade and Ceremony and Show segments of NDP 2008 to the Incident and Contingency Management Plan. Unmistakably, the meeting was aimed more at updating rather than any real brain-storming work; after all, NDP 2008 is just two months away.

For all the talk in the meeting, this was no typical EXCO Meeting. The meeting proper was relatively short, and all present found out why in little time – a “Walk-The-Ground” segment was planned, in hope of showing to all the work already done on the ground. Starting off from the Function Room, everyone followed various “tour leaders” holding cards of different colours. The first stop was the Seating Gallery itself, and the various groups took turns to climb the flight of stairs all the way to the top of the gallery.

The view from the top was panoramic. Seeing the backdrop of the skyscrapers complement the construction work already done on the Floating Platform, the Singapore Spirit came through vividly. Indeed, watching the performers take their place on-stage against the setting of buildings, long the symbols of Singapore’s economic success, on the 9th of August will truly be memorable. The tour also brought everyone to the two “control rooms” of NDP 2008: CCG, standing for Command and Control Group, 1 and 2. CCG 1, the room facing the front of the platform, runs operations for “everything on the platform”, while CCG 2, the room facing Marina Square, runs “everything outside the platform”.

Everything said and done, it was time to unwind. All present were given a surprise ride on the Singapore Flyer to start things off. The final item on the cards was a buffet dinner – amidst the food and drinks, name cards were exchanged and ideas floated around. A show of costumes from the Show Committee also featured that night.

With about two months to NDP 2008, the final action stage looms around the corner. Reaching the top of the Singapore Flyer, three things flashed in one’s mind. The first was how far Singapore has come through its short yet eventful history. The second was how Singapore today is a vibrant city packed with life and energy. The third, and most vivid, was a self-reflective question: how all this, and more, will be shown on that stage in the middle of Marina Bay come the 9th of August 2008.