City Stroll in August

What do you do when you're in the Marina Bay area, you have time to kill and it's the day before National Day? 

You take pictures. 

Or at least you try to. 

I know I wanted to take a picture of the stage over at the Floating Platform this year. 

Because it (very likely) was going to be the last one, what with the platform being slated for renovation and conversion to be a sort of National Service Monument in the heart of the city. 

I guess we've gotten used somewhat to having  large scale events over here at the platform. 

After all it's been there for almost ten years. 

I had been at Suntec City in the afternoon, so across the road I went, visiting first the new Japanese patisserie under the Chateraise brand, then onto the open space that makes up Millennia Tower and a sort of cascading fountain. 

Here I took the pavement, with the sight of the Singapore Flyer on one side, and the towers of Marina Bay Sands up in front. 

It was nice seeing the scene in perspective.

Especially since I hardly ever take this route. 

When I got (as near as possible) to the stage area, I got my pictures- did my best with them- and stood there a while. 

I don't think I've ever seen an NDP rehearsal up close before. 

This was my first time. 

And it, I have to say, it kind of entertained me. 

See, they happened to be doing camera rehearsals for one of the segments that would be performed the next day. 

They rehearsed part of the pre-show segment. 

They rehearsed the part where the Cabinet would turn up. 

They also rehearsed the part where Madam President and the Prime Minister arrived at the platform.

The funny part came right after, because even though the narrative being read out was an impressive-sounding description of our Navy and Coast Guard's prowess, the waters behind the platform weren't yet closed, and at that very moment as the paragraph was being read out, a brightly-colored, cheerful-looking orange and yellow amphibian from the Duck Tours was making its way past by.

Words dont do justice to the actual scene, which, I'm telling you, made me break out into a smile. 

It wasn't just the scene that made me smile. 

There was the stage too. 

Perhaps I'm overthinking it, but it's not always that I get to see a stage this close, complete with stage lights, sound systems and all. 

But it was time to go- there was no need for me to keep hanging around the place to watch the entire rehearsal. 

So I left. 

Not before taking a final picture of the Marina Bay cityscape- with a peek of the stage.

And after that, I went along the road a short walk away to the library@ esplanade- a place which I once used to go, and which I have not gone for a very, very long time.