Oh, each of the us in the Blue Sector was issued with a
transparent plastic umbrella.. I thought it was one of the goodies
that i could bring home.. till the cheerleader collected it from me
at the end of the show. 
We thought it was provided in case of rain (and rain it did), but
in retrospect since you guys in the other sectors were not given
the umbrella, i guess it was really provided for us to use against
the ashes from the fireworks raining down upon us.. I thought our
position in the Blue Sector was especially bad because:
i) all we could see were the butts of the parade contingents and
performers
ii) We couldn't see most of the fireworks at all (cos there was
this big screen behind us at the top of the steps blocking the
view)
iii) We were showered by the black ash from the fireworks - My
face, shirt and arms were covered by the black soot by the end of
the fireworks display
