When the party's over.....

Over the last couple of weeks the River Hongbao has been on at Marina Bay. This is to celebrate Chinese New Year and people come from all over Singapore to see it. Beside it is the fairground and Sunday was it's last day (for this year). I thought I'd take the opportunity to take some photos of the aftermath and the ensuing clean-up operation. Something rather melancholy about seeing all the fantastic lanterns and decorations being set aside.

But there's always next year.....

Haw Par Villa

I'd never expected or desired to go to Haw Par Villa. It really didn't look like my kind of thing. But, as we have the in-laws here, all bets are off and my mother-in-law took a fancy to having a look-see. So on Monday morning we went. From all the reports/blog accounts I had read it looked pretty strange, utterly gaudy and totally bizarre. And rest-assured it is! On arrival you are greeted by two life-size Sumo wrestlers who stand guard on the edge of the 'park' (I say park because it's a bit of a struggle to know how to refer to it!). Behind them are some evil looking seals with crazy eyes.

Courtesy of http://www.loneleeplanet.com/

Let's just say it sets the scene for a walk through the fantasy world of the brothers Tiger Balm, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par (and if you haven't tried their products then you really should!). The park follows the accounts of the Ten Courts of Hell in Chinese mythology involving (amongst many other things) the famous story of "The Journey to the West", also know as the legend of the Monkey King. Now, this particularly caught my attention because, as a child, I spent hours (well, it felt like it) watching the Japanese series, "Monkey Magic," on kids TV. At the time I didn't even realise it was badly dubbed from Japanese to English, much less that it was Chinese mythology based on a true life pilgrimage and the adventures of Triptaka, one of the stars of the TV series. Sufficed to say, the characters portrayed at Haw Par Villa are not quite as friendly looking as their televisual counterparts. For example, this is Pigsy. Scary huh?

See the other photos on Flickr

Anyway, you can go away and read about this show for yourselves as probably 99% of the readers of this post will never have heard of it! But I loved it and this brought fresh colour to it in no uncertain terms.

Another surprising thing to come out of the visit was that once I had posted my photos of this weird and wonderful place on Flickr, I found that one of Huffington Post's blogs had picked up on a photo I took and had made it photo of the day on Gadling.com (a travel blog)! It's a photo of a series of giant masks that adorn a wall right at the back of the park.
This is the image in question. I must admit, I do quite like it as it seems a pretty good visual representation of everything I saw that morning.....

Chinatown

Having just sat down for some lunch after an arduous few minutes buying all manner of Chinese New Year gifts for the nieces, nephews and God-children back home, I get a chance to do what I really enjoy and people watch. Chinatown is particularly good for this especially during the run up to CNY when it is busier than usual (although not the mayhem that will ensue this weekend, the last before CNY). The English couple in front if me have just been brought two large bottles of Tiger beer and are staring at them in astonishment (the bottles are 633ml each, more than a pint). The business of ordering lunch looks a hard task too. Menus are large, with a raft of unfamiliar looking food (although all printed in English with Chinese subtitles) and some of the items are apparently live.
'Euw, I couldn't eat anything living',
'It'll be dead by the time you eat it,' I interject, 'don't worry'.
They seemed to take this in the spirit it was meant although when the fish, still flapping in it's bag, was presented for their approval they did blanche slightly. The panic is starting to rise slightly I sense and a discussion ensues about the merits of ordering sweet and sour pork. The spring rolls arrive and much to their relief look 'just like the ones from the Chinese at home'.

Phew, the fries have also arrived. Just in time, it was all starting to look a bit 'Eastern' for my liking.
I must say the white faces and voices (mine amongst them of course), are quite prevalent today. Last Saturday the mayhem was very definitely in favour of the locals. We we're warned by one that it was a human traffic jam in there. He wasn't wrong. This was the evening for Singaporeans to do their CNY shopping. I found it quite enjoyable, however, I wasn't trying to shop.
So, remarkabley the beers have both been sunk and they've just asked for another. I think they're starting to get into the spirit of things. That's the thing about Singapore. It never takes long to relax into it if you give it a chance.

posted from Bloggeroid

Marina Bay Sands - a photo set

Finally.

I got round to seeing a sunset from the top of Marina Bay Sands. There were, I guess, a couple reasons for this. One - the excuse. My in-laws are here and they 'needed' to get up top to see what all the fuss is about. Two - the sun. It's been in short supply over the last month or so leaving the opportunities for sunset spotting pretty slim. It is, in fact, only the second time I've been up there since living here. The first time was for free (which involved a generous bit of BS to get them to let us up to Ku Da Ta without charge). This time we paid the $20(!) fee, although the oldies got away with $17 each. At that price it could be a while until I venture up there again. But it's worth it once in a blue moon (and if one of those occurs I'll definitely be there). Anyway, that aside, the sunset was pretty good with minimal smog so the camera came out and then later the tripod. The other excuse, if one was needed, is that my father-in-law is photo mad which gave me the perfect reason to have to stay up there for a few hours while the 'girls' went to watch 'Wicked' (which seems to have taken Singapore by storm) at the theatre. Very definitely not my cup of tea so the option of photos from the top of MBS was certainly a winner!
The results were variable, but here are some of the more acceptable photos that transpired (in my opinion).

Marina Bay, a set on Flickr.

West Coast Park in Singapore

So the last time I came over to West Coast Park was at least in April when we still lived in Dover Park View. Several months and a lot of work (not to mention money) later and the kids play area has been transformed into a veritable adventure playground for kids of all ages (yes, of course I had a go!). It was just staying to happen as we moved away but I didn't think it would end up looking like this!
Previously the kids area looked like this.


Now there are myriad areas to explore and they aren't all aimed at my two's age group (2 & 4 years old). There are even some quite scarily high climbs to be had which is quite a surprise given Singapore's usually conservative approach to kids and potential danger.



There are some additional younger kids play things which my two thoroughly enjoyed. Having said that they eventually gravitated back to the original play area with it's ships and slides and sand.





Sufficed to say the kids had a great time and I don't think it will be the last time we venture out this way as pretty much the only thing missing from East Coast Park where we live is a kids playground (somewhat unbelievabley)! Oh and the parking's free too. Bonus!

posted from Bloggeroid

Singapore Christmas on the Esplanade

Esplanade Christmas, a photo by SingaPaulie on Flickr.

Christmas is starting build in Singapore (well, has been for a while with some Christmas classics being played in Fairprice since early November). Standing in the same place but turning 180 degrees gave a good impression of the changeable nature of the weather here at the moment. Black looking towards the theatres and bright sunshine towards the Swisshotel in the other direction.

National Day Parade - Rehearsals

A quick photo blog of the National Day Parade rehearsals yesterday evening in Marina Bay area. They really like to practise. There are three Saturdays to go before the real thing and they've already been at it for at least the previous three. They don't hold back either, lots of military presence (which I didn't catch) and lots of fireworks (which I did). You can see more on my Flickr feed.

Singapore Botanical Gardens

Lush, hot and tropical. That is what strikes you when you walk off Holland Road into the oasis that is the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Straight from the beating heart of busy Singapore into a quiet, green haven of tranquility. You are greeted by a large lake and small streams shielded from the road by the mass of overhanging rattan trees. It seems most unlikely, but as you learn in Singapore, nothing is to be unexpected. Opening from 5a.m. to midnight, 365 days a year, the Botanical Garden doesn’t charge an entrance fee and yet for what is has to offer you would gladly pay.

A short walk along the grass fringed pathways brings you to a genuine rainforest, deep in the city of Singapore. Covering six hectares it is one of only a few remnants of rainforest left on the island, a window into a primeval era preserved by the Botanical Gardens. Towering above you is the canopy, sometimes forty metres in height, with trees that have been here since long before Mr. Raffles stood on these shores. A walk through this forest provides you with an inkling of what it must have been like in the distant past before man’s encroachment took its toll. For those with a thirst for knowledge there are guided tours undertaken by volunteers every second Saturday of the month.

For those with a thirst of a different type, fear not, for on exiting the rainforest you will come across a kiosk serving ice cold drinks and ice creams (perfect timing).  Opposite the kiosk is the famous National Orchid Garden. Whilst the Botanical Gardens are free to enter, there is a fee for experiencing the Orchids (S$5 adults, free for children under 12). But once you are in you won’t begrudge a cent. With over 1000 species housed here and 600 of them on display even the least green fingered of us can appreciate the splendor of their beauty, not to mention the incredible fragrance which greets you.

Exiting the Orchid Garden brings you to the top of a hill looking down onto Symphony Lake headed by the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage. The stage, surrounded by the lake, is known for its hosting of music from around the world. Often held on the weekends, concerts are free for everyone to come and listen to, so unroll your picnic blanket and enjoy. The last one I went to was on a Sunday evening, it was good fun, well organised and a very chilled and relaxed way to end my weekend. They are fairly few and far between so make sure you keep in touch with the Garden's website for details

A little way on from the stage and up a hill you come to the visitor centre, flanked by water attractions and often locals silently perfecting their Thai-Chi of a morning. The visitor services offer another chance for refreshments as well as being the educational and recreational hub of the gardens. You will also find parking, restrooms, and an information desk amongst the newly landscaped area that is linked by walkways, a landscaped plaza and water cascades.

A short walk from here is the Evolution Garden. This 1.5 hectare site is dedicated to telling us how plants have evolved through the millennia and how plants have helped and shaped the human race along the way. You take a fascinating passage through time with the real stars of the show existing and living in front of you.

Moving on to the far north of the Gardens you encounter the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden. Although part of the Garden’s the Children’s Gardens exist almost as a separate entity. Indeed, you could easily spend half a day exploring. The catch? All adults must be accompanied by a child. This is a great way to encourage the whole family into the Gardens. They are specifically designed for a child’s inquisitive mind and as such need to children to get the best out of them. Opening from 7am to 8pm the gardens encourage children to touch, smell and climb on the exhibits. After free entry there is a simple (yet popular) wet play area. Once you have managed to drag the kids past this they will encounter exhibits some of which, on the face of it, have quite grown up themes. These include the exhibit on photosynthesis. A  grown up theme, and yet the design allows kids to get involved by turning handles to bring out the sun, another one produces rain (generally their favourite) and so on, thus gradually introducing them to idea that science can be fun. Other exhibits include a tree house, rope bridge and pond life which are accessible even to the smallest of offspring. The trees allow plenty of shade and refreshments can be bought in the reception area outside. There is car parking available and a drop off point for taxis right outside the entrance.

The Gardens are a fantastic place to enjoy on any day of the week. There’s always something new to see and they are remarkably quiet considering the location and how famous they are.

Singapore Zoo

Wrote this a little a little while ago and never posted it but, went to the zoo today and thought it was an apposite time to post it. Nothing's changed, it's still great value and entertainment!

Situated at the heart of the Central Catchment Area in the north of the Island, Singapore Zoo is one of the larger jewels in the country’s richly encrusted crown. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the zoo lays claim to an extensive collection of animals (over 2500 at last count) and numerous attractions. There is more than enough to keep a family occupied for a day and still want to come back for more. The Zoo sprawls over 28 hectares, a big space in a small country. This means that even when the car park is busy there is still space inside to call your own. The Zoo opens out in front of you as you explore the many pathways that lead from the entrance through the primeval feeling tropical plants. Exhibits nestle in amongst the green, lush plants and flowers that adorn the zoo making it a much more natural experience than some other old concrete relics.

There are several big draws when it comes to the animals themselves, chief among them the orang-utans. The ‘free-ranging’ buffoonery (the collective noun for the group), live in a very large enclosure which allows them to roam through the trees above your heads, the young orang-utans being gently chided by the patriarch of the group. For something really special, get there early to experience breakfast with these “men of the forest” (advance bookings are recommended). Other animals get their meal times throughout the day so you will always be guaranteed to be able to watch the inhabitants enjoy their food, whether it is the Water Monitor Lizards, Lions or Chimpanzees. You can even feed some of them yourself although I wouldn’t recommend volunteering to feed the King Cobra!

Arriving early is advisable, especially with younger children. You get to enjoy the coolest part of the day and there’s still plenty of shade for the little ones. It is also the quietest time of the day, Singaporeans are not renowned for getting up and out too early! The whole Zoo is stroller and wheelchair friendly (wheelchairs can be obtained at the entrance at no extra cost), with all attractions being accessible via ramps. If you get fed up with pushing a stroller, why not opt for one of the electric scooters that are available to hire? You can even put the kids to work by pulling one of the wagons available to rent. Mind you, it's hot work when the sun comes out (I can fully testify to that!)

  In addition to these modes of transport you can also catch the tram (Adults S$5, Children S$3), which runs regularly throughout the day and covers a large amount of the park with unlimited hop-on hop-off stops all day. Another, more serene, way of getting about is to take the boat ride (Adults S$6, Children S$3.50) across the reservoir.

Singapore Zoo prides itself on being a learning zoo and as such has many extra exhibits to help young and old learn a little bit more about what they are seeing in front of them. In addition to this are the shows that go on through the day and are free to attend. These include Elephants at Work and Play, The Rain Forest Fights Back and Splash Safari which is held in the impressive Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre.

Kids can run wild but, be warned, if they reach the water park before you do then you’ll be there half the day! Fortunately this is no bad thing as the water park is a step up from the usual wet plays. It boasts slides, tubes, fountains and huge buckets of water periodically emptying over gleeful children’s (and occasionally adult’s) heads. If this sounds a little risky then fear not, as with most things in Singapore, safety was at the forefront during the design. The kids play until they are tired out at which point you can relax for lunch at one of the five restaurants and fast food outlets on offer. Unlike some tourist attractions the price of the food is very reasonable and tastes good too ranging from Asian to Western cuisine.

There are many ways to get to the zoo via public transport, however, due it’s location I would recommend taking a taxi ride there. Although I wouldn’t always recommend this as the mode of transport to use in Singapore it does save you time to enjoy the rest of the day and is not that expensive. This is especially true if you are travelling with children.

DO remember to bring your sunscreen, sunglasses, rain poncho and swimwear (including the adults, you’ll regret it if you don’t, one way or the other!).

DON’T expect to cover the whole zoo in a day. You will likely exhaust yourself in this very humid atmosphere and not end up enjoying it as much as if you relax and just take it easy.

Chingay - another reason to celebrate

Chingay kicks off today. Another big event in the Singaporean calendar. Sadly I won't be attending as I'll be travelling for work (seriously, it's already getting in the way of my alternate lifestyle!). The word Chingay comes from a Hokkien phrase which means 'to paint the face and wear elaborate costumes'. I think you start to get the idea of where this is going. Starting as a Chinese festival, Chingay has evolved to celebrate the Singaporean way of life and it's culture. A mass of colours, people, floats and parades explode through the very heart of the Lion City.
I even know people that are coming over from far away type places to watch it. A Twitter friend (@mindanaoan) is travelling from the Phillipines with her mum to watch it. And boy is she excited! I think it makes for a great weekend and if you're in town it's not to be missed. Which it will be, by me.
Here's the official website http://www.chingay.org.sg/. People are genuinely excited about it and it's not even the end of Chinese New Year yet. However, I'll be in Hong Kong for that, so maybe it's not all bad!

Courtesy of www.chingay.org.sg

Chinese New Year - It's still going you know!

Well, if I'm honest, I'm feeling a bit lazy which means I really shouldn't be blogging right now. However, it has been quite an eventful, cultural week all-in-all. Starting with a very nice Chinese New Year's Eve meal with new friends. A good traditional Chinese meal starting with throwing (with aid of chopsticks), the food in the air. This is accompanied with some shouting but I cannot remember what (I'm sure someone will let me know The higher the throw, the better your prospects for the coming year. I don't know if this works for random Westerners too but it's worth a try! Now, at this point it's worth saying that my photos of proceedings were rubbish so I have taken the liberty of pinching some from Pam Ha (who we met that night, along with hubby Kevin, both from New Zealand). Thanks Pam! The food was beautifully prepared and presented and tasted

Before the toss!

After the toss!

gorgeous. All washed down with a glass of Champers and of course beer. Courses included the traditional full chicken (meaning prosperity and togetherness of family) along with hard boiled eggs (meaning fertility, not sure I'll be needing those, but they tasted very nice). There were some very tasty meatballs (which I believe represents reunion). And then the traditional chocolate cake. Well, I'm not sure it was traditional, but it tasted great! After all that it was great to just chat round the table and enjoy some new company. Aussies (our hosts), Brits and Kiwis all chatting like we'd known each other for ages and not a sporting quip in sight (well, I'm sure that last bit isn't true, but it's nice to think it could happen).
We left the party happy, full and hopefully more prosperous than we've ever been!
Next day (Chinese New Year's Day) was quiet. I think there were probably a few sore Far Eastern heads about. I decided to take D to the Chinese Gardens to see what was happening there. T and Z decided to chill out and hang at home. So me and D set off on the MRT on a beautifully sunny, warm day to see what we could see. Turned out to be a great idea. Only the second time I had ventured to the gardens and I hadn't appreciated quite how expansive they were the first time around. The first thing we see as we stepped of the train (rather unexpectedly bearing in mind where we were), was a whole posse of Indians playing cricket. It was kind of like seeing Hackney marshes in the UK with all the guys playing football on a Sunday. Although the thing with this lot was there was a certain amount of style and technique with which they bowled and batted.

Clean bowled

Clearly enjoying themselves I left them to venture into the Gardens themselves. Red. It was all red. And yellow. Quite an awful lot of yellow too. Lots of lucky colours. First stop was the towering pagoda as we entered the gardens. A lot of people standing around, photos being taken, laughs being had. And then I realised, much to my surprise, most of these people were Indian too. I still don't know why so many visitors were Indian, although I suspect that they lived close by. Having said that one group of guys had come down from Johor for the long weekend and were busy enjoying themselves (as well as trying to take photos of D, not a chance, he is not impressed with strangers taking photos any more. The general cry is of "NO, only daddy takes photos!". Good boy!). Anyway, D decided that climbing the seven stories up to the top of the pagoda was feasible so we did. Normally he wants to be carried but he was off like a flash, eschewing all attempts at photography along the way. The views from the were fantastic and it was actually one of the clearer days I had seen for a while (as well as one of the sunniest).

I would comment on the colours and the flags and the (fake, I'm afraid), blossom on the trees but I think the easiest and laziest way to let you know what it looked like is by posting some more photos! So here you are! The day was much like New Year's Eve with much humility and good wishes. We had a thoroughly nice time just wandering. Even D couldn't stay in his buggy with the promise of fish and turtles to be seen.

The deep red flags blew and flapped in a pleasant and refreshing breeze. Just what was needed to blow away the cobwebs from the night before. D and I ate the most enormous lumps of ice-cream for only a dollar each (D paying with his newly acquired Hong Bao money. Well chuffed he was). We passed on the 'live' tortoise and turtle museum (that by all accounts is quite a pull). It does makes you wonder about the fact that they make a point of calling it 'live'. I would imagine if the artefacts on show got much slower that you would indeed have trouble calling it 'live', but I suspect that the real reason is more to do with the penchant of people in this region to feast on these slow moving fellas and that live is a bit of a novelty.
To top it all we even managed to miss the rain by a whisker as we got back on the MRT bound for Dover station.

See more photos at Flickr

Top 5 Chill Out Bars in the Lion City

To help him with his first guest blog entry (whilst standing in for his fiancé Laura), I thought you might like to read about @asksirstamford (for tis his nom de plume on Twitter) and his favourite chill out bars in Singapore.

N.B. the views expressed are those of @asksirstamford and not mine as I haven't managed to hit all these bars..... yet!

Expat Adventures in Singapore: Top 5 Chill Out Bars in the Lion City

Thaipusam in Singapore - video

Thaipusam in Singapore! It's pretty extreme.....
See more of my videos of Singapore now on You Tube!

Thaipusam in Singapore - Body and Soul

Yesterday was probably about the most dramatic day, visually and spiritually speaking, I have experienced. Not just here but almost anywhere I have been. Those who know me will know I'm not really given over to the use of superlatives and gushing about about experiences I've had. But this was both awesome (I rarely, if ever, use that word outside of sarcasm) and spectacular in the extreme.

Thaipusam is the Hindu Festival celebrated on the day of full moon during Thai, the Tamil month of January/February. It is celebrated in the main by Tamils and brings the whole community together. I could go on to tell you exactly what they are celebrating and why and how etc. But I am wholly unqualified and would just be copy and pasting from various websites which I believe is known as plagiarism (so I shan't be doing that). There are numerous links to find the information out there so you can find out yourselves what leads to this magnificent celebration of body and soul.
This is the official website of the two temples used to host this extraordinary event. I would say if you want a reliable source of information (especially surrounding the Singaporean festival) then this would be it. There was even an advert for it inside the Temple itself.
What I offer here is just reflection on what I saw, heard and smelt during the day. I should explain to the uninitiated (as I pretty much was), the day involves the men and women of the faith carrying 'Kavadi' over what turned out to be a pretty long walk between two temples. It is a sign of their devotion and what a sign it is. Having walked the course from start to finish it is a wonder anyone makes it, it is very long (and very hot, yesterday was sunny and easily in the 30s). But they all do. I didn't see one casualty the whole time. This is obviously down to their faith. But also a lot of help comes from the massive entourage that some of these guys have. Family and friends chanting, talking, singing and in some cases arguing with and shouting their charges to the finish. There are various forms of Kavadi and basically I think it is a case of 'more pain, more gain' (from God).
They can range from this.

To something like this.

Pulling one of these!

These guys are seriously devoted and the previous example was by no means the exception and most likely the rule. Probably the most well know image of the Thaipusam and certainly the one I had seen on various NatGeo programs was along the lines of this.

Again, by no means the exception. A truly amazing sight. Colourful, noisy, incense burning and the smell of food cooking on the side of the road through Little India and down the Serangoon Road. The ceremony was entirely public and these guys wanted everyone to see what they were doing. Possibly a little intimidating at first due to the nature of what they are doing to their bodies this turned out to be one of the friendliest festivals I've been to. I think as a Westerner with no clue about their faith my natural instinct is that anyone do this to themselves has to be working on testosterone and therefore they and there entourage should not be approached. Nothing could have been further from the truth. A very warm, friendly, family day from babies in buggies to elderly family members being wheeled down the road in their wheelchairs. The aroma of food, of course, hung in the air. Free food and water were handed out along the route to both participants and just the lazy commoners (like myself). I even felt guilty about accepting it. Very persuasive these Indians though, so it didn't last long (hey, it's food, what am I going to do??). And very nice (and needed) it was too.

The Kadavi apart from being huge, were also extremely ornate. I would imagine that either they are made by individuals (which would require some serious craftsmanship) or (more likely), someone is doing a raging business in ornaments and metal work for these creations.

Towards the end of the route you get to dividing area where in one direction you can go to the Temple and in the other you can go to a general area with (free) food and drink again being forced upon the unfortunate souls lucky enough to wander in that direction. We decided that obviously although it had been very friendly and all, that the kindly partcipants weere hardly likely to welcome us into their inner sanctum and refuge from the madness. Wrong! We proceeded to the temple following these huge Kadavis down the road along with all the dancing and singing.

The route soon became congested with all and sundry bustling to get into the temple and then all of a sudden through the drum banging, ushering and shouting we were in. And we were greeted by the extraordinary sight of one of the Kadavi bearers having finished his walk, dancing in front of everyone before being led away to be 'dismantled'!

Remarkable scenes all around of dancing, singing, clapping, praying and offering.

As is traditional many were shaven headed. Some of the children were also getting their hair shaved off (which I believe is a rites of passage) and then coated with yellow (good luck for Hindis I think). Much merriment and enjoyment being had by all but at the same time with a very sombre and deep meaningful backdrop.

And so to the 'dismantling' area where some very relieved and tired men were being 'serviced' by their entourage. Very quickly and effectively they set about removing and dismantling the Kavadis with surprisingly little blood-letting. I witnessed four men lifting off one of the contraptions and frankly struggling under the cumbersome weight. Amazing! So off come the screws, out come the pins and the metal to reveal a very ordinary tired looking man underneath. No applause or anything like that and today he's probably back at work like normal.

A very sober end to an unbelievably amazing day!