...so I volunteer to 'feel' the ground...
The calm before the storm. Chillax and unlax first and picnic before the hordes descent upon my table for their free sampling of Eurasian food and their famed sugee cake...
The food wasn't in yet and there were several seniors hanging around too close for comfort, to be first in line. Mind you, they speak 'English' some quite proper, they were dressed decent, yet the times when their public behavior for freebies can be so ugly...
goody bags freebies...
Entertainment before the Government guests arrive to open the Festival. They were good sports - showed up in the same polo shirts as us volunteers - something they do for every event they are invited to...
Their dance troupe is now a fixture at almost all cultural events in Singapore. The Eurasians are the most racially diverse group in SG. The Eurasian Association membership is definitely of the Heinz 57 Varieties - gado gado and rojak - reflecting the country's multi racial mix. Their office staff are another mixed bunch, with Chinese, Malay and Indian employees - and that's the way it ought to be. The other self-help groups - the CDAC (Chinese) SINDA (Indians) and MENDAKI (Malays) do not reflect this diversity...
Their dance troupe comprise non Eurasians as well - they were accepted when they came forward to train with them, and I'm told they've been diligent in their practice...
Their seniors choir can certainly sing these oldies which are as old as they are! and sung them well too!
Below stage, others broke into spontaneous singing and dancing...Singaporeans, by and large, are an uptight lot - they are not spontaneous, they can't or don't dance. Onlookers (and we know who they are) may even look upon it as a terrible sin! To me it's refreshing to watch folks express themselves through dance when an occasion calls for it, in most societies of the world, music and dance is part and parcel of most cultures - very young kiddies sway their bodies when the music comes on...and they do this even before they take their first steps...
In SEA, the Thais, Cambodians, Balinese, Filipinos, take to the floor at cultural events - many are grey haired, bald, pot bellied - their faces beaming...migrant workers from the Philippines, India and Bangladesh at company events in Singapore, take to the floor without prompting...in China, every morning in parks and evenings in town squares, large numbers participate in line dancing, even ballroom dancing in public parks and this is a tribe that came out from behind their bamboo curtain not quite 40 years ago
A craft kept alive by the Eurasian womenfolk - tatting - classes are held in the Association...
August madness - it's party month for those not afraid to flaunt the country's colours...there are small-minded folks around who associate the display of a country's flag colours with one's support of a political party
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At this dining room run by a Sikh temple, vegan lunch is offered free to everyone (there is a free lunch after all!)
Nearly all Sikh temples do this, in India too - bless them...it's financed by donations and volunteers doing the prep work, I've cut veggies with them before! The Buddhist societies offer free lunches too...bless them too. This dining hall is shared by the Hare Krishna next door who offer free veg lunches on some days...We were required to cover our head/hair, scarves were provided...
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The Isha Foundation recently opened the Isha Yoga Center in SG where I may attend workshops, talks by Sadhguru on video (most are available on YouTube), Upa Yoga and Angamardana physical exercises, replenish my honey stock and millet biscuits...I enjoy the most the kriya and pranayama breathing exercises
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An afternoon's exploration took me to Hort Park and the Henderson Waves Bridge. Was caught in a sudden downpour, mercifully it didn't last long...
Stumbled into Alkalf, looking wet and a little wild. It was like I got lost in the wilderness for a week, suddenly I emerged in some clearing and behold this vision in white - The Alkalf Mansion! I had no idea it was located here, shows how long I've hibernated. Hot tea and cake made us whole again. They have an Atas Kaya Toast on its menu which we sniffed at and settled for something more 'westernised' which in local parlance, 'angmo'...
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I'm just one of the exhibits - this bronze family wasn't here before, happy to note, the Esplanade compound is becoming more and more an arty farty culture vulture location - there was a Jazz Festival on...
...and in the patriotic month of August, the Esplanade has free entertainment galore
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This is what I like to see - work around Nature not remove because some foolish manager with OCD can't have it looking 'out of place'. This was in a park in Malaysia. In SG I'm not so sure they'll keep this root...
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Acrylic on canvas - from a photo I took on Kashmir's Dal Lake waterway, sailing on a shikara through a water village...
I wanted to paint a nude, I wanted to paint a batik painting - I combined the 2 - what better way through a Balinese painting! For shock value! Some of the most priceless masterpieces in the world are nudes but what was that somewhere above, did I say about an uptight tribe? If they should ever set eyes on Picasso's sketches, they'll collapse from his porn!
There are Japanese and Chinese sketches and etchings dating back centuries which leave nothing to the imagination. And of course, the Khajuraho temple in Madhya Pradesh, India, whose facade is carved with images from their famed Kama Sutra.
I showed this painting to my grandchildren and talked about batik and encouraged them to paint - they treated the figures like it was the most natural thing in the world. They were simply wowed their Nana painted all these! None asked why the lady had no top on...incidentally, in painting, the left and right brains come into play...uptight adults need to dabble in this art form...young ones too before too much conditioning is instilled into them by those same uptight adults...
A Tuscan scene from a postcard...
From a photo taken in an ancient town in China - acrylic on canvas...this town was not restored too much and I like especially the roof tiles...
My attempts at Chinese ink brush painting. It was harder than I realised as the ink was so watery and needs control of water and ink, which comes from practice and experience...I'm going to do a calligraphy couplet one of these days...writing might be easier than painting...!
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The world knows this as Snakes & Ladders boardgame. But few know it originated from India and is called Paramapatham or Paramapadham. Chess, Polo, Ludo and martial arts came out of India too...their temple building skills and the sculptures that go with them can be seen as far away as Cambodia, in Borobodur and the Prambanam temple complex in Central Java, Indonesia, in Bali, in Central Vietnam...
writeup:
'the 13th century poet Gyandev created a children's game called Moksha Patam. The British later named it Snakes & Ladders. So in a way, it's thanks to them, such games were kept alive and 'exported' to the world...
In the original 100 square gameboard, the 12th square was Faith, the 51st square was Reliability, the 57th square was Generosity, the 76th square was Knowledge, and the 78th square was Asceticism.
These were the squares where the ladders were found and one could move ahead faster...'
Several museum pieces done on cloth depict this karmic journey...
Jain version on cloth - museum piece...
The 41st square was Disobedience, the 44th Arrogance, the 49th Vulgarity, the 52nd Theft, the 58th for Lying, the 62nd for Drunkeness, the 69th Debt, the 84th for Anger, the 92nd Greed, the 95th Pride, the 73rd for Murder and the 99th Lust...
These were the squares where the snake waited with mouth open. The 100th square represented Nirvana or Moksha (Freedom)
The tops of each ladder depict a God, or one of the various heavens (Kailasa, Vaikuntha, Brahmaloka and so on ('in my Father's house, there are many mansions')
As the game progressed various actions were supposed to take you up and down the board as in Life...
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Having a guest in town made me got off my butt to do some walkabouts and to note some changes - more conserved old buildings have been done up beautifully in the lanes. Some really nice small hotels have sprung up in unlikely neighbourhoods...note those glorious pediments atop the shophouses...
Art decor beauties...
Checked out several old food centers apparently well known for certain 'Singaporean' dishes. The country has applied to the UN to have the hawker food culture given a UNESCO cultural rating.
Truth be told, the Malaysians, Vietnamese, Burmese and Thais have a more authentic, vibrant street food scene, their cooks more creative and innovative. Using charcoal or wood fire, they've turned out more tasty traditional dishes. Singapore's coffeeshops and food court cooks are chiefly from Malaysia, so too some of the top chefs in award winning Chinese restaurants are Malaysian Chinese. Just so happens, Singapore thought of the UN certification first...save for Smith St in Chinatown, which was a creation of the last 10 years or so, the other places out in the open may be the Glutton's Bay at the Esplanade...Newton Circus and the Lagoon have been there for a long while.
More can be created to bring street food out into the streets...those mentioned above are well patronised by locals and tourists alike, the latter like it for its 'authentic' experience - Thailand is super in this area...
This is today's food culture - food courts operated by companies inside malls in which the same concept and food offered are repeated in every new food court they open - no creativity, no innovation. How creative is this name Food Scholar? It drew a blank with me...
...now this one I can give some 'brownie points' - a former coffeeshop in an old public housing estate given a new lease of life as a restaurant complete with full table service and smart uniformed staff, it's main entrance was grand enough to warrant prices that's just a wee bit lower than joints in fancier locations...
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The common name is Powderpuff, look at the size of its seed pod...!
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This temple offers lunch in its basement, by donation...
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