Back to the time of WWII Singapore I went for the bus tour entitled War on Wheels, Invasion Singapore! during the weekend. This event gets its participants to discover more about Singapore's World War II history.It was worth the effort to be out early in the morning on a weekend. The bus tour brought the tour group to several important sites to better appreciate the significant events that had taken place when Singapore was invaded by the Japanese military in 1942. It also gave us a glimpse of the civilians' experience of the Japanese occupation and the end of the occupation.What I particular like was how the tour guide invited the participants to imagine that we were back in time. On the bus, the tour guide shared anecdotes to help the participants to imagine how it was like during the years 1942 - 1945.So when the bus brought us participants to the Kranji park which used to be mangrove swamps back in Feb 1942, it was not too difficult to imagine that on 8 Feb 1942, soldiers from the Japanese military had advanced across the Straits of Johor and landed on the main island of Singapore using make-shift boats etc. I realised that the Straits of Johor was a comparatively shallow and narrow body of water. Furthermore, the tides at the Kranji landing sites weren't very strong. What this meant for me was that even when the Causeway was destroyed back then, it was not too much a great challenge for the Japanese to attack and land on Singapore once they have reached the southern tip of the then-Malaya.If I were a military historian, I think there would be a lot of learning points just by reading the strategies that the British had used to defend Singapore, and the strategies that the Japanese had used to attack Singapore more than six decades ago. At the very least I have learnt from this part of history that one should never underestimate one's enemies when planning one's strategies.The second stop was the Kranji War Memorial. The memorial was built and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. "The Kranji War Memorial commemorates the contributions of 24,000 soldiers of the allied forces who died during World War II" (source: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_183_2004-12-27.html). Participants were invited to a simple activity as an act of remembrance to those who have laid their lives during the war. I shall not attempt to reveal much about the activity here since I figured that some may decide to attend this tour during one of the next two Saturdays. Having a memorial built for those who have died during the war may bring some comfort to their loved ones and off-springs. On the other hand, the rows of graves and names on the memorial walls reminded me of one thing: War itself has neither eyes nor compassion, even if countless were to die in the name of war.I wish for peace to prevail. The boardroom. In this boardroom, the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese on 15 Feb 1942. The third stop was the Memories at Old Ford Factory. This was where the British had surrendered Singapore to the Japanese. As the bus tour was meant to be a sampler of the various key sites, the participants only had about 15 minutes at the museum. Nevertheless, I had a glimpse of the chamber where the surrender had taken place, and I had some time to read about what had taken place during the surrender. The process that had taken place during the surrender just seemed like a psychological game to me.At the Memories at Old Ford Factory, there were two short activities that the participants were invited to take part in. During the tour, we also got to see a real "banana money", the official currency that was used during the Japanese Occupation. Well, it reminded me that there are many things that money cannot buy.Following the stop at the Memories at Old Ford Factory, the bus brought us for a short ride of Alexandra Hospital. This hospital used to serve as a military hospital. On 14 Feb 1942, what I see as a series of atrocious war crimes had taken place here.Reflections at Bukit Chandu.After lunch, the bus brought participants to the Reflections at Bukit Chandu. Here, participants learnt about the bravery of the Malay Regiment. I have visited this museum for several times and I can't help but feel a deep sense of respect for the soldiers of the Malay Regiment who have put up their very best to fight a good battle.Photo taken at Surrender Chambers of Fort Siloso, Sentosa. The actual surrender took place at City Hall.The tour concluded at City Hall. It was at City Hall, the then Municipal Building of Singapore, where the surrender of the Japanese had taken place. I was imagining that even when everyone cheered for the end of the war, life for people in Singapore would not be quite the same after a war. Nevertheless, the end of the war definitely called for a celebration.If you should find my short write-up about this bus tour to be interesting, you may wish to know that you can register for this event War on Wheels by visiting SISTIC. There will be bus tours on 21 and 28 Nov 2009 (Saturdays). Please see this site for more information:  http://www.museums.com.sg/es09/war-on-wheels.html A visit to the exhibition, Magic - The Science of Illusion On 19 Dec 2008, I spent a day at the Science Centre Singapore so as to visit the exhibition titled Magic - The Science of Illusion.Prior to visiting the exhibition, I have often marvelled at what people refer to as magic. How does magic work?I shall not reveal too much about the science behind the various 'magic' and illusions that are used by professional magicians. However, to entice readers to consider making a trip to the Science Centre Singapore to catch this very exhibition, I shall attempt to share about a few of the interesting exhibits that one can find at this exhibition.Look carefully at the photograph right below. Did you notice that the boy appear to have no body. Yes, look at the next photograph below, and imagine a disembodied head on the metal plate. How does a magician achieve the illusion of a disembodied head? I now know the answers, but you would have to visit the exhibition to find them out for yourself.Did anyone of you watch those magic shows where someone sits on a heavy chair like the one that you see in the photograph below, and strangely, the chair has the power to lift itself and a person up even though there was supposedly nothing underneath the chair? I witnessed a boy being lifted up while sitting on the chair. The chair was floating. See, there was nothing underneath the chair. What is the science behind this illusion? Go figure it out yourself.Lovers of Mathematics may like to try their hands on the "magic square". The task to obtain a magic square is to arrange the numbers "1" to "9" such that it will add up to 15 whether vertically, diagonally, and horizonatlly. It may seem to be an easy task but it is not, unless one knows the secrets behind. Try it for yourself.For visitors who love watching magic performances, I recommend that they check out the schedules for the magic performances. These shows are free for all ticket-holders to the exhibition, Magic - The Science of Illusion.Magic - The Science of Illusion is held at the Science Centre Singapore from 22 Nov 2008 to 28 Feb 2009. For more information about the Science Centre Singapore and the various exhibitions at the Science Centre, please visit: http://www.science.edu.sg FOYers Gathering on 31 Oct 2008 31 Oct 2008 happened to be Halloween but Halloween has no significance for me. I do not celebrate it anyway. Yet, 31 Oct 2008 was a meaningful day because that evening, Friends of Yesterday.sg met at 8Q sam.I was looking at the archives of Yesterday.sg and found that the earliest post in the archives date back as early as 3 Aug 2005. It was Love Me Love Me Not at the Singapore History Museum posted by Shaun Wong. It's rather commendable that Yesterday.sg has come so far.Compared to the Singapore Art Museum building along Bras Basah Road, 8Q sam is a comparatively unfamiliar place to me. I've only managed to find out that the four-storey building that 8Q sam occupies was formerly the primary wing of the Catholic High School.I took the first photo found on this post (see above) at least an hour before the gathering started. If I am not wrong, the white building in the foreground was formerly the secondary wing of the Catholic High School? Look further into the background, and you would see a building in shades of orange and red. That's the 8Q sam building.To be very honest, I have no particular memory of the 8Q sam building. Even though I used to frequent the Bras Basah and Waterloo Street area very often, the building had only struck me as an unfamiliar building. After it was recently converted to Singapore Art Museum's new wing for contemporary art did I realised that it was formerly the primary wing of the Catholic High School. As such, I shall point readers to a few online articles which may help you better appreciate the building's past:- 8Q sam - formerly Catholic High Primary School by ordinary guy- Queen Street, By Thulaja, Naidu Ratnala written on 2003-03-29, National Library Board Singapore.Back to the gathering, it was held from 7.30 p.m. at Octo Room of the 8Q sam building. As I usually have dinner much earlier in the evening, by the time I was at the gathering, I was already full from a light dinner. No matter how appetizing the food was, I have only room to sample some of the food. The food was good. Anyway, I simply have to have my dinner early else I fear I may get gastric problems eventually.Sweet tiramisu. Photo credit: acroamaticPizza. Photo credit: acroamaticI have the pleasure to meet a few of the Friends of Yesterday.sg for the very first time. Budak seemed to be fairly interested in contemporary arts, and he was recommending that I could check out Donna Ong's The Caretaker. While striking a conversation with Budak, I realised that I had caught a glimpse of The Caretaker a few weeks ago. While it may seemed rather eerie at first, I had found myself gradually intrigued by its use of dim lighting and its subtle hint of a sinister mood.There was quite some time to catch up with various Friends of Yesterday.sg. Admittedly, I was pretty excited about sharing concepts of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) with Ivan. It often excites me when I get to talk about topics that interest me, and MBTI is one of it. I spoke briefly with Preetam about Ang Mo Kio. I also had a chance to coax Modcentric and Homesafe to consider checking out the Singapore Biennale exhibition site at City Hall. I attempted to do so by sharing about my recent visit to City Hall. I hope that would get them excited to visit City Hall before it undergoes major conversion into the National Art Gallery.The most formal part of the event was probably the presentation by Walter which he and his team had put together. There were quite a lot of interesting and constructive discussions going on.And eventually, all good things will come to a closure, at least temporary. Nevertheless, it had been a fruitful gathering afterall.References:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8Q_SAMhttp://www.singart.com/8qsam/about.html**Related posts by other Friends of Yesterday.sg:SAM 8Q: Latest NHB museum on the block by Ivan.Friends of Yesterday.sg by otterman. Glimpses of City Hall building at Singapore Biennale 2008 The City Hall, Singapore. I do not know about you, but this was one of the places that I was out with my ex-classmates to take outdoor graduation photographs, wearing our graduation robes. I believe quite a number of people had also taken their outdoor graduation photographs at the main entrance of the City Hall building?Other than being the place where I had taken outdoor graduation photographs at, the steps leading to the main entrance of City Hall were where I had sat on a few occasions, simply to watch time passing by and to sketch. It was a lovely place to be at, especially on a breezy and cloudy day. From those steps, I could have a pretty view of some of my favourite places in Singapore: The Victoria Concert Hall, the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, and the open spaces of the Padang.A sketch that I did.City Hall was built originally in 1929, and was then known as the Municipal Building. This neoclassical building was designed by Municipal Architech A. Gordo and Assistant Architect F.D. Meadows. In 1951, the Municipal Building was renamed as City Hall, when the town of Singapore was proclaimed a city of the British Commonwealth by the Royal Charter granted by King George VI.In the year 2005, City Hall was decommissioned. Subsequently, its spaces were used for the first Singapore Biennale in 2006. I remember that I had an enriching time viewing the various exhibits of Singapore Biennale 2006 when I was at City Hall two years ago.A couple of days ago, I visited City Hall so as to view the exhibits of Singapore Biennale 2008. It was with nostalgia that I shall share some of photographs of City Hall that I had taken during my most recent visit to City Hall. The thing is that after the Singapore Biennale 2008, City Hall and the adjacent Supreme Court building will be converted into the National Art Gallery. I wonder how the Supreme Court and the City Hall would look like when they open their doors as the National Art Gallery sometime around 2013? Anyway, I believe my memories of City Hall will last for a long time. Would yours too?If you should have the chance to, do find time to check out the Singapore Biennale 2008, particularly the following two exhibition venues: City Hall and the South Beach Development. The Singapore Biennale 2008 ends on 16 Nov 2008.This room was formerly City Hall's restaurant.In City Hall's former restaurant: Han, Jong-Gun's "Evolutional Mythology". 2007.City Hall's former restaurant.Previously one of the Judges' Chambers.Previously one of the Judges' Chambers.The corridors.Another former Judges' Chambers.When I was attending one of the guided tours of the Singapore Biennale 2008, the tour-guide shared briefly about historical significance of City Hall. I understand that it was right inside the City Hall Chambers that Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten accepted the surrender of the Japanese to the Allies in the year 1945. Many other historical events have also taken place at City Hall. For example, it was at City Hall that the then 'Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew proclaimed self-government for Singapore in 1959, and where he declared the merger with Malaysia in 1963 and then announced that Singapore was an independent republic in 1965'.The City Hall Chamber.I cannot fully explain why. When I was at the Singapore Biennale, the work by Pimkanchanapong, Wit's Singapore somehow got me into a reminiscent mood. In this work, the artist recreate a Google Earth image-map of Singapore to be installed as a wall-to-wall floor covering for the Cith Hall Chamber. Visitors are provided with stickers on which they could write information about specific places and attach these stickers onto the map. It was definitely an interactive piece of art. As I went around the City Hall Chamber searching for the location of several places in Singapore on the art-work-cum-map, I could not help but recall some of the good memories that I have had of the places and the people who have shared those good times with me.In City Hall Chambers: Pimkanchanapong, Wit's Singapore.Closed up of a section of Pimkanchanapong, Wit's Singapore.I shall then end this post by sharing two photos that I had taken about a year ago at the Surrender Chambers of Fort Siloso, Sentosa. The life-size wax-models that you would see in the following two photographs reenact the Japanese surrender to the Allies in 1945 at the then Municipal Building of Singapore, now City Hall. I was not even born yet when that historical moment took place. Did you have the privilege to have witness this event in 1945?Photo taken at Surrender Chambers of Fort Siloso, Sentosa. The actual surrender took place at City Hall.Photo taken at Surrender Chambers of Fort Siloso, SentosaWhat memories do you have of the City Hall building?Maybe it would be worthwhile to visit it soon, before it undergoes major conversion into the National Art Gallery.References:- G. Byrne Bracken. (2004).A Walking Tour: Singapore. Singapore: Times Editions.http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_849_2004-12-17.html- http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_717_2004-12-28.html- http://www.singaporebiennale.org/2006/venues-cityhall.html Growing up in Ang Mo Kio: From bus interchange to AMK Hub AMK HubAMK Hub is a building that houses the supermarket (NTUC Xtra), many retail stores, a food court, an intergrated Entertainment Centre on the 4th floor, and an airconditioned bus interchange.Many years ago, before the year 2002, there stood a humble, non-airconditioned bus interchange approximately where AMK Hub now stands. There was a NTUC supermarket that stood just beside the non-airconditioned bus interchange but it was demolished around year 2002, I vaguely recall.The humble bus-interchange back then had a simple canteen which I recall was on the second floor. There was an underground linkway from the bus-interchange to the Ang Mo Kio MRT station. I vaguely recall that when I was in Secondary School, I would wake up early every school-day, walk past the then non-airconditioned bus-interchange to take a bus to school. Early in those mornings (about 6.25 a.m.), there would already be a lot of commuters and bus-captains at the bus-interchange.However, back then, I did not have an urge to take photograph and as such have no particular photo of the then non-airconditioned bus interchange to show you.I only have a photo that gives a glimpse of the temporary bus interchange located nearby the Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic. The temporary bus interchange served commuters when the old bus interchange building was demolished sometime around the year 2002. Some residents would recall that there used to be a temporary NTUC supermarket just beside the temporary bus interchange. The temporary NTUC supermarket closed sometime after the NTUC Xtra supermarket was in operation.The temporary bus interchange. Now demolished too.If anyone enjoys seeing glimpses of the construction of AMK Hub, after the non-airconditioned bus-interchange located at Ang Mo Kio Central was demolished, here is a short photo presentation for your viewing pleasure:I can't remember the date that the airconditioned bus-interchange within AMK Hub started its operation. However, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ang_Mo_Kio_Bus_Interchange, it could be 28 April 2007.Does anyone have any stories to share about their growing-up years in Ang Mo Kio? I would care to hear from you.(This post was first published on Yesterday.sg on 1 Jul 2008.) The exhibition: Xu Beihong in Nanyang A Pair of Horse.This work was a gift of the Tan family toSingapore's Asian Civilisation Museum, in memory of the late Dr Tan Tsze Chor.I was first acquainted with the artist, Xu Beihong, during one of my Higher Chinese lessons more than a decade ago. There was a chapter in the one of the Higher Chinese textbooks on him. I vaguely recall from the lesson that Xu Beihong was very skilled in painting horses.Yet, Xu Beihong was more than a painter of horses. In the current exhibition, Xu Beihong in Nanyang, at the Singapore Art Museum, visitors will be able to appreciate the various range of works by Xu Beihong, from calligraphy, traditional Chinese ink painting, oil paintings, ceramics and more.Xu Beihong in Nanyang is jointly organised by the Singapore Art Museum and the Xu Beihong Art Museum (Beijing). It showcases 90 artworks created by Xu Beihong in the 1930s and early 1940s. In this exhibition, visitors will have the rare opportunity to view some of the major works by Xu Beihong. A number of the works that are shown in the exhibition are actually being loaned by private collectors who have so generously supported the exhibiton.This is a section on Xu Beihong and Loh Cheng Chuan.I have had the pleasure to attend the one of the Curatours that was held in conjunction with the exhibition. It gave me more insights to understanding Xu Beihong and his art. I learnt that Xu Beihong promoted the use of scientific realism and the direct study of nature. As such, it was no surprise that Xu Beihong's works portray the subjects in realistic manner.One thing that I find interesting about this exhibition is that it weaves in how various patrons of art and friends of Xu Beihong have been important to Xu Beihong's career as an artist.For example, in the section Xu Beihong and the Huang Brothers, visitors can learn about the encouragement and assistance that the Huang Brothers (Mr Huang Menggui and Mr Huang Manshi) had given Xu Beihong. I am certain that their encouragement and assistance were important in helping Xu Beihong through his difficult early years of establishing himself as a painter.The painting is that of Mr Huang Manshi.Right below are photographs of Xu Beihong, the Huang Brothers, and other art patrons.The works of the exhibition are being displayed in exhibition galleries spanning three different levels. On the third level of the exhibition, other than paintings by Xu Beihong, one can view snippets of video recordings from a eight-episodes TV serial on Xu Beihong. These recordings are in Mandarin and are certainly worth a watch for those who are interested in know more about Xu Beihong.On the second level of the exhibition, visitors must check out the section titled Xu Beihong in India. In November 1939, Xu Beihong travelled to the Visva-Bharati University in India to lecture and to exhibit his works. By 1939, Xu Beihong was already an accomplished artist. The works in this section of the exhibition reflect Xu Beihong's artistic maturity and I think it contains some of Xu Beihong's finest works.Among the works exhibited in the section, Xu Beihong in India, is a sketch by Xu Beihong of a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, which includes a signature by Gandhi himself. From this section, I particularly like Portrait of Rabindranath Tagore (1940) which was painted by Xu Beihong in Chinese ink and colour work. It is a good example of how Xu Beihong fused Western and Chinese art techniques.The section: Xu Beihong in IndiaThe large 4.2 metres wide painting on the right of this photo is The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains (1940).One should take time to appreciate The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains (1940). Do visit the exhibition to find out the significance behind this work and how it was used by Xu Beihong as a metaphor to praise the Chinese in their anti-Japanese efforts.Xu Beihong's patriotism and his anti-war sentiments can also be sensed in his other works such as Put Down Your Whip (1939). This work was created right here in Singapore. The curator, Low Sze Wee, shared during the Curatour that the lady in the centre of this work was actress Wang Ying. Put Down Your Whip is an anti-war street-play. The accompanying write-up found next to this oil painting gives succinct information about the street-play. I personally think that it is a very beautiful piece of work.The wall posters just outside the exhibition galleries in some ways prompt visitors to two of the major works that they must view at the exhibition.Visitors should also spend time viewing the various portraits done by Xu Beihong. Many of these portraits are either of prominent figures or the family members of prominent figures of the Chinese society of the 1930s - 1940s. One example of such portraits shown in this exhibition is Portrait of Lim Loh (1927). Lim Loh is the father of the war hero, Lim Bo Seng.Reflecting, I think it is apt that the curators of the exhibition have placed Slave and Lion (1924) as one of the first works that visitors would see at the first level of the exhibition. This work is based on a Roman story "of how a lion refused to attack a slave in a death-match because the former remembered that the latter had previously helped to remove a thorn from its paw." It was essentially a story of gratitude.I am certain that Xu Beihong had been grateful to his patrons for their support. Similarly, I believe that the Singapore Art Museum and visitors to the exhibition, Xu Beihong in Nanyang, are grateful to the various collectors, for without their generosity and support, the exhibition would not have been possible. It is their generosity that enables the general public to view the works and masterpieces by Xu Beihong. Perhaps the best way to show our gratitude to the people who have made the exhibition possible is to simply, attend the exhibition.Slave and Lion (1924)In the year 1939, Xu Beihong held an exhibition to raise funds for the war refugees in China. The exhibition attracted more than 30 000 people. Back then, I understand that the population of Singapore was about 600 000. I am sure it will be heartening for the organisers of the exhibition if Xu Beihong in Nanyang could enjoy similar overwhelming response as the 1939 exhibition.Xu Beihong in Nanyang is definitely worth a visit for anyone who is interested in the works of this master, and how Singapore and the Nanyang area have been significant to the art-career of Xu Beihong. It will be held at the Singapore Art Museum from 5 April to 13 July 2008 17 Aug 2008 (extended due to overwhelming response). Visitor information to the Singapore Art Museum can be found here: http://www.nhb.gov.sg/SAM/Information/VisitorInformation/VisitorInformation.htmFor visitors who would like to learn more about Xu Beihong and the works that are on display at the exhibition, I understand that there is a bilingual catalogue of the same title as the exhibition on sale (ISBN: 978-981-08-0180-9) at the museum shop.***AcknowledgementsMany thanks to the Singapore Art Museum for granting the permission to take non-flash-photography at the exhibition. Thanks to Wei Chong for his help in facilitating my request.***Also read:-Xu Beihong: A Chinese master of styles that straddle East and West by Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop.-Singapore Art Museum (SAM) opens 'Xu Beihong in Nanyang' a Solo Exhibition- http://www.invaluable.com/features/viewArtist.cfm?aID=49050***This post was first posted on Yesterday.sg Growing up in Ang Mo Kio: memories of Kachang Puteh A stall selling Kachang Puteh (assorted nuts).Taken at "Yesterday Once More" carnival at Imbiah Lookout on 25 Nov 2007.For reasons I do not know, seeing Kachang Puteh stalls somehow reminds me that when I was a child, there used to be a few kachang puteh stalls selling kachang puteh (assorted nuts) in Ang Mo Kio Town Centre. I do not seem to see as many kachang puteh sellers in Ang Mo Kio Town Centre nowadays.Anyway, in the past, there used to be a number of cinemas operating in Ang Mo Kio Central. These cinemas were: Broadway Cinema, Jubilee Cinema, New Town & New Crown Cinema.Broadway CinemaPhoto credits: National Archives of Singapore. http://www.a2o.com.sgPhotoCD Number : 19980007383Image Number : 0109Jubilee CinemaPhoto credits: National Archives of Singapore. http://www.a2o.com.sgPhotoCD Number : 19980005811Image Number : 0034 New Town and New Crown Cinema at Ang Mo Kio Town CentrePhoto credits: National Archives of Singapore, http://www.a2o.com.sgPhotoCD Number : 19980005811Image Number : 0033I remember that popcorns were not quite popular in those days when I was much younger. There was a kachang puteh stall at Broadway Cinema about more than a decade ago, and I remember that one of the delights of going to the cinema was to get one serving of kachang puteh from the stall. (Admittedly, I was not so keen in watching movies than the side-perks than came with it.) There was quite a lot of variety of nuts to choose from, and just deciding which variety of nuts to choose for the day was part of the fun of ordering kachang puteh.The funnel-like looking paper which was used to hold the kachang puteh could also bring some interesting surprises. Sometimes the paper used were just plain white paper, but at other times, there were comics on it!In terms of affordability, I could say that the kachang puteh was much cheaper than the popcorns that are sold in cinemas of today.If my memory does not fail me, about more than a decade ago, nearby the Jubilee Cinema, just outside the former Oriental Emporium, there was also another kachang puteh stall operating from time-to-time. With kachang puteh stalls that operated within close proximity to the cinemas of Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, as a child, I seem to have associate kachang puteh with cinemas. Do you have similar association like mine?**Related blog post by other bloggers worth a read:From Kachang To Popcorn (Part 1)From Kachang To Popcorn (Part 2) Growing up in Ang Mo Kio: Jubilee - a place for kindergarten graduation ceremonies JUBILEE CINEMA AT ANG MO KIO AVENUE 8 (ANG MO KIO TOWN CENTRE)Source: National Archives of Singapore. http://www.a2o.com.sgPhotoCD Number : 19980005811Image Number : 0034Today, it is common to see cineplexes where several movie-theatres are found within one building. When I was just a young child of about five to six years old, it was common for one large movie-theatre to be located within one single building. One example was the Jubilee Cinema. I still have vague impressions of the large capacity of the theatre of the Jubilee Cinema of the 1980s in my memory.When I was six-years-old, I had my kindergarten graduation ceremony held at the Jubilee Cinema. I recall seeing many students from various classes of the nearby PAP (People's Action Party) kindergartens having their graduation ceremony there. If I remember correctly, after the graduation ceremony and the prize-giving ceremony, all those who have attended the event were treated to a cartoon movie.JUBILEE CINEMA. 1990s.Source: National Archives of Singapore. http://www.a2o.com.sgPhotoCD Number : 19980007383Image Number : 0106Today, on the exact site where Jubilee Cinema had used to stand is Jubilee Complex. The movie-theatres in Jubilee Complex aren't as large as the movie-theatre of the Jubilee Cinema in the 1980s. However, societal needs and expectations have changed and it seems that it could be more cost-effective to operate several smaller movie-theatres than a single large movie-theatre at a given location.One question that came to my mind as I was writing this post is: Where do the graduating PCF (PAP Community Foundation) kindergarten students from the kindergartens in Ang Mo Kio of today have their graduation ceremonies?Please tell me if you should know the answer.Jubilee Complex. Taken in year 2007.Meantime, for the movie-lovers, you may wish to read From Kachang To Popcorn (Part 1) by laokokok to have an appreciation of cinemas of the past.***First posted on Yesterday.sg Growing up in Ang Mo Kio: Here comes the MRT! Photo credits: National Archives of Singapore, http://www.a2o.com.sgMRT STATION AT ANG MO KIOPhotoCD Number : 19990001354Image Number : 0116In 1987, as a resident of Ang Mo Kio, I was introduced to a totally new way of travelling about from one place to another. This was the year when the Mass Rapid Transit system became accessible to the people in Singapore. One of the first few stations that went into operation was the Ang Mo Kio MRT station.I was a fairly young child back then, but I can still remember vaguely that my mother purchased the MRT Commemorative Tickets for the family to travel on the MRT on the first day of the operation of the train service. It was an exciting experience having to travel on the MRT, furthermore on the first day of its operation.As each of the Commemorative tickets were meant for one round trip, my family would alight from the train at each station from Yio Chu Kang to Toa Payoh, but without going out of the stations through the fare-gates. This was so that we could see how different each station looked.The Primary School that I studied in was located pretty nearby part of the MRT train tracks. Perhaps the MRT train was such a new mode of transport for me and my classmates back then in 1987, when the MRT system first started its operation, my classmates and I would have the tendencies to look out of the classroom windows to take a peep whenever we hear a MRT train passing by. Our teachers would have to remind us to pay attention in class. Soon after, the sense of novelty wore off.The commemorative ticket issued in year 1987 for travel on the first day of operation of the SMRT train system. Thanks to my dear mother who has actually kept this ticket for twenty years!MRT train approaching Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Taken in 2007.Today, the SMRT train system has become my main mode of transport. Perhaps this is so because there is a MRT station right in Ang Mo Kio, very accessible from where I have been living for the past two decades and more.What was it like for you when the MRT first started its operation in the year 1987? If you have a personal story to share on Yesterday.sg, do check this page to find out how you could do so.First posted on Yesterday.sg Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Ang Mo Kio New Town Source:National Archives of SingaporeAccess to Archives OnlinePhotoCD Number : 19980007518Image Number : 0084On 10 Oct 1989, a distinguished guest, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, visited Ang Mo Kio New Town.The preparations for her visit had probably started weeks and even months before her actual visit. I remember that void decks, lifts, stairways and so forth of the vicinity that she would be visiting were cleaned with lots of pride in preparation for her visit. On the day of her visit, the walkways of the selected HDB flat that she used were laid with red carpet. Even the floor of the lift itself was carpeted, I had heard.Source:National Archives of SingaporeAccess to Archives OnlinePhotoCD Number : 19980007518Image Number : 0082Townsville Primary School that I was studying in, was selected to be the school that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II would visit. Her visit was a grand event for the school. I recalled that the students were asked to line ourselves up at various locations of the school so that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II would be greeted by orderly lined-up students when she tours the school compounds. I vaguely remember that there was a couple of rehearsals to prepare for this special occasion.One of the instructions that were given to us, the students, was that our back should not face the queen when she tours the school compound. We were told to smile too. I think any children would smile if we were told that we can look forward to a treat to ice-cream after Her Majesty's visit. Of course, there wasn't such a treat for us, but we do try to be on our best behaviours that day.Source:National Archives of SingaporeAccess to Archives OnlinePhotoCD Number : 19980007518Image Number : 0085From the photos from the National Archives of Singapore found on this post, we can see that the residents of Ang Mo Kio were excited to welcome Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.On the side, the photos from 1989 have made me realised that Ang Mo Kio has changed quite a far bit over the past 18 years.Note: This post is yet another post of the series: Growing up in Ang Mo Kio. First posted on Yesterday.sg. The Original Singapore Walk: A Chinatown Walk Sculpture at Telok Ayer GreenIf you have only one day to go for a tour and you are wondering where to go, instead of looking at options overseas, why not look within and tour a part of Singapore?If the thought of understanding more about Singapore's comparatively short yet fairly rich history interests you, I shall be biased and recommend that you check out any one of The Original Singapore Walk offered by Journeys Pte Ltd.I have my reasons behind my recommendations. Including the recent Red Clogs Down the Five-Foot-Way ™ that I have went onboard a few weeks ago, I have already went for a total of eight different walking tours and two coach tours with Journeys Pte Ltd.There are many things that Journeys Pte Ltd has done right: the well-researched and in-depth information of places and heritage, the guide's effective and easy-to-understand way of delivering the knowledge, and the sincerity to share heritage with people and make it interesting. Now that you know what has kept me going back for more tours, sit back to read about why I think Red Clogs Down the Five-Foot-Way ™ is worthwhile for you to check out.**Red Clogs Down the Five-Foot-Way ™ is essentially a walk of the Chinatown area. Rain or shine, except on public holidays, Red Clogs Down the Five-Foot-Way ™ brings its guests onboard to learn about places and traditions found in the Chinatown area.Near the starting point of the tour.Along the way, I cannot help but admire the architecture of the buildings that I saw during the tour. Many of buildings that I saw along the way have been built way before yours truly was born.Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church. Notice the distinct Chinese pavilion on its rooftop.Al-Abrar Mosque. Built by South Indian Chulia Muslims.The guide shared with the tour participants about the history of the development of Chinatown, the functions of five-foot-ways and more. If any of these interests you, then do go for this walk. It is a value-for-money tour considering the amount of appreciation for Chinatown's past that you would walk away with after the tour.For the folks who are keen to learn about the three major schools of the Chinese philosophies and about the symbolisms found in many of the traditional Chinese temples, this tour will lend some insights to these. At the Thian Hock Kheng Temple (which means "Temple of Heavenly Happiness", the guide gave a brief overview of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. It was interesting for me to realise that I could find elements of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism all in one single temple, the Thian Hock Kheng Temple.Interestingly, there is a habitat for bats in the temple.See if you can spot the bats from the photo above.Make a guess which country the cast iron railings came from?He guards the entrance of the temple.The next stop was Ann Siang Hill. It was quite interesting for me to see how the conserved shophouses of Amoy Street get a modern refitting with air-conditioners installed. By the way, there is a well at the foot of Ann Siang Hill, see if you can find it the next time you happen to be there.As the group proceed to Ann Siang Road and towards the Kreta Ayer area, I continued with taking photographs of the sights that I see along the way while listening to what the guide has to share.The following part of the tour is that of a visit to a Chinese medicine shop. Though we did not walk into Eu Yan Sang, the three Art Deco shophouses along South Bridge Road, we got to hear about Eu Yan Sang, the famous Chinese medicine hall which was established in 1911.Eu Yan Sang, along South Bridge RoadWe visited the Chinese medicine shop that is just across the road from Eu Yan Sang. While I hope that there could be more shared about the key philosophies and concepts behind Chinese medicine at the Chinese medicine shop, the treat to herbal drinks made up for it.The Original Singapore Walks® indeed brings its guests to the road less travelled. After the visit to the Chinese medicine shop, we headed for a lane in Chinatown area that was once known as Singapore's "Street of the Dead". The guide shared with us about how the lane used to serve as a hospice for the terminally ill or dying Chines immigrants. There was more. Find out when you are onboard this tour.We also travelled to a few of the shops in Chinatown area to learn about some traditional Chinese practices and customs.There are so much more to learn about the history of Singapore than what is found in the history textbooks. The Original Singapore Walks® not only takes its guests to the road less travelled, it brings its guests to a journey to learn more about the rich heritage of Singapore.Perhaps the only question that I had that was not answered by the end of the tour was: Where are the red clogs? I figured that red clogs making is a vanishing trade in Singapore.More information about the walk, Red Clogs Down the Five-Foot-Way ™, can be found here:http://www.journeys.com.sg/singaporewalks/tours_redclogs.asp**References:- Urban Redevelopment Authority, Singapore. (2001). URA Gallery City Walk: Chinatown Historic District.- G. Byrne Bracken. (2004).A Walking Tour: Singapore. Singapore: Times Editions.- National Heritage Board. (Oct 2006). Discover Singapore: Heritage Trails.Recommended list of related external links to visit:Al Abrar MosqueFive-foot-way tradersThian Hock Kheng Temple, posted on Yesterday.sg by usernameWelcome to Thian Hock Kheng TempleClog makers "Yesterday Once More" at Imbiah Lookout On 25 Nov 2007, while I was at Imbiah Lookout on Sentosa island, I found myself being greeted by two fine gentlemen who welcomed me to their kampong. Kampongs are rural settlements, and they once used to be common in Singapore.The two fine gentlemen's kampong was an interesting one. The children of their kampong didn't play Nintendo Wii but they had other interesting games to play nevertheless. What did they play at their kampong?I found out that the rattan-looking balls that was played in their kampung were called Sepak Takraw. I have had no idea how they play it, but I have managed to find information on how they did so while I was visiting their kampong. For the internet-savy folks from my era, the Singapore Sports Council's Sport Museum has a webpage that provides succinct information about how Sepak Tahraw is being played. Please click here for the link.Nearby the kampong was the Images of Singapore museum. I was pleasantly surprised to find scenes of kampong life in the museum's premises. The wax-figurine children of the museum's kampong played similar games like the children from the two fine gentlemen's kampong.If you have guessed it right, the two children in the above photo are playing gasing, which means "top" in Malay. I tried playing it and personally found that it requires quite some skills in order to get the top to spin. More information about this game can be found here.As I walked about to look at the various scenes of kampong life that were found within Images of Singapore, I chanced upon two young lads who were sitting down and engrossed in playing a game.They were playing the game called Congkak. Earlier the day, when I was at the two fine gentlemen's kampong, I have had the pleasure to learn to play the Malay version of the Congkak game. I heard that the Indians have another version of playing this game. The aim of the game is to gather as many Congkak seeds into the storehouse on the player's side. I quite like this game because in order to achieve the objective, one would need to think strategically and to count well.If you are wondering how to play Congkak, do check this webpage by the SSC Sports Museum.After having fun learning about the games people play in the kampongs, I went to tour the "Yesterday Once More" carnival that was being held at the two gentlemen's kampong. Exhibition panels like the one below helped lend me insights to the differences in architectural styles between the kampong houses belonging to the Chinese and those belonging to the Malays.When I started feeling hungry, I approached one of the hawkers nearby to get some food to stop the hunger.For someone like myself who have never grown up in a kampong, it was an interesting experience to learn about how life in a kampong was like. I could infer that there was a strong sense of mutual help and support present in a kampong community. In those times when there were neither broadband nor electronic devices, I suppose the people must have been pretty innovative to come up with interesting games to engage the young ones.Both the "Yesterday Once More" carnival at Imbiah Lookout and the temporary kampong of the two gentlemen have ended on 25 Nov 2007. However, folks who are interested in visiting Images of Singapore at Imbiah Lookout, Sentosa, can refer to the following visitors' information:Images of SingaporeOpening hours: Mon - Sun, 10am-9pm (Last entry: 8.30pm)Admission*: Adult $10, Child $7* Island admission and transportation charges apply.Website: http://www.sentosa.com.sg/ explore_sentosa/attractions/images_singapore.html**External links related to this post:http://www.sportsmuseum.ssc.gov.sg/museum/home.htmlhttp://www.sentosa.com.sg/ explore_sentosa/attractions/images_singapore.html Fort Siloso and Pulau Blakang Mati My interest in learning more about World War II and forts in this part of the world had prompted me to visit Fort Siloso a few weeks ago. My visit makes me realise that Fort Siloso is the place for visitors to Sentosa to visit if they wish to appreciate how the island of Sentosa was once a British military fortress before it has evolved into today's island resort. In those days, what we now know as Sentosa was known as Pulau Blakang Mati — the "Island behind the Dead".There are many ways to find one's way to Fort Siloso. That day, I took the Sentosa's Blue line bus from the bus terminal at Beach Station and alighted nearby the Underwater World. The entrance to Fort Siloso is just within walking distance from the Underwater World.An admission ticket into Fort Siloso grants one the privilege to take a ride on one of the Fort Siloso bus. A staff from the Fort Siloso would give visitors a brief orientation to Fort Siloso, and the first stop for the visitors of Fort Siloso is at the casemates at Fort Siloso Square.Fort Siloso bus and the casemates.There are many things to see during the tour of Fort Siloso. I chose to explore the grounds of the Fort Siloso on my own. For the convenience of the visitors, the premises of Fort Siloso have been divided into three different zones.The Red Zone brings visitors to better understand World War II history in this part of the world. At the Yellow Zone, visitors get to experience how life at the fort would be like for a soldier. The Blue Zone takes one to visit the longest Tunnel complex under Mt Siloso, and the tunnel complex leads to the Gun Direction Tower.There is an exciting-looking replica of a 6-inch cannon at the Tunnel & Gun Complex. This webpage gives an informative account about the replica of the 6-Inch BL Gun Battery at Fort Siloso and I dare say it is worth checking out: http://www.fortsiloso.com/guns/6in/no1/no1.htm.Underground, there are more for the visitors to explore. The question some may have in mind would be: Why is Fort Siloso built underground? This site provides an informative account: http://www.fortsiloso.com/underground/underground.htmKerosene lamps in such tunnels would usually be kept behind glass panels for safety reasons.A replica of a hoist. Such hoists were used to raise shells and cartridges from the magazine level to the gun emplacement found above.Visitors to Fort Siloso should also check out the Tunnel A complex. However, according to this site, technically speaking, there is no real tunnel at Fort Siloso. This sounds fairly confusing to a lay-person like myself. It just seems that I may soon need a military historian to enlighten me?Soon after exiting from the Tunnel A complex, one would find oneself at Siloso Point. This is a beautiful part of the island for a visitor to be at. Here one can have a nice view of the Southern islands.Siloso PointJust some steps away, one can also get a good view of Labrador Park and the once Fort Pasir Panjang. Together with Fort Pasir Panjang , Fort Siloso had served as a coastal artillery defence that protected the sea entrance to Keppel Harbour.Overlooking Labrador Park. Right across is the main island of Singapore.After some walking, I found myself back at Fort Siloso Square. At the Red Zone, there are exhibits on the Fall of Singapore, the Special Operations Force 136, and the Japanese Occupation. For a visitor who does not have much background to this part of history, the exhibits give a quick introduction.Visitors to Fort Siloso will be treated with guns and more guns. Quite a number of these guns are guns which were not originally placed at Fort Siloso. For those of you who are keen to know more about these guns, I would recommend you to visit this site: http://www.fortsiloso.com/museum/museum.htmBritish 25 Pounder Gun-HowitzerIstana GunsSome of you may be curious to find out how the heavy gun barrels were moved to their emplacements in those days when manpower and animal-power were all that were available. The method that was used was called parbuckling. I like this site that gives a good overview of parbuckling: http://www.fortsiloso.com/history/1874/parbuckle.htmThere is a Battery Command Post that was built at the top of Mt Siloso. With the help of the figurines on display, it was quite interesting to have a sense of how the soldiers would be at work.What you see in this post is just a fraction of what visitors to Fort Siloso can get to experience. There are exhibits like the one you would see in the photo below that let visitors catch glimpses of the life of the solders who had served at Fort Siloso. I also recommend that visitors check out the Tunnel C Complex to see an elaborate display of how ammunition for Fort Silos's cannons was stored and moved.Re-enactment of the living quarters of the soldiers.Tunnel C complex.Last but not the least, before visitors make their way for home, it will be recommended that visitors check out the Surrender Chambers. The Japanese did not surrender at Fort Siloso, but there are two exhibition halls with life-size wax-models that re-enact the British surrender in 1942 and the Japanese surrender to the Allies in 1945. I figured that since I cannot be present to witness these two historical events, the next best thing would be have a glimpse of the re-enactment of these two events.Surrender Chambers.This exhibit reminds me of my post on a visit to the Memories at Old Factory, where the actual British surrender had taken place.My last stop was the QuarterMaster Store. After some browsing, I took the Fort Siloso tram out of the fort. On my way out of Fort Siloso, it awed me to think of how the island of Pulau Blakang Mati has transformed from a military fortress of yesterday to the island resort of today. I suppose the preservation of the past can help future generations like myself appreciate the present better.***Visitors' Information:Admission to Fort Siloso is as follow:Adult S$8Child S$5 (3 - 12 years old)Sentosa Island admission and transport charges applyOpening hours:10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily (last entry 5.30 p.m.)Guided tour are available every Sat & Sun, 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Limited to 20 guests per session. First-come-first-served basis. Register for the guided tour at no additional charge at the Fort Siloso Tram Station. ***References:http://www.fortsiloso.com/http://www.sentosa.com.sg/explore_sentosa/attractions/fort_siloso.htmlAlso read:The Other SilosoFort SilosoAfternoon at Labrador Park Growing up in Ang Mo Kio: Tip Top Curry Puffs One of the things that I remember about my growing up years in Ang Mo Kio was that I had enjoyed the occasional treats to Tip Top Curry Puffs. The stall that is located at Block 722 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8. It is quite interesting to take a closer look at how this food establishment has changed over the years. Afterall, Tip Top Curry Puffs stall has withstood the tests of time, and has been operating in Ang Mo Kio for more than two decades.My mother told me that Tip Top Curry Puffs was already operating in Ang Mo Kio in the early 1980s when my family first moved in to Ang Mo Kio. Back then, one piece of Tip Top Curry Puffs had cost 35 cents. I vaguely remember that when I was at Primary-school-going age, each piece of Tip Top Curry Puffs would cost about 50 cents.As a child, I was quite delighted to receive occassional treats to the curry puffs. I like the crispy crust of the curry puffs. In addition, each curry puff would have a very generous helping of chicken chunks and a fairly large slice of hard-boiled egg. I am biased (and possibly nostalgic). My tastebuds seem to prefer the Tip Top Curry Puffs that I have eaten when I was a child, than the curry puffs from this same stall that I would get today.Today, the curry puffs from Tip Top Curry Puffs are halal-certified. In fact, perhaps because of the popularity of the curry puffs, the moment that the curry puffs are made, there would be customers to ready to buy them. As such, customers can get piping-hot curry puffs freshly made at the stall nowadays.Back in the 1980s, Jubilee Cinema was located very nearby the Tip Top Curry Puffs stall, and one of the favourite stalls for me to ask my parents to bring me to after watching a movie at Jubilee Cinema was Tip Top Curry Puffs. I would also be quite fascinated with watching how the stall-assistants of Tip Top Curry Puffs make the dough, shape the dough, put in the fillings and cook the curry puffs. It was exciting to see how the curry puffs were made by hand, with tender loving care.By the way, nearby the then Jubilee Cinema and Tip Top Curry Puffs was a playground. If you have guessed it, yes, I was guilty of asking for Tip Top Curry Puffs many of the times when I had played at that playground.If a resident of Ang Mo Kio wishes to have an appreciation of how the costs of living have increased over the years, one way to do so would be to look at how the price of one piece of Tip Top Curry Puffs have increased from 35 cents in the early 1980s to $1 in the year 2007. Well, the price won't stop me from treating myself to one of its curry puffs occasionally. I still like to enjoy the sense of nostalgia that eating the curry puffs may bring.Also read Hawkers - Curry Puff (By the ST Foodies Club) for information on where to get good curry puffs in Singapore. Growing up in Ang Mo Kio: a toy from the early 1980s My family moved to live in Ang Mo Kio in the early 1980s when I was about one years old. According to my mother, the shape-sorter in the above photo was a present to me from my father when I was about one years old. It was one of the very few toys that my parents have still managed to keep and have not thrown away over the decades.Did anyone who read this post play similar shape-sorter when you were a child?As I write about a toy that was given to me in the early 1980s, I began to wonder how Ang Mo Kio had looked like in those days. I had not been a child who have actively taken photographs and I don't have readily available photos of Ang Mo Kio in the 1980s to share.In hope to find photographs of Ang Mo Kio that were taken in the early 1980s, I searched Access to Archives, and selected the following photo:Photo credits: National Archives of Singapore, http://www.a2o.com.sgA TEMPORARY WAYANG STAGE AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF HIGHRISES AT ANG MO KIO AVENUE 1.PhotoCD Number : 19990007547Image Number : 0056Taken in the year 1980.Having realised that I actually do not have much clue how Ang Mo Kio had looked like in the past, I began to appreciate how invaluable an exercise it can be to take photographs of the surrounding neighbourhoods where one grew up in. I am sure having such photographs would lend one insights to how the environment has changed ever since one was born.If you care to, start taking a few photographs of the places nearby your place of residence and then schedule to look at these photographs a few decades later to see if there would be any difference.Below is a photograph of a part of Ang Mo Kio taken in the year 2006. Shall we schedule to look at this photo twenty years later? Growing up in Ang Mo Kio: A place to take a ride Several weeks ago, I walked past a part of Ang Mo Kio central and saw children taking rides. In the above photograph, the building in the background used to serve as a cinema (Broadway Cinema).Right below is a photo of Broadway Cinema which I have found from Access to archives that was taken in 1984.Photo credits: National Archives of Singapore, http://www.a2o.com.sgBROADWAY CINEMA AT ANG MO KIO AVENUE 6PhotoCD Number : 19980005811Image Number : 0039There used to be a park that looks like a mini road-safety park just next to Broadway Cinema. Its approximate location is to the right of the second photo, and exactly where the children were seen riding the motor-carts in the first photo.I vaguely remember that when I was a child, I would occasionally get a treat to a ride at that park. There was a vendor that would rent out bicycles and carts that look like mini-cars to children. There was a zebra crossing at that park and children who were riding in the park were expected to observe the road safety rules. At times, the children would compete with each other to see who would be the first to complete one round of the road-circuit. In the middle of the park were seats, usually occupied by parents who wish to supervise their children.I do not have and could not find any photo of that mini road-safety park. I could only vaguely remember that I have had some fun cycling and taking rides there. The park was nearby the hawker centre, so I would usually ask to buy a drink after taking my rides.Interestingly, even though that mini road-safety park has been demolished, that very same site seems to continue performing similar function today, as seen on the first photo. It seems that children do generally enjoy taking rides and exercising their limbs? Were you one of those who have enjoyed taking a ride at that mini road-safety park many years ago?If you have a photograph of the road-circuit of the mini road-safety park that used to be located in front of the previous Broadway Cinema, please share it with me. Thank you.Previously Broadway Cinema. KBox Plaza today.No more road-circuit.Also posted on Yesterday.sg, on October 31, 2007 Growing up in Ang Mo Kio In what I hope would eventually develop to become a series of posts, I shall embark on recollecting some of my memories growing up in this place in Singapore called Ang Mo Kio.I have spent more than two decades of my life in Ang Mo Kio. While I won't be able to claim that I know every area of Ang Mo Kio, I could say that I do have memories growing up in this place. I have no idea what journey I will be embarking on right here, but hopefully readers of my posts would get a glimpse of Ang Mo Kio from my perspective.According to Singapore: The Encyclopedia, Ang Mo Kio is the seventh 'new town' (comprehensive town) developed by the Housing & Development Board (HDB).From what I have read, Ang Mo Kio can be literally translated as "red-haired man's bridge" in Hokkien. In one of the entries on Singapore Infopedia, it was noted that 'ang mo' was a colloqial term for a Caucasian person. Several sources pointed that the bridge that was referred to by the name Ang Mo Kio could be the bridge built by John Turnbull Thomson. However, according to the entry in Singapore: The Encyclopedia, it seemed that maps that predate Thomson's arrival in Singapore had already recorded the name of the area that is known today as Ang Mo Kio as "Amokiah".Whatever it is, while it satisfies my curiosity to explore how the name Ang Mo Kio had came about, it is not the objective of this series of posts to explore how the name came about. Instead, this series of posts attempt to put down some of my memories of growing up in Ang Mo Kio into words. If this subject matter should interest you, please stay tuned for more posts.If you would like, you could also join me to contribute posts about your memories of living in Ang Mo Kio.***Image credits:The National Archives of Singapore. Access to Archives Online Singapore (a2O).http://www.a2o.com.sgChingay Rehearsal at Ang Mo Kio. Year 1980.PhotoCD Number : 19980002009Image Number : 0057SourcesSingapore: The Encyclopedia. (2006 edition)http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_230_2005-01-25.htmlAlso posted on: Yesterday.sg, Growing up in Ang Mo Kio My visit to China: 7000 Years of Innovation I visited the exhibition, CHINA: 7000 years of Innovation, on 8 Aug 2007. This exhibition is held at the Singapore Science Centre.The exhibition covers scientific discoveries and technological inventions made by the Chinese in the following fields: astronomy, compass, gunpowder, printing, mechanics, architecture, weaving, ceramics, papermaking, bronze casting and traditional Chinese medicine.Below are some of the exhibits that had caught my eyes.During the Yuan Dynasty, people in Chinese used the Clepsydra that you would see above to tell time. According to this source, http://www.britannica.com/clockworks/clepsydra.html, clepsydra are water-clocks rely on a steady rising or falling of water in a container to indicate time. It is interesting to see such a device that can tell time.One of the innovations that I would like to find out more about at the exhibition was the technology of paper-making. I saw some related exhibits on it, but when I was at the exhibition, there was no demonstration. I had no tour guide to guide me, and the information on the display plaques were rather superficial to satisfy my urge to know more about the topic. I figured that I might as well read up about paper-making than to visit the exhibition.Anyway, in order not to dampen my mood, I looked for interesting exhibits to learn about. Although there is still not much explanatory notes about the technology of bronze casting, I had briefly read about the technology in another context, so I was able to relate to the exhibits found right above on the subject of bronze casting.I was also delighted to see a seismograph. This instrument shown right above is the world's first earthquake detector. The exhibit has some decent explanatory notes which gave me insights to how the instrument works.I was also attracted to the print-making technology. I think print-making and paper-making are two important innovations that have facilitated the dissemination of information and knowledge.The above exhibit may look unsightly, but it is a great help for physicians practising Traditional Chinese Medicine to learn to diagnose health problems by looking at the colour and texture of a patient's tongue.Yours truly has never seen a silkworm. As such, I took special glances at an exhibit that displayed the various life stages of a silkworm.Overall, the exhibits themselves are quite interesting. There are live demonstations too. However, I felt that there is limited information on the various innovations. If there were, I had found it too dry to capture my attention. I would prefer having a tour guide to share with me about the various exhibits, but I don't seem to know if there would be any guided tour. Maybe this exhibition would be more interesting if one were to view it as part of an educational tour group?Whatever it is, the exhibition reminded me that the Chinese has some great innovations. Reflecting, I think it would be important people in the general society to have an open heart and open mind to facilitate the development of innovation. Would you think so?**The exhibition is held from 26 May to 26 Aug 2007.For more information about the exhibition, please visit: http://www.scienceexhibition.com.sg**Also read:http://library.thinkquest.org/23062/frameset.html Chalcography Collection of the Louvre Museum, a selection Engraving the World: A Selection from the Chalcography Collection of the Louvre Museum is held at the Singapore Art Museum, from 4 May to 22 July 2007. It is jointly presented by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and the Singapore French Festival ’07 Voilah! I have so far caught this exhibition on at least four different occasions. What makes this exhibition worth a visit?***Jean-Baptiste Nolinafter Arnould de VuezCoronelli's Celestial Globeetching and burinThe word chalcography is Greek in its origin and it basically means "writing on copper". With this definition in mind, visitors to the Engraving the World: A Selection from the Chalcography Collection of the Louvre Museum exhibition can expect to see prints and more prints that would illustrate the art and technique of copper engraving.In my humble opinion, Engraving the World: A Selection from the Chalcography Collection of the Louvre Museum is an exhibition worth a visit for its historical and artistic value. It presents a selection of prints from plates that were engraved from the 16th century to the present day.At this exhibition, one can catch a glimpse of a print of the now demolised Tuileries Palace. At first sight, the print below may look plain monochrome. However, if one were to examine the print more closely, one can start to appreciate the delicacy of the linework and the precision of details on this work, and many other works from this chalcography collection. In addition, the print below gives one some insights to the floor plan of the ground of the Tuileries Palace.Israel Silverstre's View of the Tuileries Palace from the Garden and Plan of the Ground FloorBeing quite a novice to chalcography, I have found it very helpful to join one of the museum's guided tours. On 6 July 2007, I joined the museum's Assistant Curator, Patricia Levasseur de la Motte on a tour of this exhibition and it gave me insights to the appreciation of this form of art.More tours with Assistant Curator, Patricia Levasseur de la Motte will be held on 13 and 20 Jul (Fri), 7.30 p.m. - 8.30 p.m., Meeting point: Singapore Art Museum, Lobby. Free. To register, please call 6332 3220 or email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sgOn the left, Assistant Curator, Patriciasharing with members of the guided tour about the print by Friedrich Schroeder.**The art and technique of copperplate engraving requires much skills and precision. Look at the close-up photo of Gérard Audran's (1640 - 1703) The Dome of Val de Grace: The Holy Trinity and its Principal Mysteries. The photo below will not do much justice to the intricacy of the lineworks, so it is highly recommended that you could make a visit to the exhibition and take a look at the many prints yourself.The Dome of Val de Grace: The Holy Trinity and its Principal Mysteries**Are you wondering what these visitors are looking at?These are what they are looking at: An original copper plate and its corresponding print. You would notice that the engraver had engraved the reverse image on the copper plate so that its corresponding print would be realised in the right orientation. This is one section of the exhibition that I recommend all visitors to check out.Do also check out the nearby section where there is a write-up on the various copperplate engraving techniques. There is even a video show about 20 minutes in duration that shows the process of one of the techniques of engraving and printing. A must-watch for any novice who is curious to learn about the techniques of engraving.**Before anyone starts to think that this collection is strictly an exhibition of works in monochrome, here's a work which was printed in one colour and other colours were being added later. There is an interesting history behind this print that you see below and other related prints of the set of engravings classified in this exhibition under the category of The Carousel of 1662. I could say that art can be used as a form of propangada.Francois Chauveau'sFirst Quadrille, plate 1Marshal Gramont, General Field MarshalNot forgetting, a number of the contemporary prints below commissioned by the Chalcography of the Louvre are also in colours and offer a good break from the monochromatic nature of the other prints.If you were to visit this exhibition, please do spend sometime taking a good look at the prints from the following sections:The Cabinet Du RoiThe Carousel of 1662The Maze at VersaillesThe Festivities of VersaillesMap of Paris (Turgot's Map)Description of EgyptActually, every single section from this exhibition is interesting in its own way. The prints from this exhibition contain such intricate work and artistry that it would be helpful to set aside sufficient time to take closer look at these fine details. If not, visitors could consider making a few separate visits to this exhibition.**Engraving the World: A Selection from the Chalcography Collection of the Louvre Museum is held at the Singapore Art Museum from 4 May – 22 July 2007.Museum opening hours are as follow:Mondays to Sundays, 10.00 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.Admission ChargesFor the period of 4 May to 22 July 2007Adult : $8.00Student (student card to be produced) : $4.00Senior Citizen (above 60 years) : $4.00Free AdmissionOn Fridays, 6.00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m.On Weekdays, 12.00 noon - 2.00 p.m.For more information, please visit: http://www.singart.com**References:Engraving The World: The Chalcograhy of the Louvre Museum. Publisher: Hexagramm (Paris), Réunion des musées nationaux (Paris) and Singapore Art Museum (Singapore). Printed in Singapore by Utopia Press Pte Ltd. ISBN: 2-9526420-0-1Singapore Art MuseumSingapore French Festival ’07 Voilah!Related topics to read on:Tuileries PalaceLouis IV of FranceNapoleonHistory of FranceCarouselNapoleon in Egypt**Acknowledgements: Special thanks to the Singapore Art Museum for granting me the permission to take non-flash photography of this exhibition. Tour of the National Stadium, Part 2 In Tour of the National Stadium (Part 1), I had promised to write more about the Kallang Airport that used to operate in Singapore. I won't have known about the Kallang Airport if not for the fact that one of the tour guides of the Stadium Tour pointed this out to the people in the tour.If you look at the photo below, the structure you would see at the People's Association's headquarters used to be the control tower of the then Kallang Airport."The then Kallang Airport was officially opened on 12 June 1937", and was Singapore's first civil airport. "The airport was in operation till it was replaced in 1955 by the Paya Lebar Airport". (view source here)If you would like to find out more about the then Kallang Airport, you could visit: Singapore's First Airport, by TY KwanName that place!**Back to the tour of the National Stadium. I decided it was of some value to take photographs of the ticket booths. I reckon that buying tickets at the ticket booths so as to gain admission into the National Stadium was a common thing to do for visitors to the stadium.The next stop of the tour was to the cauldron. Acroamatic has taken a nice photo of the inside of the cauldron. While I was at the cauldron, I could not help but feel that I would fall down to ground level anytime. I suppose it would take a lot of guts for torch bearers to even walk up to the cauldron without fearing the heights.The reward for having climbed all the way up to the cauldron was a lovely view of the area. We also got up close to one of the floodlight towers. The tour guide told me that one of the floodlight towers has a lift that can carry about one to two person at any one time.The floodlight tower that you see in this photo is the only tower with a lift. After visiting the cauldron and coming close to the base of one of the floodlight towers, the next stop was the Sports Medicine and Research Centre. As participants of the tour, we got some glimpses of what the centre does.I found out that there is a Biomechanic Laboratory and a Performance Laboratory within the premises of the National Stadium. Here are some snapshots of these laboratories:Probably the largest threadmill in Singapore.The tour also led us to the Kallang Family Fitness Centre and other parts of the National Stadium, including the National Stadium exhibition.At the National Stadium exhibition, one can learn more about the history of the National Stadium, its glorious past, the contributions that it has made to the sports arena in Singapore and a little more about the upcoming Sports Hub.No tour at the stadium would be complete without taking a good look at its tracks and field.After the tour, my accompanying friend shared with me that she felt the tour did not do much justice to the Sports Museum. She felt that the segment at the Sports Museum was simply too short and there were too many people on the tour. I would think otherwise. For a two-hours tour, furthermore free-of-charge, it was considered a fairly compact tour that gives participants a fairly good overview of the essence of the National Stadium.I can sense that the frontline staff who have made the tour possible have done it with sincerity and pride. My words of thanks to them.If you would like to take a two-hours walk about the National Stadium before it is torn down, do check out the Stadium Tour. Here are the details:Period of Tour: 3 May to 30 June 2007Days of Tour: Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays (excluding public holidays)Tour Duration: 2 hours (approximately)Tour Time slots: 10 a.m. & 2.30 p.m.Admission: FreeFor query and tour bookings, please call at Tel: (+65) 63409517 or email at ssc_sports_museum@ssc.gov.sgFor more information, please click here.I suggest that you could bring along a thirst-quenching beverage and an umbrella, and please dress comfortably if you were to sign up for the Stadium tour. Tour of the National Stadium The National Stadium (Singapore) will soon be torn down to make way for a new Sports Hub. A series of commemorative events have been organised by the Singapore Sports Council. Do click on this link for more information about the commemorative events.For those of you who have pleasant memories of the National Stadium and who would like to visit it before its official closing ceremony (on 30 Jun 2007), you may be pleased to know that the Singapore Sports Council has organised Stadium Tours to allow the public "to view the National Stadium for the last time and relive some of the old memories".More information on the Stadium Tour:Period of Tour: 3 May to 30 June 2007Days of Tour: Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays (excluding public holidays)Tour Duration: 2 hours (approximately)Tour Time slots: 10 a.m. & 2.30 p.m.Admission: FreeFor query and tour bookings, please call at Tel: (+65) 63409517 or email at ssc_sports_museum@ssc.gov.sgFor more information, please click here.If you would like to catch some glimpses of the tour, please read on.**On 5 May 2007, one of my good friends and I met to go for one of the Stadium Tours. Before the tour, we stopped by at the nearby Mac Donalds fast food restaurant for a quick breakfast.My kind friend went the extra mile to drive me from my home to the National Stadium. I could not help but take a photo of the nearby KFC fast-food restaurant. It has been there for quite a while as best as I remember.**After breakfast, we headed for the National Stadium. The meeting point of the tour was outside the Sports Museum. We walked up the flights of stairs of the Stadium's West Entrance before we reached the entrance of the Sports Museum. By 10 a.m., there was already quite a number of visitors waiting to go onboard the Stadium Tours. I believe that there were enough visitors to form more than two tour groups. At least I know that Cool Insider, Modcentric and acroamatic were on one of the other tours that same day.My friend and I joined the first tour group. The first stop for our tour group was the Sports Museum.The display panel right below attracted my attention. Yours truly was one of the participants who were involved in one of the items of the Opening Ceremony of the XVII Sea Games held in Singapore in the year 1993.That year, I have had several rehearsals at the National Stadium prior to the actual Opening Ceremony itself. The item that I performed in required me to carry a super large-size balloon and to burst that balloon so that the smaller balloons in it would be released up in the air. On the actual day itself, it was a close shave for me that I managed to make the large-size balloon burst within the given time-frame. It was no easy feat to burst the balloon since it had pretty "thick skin".There were quite a lot of things to see at the Sports Museum, but due to time constraints, the tour group only spent less than half-an-hour there.A trophy that I saw at the SSC Hall of Fame section.Multimedia interactive exhibit.Yesterday.sg has some interesting posts on the Sports Museum. If you are keen, here are the links for your convenience:Seeing the National Stadium inside outRoyal Sporting HeroesGiving a fresh spin to our legacies**At the grand stand.After visiting the Sports Museum, our tour group were led to the grand stand. I realised that maintenance of the National Stadium had stepped down. Maybe it is because the Stadium is closing soon?Anyway, our friendly tour guide gave us insights to the history of the museum. I learnt that before the National Stadium was built, the land that it now sits on used to be a swamp. We were also told that even the speakers were state-of-the-art facilities at the time when the National Stadium just opened.At the grand stand, a sports personality also shared with us his memories of the National Stadium.Top left: One of the speakers.Seats for the VIPs.VIP loungeVVIP roomWe even had pleasure to move up to a part of the grand stand where access was previously restricted only to the media and staff members of the stadium.**After the stadium, we headed for the cauldron. Along the way, I realised that I have a liking for the concrete looking structures of the National Stadium. Perhaps it is because during the past rehearsals of XVII Sea Games (back in year 1993), those concrete spaces were where me and the other performers had to wait at, before our item.**On this tour, I found out that Singapore first civil airport used to be in the Kallang area. If you would like to know about it, please stay tune for more of the tour.The next and final episode: Tour of the National Stadium, Part 2Also see:http://www.ssc.gov.sg/SportsWeb/upload/Stadium_Tour.pdfSSC Sports Museum Living under the Crescent Moon National Museum of SingaporeOriginally uploaded by oceanskies79."How is life like living in the Arab world?What kind of designs do the people in the Morocco, Syria and the Arabian peninsula use so as to make it effective for them to live in the relatively hot and harsh climate of those region?"These were the questions on my mind that had prompted me to visit the National Museum of Singapore to check out the exhibition, Living Under the Crescent Moon: Domestic Culture in the Arab World recently.The exhibition is part of a two-months long festival, Under the Crescent Moon, which introduces the rich cultural heritage of the Arab world and Turkey. As best as I understand, Living Under the Crescent Moon: Domestic Culture in the Arab World is one of the travelling exhibitions of the Vitra Design Museum. Do check out this page from Vitra Design Museum's website for more information on the exhibition: http://www.design-museum.de/museum/ausstellungen/halbmond/index.phpSanpshot of part of the Oasis section.Before viewing the exhibits from Living Under the Crescent Moon: Domestic Culture in the Arab World at Exhibition Gallery 2 of the National Museum of Singapore, it is recommended that visitors spend some moments at the Oasis section located at the entrance to Exhibition Gallery 2. At this section, visitors can find interesting fast facts about the Arab world. As I viewed this section, it struck me that the Islamic culture is a very enlightened culture and part of the reason why this is the case could be because of Islam's high regard to the search for knowledge.There are also engaging activities for visitors to have their hands-on at the Oasis section. There are computer terminals at the section for visitors to send e-cards to their friends. For those who have visited Arabia and have taken photographs of their visits, they could even enter the Memories of Arabia contest.I also urge visitors to join one of the guided tours of the exhibition. The guided tours give a very good overall view to the entire exhibition. However, if schedule does not permit you to be onboard any of the guided tours, I suggest that visitors could take time to watch the various video recordings put up at the exhibition. The infomation on the Festival Guide stated that the schedules for the guided tours are as follow:- Thursday and Friday: 2.30 p.m. daily- Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m. and 2.30 p.m.However, do take note that the tours will be conducted in English only, and are subjected to the availability of the volunteer guides.**At the exhibition, I took particular notice of the following:The Reed Buildings in the South Iraq MarshesA model of a reed building.I can imagine how beautiful the reed buildings would look in real life. It is fascinating to realise that how functional these reed buildings could be in the hot Iraqi climate. However, it turns out that there aren't many of these buildings left in the world. For your convenient reading, I have found the following online sources on the reed buildings: PittRivers Museum (on Iraq and the Marsh Arabs) Laputan Logic - Marsh Arabs (Part I) Marsh Arabs (Part II) Iraq'S Marsh Arabs, Modern Sumerians The Beehive houses in SyriaThe houses are built with a domed roof. I read that the walls are made of limstone and sundried mud-bricks. I've found the domed roof to be very interesting. The design of such beehives houses appear to be very functional for the Syrian climate.Also see: The Beehive EnigmaThe TuaregI have found it interesting to learn that for the Taureg, a Berber ethnic group, the women do not traditionally wear the veil, whereas men do.MiscellaneousI was told that the movie, Star Wars, was filmed in Tunisia.Also see: http://www.tunisiaonline.com/starwars/index.html**If you would like to gain some insights to the homes and household interiors of the Arab world, don't miss Living Under the Crescent Moon: Domestic Culture in the Arab World. It is now at the National Museum of Singapore, Exhibition Gallery 2, from 22 March to 21 May 2007. Admission is free. Opening hours of this exhibition is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.(All photos here are taken with non-flash photography.) At SAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition, Part III ...Continuing from SAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition, Part II.The next and last section of Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition is Synthesis, which happens to be my favourite section. Somehow, after taking one glance at the exhibits from this section, I could not help but feel that the works from this section have demonstrated the maturity and depth of Chen Wen Hsi as an artist.As written on one of the exhibition's information panels, "Synthesis forms a fitting conclusion to the last decasde or so of Chen's life. ...After years of practice, investigations and explorations, he poured his energies into creating works that sought to express, rather than represent..."As I read the words on the panel, the words "works that sought to express, rather than represent..." stayed in my mind. It just hit upon me that the many works in this section could help reveal to me some elements of Chen Wen Hsi's visions and ideas. However, while I can vaguely sense the expressions of such elements in Chen Wen Hsi's paintings, please help me as I do not yet have the wisdom to put these into words.BoatsChen Wen Hsi's Boats admittedly did not strike me as an attractive work at first sight, but as I took a few more looks at it, I became drawn to its air of dignity and its simplicity amidst the seemingly complex composition.Somehow I took a liking of the figure and the white bird found at the bottom left of the work.Close up of Boats.**Four HeronsFour Herons is a work by Chen Wen Hsi done sometime in 1970s. By the way, I learnt from my guide of the guided tour that Chen Wen Hsi seldom dated his works. Interestingly, he placed all the four herons to the right side of the work, leaving the left section of the paper filled with spaces.The work right below also on the same subject matter, Herons, was probably done in the late 1980s. Compare the herons in Herons to those in Four Herons, and you would realised that the herons are depicted in a more abstract manner. I don't know what Chen Wen Hsi had hoped to express through Herons but I think he was not merely hoping to represent herons on paper.Herons. Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper.At the Synthesis section, I particularly liked the way that the curator has arranged the works such that visitors can have a pretty good sense of how Chen Wen Hsi's works from the last decades of his life had developed and evolved from.From the placement and location of Herons (c. 1991), I could make a good guess that this was one work that the curator had wanted visitors to take a good look at. If this work did not seem impressive on this post, it is because my camera had done it disservice. This work is 123 x 245 cm in dimension and looks much larger in life than on this post.Herons. (c. 1991)Close up of Herons, (c. 1991)See if you can spot all the herons found on Herons (c. 1991). If you really try to do so, you would realise that it isn't such a simple affair. The herons aren't just the coloured ones, they could be those that share the same colour as the paper.I don't know if I could be correct, but perhaps Chen Wen Hsi had hoped, through his art, to remind his viewers that life should be led in a dignified manner, with integrity and a spirit of openness?Whatever it could be, more works await your viewing and appreciation at Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition. Do check it out by 8 April 2007.Black Mountain, undated.***The following book that you see below is part of a publication, Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition, published by the Singapore Art Museum (ISBN: 981-05-5195-9) is a useful resource to refer to for anyone who wishes to know more about Chen Wen Hsi's art and his philosophy towards art and life. My accompanying friend, Mystic, and myself particularly like the part of the publication that is bounded using purple coloured hard-cover. Do browse the visitor's copy of this publication when you visit this exhibition.***For your convenience, here is some visitors' information to take note of:Singapore Art Museum71 Bras Basah RoadSingapore 189555Tel: (65) 6332 3222Fax: (65) 6336 5361Admission:Adult: $5.00Student: $2.50Senior Citizen (above 60 years): $2.50Family Ticket (3 Adults and 2 Children): $13.00Daily guide tours are available.More visitors' information can be found here***References:http://www.nhb.gov.sg/SAM/Exhibitions/UpcomingExhibitions/Chen%2BWen%2BHsi.htmChen Wen Hsi's biography (on Czine-NAFAHUB)Review by Choy Weng YangAlso view:Chen Wen Hsi @ SAMhttp://www.thecore.nus.edu.sg/post/singapore/arts/painters/chenwenhsi/index.htmlhttp://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/herons.htmlAsian Art, Feb 07Convergences : Chen Wen Hsi centennial exhibition (record on NLB's Database)At SAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition (Part I)SAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition (Part II)**Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Singapore Art Museum for granting me the permission to take non-flash photography of this exhibition. Special thanks to Shaun for helping me to obtain the permission.**(Note: The materials in this post have also been posted on Yesterday.sg on 7 Apr 2007) At SAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition, Part II Continuing from At SAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition (Part I)...The next section of Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition displays paintings classified under the broad theme of Exploration. According to the exhibition panel, "Exploration deals with Chen Wen Hsi's open approach to art-making... He moved freely between styles, techniques, and media, always with the aim of investigating the elements that made a successful work of art."Exploration is one section of the exhibition which I have a love-hate relationship with.I didn't exactly like some of the artworks that were displayed in the Exploration section. Somehow, I did not quite know how to relate to these artworks. However, when I understood the motivations that had led Chen Wen Hsi to experiment with various art styles, techniques, and media, I cannot help but have a great sense of respect to this artist who is brave and innovative enough to try out and investigate new ways of art-making.I think that Chen Wen Hsi's training and exposure to both Chinese and Western art styles probably gave him the foundation to experiment with various styles and to pioneer new ways to art-making.My accompanying friend, Mystic, pointed me to the interesting work below by Chen Wen Hsi. Upon closer look, I was impressed by the idea of writing Chinese calligraphy over thick paint.Abstract Composition with Calligraphy, mixed media on board.I could not help but to walk forward to take a closer look at Abstract Composition with Calligraphy. I could not quite tell how Chen Wen Hsi had written those calligraphy-looking words over the thick paint, but as I took several steps back, away from the artwork, the entire effect that this piece of artwork had on me could be summarised in one single phrase: "There's more to it than meets the eye".Close up of one section of Abstract Composition with Calligraphy.It seemed to me that the art movements of Cubism, Fauvism and perhaps Post-Impressionism have some kind of influences over the art of Chen Wen Hsi.Somehow, Abstract Cranes reminded me of the paper cuttings by Henri Matisse. While I like many of Matisse's works, to tell you the truth, I did not like Chen Wen Hsi's Abstract Cranes at first sight. Neither did I like it after several viewings. Somehow, it just did not speak to me. But if I were to appreciate it based on its composition, somehow the painting does look fairly balanced in its composition.Try imagine that all the white areas of Abstract Crane had been painted the same blue colour as the background. Would you begin to realise that the composition of this painting would somehow look out-of-balance?I particularly found it a wise idea to hang Abstract Cranes against a red wall. It somehow makes the work stand out. If it were hung on against a mere white wall, I fear that I might not have even bothered to take a look at it.Abstract Cranes.The sight of Chen Wen Hsi's Grazing evoked a pleasant sense of nostalgia in me. Such feelings could have came about because when I was just a teenager learning Art History, Grazing was often presented to me as one of the examples of Chen Wen Hsi's artworks. The large buffalo right in the foreground led my eyes to look at the middle section of the artwork. I particularly like the bright-green colours used for the background of the middle section of Grazing. Somehow, those colours helped make the composition a pleasing one to me. Grazing.Chinese Character Wang stood out from the rest and it easily caught my attention. My guide for the guided tour gave the group some interesting background information on this work and I found I could better appreciate this work. By the way, in case you should think that there's only one Chinese character Wang in this work, I urge that you look closer.Chinese Character WangWhile I was at the Exploration section, I started to think: Experimentation can be considered one important aspect of art-making. If an artist's life is solely devoted to doing what conventions dictate, possibly in a few decades time, art would have become dull and uninspiring.In that light, I felt that while I cannot quite bring myself to love every single piece of work shown in the Exploration section, I could appreciate how each of them have contributed to the bigger picture of striving to find aesthetically pleasing ways to art-making.There are many more interesting artworks in the Exploration section. Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition will be ending very soon! Do check it out by 8 April 2007.***For your convenience, here is some visitors' information to take note of:Singapore Art Museum71 Bras Basah RoadSingapore 189555Tel: (65) 6332 3222Fax: (65) 6336 5361Admission:Adult: $5.00Student: $2.50Senior Citizen (above 60 years): $2.50Family Ticket (3 Adults and 2 Children): $13.00Daily guide tours are available.More visitors' information can be found here***References:http://www.nhb.gov.sg/SAM/Exhibitions/UpcomingExhibitions/Chen%2BWen%2BHsi.htmChen Wen Hsi's biography (on Czine-NAFAHUB)http://wineanddine.asiaone.com.sg/unwind/exhibitions/20061229_001.htmlhttp://nafahub.com/nanyi/enanyi/eseasia/efineart/echenwenhsi/edefault.htmhttp://www.biotechnics.org/2chen_wen_hsi.htmlhttp://www.seraja.com/experience.jsp?eventID=590364http://www.mica.gov.sg/pressroom/press_061201.htmlhttp://www.nafa.edu.sg/in_happenings/press/2006/June/28062006.htmReview by Choy Weng YangOn Nanyang Style (of art):Nanyang Art by Ting Szu KiongOn Cubism:ArtLex on Cubismhttp://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CubismOn Fauvism:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matissehttp://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95dec/matisse.htmlhttp://www.fact-index.com/l/le/les_fauves.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauvismhttp://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/f/fauvism.htmlAlso view:Chen Wen Hsi @ SAMhttp://www.artforum.com.sg/artists_by_country/singapore/chenwenhsi.htmlhttp://www.thecore.nus.edu.sg/post/singapore/arts/painters/chenwenhsi/index.htmlhttp://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_772_2004-12-29.htmlBada Shanren: Information from Answers.comhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GibbonAt SAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial ExhibitionSAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition, Part IIIAcknowledgements: Special thanks to Singapore Art Museum for granting me the permission to take non-flash photography of this exhibition. Special thanks to Shaun for helping me to obtain the permission.(Note: This post has also been concurrently posted on Yesterday.sg on 6 April 07) At SAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition Many people in Singapore could have own a copy of one of Chen Wen Hsi's artwork without realising it.Unconvinced? Take out your wallet, and look for a S$50 note (from the Portrait Series). Turn to the back of the note, and look for a pair of gibbons on it.The image of those two gibbons is actually part of an artwork by Chen Wen Hsi.If you care to find out the name of the original artwork that the image of those two gibbons came from, or if you wish to find out more about Chen Wen Hsi himself, read on to join me on my visits to Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition (held till 8 April 2007) at the Singapore Art Museum.**Without any further delay, I shall share my findings from my visits to the exhibition. The photo right below and the caption that I have included right below it will give you an obvious clue to the name of the original artwork from which the image of the two gibbons found on the S$50 note were taken.Chen Wen Hsi's Two Gibbons Amidst Vines(Collection of Singapore Art Museum, donated by Dr Earl Lu)I heard from the guide (who gave the guided tour on 30 April 2007's evening) that Chen Wen Hsi had initially wanted to throw away the above artwork. In the end, one of his friends managed to convince Chen Wen Hsi to give it to him.Whatever it is, I don't think Chen Wen Hsi would have ever expected that one of his artworks would find its way to becoming one of the images on a Singapore currency note.For myself, I will never see the S$50 currency note the same way as I had used to after my visits to Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition. From now, when I see the images of the two gibbons on the S$50 currency note, I will remember Chen Wen Hsi and his art. I will remember the moment when my accompanying friend, Mystic, took out a S$50 currency note of the Portrait series and held it against Chen Wen Hsi's Two Gibbons Amidst Vines for comparison. I will remember the delight that Mystic and myself have had ascertaining that Chen Wen Hsi's Two Gibbons Amidst Vines was the original painting where the two gibbons on the S$50 currency note were taken from.Perhaps a piece of art is not simply a piece of art. It is a key that opens the doors to some of our treasured memories?**By the way, in case any of you asked why I use the word "visits" instead of "visit", it is because I have visited Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition thrice so far.On my first visit, I was pressed for time and only had the time to browse through all the works fairly quickly. On 30 April 2007, I made my second visit to this exhibition and I joined one of the guided tours. SB was my guide for that guided tour. On 1 April 2007, I made my third visit to the exhibition. I have the pleasure to have one of my good friends, Mystic, with me. Although I tend to visit museums alone, it proved to be quite a fun and interesting experience visiting the art museum with a friend.**I first knew of Chen Wen Hsi and his artworks when I studied Art during my secondary school years. He was one of the Pioneer Artists of Singapore that I had to study during my Art History class.While I can't remember all the facts that I have used to study about him right now, I have managed to find a site that has a biography of Chen Wen Hsi for anyone wishing for a quick overview on Chen Wen Hsi. The URL of the site is: http://nafahub.com/nanyi/enanyi/eseasia/efineart/echenwenhsi/ebiography.htmFishes in the PondBack to Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition, this exhibition is divided into four broad sections. These are namely: Traditions, Life, Exploration and Synthesis.From the way the exhibition has been curated, it seems to me that the curator could have wanted visitors to start with the section, Traditions. At this section, one very large piece of Chinese painting that would certainly capture the attention of most visitors would be Chen Wen Hsi's Fishes in the Pond. It is probably quite a significant work because I remember hearing from the guide that this was the work that Chen Wen Hsi had brought with him to this part of the world when he came in the year 1949 (some sources indicated that it was year 1948).Even though I have very limited knowledge about Chinese art, I found it very helpful that my guide for the guided tour gave a quick overview on the characteristics of Chinese painting. That certainly had helped me better appreciate many of Chen Wen Hsi's works done in Chinese ink. My thumbs up and appreciation to my guide, SB.Please allow me to share some of what I have learnt from the guided tour: Try viewing Fishes in the Pond by walking from the left of the painting to the right, you may perceive that the fishes on the painting were moving horizontally across the scroll.**My friend, Mystic, initially did not think very much about Chen Wen Hsi's Chinese paintings. But with some prompting from yours truly, Mystic and I took a closer look at one of Chen Wen Hsi's paintings, Squirrels Climbing Tree Trunk.Squirrels Climbing Tree TrunkClose up of one section of Squirrels Climbing Tree TrunkUpon closer examination, Mystic then took back her initial verdict, and realised that it would probably take great skill to execute those strokes found on the tails and bodies of the squirrels. Mystic has a question she would like help with: What did Chen Wen Hsi use to achieve those brushstrokes found on the tail of the squirrel that you would see right above?If you have the answer, please share it with me and Mystic.**My favourite work from the Traditions section was Gibbons Fetching the Moon from the Water which was probably painted in the early 1970s, on or before 1975. Somehow, I was particularly attracted to the interesting pose that the gibbon attempting to fetch the moon has had.Gibbons Fetching the Moon from the Water**On the right: sub-section on Chen Wen Hsi's finger-paintings.There is a sub-section under the Traditions section that displayed some of Chen Wen Hsi's finger-paintings. Don't miss it when you are at the exhibition.**As one walks up the flight of stairs to the second level of the exhibition, one would be greeted by works that have been classifed under the broad theme of Life. Summarising the notes on one of the exhibition panels: Chen Wen Hsi's practice of art is guided by his strong belief that "art must be informed by life". To do so, Chen Wen Hsi would make close observations of nature.I suppose drawing from life would be one essential procedure that Chen Wen Hsi would take in the process of his practice of art?The following are some of the works under the theme of Life that I personally like:Indian ChildrenThe FerryAccording to this article, Tracing the evolution of Chen Wen Hsi's works by Parvathi Nayar - Dec 29, 2006, The Business Times, The Ferry "is the exhibition's best representation of Chen's contribution to the so-called Nanyang School of painting".Notice the bright, tropical-like colours used in The Ferry. Its subject matter is also based on something that is fairly specific to the Southeast Asia, "Nanyang" region, i.e. a Balinese boatman.For more information about the Nanyang style of art, you may wish to visit Nanyang Art by Ting Szu Kiong.Malay GirlsIt was interesting to simply take time to look at the various works from the Life section and to evaluate how Eastern and Western art styles and techniques could have influenced Chen Wen Hsi's art.***More exciting works await for the keen and curious visitor.For your information, Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition will be held at the Singapore Art Museum till 8 April 2007 only. For people who are interested in the art scene in Singapore, this exhibition is definitely not-to-be-missed given the significance of Chen Wen Hsi and his art .Plan for a trip to the Singapore Art Museum now:Singapore Art Museum71 Bras Basah RoadSingapore 189555Tel: (65) 6332 3222Fax: (65) 6336 5361Admission:Adult: $5.00Student: $2.50Senior Citizen (above 60 years): $2.50Family Ticket (3 Adults and 2 Children): $13.00More visitors' information can be found here**Part II of this series is available here: At SAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition, Part II.Part III of this series is available here: At SAM: Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition, Part III.**References:Singapore Circulation Notes: Portrait Series - $50http://www.nhb.gov.sg/SAM/Exhibitions/UpcomingExhibitions/Chen%2BWen%2BHsi.htmChen Wen Hsi's biography (on Czine-NAFAHUB)http://wineanddine.asiaone.com.sg/unwind/exhibitions/20061229_001.htmlhttp://www.seraja.com/experience.jsp?eventID=590364Review by Choy Weng YangOn Nanyang Style (of art):Nanyang Art by Ting Szu KiongAlso view:Chen Wen Hsi @ SAMhttp://www.artforum.com.sg/artists_by_country/singapore/chenwenhsi.htmlhttp://nafahub.com/nanyi/enanyi/eseasia/efineart/echenwenhsi/edefault.htmhttp://www.thecore.nus.edu.sg/post/singapore/arts/painters/chenwenhsi/index.htmlhttp://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_772_2004-12-29.htmlBada Shanren: Information from Answers.comhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GibbonAcknowledgements: Special thanks to Singapore Art Museum for granting me the permission to take non-flash photography of this exhibition. Special thanks to Shaun for helping me to obtain the permission.(Note: The materials on this post have also been posted on Yesterday.sg, on 4 April 2007) Wealth and Contentment just outside the University Cultural Centre Wealth, Ng Eng Teng, 1974, Ciment Fondue.This is to supplement the earlier post titled NUS Museum: The works of Ng Eng Teng.I personally think that although Wealth and Contentment were not commissioned for the University Cultural Centre, these two sculptures look quite blissful (and not frightening) against the lush green grounds just outside the University Cultural Centre.My only complaint is that the sculptures do not seem to be prominent to most visitors who happen to be passing by the University Cultural Centre on a bus or vehicle. Some visitors of the centre may just miss Wealth and Contentment unless they take the time to locate the two large sculptures that are placed just by the side of the main entrance of the centre.I could only ask that visitors to the NUS Museum take a slight detour to check out these two sculptures. If one is going to the NUS Museum to view Ng Eng Teng's works, I dare say that the experience won't be complete without viewing these two sculptures.ContentmentFor everyone's convenience, here is the address of the NUS Museum:NUS MuseumUniversity Cultural Centre Annex50 Kent Ridge CrescentNational University of SingaporeSingapore 119279Opening Hours10am to 5pm (Mondays to Saturdays)Closed on Sundays and Public HolidaysAdmission is FREE NUS Museum: The works of Ng Eng Teng Ng Eng Teng's Red Face (1986). Ciment Fondu, Paint and Lacquer.Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, located within the premises of the National University of Singapore, is the NUS Museum. This museum houses the following three art collections:- The Chinese art collection displayed at the Lee Kong Chian Art Museum- The South and Southeast Asian collection displayed at the South and Southeast Asian Gallery- The Ng Eng Teng collectionI have visited the Ng Eng Teng Gallery at the then National University of Singapore Museums several years ago, and I dare say it was my favourite section of the museum. However, when I went to visit the NUS Museum slightly more than a month ago, I was fairly disappointed to see that the Ng Eng Teng Gallery was closed, temporary. I read that the Ng Eng Teng gallery was closed for the installation of new works.The consoling part was that there was a section in the museum that displayed some of the works by Ng Eng Teng. The collection on display was way lesser than what I had seen several years ago, and I could only be thankful that such arrangements was temporary.My favourite section of the NUS Museum continues to be the Ng Eng Teng collection, perhaps because I find it easier to relate to Ng Eng Teng's work. Furthermore, I find the collections of Ng Eng Teng's works tend to have a more consistent and congruent theme compared to the works from the museum's other collections.Admittedly, I have had fond memories of the Ng Eng Teng Gallery. I regularly visited the Ng Eng Teng Gallery at least once a week when it was located nearby the Central Library of NUS. Each time I visited it, I would get inspired by at least one of the works. I still remember being greeted by Ng Eng Teng's Freedom Child every time I visited the gallery when it was located nearby the Central Library. Given its relatively good collection of Ng Eng Teng's works, it was rather disappointing that the gallery did not get as many visitors as it should deserve.There is something quite sensual and aesthetically pleasing about Ng Eng Teng's works. Viewing his works also reminds of the days when I had to read up about his work and his life as an artist when I was taking Art History at Secondary School level. Looking back, I am glad that it was a must to study Art History then. I realised that art can be better appreciated if one were to understand the context in which it was created, and one way to understand the context was to study Art History.If appreciating the context would to be important, then it would be a must for me to include a short section about Ng Eng Teng (1934 - 2001) in this post first:As best as I can recall, Ng Eng Teng made his mark as a sculptor. Ng Eng Teng is inspired by the human condition and its many nuances, and perhaps that is why:"The human figure remains Eng Teng's principal source of inspiration and, no matter how abstract, his works, from the earliest, tentative explorations to these mature, masterful creations, always retain some link with figuration. (view source)"It hence brings me much delight to share with you Ng Eng Teng's Red Face. In this work, the artist turns the head upside down with lips pointing upwards. This defies the customary presentation of the head, and I find it quite cool and humourous. It also challenged the viewer to see things beyond the conventional perspectives. I personally find this work very interesting, and that the lips have been very well shaped. So are the eyes.The maquette of The Climb also caught my attention. I had seen the actual life-size sculpture of The Climb near HDB Hub. It was actually a work commissioned by the Housing Development Board for the then HDB headquarters in Bukit Merah, Singapore.The maquette of The Climb.Life size sculpture of The Climb, now located near HDB HubThe maquette of Wealth and Contentment also caught my eye. I remember that when I was a young child, the life-size sculpture of Wealth stood right at Plaza Singapura. In those days, I remember that the departmental retail store Yaohan was still in operation. My mother would take me and my younger brother there, and I remember there was a section in the then Yaohan departmental store for children to play Legos bricks. To be honest, at that age, I won't go specially to Plaza Singapura to see the sculptures. Yet, it would be difficult to miss Wealth and Contentment since they are relatively large and were placed at fairly prominent spots of the then Plaza Singapura. As such, when my Art History teacher first gave us a lecture on Ng Eng Teng's Wealth and Contentment, I could almost instantaneously recognise that they were the sculptures located at the then Plaza Singapura.A photo of Plaza Singapura from the archives. PhotoCD Number: 19990001300, Image Number: 0035. Photo taken from Access to Archives Online, Singapore.At the NUS Museum, I read that Wealth was commissioned by DBS Land for Plaza Singapura and later it was donated to NUS in 1997. Wealth now stands just outside the University Cultural Centre of NUS. Personally, I prefer the sculpture Contentment to Wealth.Maquettes of Wealth and Contentment.I recommend that one should check out Ng Eng Teng's Mother and Child series. It is one of my favourite series from Ng Eng Teng's works. There was only one sculpture from the series that I saw when I was at the NUS Museum about more than a month ago. I find that there is a nice sense of sensitivity in the way that Ng Eng Teng dealt with the subject matter of "Mother and Child". The lines of the sclptures from this series tend to show a kind of tenderness and nurturing love.Madonna & Child II (1990). Bronze.If you like "Mother and Child" series, I would strongly recommend that you could check out the "Father and Child" series. Sad to say, there was no work from this series on display when I last visited the NUS Museum. The "Father and Child" series by the late Ng Eng Teng demonstrates paternal love, and what I like about this series is that it features the playful moments in father-child relationship. I hope that this series would be featured some day.For those who enjoy seeing works that are more abstract in nature, try checking out Ng Eng Teng's Torso-to-Face series. I find it one of the fascinating series by Ng Eng Teng. Those torso-like sculptures actually look like faces. I think there is quite a lot of creativity in visualising and transforming torso-like sculptures into face-look sculptures.Just simply see Cobra I right below. Do you find that the torso-like chest looks quite like a face with eyes?Cobra I, (1997). This work belongs to a sculptural series that emerged after 1994 from Ng Eng Teng's Torso-to-Face drawings.And if you have a liking for even more abstract works, you may like Acrobat I, (1994).Some of you may be awed by Ng Eng Teng's subdued mastery of sculpture forms, and if you wish to know the secrets behind how he achieved such mastery, be sure to read this article: A Short Note on Dr Ng Eng Teng by Lim Tai Wei.Meantime, I shall look forward to the reopening of the Ng Eng Teng gallery. I hope that would come soon.***Information on the museum:NUS MuseumUniversity Cultural Centre Annex50 Kent Ridge CrescentNational University of SingaporeSingapore 119279Tel: (65) 65164 617 / 6Opening Hours10am to 5pm (Mondays to Saturdays)Closed on Sundays and Public HolidaysAdmission is FREE***References:Ng Eng Teng: An Overview http://scholars.nus.edu.sg/post/singapore/arts/painters/channel/19.htmlhttp://www.easterntea.com/research/fineart.htmNg Eng Teng GalleryThe Sculpture of Ng Eng Teng: A Selected Listhttp://www.a2o.com.sg/a2o/public/search/index.htmlAlso visit:NUS MuseumRestoration and Repair to the Late Dr. Ng Eng Teng's Sculpture, Contentment 1974 at NUS, UCC.http://www.nusantara.com/pasta/home/theartwo/contentm.htmlWealth and Contentment just outside University Cultural Centre At the National Library of Singapore: Lim Boon Keng: A Life to Remember A few weeks ago, I was at the National Library of Singapore, and visited the exhibition: Lim Boon Keng: A Life to Remember.This exhibition held in conjunction with the launch of the reprint of Dr Lim's seminal work, The Chinese Crisis from Within, commemorates the 50th anniversary of Dr Lim's death in January 1957.To be honest, I have never read Dr Lim's book The Chinese Crisis from Within. I have only read briefly about Lim Boon Keng from my secondary school history textbooks. I suppose he must have contributed a great deal to the society because I know that there is a road that is named after him.At the exhibition, I was impressed to find out that not only was Dr Lim Boon Keng a medical doctor by training, he was a legislator, scholar, educator, entrepreneur, community leader, social reformer and philanthropist.Visitors to the exhibition can expect to learn about the early life of Lim Boon Keng. Born on 18 Oct 1869, Lim Boon Keng was a Straits-born Chinese. Life was not a bed of roses for Lim Boon Keng. When Lim Boon Keng was about 12 years old, his father, who was the sole-breadwinner of the family passed away. In normal circumstances in those days, one could imagine that Lim Boon Keng would have to leave school and help support his family, but thanks to the intervention of RW Hullett, he need not have to do so. Who's RW Hullet? You can find out a little more about him at the exhibition. I suppose behind every successful talent is someone who is wise enough recognise and give support to the talented person.One can also learn about how Lim Boon Keng became the first Chinese in Singapore to win the Queen's Scholarship. There was a short section that provided information about the Queen's Scholarship. I learnt that the Queen's Scholarship was initiated and established by the Straits Settlements Governor Sir Cecil Clementi Smith to enable outstanding students from the Straits Settlements to complete their studies in the United Kingdom.I also found out that Lim Boon Keng had written several other publications. He had even completed an English translation of the poem Li Sao by the poet Qu Yuan. It impresses me that Lim Boon Keng could set aside time to contribute to the academic and literary world despite him having so many other roles to play.Visitors can also look forward to learn about the contributions that Lim Boon Keng has made as a legislator, a political reformer, a social reformer, an entrepreneur and more at the exhibition.In his efforts to persuade fellow Chinese to give up the bad habit of smoking habit, I learnt that Lim Boon Keng gave a series of public lectures between 1893 to 1895 so as to campaign against opium smoking. In 1906, together with his future brother-in-law, Dr Yin Suat Chuan, Lim Boon Keng founded the Anti-Opium Society and opened an opium refuge centre that offered free treatment for the opium addicts.I would think that his battle against opium smoking would be a very tough one during those times. One must bear in mind that the government then would have a stake in the opium trade as it is a source of revenue for the government in those days. The opium trade fetched such profitable returns that from 1898 to 1906, the average annual revenue from opium was 49% of the total income (view source). Basically, anyone fighting against the cause might be mistakenly seen as trying to reduce the government's revenue. Furthermore, in those days, the opium trade has the support of the then government.Lim Boon Keng was also concerned about the education for young girls. From the exhibition panel right below, one can learn that Lim Boon Keng, together with Song Ong Siang and others, started the first English school exclusively for Chinese girls. Interestingly for me, the school that was set up in 1899 was located at Hill Street, right where the Central Fire Station is located today.There is a lot of information about the life of Lim Boon Keng that can be found at the exhibition. I recommend that visitors set enough time aside to read and reflect upon the various materials. What you get to see on this post are just merely a fraction of the exhibition.I was particularly interested with one section of the exhibition that touches on Lim Boon Keng last years during the Japanese Occupation and his appointment as the President of the Overseas Chinese Association. During the Japanese Occupation, the Chinese community and businese leaders were forced to cooperate under the auspices of the Overseas Chinese Association to raise a $50 million gift for the Japanese. I think Lim Boon Keng must have been caught in a difficult position. While he practised passive resistance by hardly taking part in the activities of the Overseas Chinese Association, he still had to appear outwardly a supporter of the Japanese Military Administration.Photograph showing key members of the Overseas Chinese Association.In all, I felt inspired by Lim Boon Keng's zest for learning, and his passion in advocating for the causes that he believes in.I find it was quite apt to hold the exhibition at the library. Afterall, the exhibition was held in conjunction with the launch of the reprint of The Chinese Crisis from Within. I suppose visitors to the exhibition can conveniently enquire about the book shortly after their visit to the exhibition.Do check out this exhibition. Admission is free.**Information on the exhibitionThe exhibition, Lim Boon Keng: A Life to Remember will be held at the National Library of Singapore, 100 Victoria Street, from 24 January - 18 March 2007, at Level 9 Promenade.According to a source, there will be free guided tours available at 2 pm, from Mondays to Fridays.Watch snippets of the launch event here: http://dl.nlb.gov.sg/victoria/2007/01/lim_boon_keng_a_life_to_rememb.html***References:http://dl.nlb.gov.sg/victoria/2007/01/lim_boon_keng_a_life_to_rememb.htmlhttp://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_855_2004-12-27.htmlhttp://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_69_2005-01-22.htmlhttp://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_622_2004-12-16.html**You may also like to read:http://eregon.blogspot.com/2007/01/lim-boon-keng-and-straits-chinese.htmlFootnote: The post is written specially for my friend, Mystic. I think she might be interested in learning about the life of Lim Boon Keng and his various contributions to the society. The exhibition: Improving life Several weeks ago, I was at the National Museum of Singapore and I caught the exhibition titled: Improving Life - The Design of Swedish Innovations. The exhibition was held from 12 Jan 2007 to 11 Feb 2007, so if you have missed it, here's snippets of it for your pleasant viewing.One thing that struck me at the exhibition was how simple, yet effective designs could help make life better for us. An innovation doesn't have to be of a grand scale, but it can neverthless contribute significantly in improving people's lives.Some innovations become such a part of our lives that we may have taken them for granted. One example is the safety match. Professor Gustaf Erik Pasch patented it in 1844. Prior to the invention of the safety match, matches were made with yellow phosphorus and such matches could be lit simply by striking them against any surface. So what did Professor Pasch do to make the design of the match safe?According to one of the display panels at the exhibition, Professor Pasch not only replaced the yellow phosphorus with red phosphorus, he also divided the chemical components so that the phosphorus was on the side of the match-box. With this design, the matches could only be lit by striking them against the side of the box. That makes the matches safer. I think it was a simple yet ingenious design.Safety matchesI realised that designers often have a vision in their mind and that vision often drive them to overcome the odds as they present their designs and innovations to the world.When I was quite a young child, probably no more than seven years old, I remember that I was playing on one of my uncle's Apple computer and there was no colour except black and green on the monitor. But today, we can clearly see colour on our computer monitor.Who has brought about this change? As best as I understand from the exhibition, Mr Hakan Lans invented and patented a technique is used in today's computer monitor's color graphic. Back in the mid 1970s when colour television became common in most homes, there was no demand for computers with colour screens yet. But Mr Hakan Lans had the foresight to foresee the need for such a technology. Why do I say designers need vision to overcome the odds? Well, I read that back then, most of the major computer companies did not dare to invest in the colour graphics technology because they consider it a luxury. Thank goodness his design went through. I cannot imagine myself using monitor screens that are monochromatic.A display panel on Hakan Lans' colour screen graphic for computers.Look at the bottle below. I think it has a very appealing design. I don't drink, but I would feel an urge to take the bottle and have a closer look at it. Do you? And if you read the display panel just below it, you would agree with me that good design can help consumers choose one product over another similar one.Absolut Vodka's bottle.Good designs don't come easy. Some are results of a series of good research and studies. For example, the Baby Bjorn Child's Plate and Spoon designed by Ergonomidesign was developed after a series of studies on the eating habits of children.Aside from being attractive, the shape of the plate also has a purpose to serve. With such a shape, it is difficult for a child to grab hold of the plate and throw it onto the floor. In addition, the slope of the inner edges öf the plate "allow a child to pick up the food, instead of simply pushing it around in circles" (source: related display panel found at the exhibition).Here's something I did not know until the exhibition. According to one of the displays panel, it is a proven fact that small children riding in rear facing seats are safer than those in forward facing seats. With such designs, the children can enjoy safer rides.Good design may be things that cannot be touched, but are concepts that can redefine the way we look at things. I found out that the temperature scale, the Celcius scale, was a concept that came from a Swedish astronomer, Anders Celcius.I could only end this post by thanking the great minds behind these designs. Thanks for improving our lives.***To read more about Swedish innovations, check out:http://www.sverigeturism.se/smorgasbord/smorgasbord/industry/inventions/http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/BasicFactsheet____3127.aspxhttp://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/FactSheet____15878.aspx The Katong/ Joo Chiat Walk, Part 2 ...continuing from The Katong/ Joo Chiat WalkThere were quite a number of interesting buildings that I had came across during the walk of the Katong/ Joo Chiat area. Although these buildings were not featured in the Uniquely Singapore: Katong/ Joo Chiat Walking Guide, it is worth to take some glimpses of them.Leisurely, I strolled along Tembeling Road while enjoying the temporary peace that the street offered. A yellow-colour building stood out and it was one of the featured places on the Walking Guide.At 62 Tembeling Road, there is a Chinese temple just beside the yellow-colour building. The temple is known as the Kuan Im Tng Temple. In the Walking Guide, it is stated that the temple was built in 1921. One should not miss looking at the ornate facade of the temple. One should also take a look at the statues of dancing dragons found on the temple's roof ridges.Kuan Im Tng Temple.Further down, along 89 - 103 Joo Chiat Place, I was recommended by the Walking Guide to see the architectural masterpiece of the Lotus at Joo Chiat apartments. Here's quoting from the Walking Guide: The Lotus at Joo Chiat apartments are a fine example of integrating old shophouses with new flats, and were built in the 1930s in the Late Shophouse style.I like these shophouses way better than those along Koon Seng Road. Perhaps I was drawn to the air of elegance that these shophouses of Lotus at Joo Chiat exuded.I continued my journey and headed for Masjid Khalid, a mosque located at 130 Joo Chiat Road. As I walked towards the mosque, I noticed that the shops nearby the mosque show a distinct Malay influence in their architectural designs.Masjid Khalid. Built in 1917, and renovated in 1998, the mosque was originally intended as a place of worship for the Indian Muslims.Notice that the architecture of the shophouses in the background appear Malay in its influence.I noticed a shop nearby the mosque, and I could not resist the urge to take a photo of the shop. Even an elderly man sitting nearby the shop was beckoning me to take photograph of the shop. I had a feeling that he had thought I was a tourist from foreign lands. Anyway, the shop looked like a carpentry workshop of some sorts. Somehow, I had a premonition that workshops of such layouts may soon vanish from a society that progresses rapidly, unless the rate of preserving our heritage could catch up.In addition, my hands could not resist taking a photo of a man washing one of the stairways found at the back of a row of shophouses.My walk continued as I walked towards Joo Chiat Complex. Somehow, walking towards Joo Chiat Complex jolted my memories. I recalled that my mother had brought me to Joo Chiat area for haircut when I was much younger. No wonder some parts of this part of Singapore looked vaguely familiar to me.Joo Chiat Complex. This is one place to find Malay textiles and foodstuff.During my walk, I noticed that there were probably some restoration works coming up for some of the shophouses. Would restoration give these shophouses new life, or would it make them lose their nostalgic flavour?***Too much of walking can be strenuous so I took a short moment of break before moving on. I was not confident of taking too long a break for if you could tell from the photographs, the skies were already turning very dull by then and I was worried that it might rain anytime then.After the short moment of rest, I walked along Joo Chiat Road and came close to an open space called Joo Chiat Square. According to http://myjoochiat.com, Joo Chiat Square was launched by Member of Parliament Chan Soo Sen on 23 Dec 2006. "It is an initiative by the Joo Chiat Citizens' Consultative Committee for a planned programme of wholesome family and community activites right in the heart of Joo Chiat." I think Joo Chiat Square would make a fairly good performing ground for the performing arts just that the weather has to be kind or else sheltered tents have to be pitched.Joo Chia Square.After imagining the various possibilities that Joo Chiat Square could make as a venue for performing arts, I thought to myself that it would be great if there could be a story-telling programme held right there. There will also be several operas being staged there later the year.By that time of the afternoon, I have covered quite a bit of the Katong/ Joo Chiat area. I walked towards the direction of Carpmael Road and headed for Ceylon Road. This Katong/ Joo Chiat area continued to treat my eyes to interesting sights and architecture.I found the dragon-like designs on this building a fairly unusual one.The skies were turning grey.When I reached the junction of Ceylon Road and Dunman Road, I was fully aware that the Eurasian Community House stood at one extreme end of Ceylon Road. I decided that due to poor weather forecast, I would not walk towards Eurasian Community House. I merely took a photo of the building from a distance.Eurasian Community House in the background.The next part of my journey took me to two places of worship located along Ceylon Road. The St Hilda's Anglican Church at 41 Ceylon Road came across to me as a simple yet dignified-looking church. I was informed by the Walking Guide that the church was built in 1934 and was designed after a simple English parish church style. The conical tower of this church was built in the Victorian tradition.St Hilda's Anglican ChurchVery closeby to the church at 19 Ceylon Road is one of Singapore's oldest Indian temples, Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple. This temple has a history that dates back all the way to 1875. Its 21-metre high Rajagopuram makes it one of the tallest Indian temples in Singapore.Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple. Notice the statues of the elephants.After walking along Ceylong Road, towards East Coast Road, I found myself coming back to where I had started my walk. There was quite a number of things to see along East Coast Road. Certainly, it appeared to me that there are a lot of good eating places along East Coast Road and the Katong/ Joo Chiat area. Please check out these two links for more information: http://myjoochiat.com/food-areas.htm and http://www.goodfood.sg/east.I like the row of conserved terrace houses along 150 East Coast Road. There is something unusual about these houses. Notice that the living area of these homes is built on raised grounds. These houses actually stand beside a former sea wall near where the beach used to be. I like the unique architecture of these terrace houses which according to the Walking Guide, showed "an eclectic mix of traditional local architecture infused with Western influences, seen in the elaborate fascia boards and decorative plaster motifs."My walk that afternoon has been generally a peaceful yet interesting one. I think tourists who come to Singapore should not just visit the regular places like Chinatown or Orchard Road, there are also a lot to see at the Katong/ Joo Chiat area. Even more so, the folks in Singapore who aren't living in the East could visit this part of Singapore to experience the rich and colourful sights that Katong/ Joo Chiat has to offer.My next stop was the Church of the Holy Family at 6 Chapel Road. This is a pre-World War II parish church and it was a focal point for the Eurasian community of Katong/ Joo Chiat.For a piping hot cup of coffee, one can stopped by at Chin Mee Chin Confectionery which according to the Walking Guide, is one of the last remaining Hainanese coffee shops that retains an authentic 1950s ambience. It is located at 204 East Coast Road. I saw that it also sells hot kaya buns and sugar rolls.Chin Mee Chin Confectionery.Nearby, at 208 East Coast Road, is the Katong Antique House. Here one can find beautiful Peranakan artefacts. It is certainly a place to shop for things Peranakan. I like its shopfront partly because the walls were painted in my favourite colour, blue.Katong Antique House.Then I ventured towards the direction of Still Road. At 25 & 26 Still Road South, lies the former Grand Hotel. The Walking Guide gave me some insights to the history of the Grand Hotel:In 1917, Moona Kader Sultan, a wealthy Indian cattle merchant built the Karikal Mahal or the Grand Hotel as it was later known. Originally a complex of four houses, the luxurious gardens were split into two with the construction of Still Road in 1973.After treating my eyes to so many interesting sights, and my feet to a good workout, I was nice to my stomach and palate and treated them to Tau Kwa Pau, a dish consisting of fried beancurd skin stuffed with various ingredients such as minced meat, egg and cucumber. I quite like the special chilli sauce that came with it. Yummy. My conclusion is that the Katong/ Joo Chiat area is a great place for the senses and the taste buds. The area is also a nice retreat away from the busy city life. Do pick up a copy of the Uniquely Singapore: Katong/ Joo Chiat Walking Guide and explore this part of Singapore too. Travelling in Singapore itself can be fun and enjoyable.**References:Uniquely Singapore: Katong/ Joo Chiat Walking Guide. Published in Mar 2005 by Singapore Tourism Board.http://myjoochiat.com***Some posts or wesites related to Katong/ Joo Chiat area:Uniquely Singapore: Katonghttp://yesterday.sg/detail/rememberingkatong (by June Yong)http://www.ura.gov.sg/publications/walking_maps/Uniquely Singapore - The Katong Laksa Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katonghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joo_Chiathttp://weluvhistory.blogspot.comhttp://www.betelbox.com/about_joochiat.htmhttp://syntaxfree.org/blog/archives/000953.php (recommended by Tony)