Yuletide Season

  

So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over  .  .

 

And a new one just begun
  

" Let's run and have some fun before we melt away. "

 Through the tree we go, laughing all the way
Ho!  Ho!  Ho!


 

A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight
Walking in a tropical wonderland

I want to wish all my readers and friends
A Merry Christmas
 

                Best Wishes,

                Dorothy

        

Deepavali Bazaar

Hello, hello . . . another festival to celebrate in Singapore. It's the Hindu's 'Festival of Lights'. A bazaar called the Deepavali Festival Village in between Hasting Road and Campbell Lane, opposite of Mustafa Centre is the place to go in Little India. I almost given this a miss but a change of heart made me want to go there to see their colourful apparels and wares. Every bazaar is different because of the traditions inherent in every culture. Being on the eve of Deepavali, I thought my visit would be mired by the crowds. It was not that bad after all, armed with my phone, here's is what I saw.

   

Clearance Sale

Kurta

 

Kurtis (women clothing)

Intricate Embellished Bodice

 

Costume Jewelry

Bangles

The Henna Store was very interesting look at. Young women had their hands adorn with elaborate pretty henna tattoo designs for this Deepavali celebration. It cost $10 to have it done on the hand and $15 extended to the arm.

Henna Stall

Henna Artist

Close Up Of The Henna Application

 

Shoes

 Garland Stall

Roses & Jasmine For their Garlands

Decorative Oil Lamps

Glazed Oil Lamps

Decorative Lights

Snacks & Cookies

Spices & Seasoning Paste

Carpets

Serangoon Road

Old Gates of the defunct New World Amusement Park

When I was done with the picture taking, I crossed the road and made my way to the nearby subway station. This gateway is reminiscent of a amusement park back in the 1930's. Glad I went, I could see the cute tiny oil lamps and floral candles on sale. Diwali involves lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. Below is the a rangoli done by a teacher at one of the childcare centres I go to. Here's wishing all Hindu readers a Happy Deepavali.

Food for Thought

Hi there, how have you been ?  I have been away quite awhile hoping to post my drawing but it is still not completely done yet. Nonchalance sets in and I seem like I'm less driven to get it done fast. What if your livelihood depended on it, then it will be a different matter altogether. Then again I don't want to rush it but I did picked up some new things along the way to add to the picture. So be patient . . that's what I tell myself and don't beat yourself up for nothing. Did you read about my son's post on his trip to Germany ? I was happy for him to be bless with such an opportunity to go there to experience the European culture and beautiful streetscape.

When he was there, I was wondering whether there are any reasonably priced food easily available at the malls or roadside and he said there is no such thing as food courts. While he was there, he did go for their renowned Pork Knuckle though.

 

Over here food is easily available at Hawker Centers, Food Courts 24/7. So you don't have to worry when you go hungry. With a car, you can go anywhere and anytime to satisfy your craving for certain food. We don't have to tip or pay extra surcharge at these places but most of all we must be willing to stand in queue to order and self serve especially if a food stall is popular. Waiting time could be up to half an hour or more when there are lots of customers standing in line.

I have fond memories of Scotts Picnic, the first food court set up in the now defunct Scotts Shopping Centre in 1985. Hawker food reasonably affordable eaten in aircon comfort. It soon caught on with other shopping centres across Singpore spawning more food courts at the convenience of the shoppers. They came up with a theme decor to set themselves apart from other food courts giving the diners better dining experience.

Quite recently I went back to City Square Mall to suss out their newly renovated food court. With Chinatown Smith Street under a timely makeover, coming here make one feel the al fresco dining in a food street of yesteryear with the shophouse facade fronting each stall.

Old Jars Of  Dried Herbs & Spices

This Pernanakan Shophouse theme reminded me of the old roadside stalls along Bugis Street, Hylam Street and Chinatown thirty years back or so. Nostalgia fills the air, of course minus the discomfort of eating at dirty makeshift roadside stalls in the 1970s or 80s I guess. Another similar experience was at Resorts World Sentosa - Malaysian Food Street which opened last year. We, Singaporeans love to eat and there is a wide array of different cuisine to choose from, It can be difficult to determine which is best suited to be our national dish. Bye for now. Eat what you like but eat moderately. That's a good advice for those who could not resist everything they see.

F1 Race is here again !

What an exhilarating weekend for those who attended the race.

 The weather was great.

 

Here are some shots from town and my TV screen.

The Results

The Winners

Short & Sweet

God Bless

Musical Exchange In Austria and Germany

Vienna City

  

 Hello, my name is Russell. My dear mother has asked me to share with her and you my two week long trip to Europe (Vienna & Berlin). Knowing the love she has for the details in a building – both the facade & interior – I have decided to be her guest blogger for this post.

  

Rathauskeller

The flight to Vienna, Austria was taxing: Having a flight at 2am local time, adjusting the body clock 6 hours back while enduring 17 hours of travel (inclusive of transit in Dubai) was no simple task. Upon landing, we were welcomed by the cool temperate climate; sunny yet chilly. The sky was a clear blue with clouds spread smatteringly across.
 

Part of the SMU Symphonia entourage at St. Stephen's Cathedral
     

Vienna - Konzerthaus Int

Our first half of the trip was intensively focused on the competition. The Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival invited music groups of many nations to participate in world renowned concert houses. Our engrossment in our task to perform good music however didn'’t stop us to bask in the atmosphere of the city. The adjudication took place in the ‘Musikverein’, home to the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. Our band was also blessed with the top tier achievement, granting us the chance to perform in an additional venue - the ‘Wiener Konzerthaus’ which houses several premier music groups. Vienna has a deep rooted music heritage, which they show by paying homage to famous names in classical music. To me the building archetype here was not something new as I have seen the likes of it in Singapore. However the sheer number of it all over town made the experience walking down very surreal.

Musikverein - Golden Hall

Ritter Sport Shoppe in Berlin

    

 Some scenery in transit through Czech
  

With competition out of our minds, the second half of the trip in Berlin took a much more leisurely pace. It started with a day long bus ride up north, out of Austria and through the Czech Republic. Prague, the capital of Czech Republic was a beautiful town. Escaping significant damages from WWII, buildings and monuments stood the test of time. Allowing you to see what was once admired by the Czech generations ago.

Berlin's Potsdamer Platz

Being the capital city of Germany, Berlin is a very metropolitan place to be. The cityscape is similar to the likes of many other cities but with its unique features, Berlin is awe-striking in its own way. Standing in the midst of the public square ‘Potsdamer Platz’ makes you ponder; you are standing where WWII and the Cold War once happened. Within proximity are remnants of the Berlin Wall as well as the Holocaust Memorial, which now serve as a testament to how far the people of Germany have progress onwards and a reminder to result of conflict.
 

Berlin Wall

Holocaust Memorial also known  as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe,

 is a memorial in Berlin to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust

Rehearsal for performance at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche ( landmark church )

Beautiful midnight-blue glass walls and a giant 'floating' Jesus.

Alas . . our two week escapade to Europe had finally come to an end and we return home bound to our families and friends. This trip was definitely an eye-opener to me, being in Europe for the first time. It also a much deserved vacation for me before I buckle down for further studies. I truly appreciate the opportunity given to me to share the sights of Europe with you all albeit brief. Hope you enjoyed reading this post. 

Kudos,

Russell Lim