Night Festival: Light Installation (25 July 2008)

The Light Installation was by Electric Canvas... in the open area at National Museum on 25-26 July 2008.


Click HERE to see photos

Watch the facade become the canvas for creativity...

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The last time I went to the National Museum... hm... so many years back... years before it was closed for its make-over renovation a few years ago... Think I was still in school then...

The white majestic colonial building that stands at the busy crossroads (to Orchard & Bras Bersah)... It's a quiet, a bit cold yet comfortable... not many around in this little island...

Gigantic David welcomed us at the entrance... with his muscular look, though he dressed in pink lace here... has the Singapore weather turned it pink? hahaha.... or he's shy because of the Asian culture.

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Was expecting to see some really museum stuff there... apart from the paintings, installations within each gallery... maybe have not given myself much time to roam around... but it was disappointing... left wondering... actually what's really unique here? what distinguishes this museum from others? Is this the same old museum that I know of? Or its good old day stuff have been decentralised? Just feel that the richness is missing.

Who's Road???

Still on being considerate... hm... sometimes, it's more like being thoughtful? er... even being anticipative. I guess.

Recall the following instances...

• while waiting for the lift... do you stand right in front of the lift of the door? I won't! People in the lift needs to get out first... and this is only possible if people waiting outside creates a path for the ones inside to come out first, isn't it? The flow of air principle applies...
• while waiting for the MRT train door to open... the same principle applies, isn't it?

Every work-day morning, it's always a hassle to walk through the bus-stops... Apart from squeezing through the path to get to the other end of the tunnel... sometimes, the one walking in front of you would simply stop, blocking one's way... why? because he/she found the right spot to wait for the bus! Amazing!!! While they are waiting, they are not aware there's a line of people also making their way in the same direction?

Of course, buses... every morning, the front of the bus is packed while the back will enjoy more air space... and most of those who relunctant to move are students!!! Hey, since young already behave in this manner... what's next? Maybe, buses of shorter lengths help? or we have to bring back buses that come with a back door or 2 exits? What you think?

Who's fault?

Part 2 to Night Festival: The Dancing Sky (18 July 2008) ...

Still on the Opening of the Night Festival at the National Museum... It's also one of those longest wait... (almost half an hour after the actual beginning time).

Was joking with GC and YL that we'll be standing on the road if we were late... true enough, there were lots of people who stood on the road... that subsequently 'caused' the long delay... We are lucky... got a standing space at the pavement... despite we were almost 30 minutes earlier. Ah ha... so that wait was nearly 1 hour before the show finally began.

The DJ had tirelessly announced who's the performers, giving the background of the group, etc... and also reminders to the crowd who were standing at the closed road to move away from there... as it was a designated performing area. What??? Performance wasn't it in the air space in front of the museum? U mean also the road? I guess it's something that we are not used to... especially when one managed to find a space on the road, that's closer to the museum, who wants to move to SMU's Campus Green to get a bigger picture instead of a closer encounter? It took more than 30 minutes just to persuade the crowd to move out of the blocked road...

So, who caused this delay?
The un-cooperative crowd, which was very obvious - as the DJ kept pleading the crowd to be co-operative... So, Singaporeans (which I presume mostly) were so kiasu... and just relunctant to give up a better view and hence delay everybody's pleasure... causing discomfort? So, the show could not begin because of you???? Bear in mind, there isn't that many big events around (regularly) to train the behaviour (or the mindset) well enough to be considerate....
or
The short-sighted organiser to blame? Since you know the designated area for the performance, then you joyly well block the area right at the beginning so that people won't even have the chance to intrude those area... then it saved the DJ from repeating... the more repeat the crowd heard, the angrier the crowd became... hey, you're just trying to create some kind of peer pressure for the uncooperative ones
...

Night Festival: The Dancing Sky (18 July 2008)

Took place in front of the National Museum and SMU Campus Green.

Click HERE to see photos

The opening of the Night Festival, kicked off with The Dancing Sky, was scheduled to begin at 9 pm... However, it did not start until almost 9.30 pm. However, it ended punctually, as scheduled at 11 pm. Hm... I wonder... did the organiser already anticipated the half an hour delay?

Did not notice how beautiful the dome of the National Museum until tonight... while waiting for the show to begin... I remember admiring the many domes in Europe countries, especially those in Paris... yes, some are so majestic... remember the Opera House? Those along the streets of London...

The Dancing Sky, by Studio Festi (Italy)... extract from brochure... "Graceful against the night sky, acrobats will dance in mid-air between large, floating spheres... dancer perched atop a flying piano and a huge, flying vessel... SMU Campus Green... the night transforms into a surreal and magical playground..."

Acrobatics and Dances are not uncommon... I guess what attracted most of us was the "space" that the performance took place... in the air!!! and it's in an open air area... so, it's like a carnival-like kind of a performance. Seldom we see huge objects (except aeroplanes) floating in the Singapore skyline... must admit, what drew me to the show was really that huge balloon (oh yes, they called it the floating sphere).

One of the things I like most is really being immersed in the loud classical/opera pieces. The show kicked off with a remarkable piece by Pavarotti! Just imagine, closing the eyes and hearing the solid voice blasted by the powerful loudspeakers behind you in the open air??? Ah!!! What an indulgence!

The show began...

The maiden flew towards the sailing ship in the air... Think about it... if we don't notice the cable... and not aware that a show was going on... we may think it's a ???? especially when it's just outside the old museum....



The rising balloon... flanked by 2 dancers



Here's the next one... solo... this time, not suspended...or guided by the cables in the air, but 'pulled' by someone from the ground...



Part 2 began with light display, similar to that of the musical fountain @ Sentosa



Here, a combination of water and lighting for the colourful picture creation.







The Finale...





Add (19 July): Think we were very lucky... though humid, we watched the entire show... It has been rainy on 19 July evening....

Read more about the Performance at:

• Report @ Channel NewsAsia


• Report @ Electric New Paper


• More beautiful photos @ HERE

Here it comes! Doraemon!

This was on the 10 July newspapers... Good news! Good news! It's about my Idol :D

Yeap, it's appointed Japa's first anime ambassador... and it will travel the world to promote Japan... Wow! Does that mean Singapore is going to be one of the stops?

Well, it's reported that the cultural centre will be located in a heritage building at Nassim Road... and the embassy has chosen "innovation and tradition" as its theme for the Japan Creative Centre (JCC). Look out for its opening next year!

Are the hotels safe?

We all know about the Sichuan Earthquake - we heard about it, we saw it on the various forms of media, we feel for it... One of the most frequently asked question of the locals were... the schools! why they just fall apart? Can't they suppose to be able to withstand earthquake up to richter scale 7+??? But why they collapsed so easily? Yes... these are questions to be left to the local authority to deal with...

But what appalled me was... in a recent forum letter in the Straits Times, one parent wrote it to complain. Why why... this is a forte of the Singaporean, some would say... but I think it's really how reasonable the complaints count!

贴心: Specially for People @ Level 14

Hey, people at Level 14, listen up! Here's one comic specially dedicated to you!

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=806

(reading....)

So... you have read the entire strip? Can you identify with it? Do you remember the many many drafts and refinements? The tireless feedback to improve on a piece of work? The frustrations?

All newbies are advised: Always keep your drafts! No effort is wasted!

Another commonly heard phrase, "What?? We're back to square one again???"

Hahahaha.... it's part of the package here....

IN Thing??? Peer Pressure...

It's about Facebook...

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=877

Think the first time registered with Facebook was about 3 years ago... when first joined ETD (oh yes, lots of happening, er... I mean learning since I joined the section). Then somehow, abandoned that login account... until this year, when we were preparing for the workshop module - eLearning. Yes, thanks to Paul and Kevin - their brilliant idea of using the social network to simulate the eLearning portal.

Was quite excited over it... a platform that can simply bring people all over the places together... Sending "Hi"s to some good old friends... then, what's next? I wonder... again, its the sustainability... It's just like how often we give our good friends a ring though their contact numbers are saved in the handphone memory?

On the other hand, apart from the networking (literally networking), what else? Just wondering... Do we really leverage on the networks or even the extended networks???

Where do I sit?

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1017

Here's another one that reflects what we normally practised. Was trying to recall... where do I normally park myself?

In the bus... as far as possible, will sit at the longer bench that's near to the entrance... Why? It's more spacious, as far as the other 3 passengers cooperate to spread themselves across the spaces... Another reason, I can easily exit by the same door... little distance... more importantly, it quickens the pace of passengers' moving up/down the bus.

In that meeting table @ i-corner... This does not apply only to me... but many others in the same section... to be furthest from the current walkway... hahaha.... Hm... it's also about tone of environment... that's where most of us are more comfortable with...

In another meeting room... sitting beside the Chairperson... which I'm quite comfortable with... except that have to be wary of the movements of the hands (er... arms???) that just missed my face for a couple of times

In the airplane... I like to plant myself at seats along the walking path... for the ease of getting out of my seat (for obvious reasons), and also, can steal some leg room when my legs can just stretch out especially when taking a night flight. Window seats? Those were the old days when I desired, though still hoping to get the best of both worlds :D

As in the office... certainly would like to be surrounded by people around, er... fits into my kay-po nature though I don't really participate (voluntarily) in others' discussions... however, that gives me a sense of happening around... However, the ironic part is, I need silence to work on stuff... so, somethings my set of headphones will work harder when meetings happening, literary behind my back.

When attending talks or seminar... Prefer to be seated in the middle of the room - Good for the neck as can see the projection right in front, also at the eye level... of course, when it comes to a lecture, it's also a safe distance from the front as well as the side - will be surrounded by people! hahaha... OK, seldom doze off during lecture... so not a problem :D

Vicious Cycle

PS: Get to know about this website (www.phdcomics.com) from Li Ping's blog

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1015

Interesting way of depicting what many of us are going through....
BTW, how many of us are fortunate enough to do a 'reset' before reaching the end?
More importantly being equipped with the ability to detect we're near the end... and know how to reset...
or... sometimes, we are caught in the cycle of no return and Crashed???? Losing the ability to realise that we've crashed!!!