Kites Dotting The Sky At Marina Barrage

I had mistakenly thought that Gardens By The Bay was officially open, and asked the boy to drive us there on Tuesday. It turns out that the official opening will be in June 2012. 

Upon u-turning out of the area, we happened to see lots of kites dotting the sky at Marina Barrage and decided to take a few pictures. 

We ended up enjoying the breeze, visiting the gallery, and having peanut butter and kaya toast on a nice and cloudy public holiday afternoon.

The view of Marina Bay Sands now includes the Super Trees!

People having a picnic, napping, or just plain chatting on the green roof. You can even rent the place for a corporate function or wedding reception.

I've never seen this many kites dotting the sky!

The boy's favourite kite that day.

This is the first time that we noticed there's a gallery on the 2nd floor. All about cherishing water in order to have a sustainable supply.

A simulation of flood control showing crest gates at the dam letting excess water from storms out into the sea, alleviating flooding in low lying areas in the city.

My yummy lime juice with bits of sour kana.

The toast was pathetic compared to Toast Box, but with a view of the sea, the food is secondary ;)

Address: 8 Marina Gardens Drive Singapore 018951 
Operating hours: Marina Barrage (all day), Sustainable Singapore Gallery (9am-9pm, closed Tues)

The Adventures of Tintin Exhibition @ The Singapore Philatelic Museum

We loved the movie! The rendering is so real and life-like, even with the cartoonish characters, I forget it's an animation at times. The current exhibition at the Singapore Philatelic Museum is also a real treat. Next open house is on Christmas day.

The Adventures of Tintin
Date: 5 November 2011 - May 2012
Singapore Philatelic Museum
23-B Coleman Street
Singapore 179807

Making Ang Ku Kueh @ Singapore Philatelic Museum

It was my first time visiting the Singapore Philatelic Museum, and I got to show off my artistic skills by making an ang ku kueh magnet.

Dayview: Marina South Gardens By The Bay

Today's the last day to visit the Gardens By The Bay at Marina South before it officially opens in the third quarter of 2012.

We could navigate better during the day and found the Gardens bigger than we had thought. The best time to pay a visit would be around 5pm and stay till the sun sets.

The Dragonfly Lake with a good view of the SuperTrees at the Silver Garden, as well as Marina Bay Sands.

When the sun has just set.

Curious about the nightview of Marina South Gardens By The Bay?

Nightview: Marina Gardens By The Bay

The Gardens by the Bay at Marina Bay South is open for preview in conjunction with the 20th World Orchid Conference. A ticket to the Orchid Conference will entitle you to a preview of the Flower Dome at the garden as well.

If you are driving, just head towards Marina Barrage. You have a choice of paid parking at one of the carparks at the Garden itself, or you could park for free outside Marina Barrage, though the walk to the Gardens will take about 15 minutes.

I love the work of art that is Marina Bay Sands. As soon as I realised that I could see it from about almost everywhere around town, I have been wanting it as the view from out my bedroom window :')

If you arrive at the Gardens By The Bay after nightfall, the main attraction would be these SuperTrees, all lighted up in changing colors.

Another pair of eyes which reminds me of the Esplanade would be the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forests. Since we did not manage to preview the interior of the Flower Dome, we could only admire it's external structure. See those posts along the path? You might want to use them as tripods to capture a picture of the Singapore Flyer in the background.

Stay tuned for the Gardens by the Bay in daytime. Or you might want to pay the place a visit yourself this weekend.

Bits from the Singapore Art Museum Open House

A preview of Elephant Parade Singapore 2011, the largest open-air exhibition in the world dedicated to saving the Asian elephant, which will run from 11 November to 11 January 2012. The exhibition will feature over 100 life sized elephants, painted and decorated by celebrities and artists, and these will dot the streets of Singapore. Following the exhibition will be an auction of baby art elephants, with part of the proceeds going to the The Asian Elephant Foundation and Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund.

Elephant At Rest, 2011, fibreglass sculpture.


Did you guess that the elephant is decorated with floral stickers?



From Liu Kang: A Centennial Celebration. Runs till 16 October 2011.


Samsui Women, 1951
Samsui women, immigrants from China, working as construction workers and distinguished by their red headpiece.


Chin Nam Street, 1951
Featuring the beautiful blue dome of the Old Supreme Court in the background.


From Seeing the Kites Again, an exhibition inspired by Wu Guanzhong’s metaphor of a kite and how it expresses the connection between an artist, his life and the people around him. Runs through 12 November 2012.

A Grasshopper Boat, 1998, oil on canvas.


White Flowers, 1993, oil on canvas.


Detail from The Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, 1960, oil on canvas.


Detail from Like Grass Like Flowers Like Fruits, 1988, ink and color on paper.


There was also a screening of specially selected animated films sourced from all over the world, at the dark and cosy air-conditioned chapel, Level 2. It ended its run on 30 August 2011.


Our favourite has got to be the sweet friendship between a little boy and a penguin in Lost and Found, a 24-min adaption of the best-selling picture book by Oliver Jeffers, directed by Philip Hunt.


The chapel wasn't crowded and it felt like a first movie date, as the boy and I sat on the long school benches, and giggled and ooh-ed at the funny and touching moments in the film.

Sarong Kebaya : Peranakan Fashion and its International Sources Exhibition, Peranakan Museum

We went to the Sarong Kebaya Special Exhibition at the Peranakan Museum, which traces the evolution of the kebaya from its roots in 16th-century Islamic garments, and showed how Peranakan fashion was influenced by other communities, and eventually developed its own unique character.

The exhibit was smaller than I had expected, and due to the dim lighting, it was difficult to get good pictures with the iphone camera but here's a sneak peek.

Prints of childhood fairy tales on cloth.

Beautiful and intricate lacework.

Machine embroidery in progress.



Materials needed to make a kebaya.


Various laces.


Tidbits of information.



I like butterflies, but I never knew they stood for happiness, blessings and a long life, did you?


The special exhibition is on till 26 February 2012 so you might want to drop by the next open house.