National Gallery of Singapore

Yesterday, I met up with my buddy to explore National Gallery Singapore. For me, my main purpose was to see Wu GuanZhong art gallery. Wu GuanZhong had generously donated 113 of his paintings to Singapore. He combined western style to his Chinese ink painting and the outcome is a really unique contemporary form of art. 

Besides Wu GuanZhong's artworks, I also like Singaporeans artists like Liu Kang and other Chinese paintings. Generally I love most of the paintings in the art gallery except for one section which made me feel uncomfortable. Arts is a form of expression, an outlet of emotions. But if the arts make people feel uncomfortable and fearful, then it should not be exhibited. This section features Singaporeans' artwork which feature nudity and a video of someone washing off the yellow paint. I dislike that gallery as it made me feel uncomfortable. I guess that be the last time I visit that section and I rather spend my time admiring the artworks by Wu GuanZhong. Well, I'm just surprised not all his works are displayed. 

For Singaporeans, good news for you. Just bring your identification card and you enjoy free entry to the national gallery. For non-SIngaporeans, standard ticket is priced at S$20.

Nearest MRT: City Hall MRT

 Horses 

 I like this watercolour painting, titled Kampong Hut by Lim Cheng Hoe

Finally, I get to see Wu GuanZhong gallery. The artists generously donated about 113 of his paintings to Singapore.

 Paintings by Wu GuanZhong.

Another Wu GuanZhong work.

I'm attracted to this painting. Up the Kashmir mountain by Chen Chong Swee.

Modern arts

Liu Kang

Samsui women built tall architecture in the early days of Singapore.

I also like paintings by Georgette Chen.

Arts by Singaporean artists.

DuanWu Dumpling Festival

Today is DuanWu or dumpling festival to commemorate the death of loyal poet, Qu Yuan who died about 2000 years ago. Now we celebrate dumpling festival with dragon boat competition and eating of rice dumplings. 

My mother is a great cook and I only eat dumplings prepared by my mum. The fragrant glutinous rice dumplings are filled with aromatic five-spiced marinated diced pork and chestnut. I don't like too much rice and prefer little rice but with lots of filling. For me, I just eat dumplings and don't really participate in dragonboat race. 

Time to Apply for NDP Tickets!

Singapore will be celebrating 52 years of independence on 9 August. If you want to apply for National Day parade tickets, click here to apply. This year parade will be held at The Float @ Marina Bay.

Date of application is from 23 May to 4 June and only Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents can apply for tickets to the two Previews and National Day Parade (NDP).

Just for Laugh: Teaching Teochew Language

Saw this funny post by SGAG and it made me laugh. Haha, yes Teochew, a dialect of Southern part of China, Chaozhou is pretty tough. Different tone of the same word will gives different meaning. In Singapore, Teochew people are the second-largest Chinese group in Singapore  which comprise about 21% of the Chinese population. My maternal and paternal grandfathers came from Chaozhou different areas respectively, Chaoyang and Jieyang. I'll visit those two places maybe next year. 

New Taiwanese Cake Shop at Tampines 1

At Tampines 1 shopping mall basement, there is always a long queue for the famous Taiwanese cake shop selling something like our local steamed egg cake, though this is more like baked egg cake and the other is filled with cheese. 

I really dislike their order system. When I said I wanted to order, they asked me to come back at 5.30pm then they will take my order. I think it is really ridiculous. Since I'm early, I can just order the cake and collect later. So in the end, I did not order because I think its really a waste of my time to wait till 5.30pm to order the cake.  

Well, coincidentally, on the day that I visited the cake shop, my relative gave me the baked egg cake. Well, it taste like what my mum cooked, the steamed egg cake, though this is baked egg cake. It costs around $9plus. Quite expensive, considering the ingredients are only egg and flour. I haven't try the one in Taiwan. But I read from review Taiwan version is much better than Singapore one. 

Anyway, I have to thank my relatives for the cake! Thank you so much! 

 At basement 1 at Tampines 1 shopping mall.

This is the baked egg cake. Costs around $9 plus. 

The World's Largest Luxury Car 'Vending Machine' is in Singapore!

In Singapore, you can find the world's largest luxury car 'vending machine'. Amazing. I didn't know we have this until I saw this video. 

Sunset in Singapore

After admiring the beautiful tulips at Gardens by the Bay this Wednesday, I went to Marina Bay sands area to look at sunset at Singapore financial city. 

Mandarin Singing App 爱欢歌

Thanks to my buddy, recently I was introduced to this wonderful singing app. This is like a karaoke and you can choose to sing solo or with others online singers using the app. If you are an awesome singer like my friend who has more than 500 fans from Taiwan, HongKong, Malaysia and Singapore, you can also receive gifts from your fans! 

Although I love singing, I'm not a really a great singer like my friend who has beautiful soprano voice. For me, I can't reach those high notes like her. In secondary school, when I was in the school choir, I sang alto and mostly sang background. But its ok as I love singing and I love listening to choir. Now whenever I'm free, I will go to Kbox to sing as I enjoy singing and listening to my singing voice. Hmm, I have to admit, sometimes I'm a bit narcissistic.

To use this karaoke singing app, you need a mini mike and earphone. Then just download this app 爱欢歌 created by a Taiwanese. You can select many popular Mandarin and English songs. If you are a confident singer, you can record and share your song. If not, you can just sing live in one of the empty room. In this app, there are many online karaoke room with different themes. You can choose to join any of the karaoke room to sing with other online users or if you are like me, not a very confident singer, you can just go look for an empty room and sing to yourself. I just started using this singing app yesterday and need to explore more. 

My friend brought me a mini-mike to sing with this singing app!

Select the songs you want to sing!

I love singing songs by Fish Leong, especially this song.

I also like to sing Jay Chou songs. 

Visiting Our Ancestral Home in China Chaozhou 潮州

My father recently went to our ancestral home in Chaozhou Jieyang  (潮州揭阳) with his cousin to visit their relatives. My late paternal grandfather left Chaozhou Jieyang for Singapore with his parents when he was a teenager. 

To read more, click my travel blog here.

Esplanade Concourse Visual Arts: The Blinking Organisms x You SPLEEN Me ’Round x OPERATION 2

I love the current Visual Arts exhibition at Esplanade concourse. Its definitely more visually attractive than the last exhibition, which I think is too bland and sad. Life in Singapore is already stressful, no point producing arts that make people feel more sad. For me, if I don't like the arts, I don't bother to take picture of it like the last plastics sheet exhibition. Frankly speaking, I felt like writing a complain letter to ask why they wanted to display that piece of arts to the public. They really need to be more selective.  

What I love about the current visual arts is the use of vibrant pink colours and some shiny materials that kinda reflects hope. If you want to view this visual arts, just go to the Esplanades theatre concourse. 

Nearest MRT: Cityhall MRT or Esplanade MRT

The following is from the Esplanade website:

The Blinking Organisms x You SPLEEN Me ’Round x OPERATION 2

Inspired by Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan and English painter Wyndham Lewis, Joo Choon Lin feels that “[we are] like astronauts in the processed world of technology, beings who are fascinated with the unknown, mysterious land”. 

As the world’s natural resources are being depleted rapidly to meet the demands of a growing human population, more technologies have been devised to capture the likeness of things and to mimic nature and its forms. For example, what appear to be wooden park benches are actually made of concrete, while objects that appear to be precious stones and marble are actually made of plastic resin. Joo believes that the physicality of the material world can influence our thoughts and emotions as well as social relations and behaviour. As advances in technology bring about drastic changes in our lifestyles and living habits, these subtle changes may slowly effect a biological evolution, and Joo is fascinated with how the human race may evolve through hyper-adaptation. Her three-part series, The Blinking Organisms, is likened to a morphogenesis process where the spleen (the organ in the human body most associated with depression and anxiety, and which was used by Shakespeare to represent melancholy and hysteria) evolves and morphs into new, mutated forms, set to a rhythm of lights and low frequency sounds, pulsating and blinking as if they are alive—breathing, growing and evolving. This installation is accompanied by a music composition by Vermillion Team and can be experienced at the following timings:  Mon-Fri 10am – 4pm  Sat, Sun, Public Holidays 10am – 12pm

LIMS at Marina Square Shopping Mall

After singing, my cousin and I explored Marina Square shopping mall. I was delighted to find LIMS, a shop selling beautiful arts and ethnic decorative products. Lately, I'm looking at home design and some decor arts as I'm thinking of buying a new home, perhaps a 2-room public housing. But I prefer a 3-room new HDB flat. However as a single, I'm only eligible for a new 2-room flat in Singapore. I'm hoping the government can allow singles to buy brand new 3-room flat else we have to look at re--sale old flat which are more expensive and old. 

I'm always like the beautiful mosaic lighting where I can decorate my home. I was so happy to find the mosiac lighting there and beautiful lacquer painting. One day, I'm going to buy them for my new home.

Marina Square
Unit: #02-23/24

 I love these beautiful lacquer painting!

Love these mosaic lighting

Singing at Marina Square Ganso Manekineko

My cousin and I went to Marina Square, Manekineko karaoke for two hours singing session today. This is the same location as the former KBox karaoke. 

Currently they have this special promotion, from 11 am to 6pm weekdays. We only paid $8.00 per person for 2 hours of singing session and it comes with free flow of drinks, snack and soft ice-cream. Its really cheap but the promotion will ends on 5 May. 

Nearest MRT: Cityhall MRT or Esplanade MRT

Address: 6 Raffles Boulevard #03-208, Singapore 039594 
Tel: 6562 3113 
Operating hours: 11:00am - 3:00am

This $8 promotion per person is valid till 5th May from 11am to 6pm!

 There is free flow of soft ice-cream!

 Free flow drink like coffee and soft drink.

 There is no remote controller. You need to download the app to your mobile phone to select the song. The sound system is quite good. 

 Singing our favourite songs.

 After two hours of singing, this program will be locked. :(

 Inside the VIP room.

Inside the VIP room, guests can play billiard.