Introduction.

This blog is set up as a platform to promote the art, culture and heritage of Singapore.

Singapore is a dynamic city that is rich in contrast and colour – where visitors will find a blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture. The new branding, YourSingapore, was being launched in March 2010 to replace the previous branding, Uniquely Singapore.

Art

Despite having many leisure attractions such as Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World Sentosa and the Singapore Flyer, there are also places in Singapore that promotes art, such as Esplanade, Victoria Concert Hall, Asian Civilization Museum, Singapore Art Museum, National Museum of Singapore and Chijmes.

Events such as Ballet under the Stars, Biennale (held once every 2 years), Singapore Art Festival, UOB painting of the year, Singapore Youth Festival (a competition held at victoria concert hall or at chijmes once every 2 years, which is competed by the primary and secondary school students. The main types of performances are by the schools' choir clubs, dance clubs, drama clubs and the school's band groups.).

There are also schools in Singapore that promote art, such as Lasalle, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and School of the Arts (SOTA).

Culture and Heritage.

Culture is an integral part of every society. It is a learned pattern of behavior and ways in which a person lives his or her life. Culture is essential for the existence of a society, because it binds people together.

Heritage is an essential part of the present we live in - and of the future we will build.

The pattern of Singapore stems from the inherent cultural diversity of the island. The immigrants of the past have given the place a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European influences, all of which have intermingled.

Behind the facade of a modern city, these ethnic races are still evident. The areas for the different races, which were designated to them by Sir Stamford Raffles, still remain, although the bulk of Singaporeans do think of themselves as Singaporeans, regardless of race or culture.

The “Ethnic Quarters” in Singapore consists of places such as Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India. These districts are home to religious monuments as well as charming shop houses selling ethnic goods and cuisine. The old streets of Chinatown still remain. The Muslim characteristics are still conspicuous in Arab Street . And Little India along Serangoon Road still has its distinct ambience. Furthermore, there are marks of the British colonial influence in the Neo-Classical buildings all around the city.

Each racial group has its own distinctive religion and there are colourful festivals of special significance all year round. Although the festivals are special to certain races, it is nonetheless enjoyed by all. The Chinese are followers of Buddhism, Taoism, Shenism, Christians, Catholics and some considered as 'free-thinkers'. Malays are Muslims and Indians are Hindus. However, there is a sizeable number of Muslims and Sikhs in the Indian population.

There’s a few religious places in Singapore which have been constructed long ago, as early as 1800s. These are a few examples of such places: Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Sultan Mosque, St Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore Hokkien Hway Kwan, Thian Hock Keng Temple, Chijmes, Clarke Quay, Fort Siloso, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Due to World War 2, there are a few places that still consist of memories of WW2 such as , Bukit Batok Nature Park, Old Changi Hospital, Changi Gaol, Civilian War Memorial, Fort Canning Hill Park, Lim Bo Seng Memorial which are symbols of fortitude, courage and inventiveness of the prisoners of war during the Japanese Occupation. You can find out more about this in this website (link)

World War 2

Here is a brief summary of what happened in Singapore during World War 2, which is an important component to the heritage of Singapore.

In 1923, the British began to build a naval base building in Singapore. British saw it as the “Gibraltar of the Far East”. One of British's greatest defeats in the history was to let one of its colonies, Singapore, fall to the hands of the Japanese Army in 1942. The Japanese occupied Singapore from 1942 to 1945. Singapore was then renamed to “Shonan” which means the “Light of the South” in Japanese. Many Singaporeans suffered severe hardships and brutality similar to that experienced by other prisoners of Japan during World War II.

During the final stages of World War 2 in 1945, after the attack Japan made towards United States, United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, which led to Japan formally surrendering to the Allies, though it was not announced in the press. The Japanese quietly retreated to the internment camp that they had prepared. The Japanese military command in Singapore surrendered to the Supreme Allied commander in the SouthEast Asia, Admiral Lord Louis Mount Batten, a week later on the steps of the municipal building.

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The other posts before the current post are categorised under the following categories:

• Culture - Singlish.
• Art - Esplanade.
• Art - Singapore Art Museum.
• Art - Peranakan Museum.
• Culture and Heritage - Local Cuisines.
• Culture and Heritage - Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.

Reference Links:

http://www.focussingapore.com/photo-gallery/historical-places/
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-culture.html
http://www.marimari.com/content/singapore/best_of/culture/culture.html
http://www.umass.edu/chs/about/whatisheritage.html

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.

By Mrt:
A few minutes walk from Chinatown, Outram Park and Tanjong Pagar MRT stations.


Address:
288 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058840

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The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum was registered by the Registrar of Societies on 20th February 2003, and as a charity organisation under the Charities Act on 8th January 2004. The Temple is dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha, which means ‘The Compassionate One’, and also called ‘The Future Buddha’.

Level 1: Hundred Dragons Hall and Universal Wisdom Hall .

At the entrance, there is a huge urn where joss sticks are placed in it as a form of respect. Moving into the hall, there are usually activities going on, whereby the monks will lead the ceremony by praying and chanting, while the devotees will be sitting together and chanting along. Some of them were wearing the buddhist long robes (also known as hai qing in chinese). Further in is the hundred dragons hall, whereby the statues of 100 Buddhas are placed at both sides of the hall. The Universal Wisdom Hall is situated behind the Hundred Dragons hall. The statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is located on a lotus in the Universal Wisdom Hall. There are the Zodiac Protectors at the side.



Level 2: Aranya Gallery.

There is a reference library with many self-help books, religious books and sutras. Gifts are also sold there such as keychains relating to Buddhism. There are also religious art exhibitions featuring calligraphy, paintings and sculptures in the gallery. The Depository of Buddhist Texts is also situated there, for example, the Maha-pranjna-paramita Sutra.

Here is one of the exhibitions at the gallery.

Level 3: Samantabhadra Hall - Nagapuspa Buddhist Cultural Museum.

A wide variety of  Buddhist artefacts are displayed on the third level of the temple. It encompasses three branches of Buddhism. The first part is about the life events of Buddha Sakyamuni, from his birth, all the way till his enlightenment and him entering nirvana. The events are told from his perspective and are really meaningful to read. The second part talks about Avalokitesvara and her life stories. And the third part talks about the Future Buddha, (Buddha Maitreya) and his life stories. Their statues and exhibitions are displayed in the gallery too. There is also a relic chamber which contains displays of relics that are being stored properly. Sarira, the sanskrit name for relic, refers to the remains of a body part usually after cremation. In buddhist context, sairira refers to the crystallization of solid remains of especially Buddha Sakyamuni after his cremation.



Level 4: Sacred Light Hall - Buddha Tooth Relic Chamber.

The chamber looks grand and the ambience is is especially light and calm. At both corners of the chamber, there are a few devotees who were holding onto the praying beads, chanting softly or meditating. The gold Sacred Buddha’s Tooth Relic Stupa and the golden tiles are placed in the middle of the chamber. The visitors are only allowed to observe the daily services at the public viewing area through the glass windows, as they are not allowed to enter the inner chamber.

Photography is not alloweed in the chamber. However, you can view the photos of it in this website (link).

Roof.

The scenary at the roof garden is breathtaking. There is an orchid garden, which is an ideal place for photography. The Vairocana Buddha Prayer Wheel is also located there. Visitors will turn the wheel and walk rounds after rounds around the wheel. The turning of the wheel represents the recital of scripture and mantra. It will be more convenient for the visitors to recite sutra, especially those who are illiterate or unable to read the sutra. There is also a pagoda of 10,000 buddhas, which are built around the prayer wheel.



Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum is definitely a place worth going! It has a calm ambience, which will put your mind at ease. The admission is free, however, please do not wear sleeveless or revealing clothings as it is a form is disrespect. The museum is rather cold too, hence, it is advisable to bring a jacket and wear long pants to keep yourself warm.

To add on to this, it is situated at Chinatown, which is one of the famous heritage places (Ethnic Quarters) in Singapore. After making a trip down to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, you can have a bite at the food centres nearby and shop at the street market. Goods are sold at low prices in the street market too! (:

Reference Links:

http://www.btrts.org.sg/

Singapore's local cuisine.

What one should not miss is the cuisine offered in Singapore's hawker centers. They have the cheapest, yet most deliciously-cooked food served to you. At a hawker center, this is what you have to do if you have not made up your mind on what to eat. Just walk around the whole hawker center and instead of looking for food that is appealing or appetizing, join the queue for the stall with the longest queue! Ta-dah! And that's the stall you should buy from to satisfy your hunger!

I will give an introduction to 4 local cuisines. (Not in ranking order.)

Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow is probably the most unhealthy food served in any hawker center. But who would like to eat bland food without any oil or seasoning? Char Kway Teow is nothing, but starch fried in lard and flavoured with sweet dark sauce. Although it is just plain noodles (kway teow) with cockles, everyone is loving it! With or without the cockles, it makes the satisfaction of eating Char Kway Teow a lot different!

Curry Fish Head

Love eating fish? This is one dish that you will not want to miss! The curry is made of milk and coconut milk so that it will not be too thick, but there's still a creamy taste to it and the fish is really fresh. The best part is, it is not too spicy!

Chili Crabs

Chili crabs are served not too spicy or sweet, and the sauce is filled with crab roe, which will make a wonderful combination with the eggs. It is accompanied with man tau (a type of bread), which is supposed to be dipped into the delicious chili crabs sauce.

Laksa

There is also Laksa. One such example is Katong Laksa.

Regardless of the different types of Laksa, the gravy is exceptionally mouth-watering and savoury. It is cooked with a lot of dried small prawns which brings out the strong flavour of the gravy.

Singapore's local cuisine is a unique aspect of Singapore's culture. There are a wide variety of dishes. Here are a few famous examples of the different kinds of food for the different races in Singapore. Not only is the food limited to these races, but everyone tries food from the different races! What a multicultural society!

Chinese food: Cantonese Roast Meats, Hokkien Mee, Dim Sum, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Chai Tau Kway, Fried Oyster Omelets, Steamboat.
Malay Food: Mee Rebus, Nasi Lemak, Beef Rendang, Satay, Lontong.
Indian Food: Pappadam, Roti Prata, Biriyani, Mee Goreng, Fish Head Curry.
Peranakan food: Otak, Nonya Cakes, Laksa, Ayam Buah Keluak.

Instead of spending your hard-earned money on just one main course in a high-end restaurant, why not spend it on the dishes in a hawker centres which can also satisfy your hunger? In this way, you can satisfy your cravings and also save a buck or two! You will be in awe of the unique tastes of Singapore's local cuisines! Don't wait any longer, have a taste of these food!

The Peranakan Museum

To all Peranakan lovers, this post is just for you! Peranakan culture, Peranakan wedding, Peranakan food, Peranakans way of life. You name it and we have it all, right here at the Peranakan Museum!

The Peranakan Museum showcases the world's finest and most comprehensive collection displayed in 10 galleries. It is easily accessible by train, bus, taxi and cars.

39 Armenian Street
Singapore179941

How to get there? Simple!

By Bus: 
7, 14, 16, 36, 97, 124, 131, 147, 162, 166, 174, 501 Express, 511 Express, 77, 167, 171, 190, 700, 700A and 857.

Alight opposite Singapore Management University.

By Train: 
Take the MRT to City Hall Station and and take Exit B and head along Stamford Road and turn left to Armenian Street.

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Recently, we went down to the Peranakan Museum to learn more about the Peranakan culture. Now, allow us to share with you what we have come across during our visit there. With a total of 10 galleries in the museum, the Peranakan culture is spread across three different levels.

Gallery 1 (Level 1): Origins
Galleries 2 to 5 (Level 2): Wedding
Gallery 6 (Level 3): Nonya
Gallery 7 (Level 3): Religion
Gallery 8 (Level 3): Public Life
Gallery 9 (Level 3): Food and Feasting
Gallery 10 (Level 3): Conversations


Gallery 1: Origins.

Who are the Peranakans?

As Southeast Asia has been a crossroad for trade from time immemorial, traders from all over the ancient world came to exchange their goods for the exotic products of this region. Many of them only stayed for a short period of time, while others decided to settle down, marrying local wives and staying in Southeast Asia. Their descendants are the ancestors of the Peranakans.
Peranakan means 'child of' or 'born of' in the Malay-speaking parts of Southeast Asia. An example of a Malacca Peranakan is our very own local talent, Dick Lee.
In this gallery, you will be surrounded by pictures of many different Peranakans. From Jawi Peranakan to Chitty Melaka to Chinese Peranakan. Also, you will be able to see the timeline of the Peranakans in Southeast Asia. Not to forget, the material culture too. Get ready to be immersed in the Peranakan Culture! And this is just the beginning!



Galleries 2 to 5: Wedding.

Weddings in the Peranakan culture are a must-attend event! Filled with ceremonies, embroidery and heavy jewelery, the Peranakan wedding is a 12-day ritual with ceremonies being held everyday. From the Lap Chai Ceremony to the Tea Ceremony to the exchanging of gifts between the groom's and bridegroom's family, the wedding rituals are never-ending. The wedding costume is hand-embroided, with detailed beadwork that it is being stitched. It looks simply flawless!
The displays in these galleries show different stages of the wedding rites as well as items used in the full 12-day Peranakan wedding ceremony.
With an advancement in technology, more details about the wedding ceremonies can be found on touch-screen videos. The wedding sector is the part not to be missed!



Gallery 6: Nonya.

The Peranakan ladies were referred to as Nonyas. These nonyas are skilled embroiders. They have been into embroidery since young, as embroidery is an important part of the Peranakan Culture. As you enter this gallery, you will be able to see the detailed work of the nonyas on display.



Gallery 7: Religion.

Religion is of great importance to the Peranakans. In this gallery, you will be able to find out more about the Peranakan's beliefs. More information on death, divination and the supernatural in the Peranakan family will be provided in the video below.



Gallery 8: Public Life.

This gallery shows the different types of contributions that the Peranakans have contributed to the society. From commerce to politics to social affairs, the Peranakans led an active public life indeed! Tan Tok Seng was one of the philanthropists who contributed to the society.


Gallery 9: Food and Feasting.

In this gallery, you will be able to learn more about the culture and how a table is laid out when a Peranakan family is about to have a meal.

Gallery 10: Conversations.

There isn't much exhibitions in this gallery. Videos of Peranakans sharing their real-life experiences are being shown. Community members discuss about how the culture has evolved over time here. There are also a few paintings on the wall which serves as a type of 'communication' to the visitors. Malay was one of the first few languages that the Peranakans have learnt.

Please take a look at the videos in this post. Phototaking was prohibited in some of the galleries, which explains why there isn't any videos taken in some of the galleries.

Admission charges? $6 for every individual, $5 for every group consisting of 20 people or more, and $20 for a family of 5. Free admission to visitors aged 6 and below. Discounted admission charges on Fridays, 7pm-9pm.

That shall be it for now. We hope to see many of you visiting the Peranakan Culture at the museum itself! Till the next post! (:

Singapore Art Museum.

When one thinks of art in Singapore, the most likely place thought of would be the Singapore Art Museum
.

Forget all your previous preconceptions on the lack of Singapore's art. The Singapore Art Museum will surely blow your mind!

Firstly, directions. For those of you itching to know how to get there, this is for you.

By bus :

SBS 7, 14, 16, 36, 111, 131, 162, 175, 502, 518

SMRT 77, 167, 171, 700

By MRT :

2-minute walk from Bras Basah MRT station. (Circle line)

10-minute walk from Dhoby Ghaut, Bugis or City Hall MRT stations. (Red & Green line)

Address :

71 Bras Basah Rd
Singapore 189555

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Now, for those of you whom still require more reasons to use those directions, please read on.

A few days ago, we made a trip down to SAM to enable us to give you a proper review on the place. Please take a look. :)

Resting in what use to be St. Joseph's Institution, SAM has about 108,000 sq feet of space devoted to Asian art. Did you know that this is the LARGEST public collection of modern and contemporary Asian Art in the world? There are approximately 16 galleries showcasing them. Also, in addition to the exhibits of pieces from the permanent collection, the museum also offers special exhibits.

During our trip there, they were featuring an artist, innovator and pioneer by the name of Cheong Soo Pieng. His work is fantastic and unique. Of course, this exhibit is of a limited time and is a special feature, so as a result we were unable to take pictures. However, if you will be in Singapore from 15Sept - 26Dec 2010, you will be able to catch it. Please do.

For the more permanent pieces, they included artists such as Natee Utarit(our personal favourite), Vincent Leow, Manit Sriwanichpoom, and many others. All of which are extremely wonderful and worth the visit. Each of the artists have their own gallery.

Not only are there marvelous works of art for you to see at the Singapore Art Museum, the structure and design of the building is also a great sight. If you appreciate architecture, you will be sure to love SAM. Don't forget about the gift shop available. There are also eateries such as Dome Cafe, Food For Thought, and some others.

Not forgetting the Glass Hall. If you are a keen fan of art and would like to hold your wedding at a museum, SAM is the place! The Glass Hall is the place to hold events such as as wedding party or birthday party. With beautiful decorations, it will sure be the wedding of your dreams! 

Please take a look at this slideshow of photos that we have compiled.

As for admission prices, $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Last admission is at 6:15pm, and there is free admission on Fridays, 6pm-9pm.

There are also guided tours. Visit the SAM website for more details.

I shall stop here and not spoil the surprise for you.

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for our next post! :)

Esplanade.

With a beautiful facade shaped like a durian, you may start to wonder, will the interior be just as appealing? Well, you will find out about it in this post. :)

Before we begin this post, the important thing is, how to get to Esplanade?

By bus :

SBS 36, 56, 70M, 97,111, 133, 162M, 195, 502, 531, 1N, 2N, 3N, 4N, 5N, 6N, 75, 77, 106, 700A, 857, 960, 961, NR1, NR2, NR5, NR6, NR7, NR8.

By MRT  (link) :

A few minutes walk from City Hall (red and green line) MRT station.
A few minutes walk from Esplanade MRT station (circle line).

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A trip was made to Esplanade few days ago so that we're able to give a first-hand account on it.

There are many facilities and events in Esplanade, and the main ones are stated below.

Open Stage.

Performances will be held once in awhile (usually piano and singing) and are free for all to view. You will be able to sit on the sofas provided in front of the platform and enjoy the performances, without any time limit! And the best part is that, it's free to watch the performances.

Library.

There is a huge array of books on Arts; from the history of arts, to modern art. There are 4 categories of books in the library, music, dance, theatre and film, and the books are organised neatly on the shelves based on the different genres. The computers in the library also serve as a useful platform to locate the book that you're searching for.

There are a few LCD screens in the library, that plays inspirational videos on real life experiences, regarding music and art. And not to forget, there is also a cafe in the library. Hence, when you're hungry, you do not have to go all the way downstairs just to grab some food. You can eat at the cafe while you're reading. The light ambience in the library will put you in a calm mood. :)

Roof Terrace.

It is situated at the highest level of Esplanade. It offers a breathtaking view of the city, and is landscaped with manicured lawns and small shade trees. There are ample seating areas to relax or have a light picnic and it is a nice place to take photos at.

You can unwind yourself from a tiring day from all the travelling and admire what nature has for you at the roof terrace. The view is exceptionally nice when the sun is about to set. The skyscrapers around the vicinity further beautifies the area. You will be able to see two of the newest attractions in Singapore (Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands) from the roof terrace.

Other facilities.

There is an outdoor theatre, a 1600-seat concert hall, a 2000-seat theatre, a recital studio and a theatre studio with excellent lighting, staging and sound systems. Orchestral and choral concerts, dance and musical performances, operas and dramas, film screenings and jazz concerts are hosted in these venues.

It costs about SGD $100 to $300 to watch these performances, depending on the seatings and the type of performances that you would like to watch.

You can find out more about these facilities or take a look at the images of them in this website (link).

Events.

Apart from having a wide variety or Art, the activities and events organised are multi-racial too. The highlights of every week will be different sometimes. For example, the last week of October will be a celebration of malay music, theatre and dance, while the last week of November will be a celebration of Indian festival or arts (Kalaa Utsavam).

There is also an event called "A date with friends" to pay tribute to senior citizens with good times and sentimental favourites. This brings out the unique characteristic of Singapore as a country with rich ethnic and cultural heritage.
            
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Esplanade is about 10 minutes walk from Singapore River. Singapore is usually associated with its fitting symbol, the Merlion (a half-fish, half-lion beast) which was created in 1964. At Singapore River, there is a huge statue of the Merlion, which is one of the popular attractions in Singapore.

Please take a look at the video below, which displays the photos taken at Esplanade.



Esplanade is indeed a place worth visiting! Stay tuned for our next post! :)


Reference Links:

http://www.esplanade.com/index.jsp

Culture - Singlish.

As a multi racial country, one of the most remarkable aspects of Singapore is the truly cosmopolitan nature of her population, a natural result of the country’s geographical position and commercial success.

The proportion of different races in Singapore can be seen in the pie chart below.

The four official languages in Singapore are Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English.

If you're wondering which language you have to use, in order to converse with people from the different races in Singapore, please do not worry. English is the most common language that is spoken in Singapore, English also unites the different ethnic groups. Therefore, it will not be that difficult to communicate with singaporeans after all!

However, foreigners may encounter language problems in the beginning of their stay in Singapore. The presence of other languages (especially various varieties of Malay and of Chinese) has influenced the English of Singapore. The influence is especially apparent in the kind of English that is used informally, which is popularly called Singlish. Singlish is used vastly everyday, espcially in informal communication.

Well, what is Singlish?

Singlish is a mix of English with other languages (especially malay and hokkien) mixed into the English, sometimes phrases can end with funny terms like 'lah', 'leh', 'mah'.

Singlish is a badge of identity for many Singaporeans. However, the usage of Singlish has caused some of the Singaporeans to be less aware of the importance of speaking or writing proper english.

Here are a few examples of Singlish phases/words that are used commonly in Singapore.

Examples:

• Makan - To eat.
• Chope - To reserve something.
• Cheem - Difficult, complicated.
• Ang Mo - A white person.
• Rojak - Mixed, a mix of.
• Liao - Finished, the end.
• Kiasu - Afraid to lose mentality.
• Habis - Finished.
• Obiang - Outdated/Ugly.
• Shiok - Fantastic.
• Pai Seh - Embarrassed/Shy.
• Sekali - Suddenly.

Speakers of Singlish will usually end his sentence with a distinctive exclamation. The three most common are ah, lah, leh and what.

Examples:

• Ok lah, bye bye.
• Don't like that lah.
• You are going there ah?
• No parking lots here, what.
• The price is too high for me lah.
• And then how many rooms ah?
• It is very troublesome leh.
• Don't be like that leh!
• I'm not at home lah. That's why ah.

Here is one more example (a phone call).

Proper english: Hello. I have already eaten in school, so you don't have to buy dinner for me. I will reach home slightly late as i am doing my project in school now. I will call you again when i leave the school. Thanks and goodbye.

Singlish: Eh, i ate in school liao. So don't but dinner for me ah. I will reach home a bit late. I'm doing my project in school now leh. I call you again later, when i leave the school lah. Okay, thanks ah. Byebye.

It seems complicating, doesn't it? But all it takes is time. After visiting or staying in Singapore for a couple of weeks, Singlish will not be so foreign to you anymore. You will eventually get used to it, and you may even find yourself speaking Singlish occasionally too!

Here is a video of a conversation between a DJ from 98.7FM (radio station) and a caterer who speaks in fluent Singlish. Please enjoy! (link)

The next post will be on Esplanade, a place of the Arts. Till then! (:



Reference Links:

http://www.yoursingapore.com/content/traveller/en/browse/aboutsingapore/people-lang-culture.html
http://www.singaporeexpats.com/about-singapore/culture-and-language.htm