We were at the Merlion the last time, the Merlion that dominates its surroundings with its towering height.
At the top of the world.
Simba, a fervent admirer of the Merlion's head.
Simba, a fervent admirer of the Merlion's head.
Afterwards, we paid the Images of Singapore Museum a visit. My first time to this museum and the experience was such a pleasant surprise! My bro said that Singapore is extreme in its pursuit to boost tourism; when she tries her best, she really tries and when she doesn't, there is no effort put in or action taken whatsoever. He said simply in Singlish, "Singapore is like that. Wanna do, do until world class, don't wanna do, then very cui."
Sir Stamford Raffles signing the treaty with the local Temenggong in 1819.
Botanic Gardens in the past.
Squatter settlement in the then Singapore. Many worked as labourers and had to bear with the harsh living conditions but were contented to have found a place they called home here in Singapore.
(Blurred photo! Ya know the lighting in museum, exhibits are usually stored away in the dark to be preserved in their best possible condition. I didn't have a tripod but will invest in one soon. :D)
Toilet. We didn't know whether it's part of the museum exhibit or the authentic one.
Lol! He always tries to move things that are unmovable, so I think he didn't know that there is no work done no matter how hard he tries!
Mobile Satay seller that must be muscular in the olden days to carry such burdensome heavy basket on his shoulders as his livelihood.
Chapteh: Malay traditional game. U must be thinking where the chapteh is in this picture. Lol. I must have chosen the wrong angle in capturing this moment and also as unbelievable as it sounds, though I always check my photos after taking a photo, I did not realise that the chapteh was missing in this!
Illiteracy was common back then, so people who wished to keep in contact with their family (in those days, they often leave their country to come to work in Singapore) had to ask those educated men to write letters for them.
A typical fruit store. The exhibits are very realistic and are welcoming to visitors since there is seldom a barrier to hinder the "interaction" between the wax sculpture and them. Hence, the daring Simba quickly used two fruits from the fruit baskets as props for his picture with the fruit store. Oh how embarrassing can it get?
Batik store.
Gasing, or top spinning, is another traditional game popular
among the Malays since the olden days.
Simba wanted badly to be part of the exhibition and went straight into the "shop", and carried a genial smile to stand tall next to the wax sculpture.
I was terrified to be next to them on the other hand as they weren't surreal like other exhibits that we have seen; they are so realistic, you will start to feel paranoid and occasionally think that they might just turn around and start talking to you the next moment when you aren't aware.
Then we entered an era of the Japanese occupation of Singapore, the dark period in which the Japanese soldiers invaded not only our land, but also tormented our people and stole our freedom.
And Simba was acting like some panda feasting on bamboos. Lol!
Antiqued bicycle used to carry loads or maybe a child.
Cute Merlion statue with combed back hair.
Hyperactiveness. He couldn't get his hands off anything.
This was the part that I'm really drawn to, the shophouses that house the culturally diversified country people who were celebrating their festivals.
Malay kid who kneels down to pay respect to his dad on Hari Raya.
The wooden sofa is so old school; I had something like that in my house for 12 years!
Indian wedding. :D
Old man with a bird in his cage. Didn't know what's the significance of that but well, we were so engrossed in taking photos that the main purpose of visiting a museum (that is, to gain knowledge through reading the information board in front of the exhibits) is lost.
A tantalising smell of the fruits that could not be resisted. Lol! Some people said he is shy, I chose to be in disbelief.
Thaipusam, a Hindu festival to commemorate the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a Vel "spear" so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman. To demonstrate extreme level of devotion and to request a blessing to be free of one of life’s ailments, some willingly pierce their skin for the duration of their walk and some choose firewalking.
Lion Dance, a celebratory dance presented by Nian, which according to the legend is a monster who attacks children during the Chinese New Year period and is afraid of loud noises and the colour red.
Firecrackers which have been banned in Singapore since 1972, after an explosion claimed two lives. Eating them, no matter how earnestly, is never a good idea.
CNY when the young receive packets of happiness and monetary blessings from the married.
Cute jade lion on the floor of the Chinese home.
He instructed me to position myself outside the shophouse's window to act like a prisoner, and one of the visitors, thinking that I was one of the wax sculptures, tapped my shoulders, so instinctively I turned, giving him a shock in return, and he apologized instantly and with immense sincerity. His cheeks were flushed; he must be so embarrassed!
Steamboat during CNY, a profound impact on the Chinese so much so that we still practise even till today.
The potential stay-at-home dad learning how to sew.
My words have fallen on deaf ears. He took the roasted pig from the plate so naturally that I was close to believing that it belonged to him. Roasted pig, a must-have in the Chinese wedding customary practice.
One of the Chinese pre-wedding customs - the hair combing ceremony conducted on the eve of the wedding. Blessings are said out loud by the bride's family members and they include harmony in the marriage, many children and grandchildren and longevity.
He scurried down the steps to say hi to my camera but it was just too bad that the lightings were not in his favor and that a passer-by photobombed. Lol.
Tea ceremony in the early morning of the wedding day.
Lantern festival to celebrate and encourage people to cultivate positive relationships between people, families and the higher beings that were believed to be responsible for bringing or returning the light each year.
We lolled about the area before heading over to visit the other 2 attractions, the extreme log ride and the Journey 2 the mysterious island 4-D experience!
There happened to be a lego play area for kids to listen to story-telling and appreciate the goodness of Lego figurines that still linger in their lives. Lol.
Before entering the Adventure Land for some adventure. :D
And we were at the cable car station ready for my first time riding in the Singaporean cable car! The fact that I have been in the Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Korean cable cars before the Singaporean one makes one wonder if I am truly patriotic like what I always claim to be!
Wedding proposal at Jewel Box after a ride in the floral cable car and he asked, "Oh do u want this?" And I exclaimed after rolling my eyes thrice, "Not anymore!"
Sometimes, Simba's such a blockhead, it may take a radical change to unblock his head! LOL!
Cable car ticket.
A top view of the Adventure Cove Water Park from the cable car.
To Harbourfront
Self timer shot. While Simba was shouting for me to take utmost care of the camera which laid precariously on the small ledge in the cable car, I calmed him down for a sec for our picture to be taken. Turned out to be good though he complained that he looked fat.
To Jewel Box. Kampong me seeing the jewel box up close for the first time.
This concludes our trip to Sentosa on a Sunday and I hope the next time I blogged about Sentosa would be based on our visits to the SEA Aquarium and the Adventure Cove Water Park. :D
Thank you for reading! You are awesome after having read through all of this post.
