CLAUD

Friday, February 27, 2009

Daytrip to the Museum!

hahaha...it's been a long while since i've visited the museum after it's renovated. People always say it's a beautiful place, including my mum. It's free entry for students (and elderly on Mondays) too!

But...the reason why i went there it's because i have a "critival review" to do. Shit, what does critical review means? To comment if the display was good or bad? Or what?! dammit...can't they be more specific what they're asking for.

In anyway, i was rushing out of the house to meet my friends, Jing teng and Cindy and Cindy's 2 other fellow sociology majors. I was late. Why? Because the washing machine washing the bedsheets just refuses to stop spinning. I had to physically pull out the plug for that to happen. So hence i'm 30mins late. Sorry >.<"

Meanwhile, we talked in the HOT AND HUMID (hahaha..vonk) weather to the museum. Along the way, it made me kinda reminiscent the times i had amazing race around the area. It was also a day like this where we didn't have time to stop and soak in the history around us. In any case we entered the museum and all i said was WOW...really loudly =.= so paiseh lah cuz the entrance hall got echo.

but this is what i saw, tts why i said wow....

It's called the Rotunda. The inside of the dome iconic to the National Museum. Inside, the circle of light are the stained class Victorian windows which my camera didn't do any justice. It's is BEAUTIFUL...but hey, imagine if i'm taken away by this, i think i'll just faint if i see the Patheon (however u spell that).

So we went to the first of the Living Galleries - Film and Wayang. It's a really spooky place it was all so dark and they were showing some Malay horror film (a kind of bangsawan which is film with singing)

So behind the screens there were memorabilia of past film stars and i saw these set of collector cards.

Many of them are drawn by artists and the realism is very good. People today collect pictures of their favourite movie stars. It' not so different from those days isn't it? We just do it online with a screen of higher resolution. HAHAHA

So moving on, we went to Fashion next. Frankly, to me it was the most exciting one...HAHAHA. Do you know Her World existed for a very long time like since the 1960s?

Can't imagine right?

But I walked into this room where you can touch the fabrics and there were some local dresses. There were 2 videos on how the kebaya (the intricate embriodery) and the cheongsam are made. It's REALLY ALOT OF WORK. it took the lady 20-30 years to perfect her intricate designs and to sew them on. Hahaha...i want to get a kebaya done too (and it's not due to the drama series)

Of course, i was drawn to this wedding dress designed and hand-sewn by one of the first few local designers in Singapore. It's very elaborate if not less refined than the dresses we see today. Those days, i guess the trend was "the more extravagant, the more obvious, the better"

So the dress was decked out in french lace and a 5 layered train.

I like the back of the dress the most...haha

Do you think it fits the stereotype of the wedding dress? The princess sleeve, the long train and the big bow at the back. LOL....But it was really well made and it's a miracle they kept it so white after 40 years.

So later we went to the Food Gallery and once i walked inside, we started to feel hungry. I mean with displays like Laksa, Hainanese chicken Rice and Roti Prata with them showing you how to make the curry. How can you be NOT hungry? LOL....Meanwhile, u know where the name Kueh Tutu comes from? It comes from the fact that those push cards have horns that make the sound Tutu....hahaha...and last time ba chor mee is called Tik Tok because of the rhythm of the wooden stick hitting on the bamboo slate when the guy selling the mee makes. Something like our garang guni man announcing their arrival. Interesting eh?

There are more pictures to show...but it's so dark inside that my handphone camera can't really capture anything unless they are well lit.

I definitely want to go there again! Hahaha....And yes, i'm only taking a Pop Culture history module because when i go London and people ask me about Singapore over a cup of coffee, i'll be able to tell them about my country =) Not just the "oh, we had Japanese Occupation in the 1944 and we gained independence in 1965" kinda shit. Seriously, who would be interested man? hahaha....we all want to know how life is like in another country don't we? That's what makes immersion programmes so fulfilling.

09:41