What to do on a Sunday

The SITEX fair is on again this weekend and the hordes will be flocking to the Expo Convention Hall to buy, buy and buy - pcs, laptops, printers, handphones etc etc. There are other fun things to do if you have nothing to buy at the fair this time round. First, you could lunch at the food court at Raffles City. Try this bamboo steamed rice topped with delicious minced meat and try the chicken ginseng soup.

Head towards the exit to Bras Basah Road and find your way to SMU (Singapore Management University) Concourse where there is a Peranakan Festival going on. It ends at six and tomorrow is the last day. In the afternoon we enjoyed a fantastic Peranakan performance of songs and dances that got people doing the joget and clapping along with the music. See nonyas decked out in authentic Peranakan sarongs and kebayas and if you want to shop, you will not be disappointed as there are stalls selling genuine Peranakan clothing and beaded slippers and jewellery too. On top of that, there are food stalls selling traditional Peranakan dishes.

This year's Christmas lights at Orchard Road are really magical. Go!

Christmas tree

Christmas tree at Vivocity. Which is your favourite picture?

Singapore Science Centre

A waffle with a skirt but without my beloved ice-cream. The latte was superb! I had all these instead of the presentation of Van Gogh's work at the Omni Theatre in Jurong. Two days late and what did I get? Calories in return.

Give your eyes a break

Kentridge park is green and cool even on hot days. On cool days Kentridge Park is the best place to go to for extra oxygen intake. As there were not many flowers other than the fading Tembusu flowers, I devoted my attention to the trees, ferns, shrubs and plants. I saw colours, patterns and shapes that I had never noticed before because flowers have always taken priority in my line of sight.

Jalan Besar area

Jalan Besar is road flanked by old pre-war houses. The architecture of those days against the backdrop of towering apartments serve to emphasize the unique character of each shophouse that makes itself distinctive through colour, carvings, pillars, window design and the presence of balconies and balustrades. When I view this slideshow I could feel the intrusion of the modern buildings and fear that one day the beautiful buildings of an era gone by will be completely replaced by faceless facades that reach into the clouds but are totally devoid of historical and aesthetic appeal. Perhaps my fears are baseless. I hope so.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Today is the 15th day of the Lunar month and there was a religious ceremony in the temple. There was a group of monks probably from Thailand or Sri Lanka leaving the temple and inside there was a prayer session led by a senior monk. We were free to wander around the temple to take photos. There were a number of tourists, cameras in hand, taking pictures of the beautiful carvings and artefacts in the temple. This morning, I was fascinated by the lamps and lanterns and also the wood carvings of a dragon and lotus flowers.