Saturday 11 May - We had a late check out at 6pm as our flight to Rome was scheduled for 1.30 am the next morning. So after a hot breakfast at one of the hotel’s restaurants, Modesto, we took a cab to the ArtsScience Museum. Our driver this time was an older gentleman who was listening to classical music. We were given a short lecture on the genius of Beethoven, who, even when he went deaf, could imagine how the music he composed would sound. According to our cabbie, Beethoven was the guru.
There were two light installation exhibitions at the Arts Science Museum. We paid for both. There’s no getting away from it, we obviously look like seniors so we got seniors’ rates which is not to be sneezed at I guess.
The first exhibition was Alice in Wonderland. Michael wasn’t keen but I was so in we went with all the parents and their offspring to sit around the table at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. It was very clever, with lights casting all kinds of moving images on and around the table. We all oohed and aahed (not Michael) and were suitably impressed with it all.
The second exhibition was called Future World, encompassing four facets: Nature, Town, Sanctuary and Park. It was also very impressive but also geared to engage the inquisitive nature of children. One young attendant invited me to enter an enclosure filled with giant fluorescent balls and toss them about together with little humans. One of the rules was to not put any physical weight on them. As the balls looked exactly like my fitball at home, apart from not being fluoro, I couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t be compelled to throw myself on to one, doing a back bend into the bargain, I politely declined.
As we moved through the various rooms, the light installations were spectacular but we didn’t linger too long. After a while, one light installation melds into another.
Another cab ride and we were deposited at the National Museum of Singapore. Entry was free, a blessing if only to be spared being labelled seniors.
To Michael’s dismay, there was another light installation to be endured in the natural history section. Also impressive but we moved fairly through it. Then we spent about an hour following the story of the rise and fall of Singapore and subsequent road to independence which was of far more interest.
Back at the hotel, we decided a bit of lunch was in order as it might be our last morsel for a while. We approached the desk of one of the restaurants to be confronted by a woman seemingly in the throes of some dire personal crisis. She neither looked at us nor uttered a greeting, just indicated to follow her to a table. Ok, it was 2.30 pm, and granted, a bit late for lunch. However the door was open and she could have refused us. Anyway, we pressed on, ordered our selection of steamed dumplings and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Back in the room, we showered, repacked and finally checked out just before 6pm. Off to the airport, this time with a Jack Brabham at the wheel. He also hardly spoke a word, and drove as if possessed. We made it to the airport in record time, and with our hearts up in our throats.
No comments:
Post a Comment