All’s explored well that ends well

Posted by Tym under Explore Singapore 2006, Explore Singapore!
(0) Comment • (3439) Reads • Permalink

After five episodes and 20 museums, not to mention a number of false leads and dead ends, Sarah Thompson (played by Elizabeth Tan) finally tracked down her long-lost birth mother’s address and telephone number in last week’s episode of Explore Singapore! — only to have the woman refuse to meet Sarah. Sarah was confused and hurt, her friend and guide Mr Heng (played by Moses Lim) dumbfounded and uncertain. What’s next for our indefatigable duo?

One last round of museum visits, of course, as Mr Heng tries to convince Sarah to stay in Singapore and try to establish contact with her mother. Don’t mind the Singapore hard-sell, which is perhaps a little inevitable given that the itinerary for this last episode includes the Singapore City Gallery, Singapore Discovery Centre and National Museum of Singapore.

But there are still little gems to be uncovered in between the characters’ breathless declarations of “Singapore is so unique!” and “no one owes us a living”. Like the spotlight on URA’s model technicians, who make and maintain all the beautiful detailed models in the Singapore City Gallery. Imagine spending 30-plus years at such a meticulous job! Then there’s some of the centrepieces of the National Museum’s collection, from the centuries-old Singapore Stone to the exquisite coffin cover for Tan Jiak Kim. Even the kooky Merlion video from the Singapore Discovery Centre has its place (although I did roll my eyes mightily when I saw the full video on a recent visit to the Centre).

As for the mystery that is Sarah’s mother, that too is resolved in due course. Sure, there are some heavy-handed shenanigans to get the plot there, but never mind that. There are plenty of spectacular views of the new National Museum (if you haven’t seen it in person for yourself yet) and the artwork on its lawns to keep the episode going. And the quest through Singapore’s myriad museums is finally (almost) at an end.

The last episode of Explore Singapore! airs on Thursday, 18 January at 7:30 pm on Channel 5.

Tags: Explore Singapore, National Heritage Board, Singapore