Regretfully, all good things must come to an end, and Internationl Museum Day (IMD)  is no exception. Nonetheless, we have one final bonanza for all our loyal museum fans. We will be having Open House at 20 museums island-wide. Enjoy free admission and join in on a whole slew of exciting activities and programmes. Don’t forget to express how much you are enjoying yourself by saying “I Love Museums” at the ticketing counters of participating museums and receive a free gift! Hurry, while stocks last.

Stamp collecting these days is a rare hobby with snail mail fast being put aside in favour of electronic mail. However, there are valuable lessons to be learned from stamps – symbols of a past era. Discover the world through stamps at the Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM) as a guide takes your child through fascinating philatelic trivia and exposes them to the highlights of the SPM’s collection during a highlight tour specially tailored for them. Parents can then complete a fun quiz with their child, requiring them to look for answers amongst the galleries together and win attractive prizes!

The SPM, open to the public from 9am to 7pm, will also play home to colouring stations and Puppets Mania – a colourful puppet show presented for the first time at IMD! Meet our adorable hand-made puppets who will have you in stitches!

Does your kid prefer playing chef instead? Learn how to cook delicious Filipino snacks at So Sarap! – Kids’ Edition! Parents are welcome to join in and partner up with their children to whip up culinary masterpieces. Have a child whose dream is to become a young zoologist? In the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Danger workshop, children will learn all about the tiger, listen to tiger folktales, see a real-life tiger skull and skin and learn what they can do to save this magnificent animal from extinction. Children will also get to bring home their own tiger handicraft and win prizes should they prove to be expert craftsmen. Act fast though as vacancies are limited!

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Derek shares an amusing story of the differing attitudes to death from his native England and Malaya.

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How I wonder how you are…

How’s everybody doing after one mad week of IMD? Well, get some rest and prepare for another exciting weekend!

An epic legend of love and adventure is about to unfold under a sea of stars. The Peranakan Museum will host Ramayana under the Stars at Stamford Green on 22 May, with the classic tale coming alive as an immersive musical experience amidst engaging performances. Wayang kulit, pantomime sessions and gamelan shows will entrance audiences, whilst numerous stores will be selling local snacks such as otah and kueh tutu to ensure that visitors will not go hungry.

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Trishaws, rickshaws and buses – The first two out of these three forms of public transport don’t exist anymore (although trishaws still feature as a tourist mode of transport), while back in the 1970s there was no such thing as air-conditioning on buses! With the opening of more public train lines, James takes us back to the simpler modes of getting around during the back-then.

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Remember that Samual L. Jackson show, Snakes of a Plane? Now, what could be more terrifying than being trapped in a plane with snakes? How about encountering snakes in your home!

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The opening night of IMPRINTS at red dot design museum was a sight to behold. An exhibition organised by Yesterday.sg and the Singapore Contemporary Young Artists (SCYA) society, the profile of the crowd that had gathered was varied to say the least. From curious school-going kids, to trendy teenagers, to hip seniors, they all gathered for one common purpose – to support our young contemporary artists who are at the forefront of our nation’s growing arts scene.

Visitors were treated to nostalgic free gifts such the tiny balloon kits made up of gum-like material and a short straw, our shiny I Love Museum badges and I Love Museum lanyards. We spotted quite a few visitors proudly parading them as they went around the exhibition space (thank  you!).

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This month sees the launch of a major arts community project that will run through 2010 and one which will see thousands of Singaporeans taking part in an in-depth exploration of identity, memory, a sense of place and a sense of self.

Entitled CIVIC LIFE, the programme has 4 key elements and there are many ways you can get involved.  At the heart of the project is the shooting of a 35mm short film in the hawker centre and streets of the Tiong Bahru heritage estate, which will star hundreds of residents and visitors to the area. There is also a short film competition, a large-scale creative writing programme and the launch of a website, where writers, filmmakers, artists, architects and community leaders will, over the next six months, be sharing their thoughts on the key CIVIC LIFE themes of belonging and identity through articles on questions such as the relationship between architecture and memory, photography and community identity (crucially!)  the central role of food in the Singaporean psyche (check out www.civiclife.sg/).

CIVIC LIFE is collaboration between the National Museum of Singapore and the British Council, with the support of the Singapore International Foundation and the Arts Council of England, and has been in development over the last 16 months. The project was sparked by the visit of London-based filmmakers Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy in January 2009, who were invited to Singapore by the British Council, as part of their cultural relations remit, to present their body of work CIVIC LIFE, a series of acclaimed short films, which examine the relationship between community and the civic spaces they inhabit.

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IMPRINTS, red dot design museum, 6-11 May 2010

Dingy prison cells, pop-coloured soldiers, ubiquitous tea ceremonies – these are inspirations drawn from memories, emotions and nostalgia for a group of young artists as they showcase their sentiments in Yesterday.sg’s first art exhibition, Imprints.

Co-organised by Singapore Contemporary Young Artists (SCYA), Imprints hopes to encourage readers of Yesterday.sg, as well as youths who have interest in the arts and culture, to discover the joys of art appreciation. With Yesterday.sg centred on nostalgia and moments of the past, eight SCYA artists – Aiman Hakim, Angela Chong, Ee Shaun, Hilmi Johandi, Jackyln Soo, Jacqui Rae, Kelvin Atmadibrata and Tay Jiun Lin – were selected to reinterpret these relatable themes and develop them into art works that are both heartfelt and diverse.

Angela Chong's installation work

The concept behind the exhibition stemmed from Yesterday.sg’s wish to create an awareness of the local arts scene and cater a show for the uninitiated, who otherwise are intimidated by the elusiveness of art. Featured artist Angela Chong quips, “Many artists want to reach out to all kinds of people who are not really in the industry because we always see the same audience. We want new feedback or interaction with the real public and the real community.”

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They say black goes with everything… but people from the older generation often shun the colours black because of its association with death (and also, in this weather black becomes mighty hot!). If you look into your closet, you’ll probably have a black shirt or two for every day use. However, Chinatownboy remembers a time when you had to dye your shirts black for a special (and sad) occasion.

CC image by flckrbest

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These boys certainly look like they’re having a good time, aren’t they? We certainly don’t find kids jumping into a tin tub to beat the heat these days. Usually, we just run for a cool shower, or if we’re lucky, take a dip in the pool.

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