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4th April 1999

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A city of thousand wonders

There's more to Singapore than shopping, Sentosa and Serangoon Road, says Renuka Sadanandan

It's a city known as the marvel of South-East Asia, a vibrant nation on the move, of skyscrapers and shopping malls....no good for the kind of holiday where a visitor seeks more than bargain hunting and the touristy pictures to fill an album, or so I was told.

But beware such generalisations.

My discovery of Singapore's many surprises began at the waterfront. But to digress in the cause of a game we all obsess about, not far from here, is the Padang. The Padang is Singapore's green, a sports cum parade ground flanked by highrises and stately colonial buildings where the Singapore cricket club has its home. The Padang is also where Sanath Jayasuriya claimed the record for the fastest 50 and the fastest 100 (that record has since been broken) in the euphoric aftermath of the World Cup. Well, wander away from the Padang's gracious green and past the Asian Civilizations Museum and Imagedown a sloping pathway, and you come to the Singapore River.

This is where it all began...where a motley bunch of itinerant traders and sea gypsies put down roots and built a nation.

A group of schoolchildren are here, having a history lesson at the foot of the imposing white statue of Sir Stamford Raffles, the father of modern Singapore. Raffles, as a young official of the East India Company had the vision to transform the obscure fishing village into a modern port city. The bumboats that are moored here are clean, the waters clear of all pollutants, but if you let your imagination roam, you can sense the scene as it must have been in 1819, when Raffles first arrived. The small junks sailing upstream laden with goods; On the far bank are the warehouses and godowns now renovated. Apparently immigrants and traders were drawn to this spot because it was shaped like the belly of a carp, a Chinese symbol of prosperity. You can still take the river ride on a bumboat, a sanitised version, if you fancy reliving the past.

The waterfront is a fascinating sight by night. Realising the potential of the picturesque shop houses that lined its banks, the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board in the early 1990s launched a major effort to redesign the area and turn it into a promenade cum al-fresco dining haunt. Their efforts have been immensely rewarded. Clarke Quay and Boat Quay as these two most sought after stretches are called come alive as dusk falls. Clarke Quay named after Singapore's second British governor Sir Andrew Clarke has a fascinating bazaar atmosphere, where you can stroll the cobblestone streets and browse through curio shops and then dine on satay or seafood specialities. By early evening, the lights Imageare strung up on the trees and if you're lucky, you can catch a Chinese opera troupe in action.

Boat Quay is the night rendezvous for Singaporeans and tourists alike and here you will find an incredible choice through the numerous restaurants that serve ambience and appetising food in liberal helpings. There are pubs and bars aplenty here, music from jazz to calypso and we even found a Sri Lankan restaurant tucked in.

If Clarke Quay and Boat Quay are more night-time attractions, on weekends a popular spot for fun and family recreation is the East Coast Park where you can rent a bike, or rollerblade through relaxed stretches of tree-lined avenues by the sea. Families picnic and barbecue here or wander into the many restaurants for which this place is famous...try the black pepper crab, hot, spicy and superbly sticky or if you'd rather be more restrained, the tastefully arranged prawn garnished with garlic. This area is amazingly green and landscaped though built on reclaimed land and with Changi airport quite close by, you can watch the planes, as much as the ships out at sea. On a clear day, the coast of Indonesia is visible.

For a more romantic evening, try the CHIJMES (Convent of Holy Infant Jesus) a restaurant complex that was once a monastery, school and church. For Christians, there is a sense of sadness that such a beautiful church is no longer used for worship. It is now deconsecrated and can be hired for wedding receptions and other functions. Passing the church you come onto an old arcade and where were probably classrooms there are now elegant restaurants. Best of all is the sunken courtyard where by starlight with the shadow of the Gothic church spire and wooden benches, the atmosphere feels quite Medieval. CHIJMES is pricey, but well worth it.

Singapore prides itself on the arts and there are many museums and cultural attractions to check out. The Asian Civilizations Museum now has a visiting display of Egyptian artifacts, including a mummy from the British Museum in London and this exhibition continues till May. That's in addition to its own display of Chinese heritage, furniture (like the elaborately carved 'opium' bed) and jade. If you're interested in discovering more about Singapore's heritage then the Singapore History Museum offers much with guided tours. Both these museums are easily reached by bus.

No visit to Singapore is quite complete without a peek at the Raffles hotel, that landmark of colonial style. Recently renovated, Raffles was frequented by the likes of Somerset Maugham and Charlie Chaplin and if you're in the mood for a nostalgia trip the hotel has an interesting museum where all the memorabilia is housed.

Coming from Sri Lanka one does not quite go looking for a nature holiday in the Lion City, but one attraction not to be missed is the Night Safari. Former Zoo director Lyn de Alwis set this up and Lankans can feel justifiably proud of his achievement. The night safari gives visitors a chance to see some 100 species animals in their natural habitat, the lighting so contrived to bathe them in a pale, moonlit glow. A 45- minute tram ride with a guide pointing out the wildlife on the way, ponderous hippos, graceful gazelles and even our own sloth bear amazingly unaware of the curious humans is quite mesmerising. Add to this the nature trails where you can walk through the tropical undergrowth and encounter the imperturbable gaze of a leopard through a glass or an otter frolicking in a pool and you are loath to leave. The Singapore Zoo, the Jurong Bird Park and Sentosa's Underwater World come a close second in terms of giving people a glimpse of nature's many wonders.

The best way to see Singapore is by public transport. Both buses and the underground MRT are efficient, quick and economical. A ticket can be used on either and with a map, most places are easily located. If in doubt, bus drivers are generally helpful.

Spared of visa hassles (Lankans get a two-week visitor visa on arrival) Singapore is a remarkably attractive destination, one that offers in its limited space an extensive list of things to do on a short holiday.

Hints

Pick up a handful of the many excellent brochures and guides to Singapore's attractions at the airport for these give up-to-date information and guide maps.

Food is one of Singapore's many attractions but to discover the true taste of Singapore, try the many hawkers centres kopitiams (coffee shops) and basement food courts located at all big shopping malls. These offer varied cuisine from Korean to Malay, Indian to Western and at not too exorbitant prices. If you're missing Lankan food, you can always find a roti parata (a godamba of sorts) or crispy thosai at these places. The Singaporean favourite is chicken rice and noodles, rather watery for our taste but nevertheless well worth sampling.

For shopping, be adventurous and leave the Orchard Road area to check out other excellent malls at places like Tampines, Suntec City and Parkway Parade, where tourists are fewer but the pace is more relaxed. The Lankan favourite may still be Mustafa's on Serangoon Road, but other centres also offer variety and value.


The show starts early

Young as they are, they are capable of many wonders..... Await The Songs of Every Man staged by the Lower School of St. Thomas' College

Usually when we hear the phrase children's musical show, our experiences tell us that it's (a) probably done by a school (b) will feature a lot of small children and (c) contains songs that have nothing to do with children. That (c) is what Vinodh Senadeera says we will not see at the upcoming show titled The Songs of Every Man planned by the lower school of St. Thomas' College. He firmly believes that, "if we are going to have children sing, it has to be songs that they can identify with. If not it's going to look really silly. We can't have children singing about things they don't know anything about."

Nobody would argue that Colombo theatre has been enjoying somewhat of a renaissance lately. But although theatre itself is in good health, the concept of producing shows for young children is almost dead. Except for an occasional public concert by a school, young children are hardly ever given a chance to show their talents on stage. The few school shows there are tend to feature older children, and it is rare to see an entire show performed by children between the ages of seven and ten. But Vinodh is a firm believer that talent deserves an opportunity, "Young as they are, if they are capable, they should be given a chance."

He is also very keen to stress that that nobody is taking this show lightly just because it's done by children. "There is a big difference between a school performance and a public show. We believe that these boys have reached a standard where they are ready to perform in public." This won't be the first time these children have faced an audience either. "They have had experience in facing audiences, but this is that first time they will be facing an audience by themselves. In the earlier shows they only took part as an item but this time they are going to be the show."

The Songs of Every Man is a show of song, music and dance, and will consist of thirty songs from popular musicals, golden oldies and other favorites. Special attention has been paid to picking songs that children will be able to identify with. The first half of the show will feature songs from popular musicals like The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Whistle down the wind amongst others. This show is designed not only with children in mind as performers, but also with them in mind as an audience. "You will notice that there's no children's theatre at all in Sri Lanka. And we felt that it was time that they are considered as a serious audience that should be catered to."

The singing was directed by Mrs. Dilani Perera, and the dancing by popular choreographer and old boy of the school, Shohan Chandiram. But no matter how good a team you put together, teaching young children to dance and sing isn't an easy task. "You must remember that these are very young children and that most of them have problems with simple directions like left and right sometimes. And we also found that these children initially had a problem with rhythm which made teaching them to dance quite a challenge." But as the children slowly got rid of their inhibitions, they started to take to dancing more naturally. Most of the choreography is modern and children find adapting to it easier.

And although Dilani has been working with these children as a teacher, she admits that teaching children to sing and teaching them to sing for a public show are two completely different things. Sometimes she felt that the children needed to be pushed, "but I left most of the screaming to Vinodh" she says. But she feels the hardest thing she had to do was to reject some boys who didn't show any improvement. She also had to reject some songs because they were out of the range of the children but that was just a judgement call. Despite all this she is very impressed with the progress the boys have made, "it's amazing how talented these children are. Come to think of it we find a new soloist everyday."

Although he has several theatre productions under his belt, Vinodh admits that he was nervous because this would be the first time he was directing children so young. "Working with small children is a completely different experience from working with adults or even older children. I found that often a Darling and Dear worked better with these children than the threats and lectures that one uses when directing older people." He feels that, "We have been demanding a lot from the children, but they enjoy it, and if they're going to put on a public performance they have to be up to a certain standard. We can't approach a public show from the point of view of oh they're small, let it go, we can't let that happen."

The show will feature a few older guest artistes. Rohan De Lanerole, an old boy of the school, will make a special appearance. And in the second half of the show, several guest musicians from the college chamber orchestra will back the singers. Vinodh notes with pride that for all aspects of this show, they have drawn resources either from within the school or from old boys. "This show is a 100% Thomian production."

Vinodh feels that, "It's not just coming first or second in class. I believe that a balanced life is very important. And I feel these children have got an experience out of this that they'll never forget. If we can provide another gateway other than studies for children to exhibit their talents, I think a school should do that as well." He also feels that the confidence they will get out of this experience and the teamwork they have learned will help these sixty children in everyday life. He notes with a smile that, "It's nice to see all sixty of them bring their lunches here on a weekend, sit together and share – this is all a part of education."

The Songs of Every Man will go on the boards at the Bishop's College Auditorium on April 9 at 7:30 p.m . Tickets will be available at the College office and the gate.

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