Asian Civilisations Museum

Went to the Asian Civilizations Museum with Gail, Lin Yan and Swee Yee yesterday!! It was fun, and besides transport costs, it was free!! We saved SGD5.00!! Woohoo!! NUS students get free admission to museums, so we might as well start becoming more 'cultured' people, as Lin Yan put it, and at the same time have a fun day out without spending too much money.

I rather liked it. Museums aren't that musty places, really. And it was fun learning so much about different cultures!! There is a lot in common between them, and a lot of differences too!! Now I think I will, as usual let the pics do the talking!! Haha!!


Three Leng Luis
From left: Gail, Lin Yan and Swee Yee


Gail, Lin Yan and monkey.


Cavenagh Bridge from afar...


The notice says that the use of this bridge is prohibited to any vehicle of which the laden weight exceeds 3CWT and to all cattle and horses. :D


The Asian Civilizations Museum


A totem pole like thing outside which Lin Yan and Swee Yee spent a long time under while Gail and I sat comfortably inside the air conditioned comfort of the museum waiting for them. Hee...


A very interesting circular staircase. Lin Yan and I were busy tapping the staircase to find out where the light came from and then someone pointed out there were CCTV's around. Oops.


The shadows are interesting, no? They look so real. The one in the middle, if I remember correctly, is Buddha teaching his first five disciples. The one on the side is of Buddha. Hm. The one on the left is some sort of cart, I think. They are carved in bronze. I think this part was on Thailand.


These little weapons and tools and the sheet of gold and all the little knobs of precious stones and metal are about the size of a ten cent coin. Apparently these objects are buried with the statue of a person (I can't recall who, or perhaps the statue was supposed to be a messenger or something) so that the statue will have these things when it goes somewhere...(Sorry, a little vague. Museums kind of give me information overload. Haha.)


Thailand 2005, Baby Carrier (I think)
Haha!! Notice the Doraemon motifs!! Used by hill tribe people, if I recall right.


I think this was Indonesian O.o The clothes nearby looked Malay...The part on Indonesia was kind of scary. There was a whole portion on magic books and carvings that the witch doctors used...quite scary.


Vaguely recall the word 'dao' underneath. These are porcelain figures of Chinese gods, I figure...very intricate craftsmanship. The Chinese part was quite scary too...there were huge black faced figurines with ugly expressions and tongues sticking out. Ikes.


Scary, right?
Copyright Gail's blog.


I liked this: 孝 Filial Piety

Says

While parents are alive,
One must not travel afar,
If one must, one's whereabouts
should always be made known.
Analects, Book II, Li Ren 19

父母在
不远游
游必有方。

《论语》 卷二里仁篇第十九

The Chinese one is so succinct!! I like this portion of Chinese culture.


Po wannabe (What's that in your mouth Lin Yan?) (wannabe cos isn't fat enough, haha) and Master Shi Fu. We found the clothes in a trunk. This may be illegal.


Remember Wayang Kulit? This is the Chinese version. 皮影


Indian version. I told you there were similarities!! LOL!!

I think Indian art is very intricate and detailed. They like bright (sometimes garish) colors, and truly their carvings are super mind boggling. The detail!! Yeargh!! Indian clothing is also very detailed. They have a lot of jewelry.

Chinese art is simpler, with a lot of dragons. They like to write a lot. Their clothing is very simple. You cut two large pieces of cloth into T-shapes, and stick it together. The higher up the social ladder you are, the bigger your sleeves can be.

Muslim art uses geometrical shapes alot. Oh!! You should see the art of ebru. It's fascinating. And they like patterns.


Lin Yan and I decided to try out this slow hydraulic lift. :D We both weren't quite sure what it meant. Are there fast hydraulic lifts? We figured that hydraulics meant there was water involved somewhere. Intriguing enough. We timed it. 55 seconds. Not bad.


Inside the slow hydraulic lift.


We wandered off trying to get out of the building and found another gallery we had not visited yet. No, this is not a map of the museum. I don't know what it is.


Lin Yan: So the prawn can eat diagonally, right?
Tirza: Prawn?
Lin Yan: Let's go and eat. I'm hungry.
Copyright, Gail's blog.


Trying to play Parcheesi. I think. Haha. I have no idea what Parcheesi is, but it sounds tasty. I recall hearing donkey say it in Shrek...haha, I like Shrek.
Copyright, Gail's blog.

We had dinner at Clementi!! Bubble tea was discounted at SGD1.00 (SGD0.50 off) so we had it!! We later splashed SGD5.00 on a top each. Hee. Then Lin Yan and Swee Yee went shopping in the air conditioned comfort of NTUC while Gail and I sat outside waiting for them.

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD TO THOSE WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED KUNG FU PANDA DO NOT READ

Came back and took a bath!! Then we watched Kung Fu Panda in Swee Yee's room!! It was really funny, but I didn't really understand the Wushu Finger Hold (do you know what happens if I flex my pinky?) and how Po managed to figure it out in the end. And what really happened when the pinky was flexed. Haha!! But it sure was one of the funniest shows I've ever watched in ages, and the jokes are so lame and yet so funny....And Po really reminds me of Simon!! Hahaha

I rather liked the quote by Master Wu Gui: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that is why it's called...the present...haha, it is kind of...kind of cheesy, but it's nice!! (like cheese!!)

And I liked Po's babbling Goose of a father!! I wish his character was expanded more. He's seems so...pathetic and crazy and silly, but there is so much more to him!! In fact, I kind of figure he's one of the wisest characters in the story!! He's a bit like Yoda at first hehe, funny way of speech, and then later...hm...if there's a sequel I'd like to see his character expanded...I think I just said something similar...Yep, my fav character in Kung Fu Panda is officially a babbling goose!! ~Weee!! I always was weird. Hee...And despite Po being so bad to his dad, his dad just continued loving him unconditionally!! Well, I think that was my impression, anyway. He's kind of a hero too. A quixotic kind, maybe...no, not really. Never mind.

This morning I went to first service cos I had SS later (Pastor Lily asked me if I was in SS in SG and yes, yes, I am!! Hahaa...) Well, kids in CEFC and kids in GLCC aren't much different, really (all rockets in kid's clothing) but there are a few children with slight disabilities in my Nursery group here in GLCC as opposed to none in CEFC except for one...so it's kind of a challenge handling them (especially Mattheus, who seems to be the only kid I run around after in SS) He's a sweet kid, though. Kennen is another one. The rest are fairly well behaved (I like a little kid called Jin Jiang. He's adorable. Likes to dance. And act cool.) Darren is a really handsome kid, and likes to go in front to perform!! Daniel is very artistic. The girls are a bit quiet, Jaine, Rachel, Ruth (been missing for a while), Christabelle. But they are very obedient. Jaine is a ballet dancer!! Haha...Ben is really quiet too, but his elder brother is loud!! Hehee...there's a kid called Josiah who is currently sporting a pirate's eye-patch (seriously, I got punched :P) cos of his lazy eye who's quite funny too!! Oh well, will miss them all for the next four weeks. Oh!! Time to promote. Anyone interested to join a kind of combined Children's Church on the fifth week of the month (comes every three months or so) to just help out and play with the kids? No teaching involved! No experience needed!! Just tell me o!!

Well, I've been reading past entries of Andrea's blog (I think her posts are very mature) and I came across this line: First you choose your master, then you choose your mission, then you choose your mate. Hm. This was a revelation!! Haha...I most certainly know who my master is, but now I'm kind of vague as to what my mission is. This is a bit worrying. I really have no idea. What has God called me to do to be? An architect? How do I serve Him as one? Am I really going to be an architect?

Well, Ephesians 2:10 says this:
10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

So there are works God has prepared us in advance to do. I wonder what mine is. Will keep it in prayer, and right now, do my best in the little things I know I have to do!! I hope I can walk my talk, cos most of the time I don't. And it's so hypocritical. Yeargh. I really want to walk my talk.