16 May 2010 – What is this about?
Fri: strange incident with a green butterfly on my door step. Living on the 7th floor in a concrete HDB jungle, butterflies are a very rare sighting. This is the first time since I moved here 10yrs ago. The butterfly seemed weak, still alive but could not fly. Thinking maybe the rains have weighted down the wings, I carefully placed it on a dry spot and left for work.
It was still alive when I got home after work, so took some leaves and water and placed it there. Later in the evening, it was still moving but just about. Took it indoors and the next morning it was lying down flat. Why would it use its final energy flying up to the 7th floor? What is all this about? Decided to keep it in memory of Kelly Xuan.
Sat: Singapore Chinese Opera Museum/新加坡华族戏曲博物馆 opening and is located in the rustic tourist spot in SIN Kampong Glam. The exhibits in the museum revolve around the development of Chinese operas in SIN since the time Southern Chinese set foot on this island. The exhibits span over a hundred years. Chinese operas include the Cantonese, Teochew, Qiong, Hokkien (Xiang Opera, Li Yuan Opera and Gezai Opera), Yue opera. It is a tiny location and we had to wait outside for the VIPs. Decided not to wait for the official opening as I was feeling faint in the heat. Bian’s Cafe*** serving western and asian cuisine. Their steam and fried dumplings were so so and the beef slices were quite tasty. The cafe is located at the museum and it was good service with a smile.
Paul KRAUSE arrived from London yesterday evening. The last time we met was 7 years ago. Welcome back to SIN. Food Opera@Ion Orchard and a drink@Hyatt Hotel (both over-price places) before sending him back to his regular hotel/Royal Plaza on Scotts Rd where the Ikebana are having their display of their flora arrangements. Looking forward to catching up more over his couple of days stay but he needs to rest after over 13hrs flight on top of the jet-lag!
It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop – Vita Sackville-West