14 Jul 2014 – Esplanade & SOTA Concert Halls
Happy Bastille Day/14 Jul to Jean-Baptiste and to those celebrating! Happy Birthday to Keith in France and hope that we will catch up sometime soon.
Exactly 9yrs ago today, was on the AT and strangely enough tent next to a French hiker that evening – happy memories of France and to all the French acquaintances who crossed this life’s journey path!
Fri: Esplanade with SSO conducted by Lan Shui performing Rachmaninov/The Rock, cellist Jan Vogler/Bloch’s Schelomo (Hebraic Rhapsody) was heartfelt but no fan of Bloch, ending with a delightful performance of Elgar Enigma Variations.
Welcome back to SIN, Richard. Late dinner at Makansutra Gluttons Bay***which has been revamped again with more expensive food but not better! Too much MSG!! Was very thirsty after the chilli StingRay, fried Omelette Oyster (did not eat, like my oyster raw on the shell), HokkienMee, RoastPork (the best among theses dishes), fried BabySquids and Satay (late order). Live music entertainment by the on-going NDP’s rehearsals 🙂
Sat: farewell dinner with cousin David at Pearl Bank. He returns to HI/USA tomorrow. 4th aunt is now home from hospital with extra help so that she can remain home. Safe journeys to cousin.
Sun: SOTA/School of the Arts is the first national school in SIN to launch the IBCC/International Baccalaureate Career-related Certificate programme. The award-winning city-campus with vertical hanging gardens was designed by WOHA Architects/SIN-based architecture practice.
First experience in SOTA Concert Hall with Clarence Tan, conducting a young orchestra, M’Ode. The flutist did a good job but the brass section needs improvement. Enjoyed the performances of Tommy Peh’s Beethoven Piano Concerto #5/Emperor, Choon HongXiang’s Mozart’s Piano Concerto #23 and Louis Page’s Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2 .
About 400 people, including children, turned up at the National Library Building atrium on Sunday for Let’s Read Together, an event organised in response to the National Library Board’s/NLB removal of at least three children’s books…
In the midst of my cultural week and the World cup frenzy, this is also happening, putting SIN back in the dark ages where book burning is concerned. During the Qin dynasty of Ancient China, Spanish Inquisition, Nazi, the Cultural Revolution, and the list goes on with book-burning…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_book-burning_incidents
Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself – Potter Stewart
With the world cup frenzy and lack of sleep for many but for me, I choose my sleep and rest more than soccer! Advertisement in SIN warning against problem gambling has sparked much hilarity online even in the international media after Germany handed the Brazilian hosts a 7-1 thrashing last week. Good sportsmanship do exist when this gracious elderly gentleman handed the trophy to a German girl…
http://www.todayonline.com/sports/football/ncpg-continue-anti-gambling-world-cup-ad
Clever twist and follow up against gambling…
…the end of the day, win or lose, the dangers of problem gambling, and the potential anxiety and pain that loved ones go through, remain unchanged…
Mon: congratulations to Germany for winning the 2014 World-Cup, beating Argentine 1-0 on extra time in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil. Pix credits to various sites for the World-Cup, library books and Bastille Day.
Everything’s a gamble, love most of all ― Tess Gerritsen