WOMAD Festival in Singapore

Had an interesting weekend; we watched the WOMAD concert. WOMAD stands for 'World of Music Arts and Dance' and is an annual festival hosted in many parts of the world. Singapore is the only location in Asia where the festival travels to.

We enjoyed listening to some non-mainstream music from across the world. The representation from the sub-continent included 'The Dhol Foundation' which is a Punjabi-Brit band of two drummers (their 'dhol workshop' was fun). Other interesting gigs included an Israeli band which got the crowd to sing in Hebrew (!!), a Japanese folk-rock band, and a band from Senegal with its catchy African tunes.

The evening got me thinking: isn't there a common bond between all of us that runs deeper than all the cultural & other differences?

The King & I

'The King & I' is one of the longest running musicals on Broadway; and we were lucky to catch the play on its Singapore tour last night. I had seen the movie version- ‘Anna & the King’ starring Jodie Foster- but the play had a different charm. The costumes were breathtaking, the Thai dances were beautiful and elegant, the actors (especially the girl who plays Anna) had great singing & acting talent; and some of the lines had first-rate wit & humour.

What made the evening special was also the fact that this was our first visit to the massive ‘Esplanade Theatre’ of Singapore. The theater is grand from inside & architecturally impressive from the outside (its made to resemble a durian, I'm told).

Nostalgia

I remember the days back then
the postman used to come around ten
& drop envelopes with letters in them.

Stamp of the place from where the letter came
hinting towards the sender's name
& the scent of travels endured since then.

I remember the anticipation in my head
till the letter was opened and read; re-read
it was so difficult not to run ahead :)

What spoke from the letter weren't just words
the perfume, the paper, the handwriting spoke two-thirds
completed by the stains of tears absurd.

Crossed out what was felt but couldn’t be said
then again, wrote again; carefully tread
after all veils cant be completely shed.

Once the letter was signed & ready to go
what was earlier neglected was added in the 'P.S.' below
grateful to the margins that allowed the letter to grow.

Now of course we're in the 'e-mail' times
they're quick, clinical and used often times
but dont we miss the postman sometimes?

Dont you agree?

I saw these words on one of the walls of the 'Singapore Art Museum' ...

Homesick

I wonder as I look back at the footprints I've left behind;

How the grains of sand cling to my feet;
from the places I left behind.

With every step forward, the sand makes patterns on my feet;
from the places I left behind.

The people I met; the friends I loved; the life I lived;
from the places I left behind.

Amongst Men A Man

We've moved from the hotel to a serviced apartment (until we move into a regular apartment on September 1st). The serviced apartment happens to be right next to the 'Singapore Art Museum' & I like wandering into it....its got a pretty interesting collection of modern art. This one below is titled 'Amongst Men A Man'.

Old Hill Street Police Station

This is one of Singapore's older buildings. It used to be a police station in 1930s; it is now home to the ministries of information, communication & arts. I love the colourful window panes!

Botanical Art

The other day we were walking along the Botanical Gardens of Singapore, when I came across these sculptures made out of stumps of tree trunks; and I thought they were quite groovy.