My daughter Natalie has a "cooking" class by Act 3 at the National Museum. It turned out to be using plasticine/clay to make satay, pizzas and tidbits. While she was doing her virtual culinary class, I decided to walk around the Museum.
It has been ages since I last visited the Museum. The new wing really looks like a mega museum wing of any Washington or great city's museum. It has that grandness and somber, yet with a touch of fun, which I like very much. The swinging red chandeliers, are like some fun props from some haunted movies, and they juxtapose nicely with the austere architecture, you feel this is a serious place displaying our history with a sense of humor and a wink of the eye. That's cool.
I like the food gallery showing the tutu cakes and the tok tok noodles. When I was young, I told myself I would be a businessman selling tutu cakes because I love it when my parents brought me to the old Tiong Bahru market. I can still remember the tutu pushcart. Of course, tutu, like any food business is a franchise business in Singapore these days. The best tutu cakes (as close as the original) is at Clementi and Vivocity Food Court.
The history wing is nicely housed in a unique building but I felt it tried too hard on this multimedia infotainment trend. 360 degree hall showing Singapore's life - well, it is like trying to be Star Trek techno-cool on a subject called Singapore history. One giant multi-video screen at the entrance is alright, another mega screen becomes slightly over the top. Everything need not be explained via some high-tech medium like touch screen, portable audio guide or multi-media something. Good old plain text can be impactful and speaks "a thousand words".
Another discomforting thing is the LARGEST display in the museum is an old hearse vehicle featuring a chinese funeral. I am all for preserving historical artifacts but that should not be the central piece because it is smack in the middle of all the displays - from Sir Stamford's arrival to the horrific Japanese Occupations. Throw in the dim lighting at some parts of the museum, you feel a bit uncomfortable. My readers can accuse me of being unfair - after all, we go to the best museumss in the world to see sarcophagus and ancient tombs, so what's wrong with a hearse of a chinese rich family? That is history too. The ancient Egyptians are long dead but the Singapore nation is youthful and very much alive. There is a place for that artifact but perhaps it will be a good idea to put something more spiritually uplifting in the center of our national museum?
We had lunch later at the cafe and the food was good. The roast beef sandwich was delicious.
Harold Fock
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
This is the tutu machine that started my entrepreneur journey. I wanted to sell tutu since i was a kid.
Natalie with her plasticine food in Act 3 "Food making class"
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