The Little Prince in the Dark

There have been a lot of different art and book exhibitions about The Little Prince all over the world but there has never been such a magnificent artwork ever done with the sole purpose of letting the visually-challenged people appreciate visual arts but in tactile way.

From the same artists who made the 10  art exhibit which premiered at The Fullerton in Singapore this May, Artheline, the signature of artists Arnaud and Adeline Nazare-Aga from Thailand, comes The Little Prince in the Dark. It's a tactile art installation specifically made for people with visual impairment. But this art installation is also accessible to all and can be touched by anyone.

The planets, which were all inspired by the artworks in the book, as well as the elephant inside a boa constrictor and the fox, seemed like floating in space inside a dark room filled with yellow blinking stars. It's visually stunning for those able to see it but it is also a great tactile experience to understand the characters and art works in the book for the visually impaired.

The Little Prince Art Exhibition by Artheline

This is the first time I have been to a Little Prince exhibition and it is such an honor to finally catch the works of Artheline. Artheline is the signature of artists Arnaud and Adeline Nazare-Aga. They are based in Thailand and they made these artworks just in time for the Singapore-France Voilah Festival in conjunction with the celebration of SG50, Singapore's fiftieth birthday. This is the world premiere of the exhibit.

The exhibit has been open since since May 6, 2015 and will be open for public viewing until June 1, 2015. I was just fortunate enough to manage to fly in to Singapore just to see the two exhibits about the Little Prince before it close. The other exhibit is an art installation for the visually-challenged people and will be posted later on.

There are 10 art installations for this exhibit and every thing was just mesmerizing for me. I particularly like how they made each planet as if they are floating in space.

Jalan Besar and Around

Jalan Besar

Following up to my Tiong Bahru Heritage Walking Tour article, much has been said whether Jalan Besar is a hipper place than Tiong Bahru. To compare these two places on which one is better than the other, you have to look at two important points, first is if the old historic vibe of the place is still present and second is the number of cafes that has been opening in the area. I can say that Tiong Bahru has the advantage on both. There is a distinct difference on the housing settlement in Tiong Bahru and they have maintained its old vibe and managed to introduce the hip charm while Jalan Besar is a bit chaotic because of so many constructions, commercial establishments, hostels and literally an array of hardware shops in one street.

Review: The Tiramisu Hero

The Tiramisu Hero

Do you like Tiramisu? Well if you do then head on to The Tiramisu Hero at Tyrwhitt Road in Jalan Basar area. Situated in one of the quaint shop houses near Jalan Besar Stadium, this cafe has transformed the old vibe of a shop house into a modernized trendy cafe in this less chaotic neighborhood. When you reach this place, you will be welcomed with an eye-catching fake green lawn. Yes it is fake but still they managed to make it look like a cool veranda for their customers who prefer to be seated outside.

The Tiramisu Hero

Review: Windowsill In The Woods

Windowsill In The Woods

Pies. Pies. Pies. What else is better than having a lot of dessert pies on your table with different and twisted flavors. That is what you are gonna get when you visit this quaint pie cafe along Horne Road in Jalan Besar area. Windowsill In The Woods is known for their different flavored sweet pies and tarts. They have three best-selling pies but I only managed to try one. And that is the Banana Almond Brittle. It is a combination of sweet banana, salted caramel and crunchy nuts. It is such a great combination that you will be asking for more.

Banana Almond Brittle

Tiong Bahru Heritage Walking Tour

HDB Flats at Kim Pong Road

Tiong Bahru. Considered to be one of the oldest housing estates in Singapore, it has also been garnering accolades from locals, foreigners and tourists for a combination of old, hip and trendy atmosphere. With its heritage buildings and the number of cafes popping out in every corner of this historic area, Tiong Bahru, has become a place for wining and dining if you want to get out of the over-crowding central business district. It’s particularly getting a lot of attention from the so-called “hippies” but it’s not just a place for them, literally anyone can visit this area and have a look on what is going on. First of all, if you are into old buildings and historic sites, then this area is definitely for you. Otherwise, it may be difficult for the “uncultured” to appreciate what is there to see. And if you are willing to shell out an amount that is triple of what you would usually pay in a regular hawker centre, then you should try the ranges of café that you will see here.

The National Heritage Board of Singapore released the TiongBahru Heritage Trail. There are 10 spots that you may choose to look at if you are really keen but if you just want to walk around the place and see what is going on, I made a map that will direct you on walking from the Tiong Bahru MRT Station all the way to Tiong Bahru Estate and its surrounding vicinity. 

Cafes at Tiong Bahru: Flock Café and Tiong Bahru Bakery

Tiong Bahru Bakery

There are many cafes and coffee shops around Tiong Bahru area and if you follow the Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail, you will find a lot of them along the way too. In a span of a half-day to visit Tiong Bahru, I only managed to eat at two restaurants and they are Flock Café and the uber famous Tiong Bahru Bakery.

Flock Café

Situated at entry of the horseshoe-shaped HDB flat, which is considered to be one of the most unique flat and a heritage building in Singapore, Flock Café is one of the must eat places in the area. You won’t miss this place as they have a signage right outside the green grass lawn in front of it. At lunch hour on a weekday, the place is not much crowded which is actually good because you can peacefully eat inside their contemporary-styled café. The crowd at that time is a mixed of foreigners and locals.

I tried their best selling “Banana French Toast with Crispy Bacon” and I ordered a lemon Gryphon tea to help me quench my thirst. I was told that the toast is sweet. And yes it was and the toast was just very delicious and nicely done. The bananas and bacon were mostly added flavour to that delectable French toast.

Bookstores in Town: Singapore

Penguin Books sold in Books Actually

Book stores in Singapore have been declining in an appalling rate. So many major bookstores have closed down like Borders, Page One and Prologue (in Ion Orchard). And I think Prologue’s only branch left (Orchard Central) is also on the verge of closing soon too. Luckily, Kinokuniya, MPH and Popular are still around and surviving. As much as we would like to put the blame on the technological development that is “e-book”, there are still people who prefer going to an actual book store, browse through those timber-smelling pages and savor a story on either a hard or soft-covered books. Aside from those major bookstores, there are still those “specialty bookstores” and I found three of them in Tiong Bahru.

Books Actually

This book store is located in a shop house at Yong Siak Street. The store has a variety of Penguin published books, Singapore published and a small collection of vintage books. They also sell vintage gift items, stationery, postcards and other little stuff.  What I liked about this store is that they sell books that have rare copies. Books are priced almost at the same rate as major book stores in town although the stationery and other gift items are quite pricey but rare to find so it is still worth the price. And I love their caption, "Books Actually Love You".

SG Five Years of Living Issue 1: Singapore Zoo

Singapore. I lived here for five long years and I just love this tiny red dot country in the world map. There are so many good things that happened to me here and I definitely learned a lot here, gained new experiences, developed new friendships and from here, I managed to travel to many beautiful places on earth. I can write so many things about Singapore but I want to talk about their zoos and other animal sanctuaries.

I do not have pet and I do not want to have one in any time soon. I read about the plight of so many activists about the lives of animals in the zoo specifically in other countries. In the Philippines, the battle between the local government and PETA for the freedom of a Sri Lanka-born elephant named Mali is still on going. I found out then that there are many animal care association or groups who fights for the right of these animals to live a normal life and get their freedom from such discarded living condition like the Manila Zoo for example. Mali’s condition, based on what I have read, is getting terrible each day. I remember seeing Mali about 8 or 9 years ago and honestly, I cannot how her condition was but all I know is that Mali is alone in captivity. And to be alone is all but sad.

In Singapore, the zoo is different. I have been to the Singapore Zoo for so many times that I could not count it anymore. And this place is heaven for the animals. The place is definitely clean. The housing condition of the animals is very nice. It is actually better than in the slums that I have elsewhere. And I do believe that the zoo has enough staff, facilities, food and medicines to take care of the animals in their habitat. I could say that the animals here are not in captivity as they do have a first world living condition. Although living in the wild is completely different from living in the zoo. I believe that these animals are still lucky because in this zoo, they are free from any danger that humans can do to them when they are in the wild.

A Special Goal

It was in 2007 when I made a decision to take up a post graduate certificate course on teaching special education. When I took the course, I did not really know what I was putting myself into. My mom wanted me to take up nursing so that when I go the states, I can easily find a job. But then I did not want to take another course for 2 or 3 years. This special education course will only take me 9 months and I can work at the same time because classes were on weekends. So anyway, eventually, I finish the course, took my practicum at St. Coletta Special School then off I flew to Singapore. When I was looking for a job in Singapore, I was willing to take any job just to secure a permit so I can stay there for good. Luckily, I got hired as a Special Needs Teacher in a small school and that was the beginning of my journey on this field.

It was quite a tough job for me but I personally find it rewarding when I get to develop a certain skill on a child and see their progress as I help them every day in school. We all experience hardship in our job but this one is quite different. Not many people really understand how to deal with children with special needs. Luckily I was given the patience to do so and I just did not help them, these kids helped too. I became more aware of the rights of these children and their right to be included as well. And that their disabilities should not come first as they all are, like all of us, human being first before their disabilities. Singapore is a great country for having the best facilities for children with special needs and persons with disabilities (whether physical or mental). Their local government program widely considers the rights of every individual whether you are special or not. But then not everyone understands this accordingly. An example is when a school like us go for a field trip and you will see different reactions from regular people when they see you. It’s all different reactions but so most of my experiences were generally good. People were accepting and helpful but there will be just some who feels like they should not be seen next to them.

I will just give some hilarious examples from people who are just unbelievable when they react towards children with special needs. But now, my goal is to continue to help. Or if I can volunteer, then I will do so. I see myself in this field for good. Maybe there will be a time that I should give myself a little break but I believe this is where I belong, for good.

This is a card written by a parent of my student. This simple note is the kind of simple thought that will make you feel that you did something right. This note is better than receiving a degree or diploma.

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10.22.2013

jigomeister


J Gerald C Legaspi is the Filipino author of akosiherardo.blogspot.com and is currently working and travelling in and around South East Asia but spends most of his time in Jakarta, Manila and Singapore.


#PinoyAbroad
#FilipinosInJakarta
#FilipinosInSingapore
#PinoysInIndonesia
#FilipinoBookCollectorTheLittlePrince

Special Children Are Born To Special People

Wow. Is all I can say to a note left by a couple of stranger for paying the dinner of a family with special child. This is what's nice about the world that despite all the ugly things happening around us, there are still some people who do good deeds without even being asked for it.

I admire you for what you did and I do not know who you are or where you came from or what job you do but that simple action you did has touched not only the family you helped but everyone who has seen that serviette.

I know living in Singapore and I have experienced the "Cold Hard Singapore" treatment as well but despite that branding people have over Singapore, act of random kindness can still be seen.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2013/10/special-children-are-born-to-special-people.html

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jigomeister
10.16.2013


J Gerald C Legaspi is the Filipino author of akosiherardo.blogspot.com and is currently working and travelling in and around South East Asia but spends most of his time in Jakarta, Manila and Singapore.


#PinoyAbroad
#FilipinosInJakarta
#FilipinosInSingapore
#PinoysInIndonesia
#FilipinoBookCollectorTheLittlePrince

Singapore Sling

The day was Saturday, 31^st of May 2008, I was getting ready to catch the last flight of Cebu Pacific to Singapore. The flight was 8:50 PM and arrived in Singapore at approximately 12:20 AM the following day. And from that day on, my venture outside of my home country began. I left Manila quietly with the knowledge of my family and some friends. I wanted to tell my other friends too but then I decided not to. I wanted to wait for the time I settled in Singapore before telling everyone that I moved. Yes I was full of surprises but there were many things that surprised me too during that time. Who would have thought that I would bump into a good friend, well the husband of my good friend, in one of the most awkward places in Singapore? And that friend happened to be unaware of my whereabouts since I left my first job in Christmas of 2006. So then I have to tell everyone on my current diaspora and thank God for social media that reaching out to them made it quite a smooth transition.