The sunny-looking air-conditioned café sure is happiness-inducing. It’s the cheeriest place I have seen in Cambodia! The look of it is all very kawaii (cute), and that’s because it’s run by a Japanese lady! (you like kawaii things? Check out my trip to Japan!)

Here, you would find a whole variety of blended drinks and fresh juices. Boy, are those smoothies thirst-quenching!

Smoothie
US$2
Rating:

The smoothies boast a very consistent icy texture and are the perfect elixir to perk up a weary traveller :) my favourite flavour is lychee! The drinks were so good, we even bought a mango smoothie for Mr. Sohmat.

Café Puka Puka
Road to the Angkor temples
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +855 017 976 660

Opening hours: 10:30am – 7pm daily

People that stop by this place are mostly looking for Madam Sachiko Angkor Cookies, the sister shop next door. If you’re going to or returning from the Angkor temples, look out for this bright yellow signboard:

The moment we entered the shop, the chirpy store attendants served us little glasses of cold lotus tea. They were also super eager to let us sample different jars of cookies!

Angkor cookies
US$12 for a box of 20
Rating:

While other flavours such as black pepper are available, we like these butter cookies the most. They are the most delicate cookies ever! The best part is that they come in the shape of Angkor Wat! What excellent souvenirs these make, if a little pricey. A box of 20 costs US$12, but if you buy two boxes you can get them at US$10 each.

Aside from cookies, the shop also sells chocolates, handicrafts and various knick-knacks. But if you ask me, the Angkor Wat-shaped cookies make the best souvenir. They also come with palm sugar, packed in colourful fabric sachets!

Madam Sachiko Angkor Cookies
Road to the Angkor temples
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +855 012 315 804 / +855 063 964 770
www.angkorcookies.com

Opening hours: 9:30am – 7pm daily

Further down the road is the Angkor National Museum where you can view artifacts and learn more about the ancient Khmer civilisation. If you are like me, you probably know nuts about the Khmer empire. So it’s a good idea to check out this museum before heading to the ruins of Angkor. I have found that learning a little bit of the history behind a place helps me appreciate it better.

May I also add that this is one of the finest buildings you would see in Siem Reap? Each time we passed it on our way to the Angkor temples, the sight of it never failed to wow me.

Before starting our tour, we had to deposit all our belongings at the lockers. Then it’s off to the dark briefing hall where we viewed an introductory video. The video is available in 7 languages — Khmer, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, English, French and Thai — which probably gives an idea of the nationalities breakdown of Siem Reap visitors.

Following our “orientation”, we were ready to embark on our museum exploration! There’s a fixed route to follow through the 8 galleries, arranged in the following order:

• exclusive gallery: 1000 Buddha images
• gallery a: Khmer civilisation
• gallery b: religion and beliefs
• gallery c: the great Khmer kings
• gallery d: Angkor Wat
• gallery e: Angkor Thom
• gallery f: story from stones
• gallery g: ancient costume

I’ll admit it. The steep US$12 admission fee (for foreigners) kinda threw me off at first. But the galleries are so beautifully designed and meticulously arranged, they impressed me from the get-go.

The gallery of 1000 Buddha images showcases, quite literally, a collection of 1000 Buddha statues in various sizes. It reminds me of the Buddha tooth relic temple in Singapore, where hundreds of Buddha relics similarly line the walls.

Just like the statues we had seen in the ruins earlier that day, most of the artifacts here are also missing heads…

And limbs…

And bodies, too!

Such stone inscriptions record important historical events, allowing modern people to better understand the lives and beliefs of the ancient Khmer empire. The language used in the inscriptions also helps preserve the ancient language of the region.

My most favourite part of the museum is the gallery of ancient costume. I love the illusion of the giant tree mural sprouting from a statue.

Other than the handful of tourists, there was also a large group of teenage monks exploring the museum, quietly studying the various relics. What different lives they must lead from the teenagers in Singapore!

Angkor National Museum
968 Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Phoum Salakanseng
Khom Svaydangum
(Road to the Angkor temples)
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +855 63 966 601
www.angkornationalmuseum.com

Opening hours: 9am – 8pm daily
Admission: US$12 for foreigners, US$3 for locals, 50% discount for children

The day had been most rewarding. First, we scrambled through the ruins of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, two of the most breathtaking sights in the world. Then we had ourselves a history lesson on the ancient Khmer empire.

Having worked so hard, it’s time for a well-deserved dinner. Notice that we skipped lunch! The sumptuous buffet breakfast we had at our hotel totally took care of that.

We headed to Le Tigre de Papier at Pub Street, a restaurant that serves both Western and Khmer cuisines. There’s free wi-fi, too, a perk that some of the restaurants have introduced to draw in more customers. Aside from that, the restaurant also holds cooking classes and book exchanges.

But one thing that I certainly didn’t expect to see within the restaurant was an ATM! Isn’t that highly unusual?

Famished, we proceeded to order dish after dish, starting with their popular woodfire oven baked pizza.

It was large and had a thin crust, topped with a whole lot of mozzarella cheese. It was also completely flavourless! I think someone forgot to add any sauce. Having eaten this, I would rather have my Canadian Pizza any day!

The curry chicken lasagna fared much better, although it was still rather ordinary.

The amok was decent. But we’ve had better.

The chicken with basil was forgettable. The restaurant also served other exotic meats such as crocodile and ostrich, but we weren’t too keen on those.

On the whole, I definitely preferred the Khmer restaurants we visited previously. Oh well.

Le Tigre de Papier
Pub Street
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +855 012 659 770 / +855 063 760 930
www.letigredepapier.com

More temples awaited us the following day. We even visited the temple where Angelina Jolie left her footprints from shooting Tomb Raider! Ain’t that awesome? So check back soon!

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A few types of boats ply the river. This “airy” and open kind is probably the cheapest. A boat ride from one bank of the river to the other costs just 3 baht!

With very few seats on board, people usually end up standing around and holding on to the hand rails. It took us to our first destination of the day: Siriraj Hospital, the oldest hospital in Thailand.

If you’re wondering why the heck we’re visiting an old hospital on our vacation, this particular hospital houses six small museums. The one we’re looking for in particular is the forensic museum that showcases various states of human death with actual… Specimens. As far as curiosity goes, we were pretty psyched up about visiting the museum.

(For obvious reasons, photography isn’t allowed here. I did manage to sneak a few photos with the intention of displaying them on this blog. Ultimately, I’ve decided not to. It makes me feel too uncomfortable.)

The exhibition area wasn’t huge. Picture a large room with fluorescent lighting, row after row of glass cabinets with jars of preserved body parts and organs, and that very heavy and gloomy hospital atmosphere. The entrance corridor is lined with photos of people that died from hangings, being mashed in machinery, cut wrists, etc. It was all very depressing.

The saddest sight, though, has got to be the jars of dead babies and fetuses, including some very well-developed ones. One particular jar had an infant that died from drowning. We noticed that someone had left a couple of sweets by its side.

There is also an entire section dedicated to executed criminals (rapist murderers and the likes) with their mummified corpses.

Obviously, the experience wasn’t a pleasant one, but I can’t deny that it was an eyeopener. For those of you that are curious to see exactly what the exhibits look like, here’s a 360 degree view within the exhibition.

Forensic Museum
Siriraj Hospital
2 Prannok Road
Bangkoknoi
Bangkok 10700
Thailand
Tel: +66 2419 7000 (ext. 6363/6440)
www.si.mahidol.ac.th

Nearest pier: Wang Lang

Opening hours: 9am – 4pm (Closed on Sundays)
Admission: 40 baht

You would think that a visit like that would take the appetite out of anyone. But my stomach was rumbling after that. Street hawkers like this were aplenty, but it was at a cosy little restaurant where we had our meal.

A colourful plate of chicken pasta!

I’m a big fan of Thai green curry, although the only version I’ve had was from Lerk Thai. I thought the green curry in Thailand would probably taste different. It was actually very similar to Lerk Thai’s. I guess Lerk Thai does serve authentic Thai food!

Our next destination was the beautiful temple of Wat Arun. This time round, we had to take a different type of river taxi, the Chao Phraya express boat.

Look how crowded it is! The boat is much bigger than the one before and has more seats too.

Even on a boat with passengers almost smashed together, there was someone going around to inspect everyone’s ticket.

From the boat, we saw the silhouette of Wat Arun.

And finally, we arrived at the Temple of Dawn!

The prangs are decorated with thousands of multicoloured porcelain pieces and must have looked magnificent in the temple’s heyday.

This was my second time to the temple. I made my first visit in 2005, though my memories of it are fuzzy at best.

What I do remember vividly are the very steep and scary steps leading up the 80-meter-tall main prang. Not only are the steps narrow, with a width of less than 20 centimeters, each one is easily a foot tall! Aren’t people shorter in the past? They must have had found those steps even more challenging!

Just watch these people struggling up the stairs! I, for one, was terrified! A very narrow landing separates the two flights of stairs. So if anyone was unfortunate enough to trip over, he would probably tumble all the way down!

After braving those killer steps, we reached the balcony where we got a panoramic view of the Chao Phraya River and the surrounding sights. Can you spot the Grand Palace in the distance?

Well, that’s it for the Temple of Dawn!

Wat Arun
34 Arun Amarin Road
Kwang Wat Arun, Khet
Bangkok Yai
Bangkok 10320
Thailand
www.watarun.org

Nearest pier: Tha Tien

Opening hours: 7:30am – 5:30pm daily
Admission: 50 baht

We made our way to the river once more to pamper ourselves with a sumptuous dinner on a cruise. That seems a perfect way to end the day, does it not?

One advantage of cruising along the river is that you get to see many landmarks and bridges, such as the rama VIII bridge. This is a beautiful single tower asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge, easily my most favourite bridge at the Chao Phraya River.

And that’s the Grand Palace.

Of the many dinner cruises available, most are buffets that typically cost a bomb. We picked riverside Bangkok as they offer Thai/chinese ala carte dishes at very reasonable prices.

The cruise is a baby blue double-decker, possibly the biggest passenger boat on the river. It sails off at 8pm, making a trip up and down the river before disembarking at 10:30. That gives diners a nice 2.5 hours on board.

(and no, I did not digitally change the colour. The sky was really that gorgeous shade of pink!)

A colourful balloon arch welcomes people on board. At times the staff would offer to take pictures of passengers standing underneath those balloons.

Both indoor and alfresco dining are available. Seats for the alfresco area are the first to run out so it’s better to make your reservations fast! We neglected to make advance reservations and sat indoors instead.

A live band entertains the diners on the stage, which transforms into a disco dance floor during the later part of the night.

Our first chang beer!

For starters, we ordered my favourite chicken satay. The gravy is quite similar to the satay peanut gravy in Singapore.

What’s different is that slices of toasted bread are served instead of the lontong (rice cakes) that we are familiar with.

A surprise find on the extensive menu was the roasted duck in coffee sauce. It reminds me of the delicious coffee pork ribs at Tung Lok zhou’s kitchen. Sure enough, there’s the same delicious coffee aroma, although I would have enjoyed it better if it was chicken.

I thought the shrimp in coconut cream would be something like the one at mustard, where the prawns are served in a whole coconut. (coconuts are all over Bangkok!) I felt a tinge of disappointment when it came in a small bowl. Still, the shrimp tasted great — sweet and creamy with a touch of spice. Yum.

The fried pork ribs were dry and stiff — not good. It convinced me that ribs are never meant to be fried.

But anyhow, the main cool thing about being on a dinner cruise is that you get an ever-changing scenic view. You can stand by the railing and feel the breeze in your hair. You can even fly like jack and rose if you wish.

There are easily a dozen bridges stretching across the river banks, and each time the cruise passed underneath one, all on board would erupt in cheers just for the heck of it :)

Bangkok is not exactly a dense skyscraper city. You don’t really get to see the grandeur of a brightly lit skyline unlike other urban cities.

We did spot the golden dome of the state tower. It felt surreal to see it from so far away when we were just there the night before, having a couple of drinks at Sirocco the rooftop bar.

That’s the Temple of Dawn again. It looks magnificent even at night.

Riverside Bangkok
195 Ratchawithi Road
Bangkok 10700
Thailand
Tel: +66 2883 1588

Nearest pier: Krung Thon Bridge

Dinner hours: 8pm – 10:30pm
Admission: 120 baht

Once again, this was a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding day. All the places we visited are on the West bank of the river. There was a mild scare when none of the taxis we flagged down were willing to take us back to our hotel in the main land of Bangkok and it was getting pretty late by then. But eventually one did agree. Phew!

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This time round, what attracted my attention was this purple, bizarre-looking pastry which resembles some sea creature that I can’t quite put a name to. It’s fluffy and yam-flavoured, and tasted surprisingly good! The waitress even warmed it up for us! I was so in love I wanted to buy a couple more to bring back to our hotel.

We noticed that the café was crowded with Westerners. Actually most of MBK was crowded with Westerners. Compared to Singapore, it sure seems like Bangkok is much more popular with the Western expatriates!

This strawberry sundae was bought from KFC. (or was it McDonald’s?) notice the oreo cookie on top and the layer of oreo bits in the middle. It was yummy!

And with that, we were ready to brave the hot weather and travel to our first destination: Thailand Cultural Centre. To get there, we took the BTS skytrain to silom station and made a transfer to the MRT line. It’s something like our northeast line, except that it’s not quite as seamless — you have to fully exit one line before you can use the other.

Besides being newer than the BTS skytrain system and fully underground, the MRT line is also pretty darn strict. Just check out all their rules!

I distinctly remember 4 years ago when I tried to bring in a balloon. A security guard stopped me and promptly pointed to the “no balloons” sign. I was so amused they even have a sign for that!

What’s also amusing is that 4 years later, they are still using these round black easy-to-lose tokens as ticket passes. Instead of scanning cards at the sensor gates, you scan these tokens!

We exited from the Thailand Cultural Centre MRT station and soon realised that the name of the station is misleading as the Thailand Cultural Centre is nowhere near it. It was sort of a blind 20-minute walk for us as there was hardly any sign to guide the way. The map we had was mostly useless too. In that hot and sunny weather, the long walk really kills! So everybody, do pack your sunblock for such trips.

Along the way, we saw familiar names like carrefour hypermarket and robinson department store.

Finally, we reached the Thailand Cultural Centre, a quiet and tranquil place that resembles a university.

If not for the odd number of people that walked past occasionally, the place seemed peaceful, almost deserted.

These wooden rocking chairs put a whole new meaning to the term “wheelchair”!

Our main purpose in dropping by the cultural centre was to visit the thai life permanent exhibition. It showcases the traditions and history of Thai civilisation, something like the Asian civilisations museum in Singapore.

From the exterior, the exhibition hall appears deceptively small. But the actual exhibition area is large, divided into five topical areas:

1. evolution of the Thai nation
2. rice and the Thai way of life
3. thai language and literature
4. thailand and the world
5. heroic deeds and major events in Thai history

The museum targets students, researchers and locals, which explains why the exhibits have descriptions in Thai with minimal English translations. I did enjoy the miniature models very much (probably the same reason why I love polly pockets and lego).

The models above depict the varying physical attributes of housing in the different parts of Thailand.

Barges out at sea.

The models come in handy in illustrating certain things accurately, particularly those that are hard to explain clearly in words. For instance, I had always thought that when carrying such sedan chairs, the two guys in front would walk side by side, likewise for the two at the back. But the model shows otherwise.

The streets of Thailand gradually opening up to foreigners.

In this exhibit, the trading routes of Thailand in the past are lit, including the silk road of China.

If you have visited the Grand Palace, you would find this familiar. This is a miniature Wat phra kaeo, the temple of the emerald Buddha on the palace grounds.

The royal ploughing ceremony. Do you know what this ceremony is for?

These Thai inscriptions looked really cool and mysterious (mostly because I have no idea what they mean). It’s also here in the Thai language and literature section where the curator came out and had a chat with us. He said that he has visited Singapore before and was impressed with our Asian civilisations museum! He also kindly offered to write our names in Thai script :)

The painting portrays the nine Thai kings of the chakri dynasty, from the first king naresuan to the current king bhumibol adulyadej (rama IX). I also noticed that King Rama VIII (on the bottom right) was very handsome. Little did we realise that we were about to learn so much more about them in our following visit to the Bangkok National Museum.

Thai Life Permanent Exhibition Hall
Thailand Cultural Centre
Ratchadapisek Road
Bangkok 10320
Thailand
Tel: +66 0 2247 0028 (ext. 4223/4224)
www.culture.go.th

Nearest MRT: Thailand Cultural Centre

Opening hours: 9:30am – 4:30pm (Closed on weekends & PH)
Admission: Free

To get to the bangkok National Museum, we had to take a taxi as it has no skytrain or MRT station nearby. Once again, here’s a reminder to all: always make sure the driver uses the meter!

The Bangkok National Museum is the main branch of all the National Museums in Thailand.

A small café within the museum grounds sells drinks and beer to visitors, so that’s where we sat down for a cappuccino.

Just like the Thai life exhibition previously, miniature models are also featured heavily in this museum. The Thais must love this form of exhibition mechanism. So do i!

Many of the models depicting battles are tributes to king naresuan the great, the fearless warrior king that fought and won numerous battles.

Here’s one of the city of Ayutthaya, the former capital of Thailand with parts that now lay in ruins. It’s surrounded by a moat of water, with an elaborate network of rivers that run through the city.

Thinking back, I wish I had visited this museum before making my trip to Ayutthaya in ’04. It certainly would have helped me appreciate the place more, having learned a bit more about its history. Moreover, it would have made a whole lot of sense why I had to cross the river back then.

More Thai inscriptions.

A pipe with a lion’s head and a pistol in the shape of a, uh, snake-like creature. Aren’t these cool?

An entire section that takes up more than half the museum is dedicated to the nine kings of Thailand in the chakri dynasty. There are detailed descriptions, life stories and relics of each king. King viii, in particular, became king at the tender age of 9! He also died young when he was assassinated at age 21. Following his sudden death, his brother, the current King Rama IX, was crowned.

It’s obvious that the Thais hold the king with great respect. Even without having to visit the museum, I have learned from my Thai friends and the media that the king is very much loved, especially for the way he cares for his people. He is also currently the world’s longest-serving head of state.

Unlike the Thai life exhibition that appears small on the outside but is huge on the inside, the National Museum is the reverse; it is housed in a nice building but the actual exhibition is pretty small. Still, it’s a great place to learn about the basics of Thai history and the nine Thai kings from past to present.

Bangkok National Museum
Naphra That Road
Bangkok 10200
Thailand
Tel: +66 2224 1404
www.thailandmuseum.com

Opening hours: 9am – 4pm (Closed on Mon, Tue & PH)
Admission: Adults 40 baht

Outside the museum, we spotted a nice-looking bus stop. It was very eye-catching as it was particularly green, with potted plants stacked in rows.

It certainly was refreshing!

Not too far away, there was also an entire street of roadside stalls selling one common thing: Buddhist amulets. Wow! Do they actually make profits? Everyone is selling the exact same thing!

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(I really like this sculpture of a little girl pulling her Daddy towards the main entrance of the museum. Yes, this is also the place where I found the cute cat sculpture!)

It is a good idea to start touring the museum from the ground floor gallery. Here, you would learn about the origins of the Peranakans as larger-than-life-sized portraits of Peranakans surround you.

So who are the Peranakans? When merchants and travellers came to Southeast Asia centuries ago, many settled down here and started families with the locals. Their descendants are the Peranakans, who developed a new hybrid culture with Chinese, Malay, Indian and European influences.

Once you are better acquainted with the origins of the Peranakans, advance to the second floor. Four galleries occupy this entire level, with a focus on the 12-day traditional Peranakan wedding. This was an elaborate affair that started from the time the bride left her parents’ home to when she moved in with her new in-laws.

In this display of a wedding chamber, the antique ranjan kahwain (wedding bed) is decorated with ornate carvings of fertility symbols, intricate embroidery and colourful tassels.

Here’s one customary tradition that I find particularly interesting. Before the wedding, a young boy from a family with many sons would be asked to roll across the bed three or four times. It was believed that this way, his “male energy” would increase the new bride’s chances of having baby boys.

Such multi-tiered gold pagoda trays are unique pieces used in the gift-exchanging practice between families of the bride and groom, a significant ritual during the wedding.

Photo by Soo Ching

Nonyas (Chinese Peranakan women) are well-known for their skillfulness in embroidery and beadwork. A Nonya bride was often judged on her needlework before she was fully accepted by her new family. This is why from a young age, Nonyas had to devote long hours to perfecting their techniques.

At the museum, a whole section has been dedicated to these intricate crafts. On display are beadwork slippers, beadwork slipcases, beadwork tablecloths, beadwork vases and more!

This colourful beadwork wedding purse features deer and dragon motifs. Not only are the glass beads minuscule (typically imported from Europe), thousands of them have been painstakingly threaded together to create the densely beaded design. It would have taken a Peranakan woman of exceptional skill, not to mention time and effort, to make this purse!

To celebrate the opening of the Peranakan Museum, SingPost (Singapore’s designated provider of domestic and international postal services) has issued the world’s first beaded stamp based on this very purse, featuring caviar beads that are hand-pasted. How exquisite! It makes a really pretty souvenir, don’t you think?

And here’s the famous sarong kebaya! This still remains the attire of choice for Nonyas today. Made from an assortment of batik, embroidery, beadwork, silk, satin and organdy, these long-sleeved blouses are the result of a blend of various cultural influences.

Over the years, the silhouette of the sarong kebaya has changed from being loose-fitting to one that better accentuates the womanly figure. The most famous kebaya is probably the one worn by the SIA flight stewardesses!

As an affluent community, the Peranakans certainly spared no expense in acquiring such ornate gold jewellery! These gold tangkal (amulets) were more than just ornamental; they also served to protect the wearer from evil forces and malicious spirits.

Look closely and you would notice that a few of these are in the shape of the bagua (octagon). The bagua is a significant daoist symbol that represents balance between positive and negative cosmic forces. Word has it that this is also why the Singapore $1 coins bear the same shape. But let’s leave that story for another day, shall we?

Moving on to my most favourite part of the museum — the Religious Gallery. Traditionally Peranakans embraced a mixture of religious beliefs from China, such as Daoism, Buddhism, ancestral and spiritual worship. As they interacted with the British colonial rulers, many converted to Catholicism.

Judging from the carvings on the frame, this large piece of ornate furniture was originally a Daoist altar. When the owners converted to Catholicism, it was reused as a catholic altar with the addition of a central catholic devotional image of the Holy Family.

What you see here is the new testament in the Peranakan language of Baba Malay. Despite its long history — it was published in Singapore in 1913 — what really intrigues me is the next exhibit.

This ornamented mid-size crucifix is undoubtedly one of the museum’s rarest artifacts, if not the rarest. Crafted out of rosewood with mother-of-pearl inlays, it holds a sacred relic of the true cross. Yes, that’s the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Fragments of the cross were distributed after it was found in the early 4th century, one of which is now contained in this crucifix.

Within this same gallery at the end of a dark corridor, you should notice a mirror on which a rather unsettling large red X is taped. You may wish to turn away, for this leads to a gloomy room decked out like a Peranakan funeral wake. There’s even a real coffin decorated with a colourful embroidered cover, complete with background sounds of mourners.

“The coffin is actually not empty, we’ve put some wood inside, because our belief is that a coffin cannot be left empty or it calls for someone,” says Randall Ee, a curator at the museum.

Ahem, that’s a little too creepy for me! Now, how about something a little less gloomy?

These colourful containers are kamchengs (covered containers used for storing food, drinking water and desserts), the most recognised form of Nonyaware. While Chinese utensils tend to be plainly decorated with pale colours, Nonyaware is distinguished by their vivid enameled tints on a brilliantly-coloured background, with auspicious phoenix and peony motifs.

“The Chinese wanted to appreciate the whiteness on their porcelains because it tells you of the quality of the firing, but the Peranakans appreciated the colour and the form — not so much the porcelain — so their porcelain is completely covered with colour,” Ee explained.

Kamchengs of this size were very rare and could only be afforded by the wealthiest Peranakan families. Notice how the lid is topped with a finial in the shape of a qilin (a Chinese mythical animal)? I find this detail very cute!

So far we have seen many treasured antiques of the Peranakans. But there are also modern exhibits such as contemporary paintings. Kenson Kwok, the museum director says, “We don’t want the museum to be seen just as a celebration of the past. It is also a record of the present, and we have tried to look at the taste of the Peranakan and re-interpret it in a contemporary way.”

Adoring the Phoenix is a pair of acrylic paintings done by local artist Desmond Sim in 2007. Set on oval-shaped canvases, the artist has chosen to paint this in the rich, vivid colours favoured by the Peranakans. Once again, there’s the peony and the phoenix, two recurring elements in Peranakan arts.

A temporary exhibition titled “Junk to Jewels” showcases personal items on loan from several Peranakan families. Exhibits include toys, kueh ku (a type of Peranakan cake) moulds, recipe books, beadwork items, wedding shoes from the 1900s and jewellery.

Each exhibit comes complete with its own personal story, allowing us to better relate to the objects and understand the lives of the Peranakans.

The gold jewellery are characterised by their finely-detailed patterns, as seen in this gold brooch.

The beautiful sarong kebaya in a combination of purple and green. On the right is the traditional wedding garment made of heavily embroidered silk worn by the Nonya brides. It is adorned with pairs of phoenixes and peonies.

As a fan of jigsaw puzzles, I find the unusual Zag-Zaw picture puzzle particularly intriguing. The pieces are hand-cut into irregular shapes, much unlike modern puzzles. To top it all, the puzzle do not come with any guide or illustration, making it extremely difficult to assemble. From the little story, it seems that no one in the family has managed to put the pieces together. I wonder if we can still find this anywhere today? I would love to give it a go!

So, are you ready to immerse yourself in the colourful world of the Peranakans? Take a trip to this vibrant museum. There are simply so many beautiful aspects of this vibrant ethnic culture, so many discoveries to make, you will be enchanted in no time.

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These days, my stamp collecting has taken a backseat due to work commitment. Still, once in a while I do love to make a trip to the Singapore Philatelic Museum. A visit there is like a journey back in history. Every stamp tells a story. Through these stamps, we learn delicious nuggets of information of Singapore’s heritage and culture over the years.

In addition to its permanent exhibitions, the museum holds temporary thematic exhibitions to keep things fresh and exciting. This being the year of the rat, they have a thematic exhibition going on called “a rat’s tale”, showcasing rat-themed stamps. My, that’s not a very appealing theme, is it? But being a stamp lover who is also born in the year of the rat, I feel compelled to pay a visit!

For such a specific theme, the stamps featured are surprisingly vast, comprising of zodiac rats, literature rats and — my favourite — adorable cartoon rats! Ratatouille, anyone?

A rat’s tale is a rather small-scale exhibition, occupying just a second level room in this colonial building. To guide visitors, the route to this room is marked with little details. Look carefully and you would see pictures of cute mice scurrying past walls, peeking out from their holes, or peering over a step on the staircase. I find it a very nice touch!

The exhibition room is decked out in bright, vivid colours that would appeal to children. One part of it even has a cheese theme!

As promised, assorted rat-themed stamps from all around the world are showcased, along with interesting bits of information about them.

For kawaii and colourful stamps, we can always look to the Japanese! These stamps even have serial numbers. I wonder what function they serve. Anyone?

Not to be outdone, Korea has also released some very adorable stamps! One of my favourites is this stamp issued during the Christmas and new year period. It features a happy rat and a smiling snowman! Sweet!

Another of my favourites from Korea — a soft-coloured stamp depicting a cat and a rat.

Doesn’t this triangular stamp look unusual? Issued by cuba in 1996, it is the first odd-shaped stamp in the world to feature the Chinese zodiac. That’s sure to be a minority!

This set of stamps from venezuela features several different animals. I especially like the middle one in the second row, which has a bee and a mouse sitting underneath the stars.

There are even literature mice, such as these from the tales of beatrix potter. (gotta admit the only tale I have heard of is that of peter rabbit.) I absolutely love the soft pastel colours. Does anyone know where I can get hold of this to add to my collection? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Oh by the way, don’t be alarmed if you noticed little pairs of eyes peeking at you during the exhibition. They are just stuffed mice! Again, a really nice, nifty touch of detail.

Moving on to cartoon rats and mice! The most famous of them all have got to be…

…mickey and Minnie!

Speaking of Disney-themed stamps, I have dozens of these in my own stamp collection too. I used to be so crazy about them! Besides these, there are also stamps depicting antique Disney toys. Now, that’s a rather unique theme.

Here’s another world-famous mouse, Jerry, as in tom and Jerry. It’s amazing how a tiny little stamp can say so much about the personality of these two famous cartoon characters.

Bright and colourful!

Well, that’s it for the showcase of my favourite stamps from the exhibition, as well as those that I find unusual. Whether or not you are fond of rats, I think you would find something interesting and new in this exhibition!

Just remember: no cats are allowed! Meow!

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Personally, I love museums and art galleries. I visited 4 of them (civil defence heritage gallery, Singapore Philatelic Museum, Singapore art museum, museum of Shanghai toys) during the interNational Museum day last year. Boy, that was one eye-opening experience!

I mean, you would think that Singapore, being such a small country and a relatively young nation, there wouldn’t be anything particularly interesting or new that you haven’t known of. But after visiting the four museums last year, I learned so much! Read more about my enriching experience!

Currently, I am also a friend of yesterday.sg, a local website set up by enthusiasts who blog about Singapore heritage and culture. I have contributed a few posts over there, and I think that the website would be a good read for people that are interested in local museums!

Since I started working, I haven’t had time to visit as many museums or galleries as I’d like. Other than gushing at the adorable kitty paintings in catmasutra, watching the remarkable kurt wenner draw live at the National Museum, and more recently, exploring the little known HDB gallery at my current workplace, I simply stopped visiting museums altogether!

The interNational Museum day would be a good time to start visiting again. Read walter’s post for more on what you can see, hear, taste, feel or do during the next 10 days! I’m going to make it a point to check out a few museums and galleries. If anyone’s keen to join me, drop me a note! I promise to be nice.

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]]> 7 http://sparklette.net/lifestyle/event/mobile-homes-asian-civilisations-museum/ http://sparklette.net/lifestyle/event/mobile-homes-asian-civilisations-museum/#comments Sat, 10 Jun 2006 15:46:55 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=397

We were at the Asian Civilisations Museum yesterday, marking my second visit to the museum at Empress Place. Currently they have an exhibition that showcases the mobile tents and shelters of Asian nomads.

From my first visit to the museum, I remember it as being both visually and structurally appealing. The exhibits and artefacts sprawl three levels, with many stations that play videos pertaining to the exhibits. There was even a video projection on the floor that I thought was rather creative!

Moving on to the artefacts, I used to think that ancient Chinese emperors wore only yellow garments. But there was a particular cloak, adorned with clouds and dragons, in snow white colour! It looked huge too.

This monumental Buddha was missing its torso. It came from the 1368-1644 time period.

The porcelain ewer, or pitcher, came from the yuan period (1279-1368). It was beautifully crafted and incised with Chinese characters, 天下太平 (world peace). I like it a lot! Despite being so old, it was in pristine condition. With the four decorative holes, how it held any tea or wine is beyond my grasp.

Due to its multiple arms, we thought this guanyin (goddess of mercy) statue from North vietnam looked more like a fusion of Buddhism and Hinduism.

This book that originates from North sumatra in Indonesia contains text that is every bit as potent as it looks. It has magical spells, oracles, medicinal recipes, and instructions for performing rituals and various magic cures. Sounds like pretty lethal stuff!

Moving on, the museum has a huge section dedicated to qur’ans. They come in all forms and sizes and a wide range of colours.

My favourite is this 12th century qur’an from North Africa. The calligraphy is written in gold, and has somehow survived over the centuries. The gold still looks shiny and new! The letters have been accented in dark brown ink to make them more legible.

The script on this qur’an section is also written in gold, and enclosed within cloud designs.

Even more impressive is this particular qur’an manuscript. Instead of being written, the calligraphy has been painstakingly cut out! The aim is to make the cut-off resemble the calligrapher’s handwriting exactly, and requires great skill and precision.

The asma’ al-husna (ninety-nine names of Allah) is considered a source of blessing. Each one has been written onto the centre of a page, and adorned with colourful geometric designs.

This marble tombstone comes from the 9th century. It has been elaborately engraved with Islamic wordings, although elaborate tombstones are traditionally frowned upon.

Mobile Homes Exhibition

“All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost.”
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

The exhibition showcases the dwellings of nomads from central and West Asia.

Mongol people were expert horsemen trained to ride from young age. Perhaps the most famous of them all would be Genghis Khan. The mongol yurt is called a ger (pronounced “gair”). At its centre is where the stove would be typically located. The back of the yurt is reserved for the most respected or eldest person.

Funnily enough, the Turkish tent does not appear to have any sort of covering over the front, like anyone is free to waltz into the tent any time! It looks as though it can be set up within five minutes.

The turkmen yurt, called the oy, looks the best out of the group. The new ones are called aq oy (white tent) when the felt mats are still clean and white. Eventually they turn black from the smoke of the fire burning within the yurt, and these old tents are then called qara oy (black tent). How cute!

The walls of the yurt are covered with panels of bamboo screens. The entrance is beautifully decorated with multi-coloured woven bands embroidered in different patterns. Within the yurt, there are three sections — one for the women (with the baby cradle, cooking utensils and such), one for the men(with ropes and weapons), and a place of honour that faces the entrance.

Overall, I was largely disappointed by the scale of this exhibition. I had fully expected a huge array of tents that come in various sizes, materials and colours, with different functionalities and perhaps the ways they have changed over the centuries. But there were perhaps just three or four noteworthy tents. The modern tent on loan from NUS’ sports society doesn’t count! For an exhibition spanning three months, it was one of extremely small scale.

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