Biennale 2006 in Singapore

Hey everybody!

Singapore's inaugural Biennale showcasing artists from around the world will begin in under 2 days' time.
Check out the website:

BELIEF is the theme this year and the exhibition will run from 4th September to 12th November 2006.

Exhibitions will be taking place all over the island, so don't miss out on the fun!

Ayam Buah Keluak

Lest you think I'm French, here're some photos which serve as a tutorial in making Ayam Buah Keluak, a quintessentially Peranakan dish, which takes hours to make properly from scratch.

1. Soak the Buah Keluak for at least 3 days with regular change of water in between, remembering to brush the nuts clean of dirt.

2. Use a chisel and hammer to create a hole in the rectangular base of the nut so that (a) it doesn't shatter (b) the hole is big enough for you to scoop out the contents, mix the contents with marinated pork and (c) big enough for you to put the stuffing back in.

3. Fry the rempah that you have pounded till it is fragrant and the oil oozes out.

4. Fry the chicken and/or pork in the rempah till partially cooked, then add

5. the tamarind juice that you have prepared

6. add the stuffed Buah Keluak nuts and

7. simmer till the dish is cooked.

Cite de la Musique, Paris

Cite de la Musique is located in Paris at Metro station: Porte de Pantin. You cannot miss the stop because the station is decorated with mosaics of musical notes.

The great thing about this museum is that they provide earphones through which you can listen to a commentary at every section, together with a recording of music played on the actual instruments in the cases.

The sheer scope of the collection is astounding. If you are a student or lover of music, I suggest you spend at least half a day there.

I uploaded a few photos of the marvellous collection of antique western instruments showing their evolution to modern ones. There is a section with unusual instruments as well as Oriental and African instruments. One panel illustrated the evolution of musical notation.

My pet instrument, the oboe, has a case to itself. The photo next to it shows the tools used to make oboe reeds.

The next photo shows a really special extra-large double-bass with pedals...... all you double-bassists out there - what do you think?

The Video of the Cellist, at long last.

Cellist @ Place des Vosges, Paris

This was shot using a Nikon Coolpix S5 camera

Surprise recital @ Cite de la Musique

This duet was a lovely surprise during my visit to the Parisian Musical Instruments Museum - Cite de la Musique. Initially, I thought the beautiful music was a recording, but I discovered the musicians when I turned the corner. Check out the fantastic music performed on these antique restored instruments. These musicians are excellent!

Waterlily pond @ Monet's garden, Giverny

This is what Monet's pond is like in summer. Can you identify which bird is singing? If you can, send me the answer in the comments section

Monet's Garden @ Giverny in Normandy, France

I spent an entire day at Monet's Garden in Giverny in June this year. The weather was fantastic. The water lilies in his pond open up with time. They're half-closed in the morning and bloom fully by midday. In addition, birds were singing somewhere in the trees - I'll be grateful if any of you can identify the birdsong in the movie. The fragrance of honeysuckle on the fences perfumed the little lane that ran around the pond. Check out the photos.

At the Place des Vosges, Paris

The standard of buskers in Paris is remarkable. Listen to this cellist playing under the arches of the Place des Vosges... When will our local buskers ever reach this standard? Perhaps the rules on whom can or cannot busk can be relaxed... but then again, where in Singapore can we easily find someplace with great acoustics? Perhaps the Singapore Art Museum? Just a thought...

N.B. I am having a problem with the video of the cellist on Youtube. Will post once the kinks are ironed out.

Take time to smell the roses

I recently took these pictures of roses in bloom at the Marche aux fleurs next to the Notre Dame de Paris and at Le Marais district in the Jewish quarter of Paris. Their fragrance was heavenly. Feast your eyes on them... Once in a while, merely smelling roses is a lovely way to spend an entire day.