a Local Weekend

For three days Baybeats rocked the Esplanade, a Southeast Asian indie musical treat. I took in the sounds of groups from across the region, from Singaporean Bear Culture to Filipino Turbo Goth, Indonesian Bangkutaman to Japanese Buddhistson. It was immensely ecclectic, with some acoustic sets, some electronic, some genuine rock, and some heavier (but not quite metal) bands. Suffice to say, I had an awesome time.

Also at the Esplanade (a place I am quickly coming to love and will likely frequently visit) were a series of art exhibitions. The one pictured is titled In the air, and is composed of numerous figures knit out of steel wire and suspended from the ceiling. Another, called Circus of Life, depicted local stories from the elderly through marionettes. Another was a series of makeshift walls with work by various graffiti artists, including a tribute wall to Amy Winehouse.

I finished up the weekend at the Night Safari, a sort of guided zoo tour that takes place at night. Obviously. Before we embarked on our adventures through the trails, though, we watched a performance by fire blowers in stylized traditional tribal costume. As wicked cool as that was to see, it was nothing compared to the incarnate glory of the bear cat. I want one. They smell like popcorn, though I'm not quite sure I understand why. Still, popcorn scented bear cat! Do want!

In the vein of wanting things, I've got one such item crossed off my list: a Formula One Singapore Grand Prix ticket. That's right, I finally forked out the big bucks for a ticket to the race (the real race, not the time trials or any of that fluff). I don't get a spot in the grandstands, but I'll have access to almost all the performances, including the finale Linkin Park concert. Night time race in Marina Bay? Worth every penny!



first and second photos by me, third photo by See this World through Lenses, fourth photo by Roro Fernandez. more photos on Flickr