For the birds at the Singapore River - Singapore
Ooh. A first post is so intimidating! Hi!
This won't be my only Singapore entry. We moved to Singapore in the summer of 2017, and it will be our home for a little while, so we have lots of opportunity for Singapore adventures. I'm going to put them out there in digestible bites, organized into stuff you can do in a morning or an afternoon.
First I want to take you to one of my favorite places in Singapore--the River. It's rich with history and lively, as it's still the business district of the country, and it's beautiful, in the whole urban gorgeousness kind of way. Whether you're of the school of history that Singapore was largely uninhabited until the 1800s or the school that there was an established trading post along the river dating at least to the 1300s (that's my team), the Singapore River is the heart of the city. The energy alone merits a visit, and the beautiful views make for must-take snaps. You can definitely have a wander around the area, if you like, but I have a couple of destination suggestions.
We'll start in the Raffles Place MRT; follow the signs for exit H. You'll probably want to have a small amount of cash for today's adventure; there are cash machines in the MRT station. On your way out, grab a snack if you need one. There's a fruit stall to the left after your second set of escalators that serves juices and cut fruit, and three chunks of watermelon for $2 is a great morning snack.
Turn right as you come blinking off the MRT escalator into the light; the Singapore River is right in front of you. Walk to the river, then turn left. In less than a minute, you can't miss the giant bird statue looming over you. Sit on a bench nearby and have a snack, if you like, or just enjoy the statue.
Bird, by Fernando Botero.
I'm a superfan of public art. Even if I weren't, I don't think I could resist this sculpture. Fernando Botero is a still-living Latin-American artist known for his bold paintings and voluptuous bronze sculptures. Bird was made in 1990, and signifies "the joy of living and the power of optimism." I like that Bird is completely pettable--feel free to lift your kids up to stroke the smooth bronze. You'll see where thousands of others have done so and worn off a bit of the dark patina of the metal. The artist says that for him, "Rotundity in art is linked to pleasure," and I definitely find both the visual and tactile roundness of the this peace very pleasing.
Interesting fact for grown-ups: Botero donated a similar statue to his birthplace, Medellin, Columbia, in the mid-90s, which was badly in a bombing in June of 1995. The artist said to leave the damaged sculpture in place, and donated a second statue. The pair remain in place, a few yards apart, as a monument to violence and peace.
Interesting fact for kids: Bird is anatomically correct. Walk around the statue--the bird has a butt. I might already be losing readers, but look, if you spend any time at all with children, you know that body parts and bodily functions, especially the word b-u-t-t, are hilarious. I guarantee giggles when your kids spot the bird's pertinent part. And this doesn't have to be merely scatalogical; I've got some real information for you! Did you know that a bird's butt is called a cloaca; it is the orifice for the urinary, digestive, AND reproductive systems for birds. Just one spot. Learn from me: do NOT tell your children that chickens excrete from the same place they lay eggs, or, after some thought about the implications of that, your squeamish child may refuse to eat eggs ever again. DO tell them, if you think they'd be interested, that scientists have learned that some birds use the cloaca to regulate their body temperature, the same way people regulate their body temperature by sweating.
Or just take some pictures with the cute statue's cute face and adorable chubby toes, and frolic on. Totally your choice.
There is an abundance of public art in the area--head back the way you came along the river, toward the bridge you see up ahead. You'll pass a sculpture of some workers with a traditional bullock cart that people love to take selfies with, some bronze children jumping into the river for a swim by a Singaporean artist and called First Generation, and see if you can spot the family of bronze kitties by the bridge.
Cross Cavenagh bridge, the oldest existing bridge across the Singapore River, enjoying how old and cool it is, if you like. It's one of only two suspension bridges of its kind in the word. Stand at the middle and look back the way you came, you're looking at Boat Quay, where you can head later for lunch or dinner, if you want, the former trading heart of the city. The curve of the River here and the row of shophouses of the Quay is one of Singpore's iconic sights. When you've had as long a look as your kids will allow, head to the big yellow building right in front of the bridge.
Asian Civilisations Museum
Key Info
Hours: 10a-7pm, daily
Admission: $20 per person over 6, $60 per family of 5, non-Singapore citizens or PR
Lockers: Behind the admission desk. 20 or 50 cent coin for rental, returnable.
Best Toilets: Find the cafe. Go down the spiral stairs (or elevator next to them) into the basement, then though the double doors. Spacious, clean, accessible bathroom with changing tables to your left.
Website
I'll admit to having a soft spot for this museum; the first time I visited Singapore, I spent a few peaceful, cool hours here after wandering around, unbearably hot, looking for the famous Merlion, and now I'm a guide at the museum. However, I do think it's a fun, and often overlooked spot for kids. There are kids' activity guides in the brochure stands to your right as you enter the museum, or they'll have them at the admission desk. 45 minute tours are offered at 11am and 2pm daily, and I can testify that guides are trained to cater to kids. There's also a smartphone app that will guide you to museum highlights.
If you're not in the mood for the activity kit or a tour, the museum is small enough to not get overwhelmed, but large enough to not get bored. I recommend starting with the Tang Shipwreck Gallery; you can't go wrong with cool stuff found at the bottom of the ocean. Looking through the virtual reality viewer what everything looked like before it was excavated is probably worth a bit of a wait. See if your kids can spot where the sailors used the bathroom in the model of the ship.
If your kids like a mission, set them to check the museum's artifacts for animals. In the Shipwreck Gallery alone, there are birds, jaguars, dragons, fish, turtles, and a mythical animal called a Makara, a composite animal with the body of a fish, and sometimes an elephant's trunk and crocodile jaws. See if your kids can "collect" five different birds before you leave (it's possible), or if they can read the tags on the artifacts, see if they can find animals from things made in five different places. There's a great bench in the gallery where they can sit and sketch what they've found (or whatever else takes them); they'll have paper and pencil at the admission desk. Don't miss the cups equipped with built-in straws possibly for drinking wine through your nose (I know!), and next to the Shipwreck Gallery, see if you can find the barred door to what used to be the vault when the historic building, built in , used to be government offices.
You have time for another gallery or two before you go; the Trade Gallery next to the Shipwreck Gallery has lots of neat ceramic objects in different shapes and colors, and upstairs the Ancient Religions gallery is full of objects with stories from the world's great religions.
As much as I love this museum, admission is more than I'd want to spend for an hour or so of entertainment. If you're in Singapore for a few days and you have kids that you'd really like to get a good introduction to Asian culture and history, or insight into trade in the region, a visit is definitely worth it. If you're a parent of kids under 6 and you need a cool place out of the rain to wander and have grown up-thoughts for a while, I'd call this worth your $20. If you'll be in Singapore for a year or more, I'd recommend looking into a Friends of the Museums family membership that will you get you admission to all the local museums for a year for $120. And if none of these ifs are your if, skip it and just look at sculpture outside for free.
After the museum, head outside. There's a really nice shaded green space in front of the museum where you can let your kids run for a bit. The shiny silver balls in the grass are art AND a fun photo op--the balls contain speakers which play the sounds of Singapore.
Most days, there's a cart by the bridge (we respectfully call older men Uncle in Singapore; the man with the cart is our friendly Ice Cream Uncle) that sells ice cream. One of my favorite Singapore treats is a chunk of cold mango ice cream from the Uncle; he'll cut you off a slice and you can choose if you'd like to hold it between two thin wafer cookies, called biscuits in British style, or wrapped in a piece of soft bread. Either way, it's just a dollar. If you're adventurous, you can try Durian ice cream, but plain old vanilla is just as charming and cooling a treat. Uncle also sells bottled water.
Nearby Food:
The cafe in the Museum, Prive, has good coffee and decent food, though a little elaborate for kids.
Boat Quay (pronounced KEY) is the row of shophouses along the river, back across the Cavanagh Bridge and past Bird. There IS a McDonalds in the first shop, if you 're in need. No judgement here. The whole row is restaurants, and most of them are drinking spots, so be aware of the vibe if you're there close to happy hour.
The Burger Bar is only a few shops into the stretch, and you can eat in their outdoor section overlooking the river (or inside and soak up the A/C. As you wish). They're known for their massive, fancy burgers, which are great, but they also have a great portobello "burger" if you're not a fan of a truckload of beef. You may not see it on the menu, but they have a kids' burger set that's a reasonable size and a couple of other choices that are friendly to small, discerning palates.
If you have a snack or a meal along the river, consider that from the early 1800s until the early 80s, where you are sitting was the commercial hub of the city. The now-peaceful river was jammed with small boats bringing goods from shipping vessels from all over the world to warehouses located where you're having lunch. You can watch these bumboats still go by; today the River doesn't have an outlet to the sea, and the bumboats carry loads of tourists, but the echoes of history are still there.
Bonus: if your kids are over 7, and you have cash and time to burn, keep heading down Boat Quay along the river to Cafe Niko No Niwa. It's a cat cafe! For $12 per person, you can spend an hour loving on the thirteen rescued kitties who make the Cafe their home. They have a few board games and good iced coffee, the cats are fluffy and friendly, and it's a good way to spend a quiet hour.
This won't be my only Singapore entry. We moved to Singapore in the summer of 2017, and it will be our home for a little while, so we have lots of opportunity for Singapore adventures. I'm going to put them out there in digestible bites, organized into stuff you can do in a morning or an afternoon.
First I want to take you to one of my favorite places in Singapore--the River. It's rich with history and lively, as it's still the business district of the country, and it's beautiful, in the whole urban gorgeousness kind of way. Whether you're of the school of history that Singapore was largely uninhabited until the 1800s or the school that there was an established trading post along the river dating at least to the 1300s (that's my team), the Singapore River is the heart of the city. The energy alone merits a visit, and the beautiful views make for must-take snaps. You can definitely have a wander around the area, if you like, but I have a couple of destination suggestions.
We'll start in the Raffles Place MRT; follow the signs for exit H. You'll probably want to have a small amount of cash for today's adventure; there are cash machines in the MRT station. On your way out, grab a snack if you need one. There's a fruit stall to the left after your second set of escalators that serves juices and cut fruit, and three chunks of watermelon for $2 is a great morning snack.
Turn right as you come blinking off the MRT escalator into the light; the Singapore River is right in front of you. Walk to the river, then turn left. In less than a minute, you can't miss the giant bird statue looming over you. Sit on a bench nearby and have a snack, if you like, or just enjoy the statue.
Bird, by Fernando Botero.
I'm a superfan of public art. Even if I weren't, I don't think I could resist this sculpture. Fernando Botero is a still-living Latin-American artist known for his bold paintings and voluptuous bronze sculptures. Bird was made in 1990, and signifies "the joy of living and the power of optimism." I like that Bird is completely pettable--feel free to lift your kids up to stroke the smooth bronze. You'll see where thousands of others have done so and worn off a bit of the dark patina of the metal. The artist says that for him, "Rotundity in art is linked to pleasure," and I definitely find both the visual and tactile roundness of the this peace very pleasing.
Interesting fact for grown-ups: Botero donated a similar statue to his birthplace, Medellin, Columbia, in the mid-90s, which was badly in a bombing in June of 1995. The artist said to leave the damaged sculpture in place, and donated a second statue. The pair remain in place, a few yards apart, as a monument to violence and peace.
Interesting fact for kids: Bird is anatomically correct. Walk around the statue--the bird has a butt. I might already be losing readers, but look, if you spend any time at all with children, you know that body parts and bodily functions, especially the word b-u-t-t, are hilarious. I guarantee giggles when your kids spot the bird's pertinent part. And this doesn't have to be merely scatalogical; I've got some real information for you! Did you know that a bird's butt is called a cloaca; it is the orifice for the urinary, digestive, AND reproductive systems for birds. Just one spot. Learn from me: do NOT tell your children that chickens excrete from the same place they lay eggs, or, after some thought about the implications of that, your squeamish child may refuse to eat eggs ever again. DO tell them, if you think they'd be interested, that scientists have learned that some birds use the cloaca to regulate their body temperature, the same way people regulate their body temperature by sweating.
Or just take some pictures with the cute statue's cute face and adorable chubby toes, and frolic on. Totally your choice.
There is an abundance of public art in the area--head back the way you came along the river, toward the bridge you see up ahead. You'll pass a sculpture of some workers with a traditional bullock cart that people love to take selfies with, some bronze children jumping into the river for a swim by a Singaporean artist and called First Generation, and see if you can spot the family of bronze kitties by the bridge.
Cross Cavenagh bridge, the oldest existing bridge across the Singapore River, enjoying how old and cool it is, if you like. It's one of only two suspension bridges of its kind in the word. Stand at the middle and look back the way you came, you're looking at Boat Quay, where you can head later for lunch or dinner, if you want, the former trading heart of the city. The curve of the River here and the row of shophouses of the Quay is one of Singpore's iconic sights. When you've had as long a look as your kids will allow, head to the big yellow building right in front of the bridge.
Asian Civilisations Museum
Key Info
Hours: 10a-7pm, daily
Admission: $20 per person over 6, $60 per family of 5, non-Singapore citizens or PR
Lockers: Behind the admission desk. 20 or 50 cent coin for rental, returnable.
Best Toilets: Find the cafe. Go down the spiral stairs (or elevator next to them) into the basement, then though the double doors. Spacious, clean, accessible bathroom with changing tables to your left.
Website
I'll admit to having a soft spot for this museum; the first time I visited Singapore, I spent a few peaceful, cool hours here after wandering around, unbearably hot, looking for the famous Merlion, and now I'm a guide at the museum. However, I do think it's a fun, and often overlooked spot for kids. There are kids' activity guides in the brochure stands to your right as you enter the museum, or they'll have them at the admission desk. 45 minute tours are offered at 11am and 2pm daily, and I can testify that guides are trained to cater to kids. There's also a smartphone app that will guide you to museum highlights.
If you're not in the mood for the activity kit or a tour, the museum is small enough to not get overwhelmed, but large enough to not get bored. I recommend starting with the Tang Shipwreck Gallery; you can't go wrong with cool stuff found at the bottom of the ocean. Looking through the virtual reality viewer what everything looked like before it was excavated is probably worth a bit of a wait. See if your kids can spot where the sailors used the bathroom in the model of the ship.
If your kids like a mission, set them to check the museum's artifacts for animals. In the Shipwreck Gallery alone, there are birds, jaguars, dragons, fish, turtles, and a mythical animal called a Makara, a composite animal with the body of a fish, and sometimes an elephant's trunk and crocodile jaws. See if your kids can "collect" five different birds before you leave (it's possible), or if they can read the tags on the artifacts, see if they can find animals from things made in five different places. There's a great bench in the gallery where they can sit and sketch what they've found (or whatever else takes them); they'll have paper and pencil at the admission desk. Don't miss the cups equipped with built-in straws possibly for drinking wine through your nose (I know!), and next to the Shipwreck Gallery, see if you can find the barred door to what used to be the vault when the historic building, built in , used to be government offices.
You have time for another gallery or two before you go; the Trade Gallery next to the Shipwreck Gallery has lots of neat ceramic objects in different shapes and colors, and upstairs the Ancient Religions gallery is full of objects with stories from the world's great religions.
As much as I love this museum, admission is more than I'd want to spend for an hour or so of entertainment. If you're in Singapore for a few days and you have kids that you'd really like to get a good introduction to Asian culture and history, or insight into trade in the region, a visit is definitely worth it. If you're a parent of kids under 6 and you need a cool place out of the rain to wander and have grown up-thoughts for a while, I'd call this worth your $20. If you'll be in Singapore for a year or more, I'd recommend looking into a Friends of the Museums family membership that will you get you admission to all the local museums for a year for $120. And if none of these ifs are your if, skip it and just look at sculpture outside for free.
After the museum, head outside. There's a really nice shaded green space in front of the museum where you can let your kids run for a bit. The shiny silver balls in the grass are art AND a fun photo op--the balls contain speakers which play the sounds of Singapore.
Most days, there's a cart by the bridge (we respectfully call older men Uncle in Singapore; the man with the cart is our friendly Ice Cream Uncle) that sells ice cream. One of my favorite Singapore treats is a chunk of cold mango ice cream from the Uncle; he'll cut you off a slice and you can choose if you'd like to hold it between two thin wafer cookies, called biscuits in British style, or wrapped in a piece of soft bread. Either way, it's just a dollar. If you're adventurous, you can try Durian ice cream, but plain old vanilla is just as charming and cooling a treat. Uncle also sells bottled water.
Nearby Food:
The cafe in the Museum, Prive, has good coffee and decent food, though a little elaborate for kids.
Boat Quay (pronounced KEY) is the row of shophouses along the river, back across the Cavanagh Bridge and past Bird. There IS a McDonalds in the first shop, if you 're in need. No judgement here. The whole row is restaurants, and most of them are drinking spots, so be aware of the vibe if you're there close to happy hour.
The Burger Bar is only a few shops into the stretch, and you can eat in their outdoor section overlooking the river (or inside and soak up the A/C. As you wish). They're known for their massive, fancy burgers, which are great, but they also have a great portobello "burger" if you're not a fan of a truckload of beef. You may not see it on the menu, but they have a kids' burger set that's a reasonable size and a couple of other choices that are friendly to small, discerning palates.
If you have a snack or a meal along the river, consider that from the early 1800s until the early 80s, where you are sitting was the commercial hub of the city. The now-peaceful river was jammed with small boats bringing goods from shipping vessels from all over the world to warehouses located where you're having lunch. You can watch these bumboats still go by; today the River doesn't have an outlet to the sea, and the bumboats carry loads of tourists, but the echoes of history are still there.
Bonus: if your kids are over 7, and you have cash and time to burn, keep heading down Boat Quay along the river to Cafe Niko No Niwa. It's a cat cafe! For $12 per person, you can spend an hour loving on the thirteen rescued kitties who make the Cafe their home. They have a few board games and good iced coffee, the cats are fluffy and friendly, and it's a good way to spend a quiet hour.
Comments
Post a Comment