The Old and the New

Today we brought the kids to the Victoria Concert Hall for Peter and the Wolf. We started them on piano lessons a couple of months back and their music teacher recommended the concert. Over the last few weeks, she gave them a preview to the concert by introducing them to the story and its characters. It was my first time watching anything at the VCH and I was awed by the beautiful interior.  Conducted by Joshua Tan, the concert combined the wacky performance of the Magic Circle Mime Company with the acclaimed Singapore Symphonic Orchestra. I think it succeeded in helping the kids appreciate how music tells a story. My son kept humming the hypnotic tune and said that he couldn't get the music out of his head. Talk about getting my money's worth. On the other hand, my daughter exclaimed towards the end of the concert, "There were no real birds!"

After the concert, we walked about the Civic District to look at the outdoor sculptures. I love this part of Singapore - there is so much history here and it is beautifully weaved into the modern bustling cityscape. You feel it particularly at this time of the year, when Formula One is back in town. The fences and lights for the night road races are up, right next to the Victorian buildings in Empress Place. You're reminded that although Singapore has changed so much, in many ways it is still the same - a meeting point for people around the world. On our way back, we walked along Anderson Bridge and stopped by The Fullerton Hotel for tea.

After tea, we visited the hotel's heritage centre, which was opened over a year ago. I learnt quite a few interesting facts - apparently Singapore used the red British pillar mailboxes up until 1950; the stretch where the hotel stands along with a couple of other buildings that have been torn down since was referred to as the Singapore Bund; that aside from once housing the internal revenue office and the General Post Office, the EDB and MAS also had their offices here.

The walkabout and the exhibits at the Heritage Centre reminded me of my parents. I remember seeing a black and white photo of them taken at Elizabeth Walk, near where we were. It's possible that the photo was taken on their honeymoon. Taken at a time when they did not know how many kids they would end up having, much less that their youngest son would settle in Singapore and start a family here. Taken at a time when they knew they had to work hard to make ends meet, but not knowing how much their grandchildren would prosper from the hope they held. When I was younger, my mother would remind me that through the hardship of each generation, the next generation will lead a better life.

Today is my late mother's birthday. In two days, it would be my late father's birthday.  I thank God for their lives and their perseverance.