One of the highlights of the Singapore River Festival this year is the aerial aquatic show named 'Air- A spectacular by the river'. Air which is malay word for water features a combination of theater, acrobatics, and dance on and above the river.
The show starts at Read Bridge which serves as a performing stage and in between an aerial acrobatics above the river with steel wire rigging.
Last friday night, I was at the Esplanade Park and Empress Place to witness the opening act of the Singapore Arts Festival 2010, the An Invitation to Dream - A Fire Garden Installation.
The fire garden installation features thousands of firepots scattered, attached, hanged, curtained in the Esplanade park, outside Victoria Theatre, and the Empress Place grounds with accompanying live music in three mock up stages, and two radio installations.
This is another part of the Chinese New Year festivities in Singapore. River Hongbao is a lantern installations at the floating platform at the Marina Bay that runs for nine days. The lanterns depicted were the god of fortune, the chinese zodiacs, panda playground, tiger mountain and more.There were stage performances nightly at the central stage. There is also a foodcourt in one section, a small bazaar, and the carnival rides! I was able to visit the place on the last night.
This year is my second time to witnessed the Chingay Parade, dubbed as Asia's grandest annual street parade. Unlike last year where it can be viewed at three grandstands distanced apart, this time it was held at the Formula 1 Pit building, next to Singapore Flyer.
Chingay Parade is an annual event held in Singapore as part of Chinese New Year festivities. This event was introduced the next year after the government banned firecrackers as a substitute for a different kind of noise.
I was able to catch only the tail end of the parade as I have anticipated not to be able to watch it due to no free area along the parade ground. Yes it's not a free affair, you have to have a ticket to enjoy the whole parade.
Another event that took place last Saturday was the Thaipusam festival wherein Singaporean Hindus in the street procession coming from one temple to another four kilometers away traversing major streets of Singapore. I caught the procession along Tank Road while I was on my way to the Singapore Art Museum. This is my second time to witnessed such event.
Thaipusam is a Hindu thanksgiving celebration in honor of Lord Murugan who represents virtue, youth and power and is the destroyer of evil. Devotees carry milk-pot offerings and others attach kavadis (large metal frames) to their bodies using hooks and spikes! The kavadi bearers were joined by relatives and co devotees who