Singapore Fireworks Celebrations 2007

So we went to the Singapore Fireworks Celebrations on Friday night at the floating stadium. The crowds were unbelievable. It was such a hassle getting in that we were soon thinking 'This had better be worth it.'

There were kids games and food stalls outside but we were quite late so we didn't stop to see. Anyway I don't think we would enjoy the inflated prices anyway. There was a Singapore Duck Race booth and as I took a picture of the ducks, the people ran up to me and asked me if I wanted a photo taken for $2. I ran away with my camera...



Go adopt a duck if you haven't already. http://www.duckrace.com.sg/

We went up to our seats which were pretty close to the stage. There wasn't much of a pre-show. Loud blaring music and 2 MCs that I unfortunately did not pay attention to. I think they tried to make the crowd do a wave. Without much success...

The show itself lasted 15 minutes, and I must say (for me and my kids at least), it was worth it. There were thunderous booms that shook your body, exploding lights that seem to jump at you, and lots of cheering.



I've uploaded some videos to youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn1mbVu6wXE (link if you cannot see video above)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJSUAnbCeJM (link if you cannot see video above)

More Pictures of Kuching

Here are more pictures I took while back in Kuching. The contrast between Kuching and Singapore is pretty great. I know it took me a long time to get my vacation pictures in order and that makes the posts here seem disjointed. :(

This is a picture of what you will typically see in Kuching. Lots of shophouses. Lately the streets are overflowing with cars and crime is rampant. This really saddens me. I cannot help but feel disappointed with the state of affairs in my birthplace.

Every where I go, I see people eking out their lives on low incomes. Stories of corruption are whispered. It all seems so far away, and surreal while I am in Singapore. To actually be there and experience it is a different thing.

There are a few popular shopping malls spaced all over Kuching. The picture above shows the only MacDonald's outlet I know of. It's a 2-storey affair, where they still serve your food with steel cutlery and ketchup in bottles. I'm not sure why there is no competition between KFC and McDonald's here. KFC is pretty much every where. The local fast food chain, Sugar Bun, is also worth visiting. They serve local food as well as fast food.

The picture above is the riverside. This, and the nearby malls, is where I used to hang out with friends during my school days. Whenever I think of it, I am always amazed how we managed to meet up every time without the aid of handphones.

These are the cat statues in the middle of town. In case you did not know, Kuching (kucing) means cat in Malay. Kuching is the Cat City. We even have a Cat Museum. There are 2 other statues nearby but I did not manage to take their pictures.

Finally, this is a picture of the Tua Pek Kong temple. Whenever I see gigantic joss sticks around this temple, I know some religious event or other is upcoming.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the photos. It's not easy taking photos with my handphone. I hope to get a cheap digital camera so that I can get better pictures next time. Thanks for reading!