Ballet Under The Stars-BUTS

This entry should have been uploaded on 9th July 2005 but I have been lazy. Oh well... Went to Fort Canning Green to attend "Ballet Under the Stars" by Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) with my bestest friend S.T. In commemoration of the 200th Year of Hans Christian Anderson's birth, the performance for the evening was adapted from his well-known fairytale "The Little Mermaid". It was the first time I attended such an event and it was based on a concept of an outdoor picnic cum performance in a natural amphitheatre-like venue.

Here's the general scene:

Performance Stage


Picnickers


Picnickers II

Being lazy urbanites, we went to Plaza Singapura to buy food for our picnic instead of making stuff to munch on. On the other hand, I would have thought it lovely to prepare for the picnic together with my significant other in the kitchen before heading for a picnic. Oh well... So, it's just KFC and snacks from Carrefour for dinner. =p Apparently, the checkered disposable picnic mat is REALLY good. Use and throw!!! Fuss free. Plus, dearie S.T. accidentally emptied our Coke on it ten minutes after setting up our place. I jokingly exclaimed "Coke Feet!!!" everytime the cola trickles to my soles. Toes licking good! (just like KFC's "Fingers Licking Good" slogan). Thank God for wet tissue wipes!


Pathetic Picnic Fare

I noted that we took few pictures together. So, we posed for a shot. She's one awesome gal! If I were a guy, I would take her as my soulmate. She's intelligent, independent (financially and emotionally), humorous, enjoys reading (we love the same books), self-assured, loves traveling, and a don't-sweat-small-stuff type of girl. She's all that I am. Haha. (Do the readers detect a blatant form of self promotion here??) ;-) But then again, yes, a girl like S.T. is very attractive. I can't stop raving about her, which is why I made her my best pal for life. Very low-maintenance, and not like some whiny bloody gals who will have catfights. Those types I abhor. Like life's not tough enough, we have to quarrel over nitty gritties with our friends.


S.T. and I

The spoiler for the evening came in the form of NDP 2005 rehearsal. With F16s zooming overhead, followed by the 21 rounds of Presidential Gun Salute, and lastly, towards the end of the ballet, the sudden explosion of fireworks in the distance; it was no wonder the audience found it difficult to give the dance their undivided attention. Nevertheless, the evening was cool and the atmosphere was relaxing. Somehow or rather, I sat on the mat and as I took in everything around me, there was an inner peace. It is an event that will make a delightful date...totally romantic.


NDP 2005 Rehearsal


Mosquito on fire


Chinook CH-47D helicopter

As for the photos above, I may be wrong, but I think I have managed to capture (1) 3 F-16s, (2) 1 Super Puma Helicopter and (3) 1 Chinook CH-47D helicopter respectively. Correct me if I am wrong. Love aircrafts by the way, especially military aircrafts!!! If any of you have lobangs for an airshow, must invite me, alright? Lunch will be on me! =) Apparently, this year, there's none in Singapore. Earliest one will be Asian Aerospace 2006.

Well, I couldn't capture any segment of the performance since photography during the show was prohibited. But the costumes were lovely enough, and the SDT choreography of the dance was impressive. They made full use of the limitations of the outdoor venue and managed to create an ethereal scene of the underwater world through the effective use of lighting and music.

Overall: FABULOUS outing! Let's do it again sometime, S.T. The Nutcracker in December? By the way people, there's a Coffee Club tucked in a quiet corner of Fort Canning. Perfect place for a rendezvous! Negative point: The angmohs (I'm so rude) sitting behind me were drinking so much red wine, I got high sniffing in the wine molecules that permeated the air. =(


Nice place for a drink!

Daily Trivia: 20 Concordes were built and 14 entered airline service. British Airways own 7 Concordes and Air France now have 5. The aircraft flies at twice the speed of sound, which is around 1350 mph. A normal subsonic service takes around 7-8 hours to fly from London to New York, but Concorde's average flight time is around 3 hours 30 minutes. It's THAT fast! Too bad, it was retired due to losses incurred. Too expensive lah! The Airlines were not making back the money spent on the safety modifications and other upgrades.