Relau night lights. View from the 11th floor.

 An evening beer, feet up on the balcony watching other peoples lives as they go by.

 With the food stalls doing business well into the early hours of the morning.

And to feed the mind,  a brand new college about to open.  Love Bahasa Malay.  Kolej Komuniti.  We need to spell this way. I for one would find writing in my own language a little easier.

Our New Bridge.

 Well, now I am really settled here.  Our bridge, indeed!!  But it is on track to be ready 2013.

 Close up you can see the road platform and the machine making it.  Magic.

And it appears there will be two parts that ships can pass under.  This one is just south of the airport.  Pictures taken from our condo roof.  First clear day for weeks.  Rain, Rain and then more rain.  But thankfully no floods.

Faces

 Gek has turned her brush to faces.

 A little more than life size on 20in x 16in canvases.

In oils, of course.  No prizes for knowing the first and last image.  Chris in the middle.

Surely not?

 A pre-65th birthday eve lunch celebration with Ray, who just happened to be in town.  So it must be true.  65 today.

No,  I am not wearing a wig but yes, my glasses have sustained some damage. The wrinkles are all genuine and the face does return to a zero setting......sometimes.  All in all, a pretty good 65 years I would say.

Book - At Home, Bill Bryson

 

How Bill manages all the facts he seems have in his head is a wonder of nature.  This book is more a collection of information that he perhaps couldn't find a 'home' for.........no pun intended .....than a history of Private Life.  And is a page turner.  There are hundreds of 'Not many people know that' moments.

Film- Johny English Reborn

Well,  very funny film.  You have to like Rowan's brand of buffoon comedy though and apparently a lot of S E Asians do!!!!  With 6 shows a day for the last 10 days, all being full house at Queens Bay Mall,  I can safely say,  Malaysians get Mr. Bean.  So for that reason along 3 on the door.   Good job you cannot be sent to the tower by the Queen these days!!!

New oven.

Now,  why all the excitement about an oven?  Well Gek first laid eyes on this beauty in Australia.  And it was love at first sight!!  She wanted one. Why,  I have no idea.  She just wanted it. But, baggage weight allowances being what they are on budget airlines.....no way!!!  Then, lo and behold, one turned up in our local electric shop in Bukit Jambul!!!  Would you credit it?  Could we find one in Singapore?  No.......but Bukit Jambul,?  Well, yes.

New Hawker Centre.

 I may have just mentioned, not just a few times, about the number of food opportunities on offer here in Penang.  Well,  that number just increased by 50 or more. A new HC on our door step.  Our block is the one on the right in the back ground.

And practically no over lap.  Each hawker offers something different.  5 mutton + 5 chicken satay....9 RM (2 GBP)

Char Kway Chow.......4 RM (1 GBP).  And really good.  I guess Penang apartments are going to evolve without kitchens!!!!!!  who needs them?

Singapore River, dusk

After Dali, dinner.  But first, chill by the river.

with Linden

and dinner with Toby at an interesting Indian place he knows.

Dusk over the old business district. 

and interesting perspectives on iconic buildings.

Dali Exhibition - Distortions

D'surreal 1

In the spirit of DIY,  curved mirrors, a wall of clocks and Dali piece.

D'surreal 2

D'Surreal 3

Dali Exhibition - Other stuff.

I confess to being lost in all this symbolism.  "There is more method in my madness than there is madness in my method."  Hummmmm?

But you do get the opportunity to play with Dali.  Hit the plungers and you create.

Not sure what Gek was signaling but fitted in with the place well!!!

Dali Exhibition - Sculptures, Part 2.

The curating of the exhibits was exceptionally good.  This gal has drawers by the way.

Here you have bronze, glass and photographes, but it worked some how.

I was first drawn to serealism by Dali's oil paintings.  Saw those at the Tate in Liverpool some years ago now.  So this is like a new discovery for me. Sculptures.

Furniture or art?

Singapore Stop Over

A few days stop over in Singapore gave us a chance to check out the estate.  With Linden, our lovely hostess,  we made for the new exhibition centre on the Marine Bay,  the Arts and Science Museum.

 

The building that looks like an up turned hand houses the exhibits. Makes the hotel behind it look like a miniature.

The helix pedestrian bridge has a few panels added,  but you still need to carry your own shade.

ArtScience Museum.

The architectics 'pub' sketches.  Amazing to think this evolved into this extraordinary building.

 We decided to start at the top and work our way down. And what a start.  Visual  and sound feast.

 Multi screen, covering multi topics, across multi centuries,

across multi cultures. 

Dali Exhibition - Sculptures, Part 1.

For the uninitiated, here is a list of Dali keys to understanding his work.  Also for your information,

1. A soft clock cannot work and refers to eternity:
2. Ants symbolise death, decay and an immense sexual desire.   

The exhibition at the ArtScience Museum is of Dali's sculpture and water colours. 

most of the pieces were cast in 1984 but conceived years earlier.

  

Of course,  you can view a piece of sculpture from an infinite number of angles.   These are my 2 angles.  Egg, soft clock and ant,  not seen in the photograph complete the nude.

On the way to see Dali.

The walk from city Hall to the Esplanade can be done completely underground.

Anyway,  I have no idea what these are all about.

But they did set us in the right mood for Mr. Dali.

The stretch from the Esplanade to the ArtScience Museum is an above ground walk....and it is hot out there.  Time to cool off. 

Sarong Kebaya at the Peranakan.

Lady Peranakans wore and some still wear this distinctive form of dress.

Very lacy and see through.

Some Batik was also on display.

Shophouse revisited.

 Singapore's Peranakan Museum have used the shophouse to demonstrate the original use of the house as part of an educational programme the museum runs in the school holidays.

 Seems it was a hit with boys and girls,

and their mums!!!!  The house will  also be doing a tour of Singapore's regional libraries, starting next month, October, at the Central library.  Result!!!!  Photos thanks to Cherry and Michelle.