Have you been to the museum recently?

The last time I stepped into the National Museum was when I was in secondary school. Back then, *ahem* which was over 12 years ago btw.... everything was still musky, dim and had several rooms of items in glass cases.

So today, my girls and I decided to make a trip out to visit it. I set a budget of $20, packed our haversack with red bean buns, crackers and water and off we went!

It turns out however that children under 6 years old are free! So Eirian got in FOC. Adult tickets were $10 and child/senior citizen tickets were $5.

Lauren was excited because she visited it some weeks ago with her classmates and wanted to show her sister the "special Living rooms" that the museum had.

(BTW, every picture in this post was taken by my handphone today as my camera is with CJ in KL....so please excuse some of the not so clear pics)

If you are keen on finding out more about the National Museum, check out their website HERE!

We took some pictures before we went in. One right under the brown "this sign signifies that this building is a tourist attraction" signage in front of the building.

There was also a marble disk that was on the ground and we saw that it was a time capsule.. so I guess its under it? Duh... and its supposed to be opened in December 2009! That's just next year... I can see how this is going to make some evening news next year. I'm curious to what they put inside.

So we entered the building to be greeted by a GIANT NAKED MAN.... *hmmppff*.. Lauren squealed in amusement and pointed "Look mommy!! A giant KUKU!!" (Me of course Tsk Tsk-ing away by the side hoping that no one heard that exclamation)

It is a really REALLY big "statue" but he's covered in fabric.. and the first thing that came to mind was... "oh damn!! small pecker!!! pity!.." but as I walked around observing the naked man I realise that he really has a pretty nice ass. *hiak hiak hiak

We walked up to the 2nd floor and saw these 2 men standing there. Eirian was afraid of it as she realised that the man on the right had his face facing the "wrong way". Then we walked across the bridge which had dark red hanging swinging chandeliers which lined above the walkway and saw this!

A giant Robot on the wall so naturally we took a picture with it too! Lauren and I were joking that since her sister and herself were colour coordinated and they looked like they were attached to the robot's belt. That they were his weapons.

And I said "yea so he pulls you out and squeeses you and you shoot. BLOOD?" and then both girls squealed in disgust and started laughing.

*ahem* ok ... so we're gross that way... we don't block macabre from our daughters.. heck, they even watch Happy Tree Friends if they're up to cringing. Apart from being gross, it always gives us a reason to say "you see! if you don't wash/bathe/clean/listen to me/walk safely across the street/brush your teeth/walk with knives facing down - THAT WILL HAPPEN TO U!! (Evil laughter abounds.... bwuhwhahahahahahah)... usually does the trick as we see them nodding furiously in agreement.

So we started our "tour" and were given 2 headsets *unfotunately non paying children don't get a headset so Eirian wore mine instead* It came with a panel with numbers to punch in every time we reach a new section of the place.

Number indicators on the floor would tell you what to press and you press accordingly when you enter a new area to listen to the narration/music/sounds that area has in store.

Taking some photos at the museum. It has been so nicely renovated that it practically feels like the airport! So cold and marbly...

And there was a wall which projected and magnified you on it when you walk past. Definitely a hit with the kids, you walk past and your pheripheral vision goes "euuurrrghhh? That looks strangely LIKE ME..." and you turn to look and realise.. "hey!! IT IS ME!!" and u spasticly start to wave... "yay! look its me!!" *Oh gosh, so suaku can!! but so fun!!* I took a picture of my giant self before we moved on....

So in we go into a whole history tour of Singapore.. and as we all know it from our Secondary school history class... its filled with traders/coolies/peranakans/japanese and of course... opium.

Pictures and paintings filled the wall but these 3 in the first area, I like best. All these druggies... and you wonder why its not a popular thing anymore? Or has cigarettes/cigars just taken over.

Blah! I don't smoke and I never will.

So here this skeletal old man helping out his other druggie companion...

and then getting his own fix... *blargh!!*

Every few steps there was a number code for a new story, once in a while, there would be a video clip to watch so we stopped to view.

Stuff from long before like Rickshaws, Funeral beds, japanese invasion videos displayed on the walls, Japanese army hats and a giant anchor... my girls have never seen an achor before so it was a good time to explain what it was...

Slowly but surely, from the Old Singapore to Colonial Age to the Modern age, the exibits progressed. I was enthralled by the money section where they put all the different kinds of old notes and showed how the note design progressed over time..

So now, who wouldn't want this NOTE? **raise hands "I do! I do!!"**

And so brings us to the Proclamation of Independance as brought forward by Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. We are then set free!

And before we know it. We pledge allegiance to our country and to our flag with this paragraph that all of us know my heart. In 2 versions too! Spoken and in Song!! Tell me now that you don't know the SONG version!

Modernisation comes in and an area showing all those that were familiar back then were displayed and I look in amusement at how you notice that there are ALOT OF ORANGE!?? Whats with all that orange back then man? Such an obiang colour. -.-''

So we leave history and modern Singapore and enter various themed rooms. These Living Rooms were filled with items like Fashion/Music/Film/Food and Photography.

In one of the rooms, there was a wayang display and they were fantasically gorgeous! Unusually sparkly, Eirian couldn't help but coo and cooo and cooo..... "waaaaaahhhhh!! Sooo pweety"

Then a little listening corner where they could put on some headphones and listen to some oldies and some classic music.

Right after into the photography room which was filled with family photographs, videos of mixed marriages, polygamy and more and more strange looking families. I say strange because alot of them have children and wives that have REALLY BULGING EYES and they look EXACTLY the same even though you KNOW they're not twins/triplets/quads due to the obvious height difference. Whats up with that lahhh!!!! Scary!!!

There was this picture that I found quite intruiging. Looking at it closely, you would notice that the lady lying down has her nipples exposed. Not something that I'd expect when times back then were so conservative.

And so if she's lying there like that, whos that other lady? Is that her partner? Are they lesbian? Hmmmmmnnn..... doesn't she look a little post coital too? And that one standing must not have gotten her fix seeing that she's looking like she could crush a cockroach with her stare.

Check out the body language! The one lying down is so "relaxed" and like saying "ah ok darlin.. you can go now, I've had enough orgasms for today..." swishing fan away like a taitai in dismissal of her servant "oh and get me some bandung on your way out... my throat is parched..."... and the one standing with her arms crossed and is saying in dismay "and me? What about me? Don't I get to cum too? I did all that work and I don't get anything!?! BITCH!!!" *later going to put my bloody sanitary pad into ur soup, wretch!!* *evil snigger hur hur hur....*

Ohhh okay.. so maybe that's not what this picture is really about but hey... all in my head ya? How would you depict this when you see it? Does it come with a story?

So off into the Living Room for FOOD and it was filled with several classic dishes and even cooking videos showing the process and ingredients of how its made. Dishes like Laksa, Char Kuay Teow, Tutu cakes and Roti Prata!

It lead into another brightly lit room filled with bottles that contained various food and there were smell bottles. Smell bottles had a tube where u pull at a string and you sniff the funnel to catch a whiff of what that ingredient is.. ie pepper/lime/ginger/other spices.

I let the girls run about here sniffing and to my horror, I found Eirian STICKING HER FACE onto the funnel to take a deep breathe of the scent.

AAAAARRGGGHhh!! GERMS LAH!!! Sniff!! NOT deeply inhale with the thing attached to ur face!!! **faint**

Quickly I pulled her aside and wiped her down. **thats just me.. I imagine someone SNEEZING into the damn thing and she puts her face there!!!! EEEEEEEEEEkkkkk!!!!!**

Old bottles. Old kopitiam porcelain cups...

We left the rooms and found an interactive wall! Its a metal sheeted wall and they put magnets on utilarian items like bowls/spoons/helmets/gloves and sauce dishes and children can stick and unstick them to make patterns on the wall.

We spent some time here and went back once more just before we left! So fun! And of course, I had to pose with the hardhat... heheehhe....

We strolled around somemore to see what else we had missed and we looked down into the basement and realised! Play area!! Yay!!!!

They were having another exhibition there for Kids which was Mozart themed but it was a closed door exhibition. We didn't buy tickets for it as it cost an additional $7.50 per child. Not to mention Adult tickets.. which... I can't remember how much.. but perhaps more than $10? I did ask what it was all about though. They said they had different wigs for the kids to try out. First thing that came to mind was... EEEEEEEEKKK!!!!! kutu!!!!.... then they had a big bed for the kids to jump about in... next thing that came to mind was Eirian flying off and slamming her head onto the ground.

Nope.. next? And some arts & craft thing and music appreciation thing going on inside. Okay!! PASS!! Not going in...

They did however have another installation where it resembled those novelty toys where it was filled with "nails" and you can shape your hand in it by laying the nails over it and keeping that "sculptured shape" as part of a display. Except this installation was lifesize and they had to push/pull against the wooden plugs instead.

Entertainment time? Less than 10 minutes. Would have been longer if I didn't have to pull them away from getting their faces smashed in by some frolicking ADULTS pushing against the wooden sticks IN THE DIRECTION OF THEIR FACE.

Use your damn blardy brains lor right!! U push one side, the other side will pop out. Vice Versa. So U see someone on the other side. Don't go and push happily push push in case it hits the opposite person in the face right!! Cheee bye. **evil stare**

Anyway.. we left them to do their own "play" and saw that there was another section further down which was an art & craft corner filled with crayons/colourpencils and some assistants to help with your drawing/colouring.. good to fill time up for those parents who are having a snack and coffee at the Cafe/restaurant upstairs.

And yet another installation art where these squeaky pillows are held up by velcro so we did a race by seeing who stuck up more pillows the fastest.

And every child's delight. A ball pit. Which child doesn't love a ball pit!

And so thats it... a day at the museum.. have you been to the museum lately?