Post card from Singapore: With my party hat on

It's my birthday today and after a week of gorgeous sunny weather it has decided to rain.  Sad face.  We had plans of having dinner up on our roof top terrace, but not tonight!

Anyway, to get to my promised post from Friday.

The kids had a Chinese New Year cultural event at school and they got to wear Chinese clothes or red Kit wore his normal uniform, but Ella wore her little Chinese dress that I got her and looked gorgeous with her Aussie friend Evie (sneakers, sports shorts and all)

 I went up to the school for the cultural event, not at all sure what was on the agenda, but it was fantastic; Lion Dancers, martial artists, dragon dancers etc.

 The whole school was in the gym, and it was so fun to watch how the little kids were all so excited by it all.

There was much holding up of smart phones! (gotcha girls!)

 After that had finished, I went down to Little India to meet with Matt, his brother Dave and Oscar, and we wandered around for a while and had a curry lunch.  Then we hoped on the MRT and went to China Town which was super crazy/decked out for Chinese New Year.

This is the temple I took a photo of before....

And while Matt introduced Dave to Singaporean ice cream sandwiches....

I took a photo to my right....

...and then my left...

 And even further to my left looking over at Matt's building where he works (the one with the strips of metal on the outside).

 Some details from this Buddhist temple...

 And then the long "snake" lantern decorations for the year of the snake.

 I took the strangest photo of Matt (which I love)....

 Outside this camera shop where we spent the next 30 minutes or so while Dave picked out a new analogue camera for his lovely wife Chelsea. (Hope you love your gift Chels!)

 Actually we were quite happy to sit in air conditioning and on comfy chairs for a while.  Oscar even changed back into his long shirt while we were there (he had to go off to work after meeting with us and was wearing black jeans and a long shirt and got so hot that he bought a cheap touristy tank top to change into...he was cool enough in here to change back).  And yes, he hates me for this photo.

 It was actually a really cool camera shop and one that Oscar may go back to once he starts earning some money as his work place is just around the corner (a sushi bar/cafe)

 

Then it was more wandering around.  Although Matt (and now Oscar) work down in this area, it was a whole new part of Singapore I'd never been to.  

 Lots of examples of Peranakan tiles

 The ones below are my favourite.

 I find it quite amazing how this part of China town nestles up so close to the CBD and how much of it has been preserved.

 I took the photo below again, so you could count the air conditioning units on the outside of that building.

 Matt's building once again

 Matt himself showing off.

 And his building again...

 And this, right around the corner!  Which do you prefer?  Sedately painted?

 Or with riotous colour?

 We passed a little "antique" store jam packed with all manner of bric a brac.  These were hanging from the ceiling outside (you couldn't actually go IN the store)

 I fell in love with this collection out the front, particularly the green one on the end, but at $300 a pop I don't think so....

We headed back to ours after that, hot and exhausted (Oscar went off to work) and so Dave could see Remi  and Ella before heading off.  

Kit was at call backs for the new school play of peter pan and we didn't think he's see Dave, but we ran into Kit coming home as we were walking Dave down to the  MRT. (the good news is that Kit got a main part- doesn't know which yet- and Ella got a chorus part as a lost boy).

Thanks for being our first visitor Dave!