My Kind of Retro: Disco Skating

Living it up at The Rink, JCube

Faced with the recent sweltering hot weather, I did something I have not done for almost 7 years – I went ice-skating to escape the heat. Ice skating was never really on my radar since the ice rinks in Singapore were far and few, and so small I felt akin to a hamster running in its own exercise wheel – what’s the fun of going round and round in while trying to avoid the throngs of falling people, I wondered. Furthermore, ice skating felt like an activity only meant for the young, maybe because older folks like clumsy me are likely to fall and break our bones. I took extra effort NOT to fall cos’ it’s not the age to be proudly sporting blue-black bruises.

Located at the heart of JCube on Level 3, The Rink recently had its official opening on 12 August 2012. It has a 460 seat gallery and the 60 by 30 metre ice rink (Singapore’s first and only Olympic-size rink) is designed to host international events and competitions for sports such as ice hockey, curling and speed skating. Over 80,000 people have visited The Rink since its soft launch on 2 April 2012, and it will be hosting its first ice hockey league from September 2012.

The Rink is the first sports facility developed under the Singapore Sports Council’s Community/Sports Facilities Scheme which encourages the integration of community or sports facilities in private commercial developments. A national Learn-to-Skate programme has been rolled out to equip participants with foundational skills in ice skating through a progressive five-week course. Those who are more in for the fun can boogie it up at the disco-themed ice skating sessions held on the first and third Fridays of every month.

The Rink
2 Jurong East Central 1, Level 3, JCube
Singapore 609731
Tel: +65 6684 2374
Opening Hours: 10:30AM to 9:30PM (Mon – Thurs); 10:30AM to 11:45PM (Fri – Sun & PH)
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/therink.sg

Disco-themed ice skating is on every 1st & 3rd Friday of the month. Themes include Rock & Roll, K-Pop, Jay Chou, Boy Bands and the King of Pop Michael Jackson. I was lured down by Jay Chou…

Queuing up to get my skates

A group of friends eagerly putting on their skates

I’m ready to boogie! And I brought my own wings, haha.

Something to note: The Rink operates in fixed 2-hour schedules, so go at the right timings else you will end up wasting money or waiting for the next skating session: 12:45pm – 2:45pm, 3pm – 5pm, 5:15pm – 7:15pm, 7:30pm – 9:30pm. Disco-theme Friday nights are from 9.45pm – 11.45pm.

I had to wait about 10 minutes…which gave me enough time to do a Look of the Day, haha.
Gray top – Y3 by Yohji Yamamoto
Blue PVC cape – From Hong Kong
Pants – Adidas by Jeremy Scott
Bling leather gloves – River Island

Snakeskin print platform sneakers – From Hong Kong
Wide Bangle – Hermes
Thin bangle with leather bow – H&M

Yay – I finally get to go on the ice!

Staff teaching novices how to skate safely

Trying to find my balance…afterall, it’s been 7 years I haven’t walked on ice.

Maybe I should rent one of these cute penguin skating aids. They are only for kids though. Sigh.
Photo: The Rink

Hey – these LED light skates are cool! I want!

Finally getting the hang of it, and able to glide around a bit…

And comfy enough to try a few naughty moves!

I’ll look nowhere as cool as this competitive figure skater though.
Photo: Singapore Sports

I’m getting a backache from just looking at him.
Photo: Singapore Sports

Do stay back after the last skating session, cos’ that’s when the ice hockey teams train and play friendlies. They are really cool to watch – the action is really fast and can get pretty rough.

I spotted these ladies playing alongside the men. Whoa. Respect.

Doing drills. They were suppoused to duck down upon the coach’s whistle. It was quite hilarious to watch.

And finally off they play!

It was almost 1.30am by the time I left. I couldn’t keep my eyes open….I shall remember the lady in this poster and go home to dream about gracefully gliding through ice just like her….zzzz

The Rink hosts competitive sports such as speed skating too.
Photo: Singapore Sports

Skating Rates
Tip: Bring your own gloves and socks to save money.

On the whole, I had a great time on ice. Did I fall? Yes – dramatically in a 3-person pile-up which resulted in a 3-session acupuncture (see, I was right about being not at the age to fall down). It could have been worse, if not for the ample natural padding on my butt :D Would I go back? Yes I would. It was fun and a different kind of experience. Lots of memories can be made here, such as…

Celebrating a friend’s birthday on ice
Photo: The Rink

A First-ever proposal at The Rink

And getting married! That’s the closest you’ll get to a winter wedding in Singapore. Congrats!
Photo: The Rink 

Grand Slam!

Vogue Commissions Custom-made Tennis Balls for the U.S. Open

Which is your favourite ball?
Photography Credit: Vogue

In honor of the U.S. Open, which begins today, Vogue has teamed up with eleven awesome designers and one gorgeous tennis legend to transform the classic lime green tennis ball into fashion-worthy. I must say they got pretty creative, serving up the bling, pearls, rhinestones, balls of steel, delicate lace, and even a ruby-red pout. Now I would like to see those being played on court. My favourite has to be the Eddie Borgo’s ball of steel – I’m into studs these days ;) Which is your fave?

Photography Credit: Vogue

Do also check out these fun Vogue Easter and Halloween collaborations. I wonder what’s next?

Night Festival 2012: A Nocturnal Extravaganza worth Staying Up For

Night Festival & Night Lights 2012

A nocturnal extravaganza of light art, spectacular aerial performances, music and dance is set to wow visitors at the 5^th edition of the Night Festival. The events will take place on the public green spaces of the Singapore Management University, National Museum of Singapore (NMS), Singapore Art Museum (SAM), SAM at 8Q, School of the Arts (SOTA) and The Substation. All museums including The Peranakan Museum and The Philatelic Museum will open till 2am as part of the festival and what’s even better – all visitors can enjoy complimentary late night admission– sounds like an adventure!

Held over two weekends on 24-25 August and 31 August – 1 September, Night Festival 2012 showcases 74 acts, out of which 66 are local. The most prominent local artwork would be that of Brian Gothong Tan’s light projection onto the façade of the National Museum of Singapore. He aims to bring Singapore’s historical buildings to life – through his experimental film “WE THE PEOPLE”. Also look out for acrobats from Another highlight Circus Swingapore, the only school here that teaches Circus Arts (I didn’t know we had that!).

The most exciting part for me would be Night Lights, an outdoor showcase of spectacular light installations at Singapore Art Museum , SAM at 8Q and School of the Arts. These artworks were first presented at Fête des Lumières in Lyon, France which hosts the world’s grandest and oldest light art festival in the world. It’s a highly-coveted festival for light artists to exhibit at, so we can expect world-class standards here.

I was there both days, and there was so much to see I understood why the festival went on till 2am. Visitors sat on the grass, transfixed by the light projections on SAM and NMS, or simply merry little figures come alive on the steps of SOTA. A pity about the hot weather, else I would have thought I was on the streets of Lyon watching a beautiful art performance.

For the first time, Armenian Street will be closed on the second festival weekend (31 August – 1 September 2012), from 8pm to 2am due to planned programmes for the public along the street. I’ll certainly be back next weekend to catch this, and Argentinian group Fuerzabruta’s aerial spectacular. And loading up on the coffee to last me thought the night.

Night Festival 2012
Fri & Sat, 24 & 25 Aug and 31 Aug & 1 Sep | 7:30pm – 2am
SAM, SAM at 8Q, School of the Arts (SOTA), and various locations
Free admission
Website: http://www.nhb.gov.sg/brasbasahbugis/nightfestival

WE THE PEOPLE by Brian Gothong Tan
24 & 25 Aug and 31 Aug & 1 Sep | 7:30pm – 2am
National Museum of Singapore Façade Projection
Combining film, motion graphics and experimental animation, Brian’s complex yet playful work, with soundscapes by award-winning composer/musician Philip Tan, is a stunning visual feast that will bring audiences of all ages on a colourful and surreal journey.

WE THE PEOPLE by Brian Gothong Tan

WE THE PEOPLE by Brian Gothong Tan

WE THE PEOPLE by Brian Gothong Tan

Under the Banyan Tree: Open Air Cinema (Labu dan Labi, 1962)
Directed by P. Ramlee
National Museum of Singapore, Stamford Green

Scaling the Dome with Joe Hill‘s 3D painting

These lively Bhangara dancers certainly drummed up a storm with the audience

A creative mix of LED dragon moves

High energy LED lion shuffling to current dance moves. It was fascinating to watch, yet a part of me thought they were a bit too cute, and lost the original majestic nature of the Chinese lions. Would you want a shuffling lion as an auspicious creature and watch over your fortunes? I wonder.

Mimoїd II by Stéphane Bève, Milosh Luczynski & Philippe Rizzotti
Singapore Art Museum
Mimoїd II presents a constantly evolving architecture of a building where each transformation is based on the building’s history and structure. The artwork goes beyond history, into the anticipation of paradise and the unknown. The word “mimoid” comes from Stanislas Lem’s book, Solaris. The Mimoids, which are wave formations of hundreds of thousands of pixels, have a particular fondness for all human artifacts and they imitate and ‘give variations on the theme of a given object’.Monument AIR (Mimoїd) was first presented at Fête des Lumières 2010 in Lyon, France 

Mimoїd II by Stéphane Bève, Milosh Luczynski & Philippe Rizzotti
Singapore Art Museum

Mimoїd II by Stéphane Bève, Milosh Luczynski & Philippe Rizzotti
Singapore Art Museum

Mimoїd II by Stéphane Bève, Milosh Luczynski & Philippe Rizzotti
Singapore Art Museum

Mimoїd II by Stéphane Bève, Milosh Luczynski & Philippe Rizzotti
Singapore Art Museum

Distorted Forest by Stéphane Blanquet
Queen Courtyard, Level 1, SAM
This installation Distorted Forest plays with the use of lights and shadows. Blanquet readapts the Chinese technique of shadow play and creates a forest populated with six larger-than-life-size half-plant, half-insect elements in the Queen Courtyard of the Singapore Art Museum. With a specially designed light system, the shadows of the elements will be projected on the walls to create a stormy and haunted forest.

These two are my favourite artworks – such simple yet arresting concepts

Night Watch by WOKmedia
SAM at 8Q
30 giant pairs of quirky animal eyes peer out from the corridors of SAM at 8Q, illuminating the night sky. Modelled after the eyes of birds, fishes and reptiles, the eyeballs seem to be looking back at us even as we regard them, acting as colourful metaphors that cast a questioning gaze about our secure urban environment. WOKmedia is an art and design collective consisting of Julie Mathias and Wolfgang Kaeppner.
Night Watch was first presented at Fête des Lumières 2011 in Lyon, France © WOKmedia

This is insanely cute!
Fish Tank at No. 8 by Stéphane Masson
SAM at 8Q
You simply can’t miss this live virtual aquarium with its giant red fishes! Artist Stéphane Masson specialises in using urban environments to create unexpected and poetic video installations. With Fish Tank, he modifies an ordinary space to become a site for contemplative entertainment, producing surprises and smiles.

La Voiture Aquarium was presented at Fête des Lumières 2011 in Lyon, France © Stéphane Masson.

You can watch the fishes swim all night….really.

Children’s Dreams (at SOTA)
Jérôme Donna and Public Lighting Department to City of Lyon, France
See how children’s drawings of familiar fairytales characters are gradually brought to life with sparkles of lights! The spectacle is complemented by an equally colourful musical score. Children’s Dreams is a work created by Jérôme Donna, lighting designer at Public Lighting Department to City of Lyon, France who has participated in numerous projects for Fête des Lumières in Lyon, France.Children’s Dreams was first presented at Fête des Lumières in Lyon, France © Jérôme Donna and Public Lighting Department to City of Lyon, France. 

It was nothing technologically inspiring, just simple LED light strips forming merry figures which reminded me of childhood. And made me smile.

It was 1.40am by the time I got to SOTA. And I was hot and dog tired. Time for me to take reference from the wolf and hit the bed…I never felt bored for a single minute with so much to see, and it was an awesome way to spend the weekend – almost free! hahaha

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Singapore Concept Store

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Infinitely Dots Concept Store, Singapore

I finally made time to visit Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Infinitely Dots Concept Store at Nge Ann City, Singapore. More details on this collaboration can be found in this blog post. The pop-up store is one of only seven such concept stores worldwide. It opened on 15 July 2012 and stays till 1 November 2012. The Singapore store is inspired by Kusama’s “Biomorphic Nerves” motif, biomorphic sculptures being one of Kusama’s most iconic works. Go take a look if you can, it’s quite an interesting sight even if you are not in the mood for some polka dot retail therapy :)

Address: 
Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Concept Store
391 Orchard Road
Takashimaya Shopping Centre, #02-12G, Ngee Ann City
Tel: +65 6788 3888
http://louisvuittonkusama.com/

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Infinitely Dots Concept Store

I’m quite tempted by these two items…

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Infinitely Dots Collection

This would make a beautiful Valentine’s present

You’ve got attitude girl, despite being naked and only covered with red spots

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Infinitely Dots

Black or Red…Black or Red….hmmmm

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Infinitely Dots Collection

This metal collar is my favourite item in the collection. I was seriously planning to get it until…

I saw that Lady Gaga has gotten it for herself – and Fozzi her pooch. Lucky Fozzi.
Photo: Courtesy of @LadyGaga’s Twitter

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Infinitely Dots Concept Store

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Infinitely Dots Concept Store

See you at the store! *blink blink*

Here comes Tigress Woods

My First Golf Lesson
The view from the golf course was surreal. You can see Marina Bay’s iconic structures such as Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay’s cooled conservatories and the Singapore Flyer from here.

I love sports. Especially those with big balls – I played competitive volleyball and bowling in school (and nope, I was never mistaken for the ball despite my roundness.). Since I graduated, there hasn’t been much opportunity to play. Hence I decided to take up an individual sport like golf which can take me through retirement. Now I will have something to do other than knit, talk to my cat, go for a stroll in the park with chum D and sleep in my rocking chair when I grow old.

I started my first lesson last night at Marina Bay Golf Course filled with trepidation and much anticipation. Will I manage to hit the ball? Will my golf club fly out of my hand while I take a swing? Will my ball fly backwards? Will I get bored even before the ball flies? I wondered.

Rows of buggies waiting to ferry their golfers

A good way to spy what golf bags are available in the market – why all black? I want mine in neon pink!

Golfers practicing at the driving range. I had to take 10 lessons and pass an exam before I am allowed to go on the golfing green. Maybe I should just play cheat and go Batam for an express green card, naughty naughty!

Nice pose! Must learn, must learn

Cafeteria with a to-die-for view of Marina Bay. There’s a Japanese restaurant too offering an extensive range of sake.

Wait for me golfing green…10 weeks and an exam away.

This is coach Alan teaching us where to hit the ball. Notice the cross sign he has drawn on the club – the cross section point, known as the ‘sweet spot’ is where we should target to hit the ball at. He’s very patient and pleasant, since I haven’t started to drive him crazy with my “What is this” and “But why” avalanche of questions.

My target of hitting 50 golf balls for Lesson 1. I managed to hit at least 90% of them, not bad for a start. *puffed up pride*

Eyes on the ball and get ready to hit

Whoopee and here goes my swing. I think I did it with too much gutso – Coach says I am using too much force hitting the ball (cos’ I used to play volleyball!), and need to get more into the pendulum swing. Yes coach. Note to self: practice in front of the mirror until I get that photo-worthy pose so that I can cam-whore, haha. And that, by the way, is my most NORMAL set of clothes. I dug high and low for them.

Oh so cute the boy! I cannot lose to him….so embarrassing

I love this three-generation golfing scene – definitely a sport that can last you a lifetime.
I had a funny thought at that moment: the boy golfs cos’ probably Dad asked him to, Dad golfs cos’ probably boss asked him to, and the Grandpa cos’ probably Grandma asked him to so he does not stay at home to nag at her. Haha.

Oh yeah! I had fun on my first golf lesson. My back got a bit sore from the twisting, but the satisfaction of hitting the ball and watching them soar into the air was worth the discomfort. I made a note to golf in style too, with my Adidas by Stella McCartney golf gloves. And now to search for stylo-mylo golf shoes, clothes, visor…..hey hey hey, slow down shopaholic – it’s only Lesson One!

Let’s see if this still stays true after 10 weeks of lessons. Stay tuned for more golfing adventures!