The Botanic Gardens Trip that Wasn't

I love how the National Museum has managed to blend old with new so beautifully. The building itself has lovely architecture, and yet within, there are signals that the old dame is still keeping up with the times. Like glass roofs for instance. Very useful when one wants to check if it's safe to step outside.

There. Isn't it gorgeous? I love old buildings

It was by chance that we visited the National Museum today. We were on our way to the Botanic Gardens, encouraged by great weather all day. I was armed with bubbles, bread and snacks but grey skies forced us to think of a quick indoor alternative - ah, the wonders of living in a tropical country. The wonderful thing about the National Museum is that there are always exhibits that you can visit for free, and if you want to visit the special exhibitions, you can do so at a small fee ($10 for adults, $5 for students and children 6 and below).

A perfect example of how old is balanced with new.
Poppy was mesmorised by this wall.
She loved prancing around and watching "Wall Poppy" follow her actions

We were approached by two school children upon entrance. They asked if we wanted to have a free tour of the exhibits. They looked so sincere that we couldn't say no. Who turns down a free babysitting service tour anyway? So we had guides showing us the Singapore Living Galleries on Fashion and Food.

I've often wished for child-friendly exhibitions and areas like how
some other Western museums have
(and even museums solely dedicated to children! The joy!).
So we were pleasantly surprised at this great area that Poppy enjoyed
- scent jars to allow visitors to have a whiff of flavours that go
into local cooking, like coconut and coriander.

They shared their knowledge on 60s fashion and food, and in return,
I gave them a hands-on lesson on Parenting 101.


A cheongsam donated by Elizabeth Choy, a war heroine in Singapore who was a volunteer nurse during the Japanese Occupation. The wordings read:
"Nu huang wan sui, tian xia tai ping". I think it loosely translates into
"Long live feminism/'the female emperor'; peace on earth".

And after looking at the clothes of the 60s, we got to touch and see
the fabric that they used for those psychedelic designs.

My parents taught me a few life lessons:

1) The world is not confined to the classroom
2) Never be afraid to be different
3) Keep a big stick behind your front door

Instead of looking at the things on display,
Poppy was curious about our Guide's necktie.
This sight made me realise that without me
consciously teaching Poppy the same, number 1
would probably come naturally to her,
thanks to her inquisitive nature.

Have I mentioned how much I loved the architecture of this building?
And this girl?

Special thanks to our student guides from Choa Chu Kang Secondary School

So we never made it to the Botanic Gardens. We spent an entire rainy afternoon at the National Museum instead. And well-spent it was.

PS: 29 May 2011 - save the date. It's International Museum Day and admission is free to all museums in Singapore on that day. And here are the list of children's activities!