SNF 2016: The Haze Never Bothered Me Anyway
“Ahh, what a lovely day!” In one of those triumphant Disney princess moments, I pranced to my bedroom window and opened it, hoping that a singing sparrow (or, shall I say, Spearow) would greet me at the windowsill.
But when I opened the window, a gust of wind blew through the room as the smell of burnt wood permeated the air. “Oh god, the haze is back, AGAIN! How on earth am I supposed to go for the Singapore Night Festival tomorrow?” I braced myself for an air-pocalypse. I imagined myself going for the Night Festival donning an N95 mask and combing through the thick fog in search for the exhibits (and Pokémon).
A conversation such as this might have ensued:
“Is that a Pidgey or a Spearow?”
“No idea man, I can’t see a thing!”
Thankfully, my worst fears were allayed as the haze had completely disappeared on Saturday night. With a group of friends, I decided to join the crowd of festive-goers on the last night of the Singapore Night Festival. While it was not an air-pocalypse, I certainly experienced a human-pocalypse. (Man, insane was probably an understatement to describe the crowd.)
Not being a huge fan of crowds, I jostled quickly through the mass of humans from one zone to the next, occasionally being elbowed by sweaty arms. I found comfort from the hordes of people in two popsicles and one cup of salted caramel flavoured fried donuts – which were absolutely delish.
One of the highly anticipated exhibits called “#showerthoughts” was located at the National Design Centre. Eager to find out what it was all about, my friends and I made the journey there. However, we were in for a shock when we saw the massive queue, and the sign that said “Waiting Time: 3 hours”. People were still joining the queue at 11.15pm, and I wondered: How must anyone have the time and patience to queue? Well, perhaps this is why some people say that queuing is a national sport, right?
The night itself was filled with many surprises, from elegant daredevils walking on stilts, to the heart-throbbing beat of Brazilian drums. However the flea markets were the highlight of the night. The quintessential flea market is quaint, beautiful and full of unexpected surprises. Saturday’s flea market was just that.
Designers were eager to display their wonderfully handcrafted items, and everything was hands down mesmerising. The pride and joy that I saw on their faces was certainly something to behold. They patiently explained to us how they made their products and graciously thanked us even if we students couldn’t afford their artisan crafts. Their persistence and discipline in handcrafting these exquisite products certainly motivated me to never give up on my passions. With whatever money I had left, I managed to get one postcard, which aptly said, “Not all who wander are lost”.
Wandering through the Singapore Night Festival allowed me to experience the beautiful night displays and savour tasty street food. But most importantly, it allowed me to experience a bit of Singapore’s bubbling culture with new eyes. I can’t wait for them to take over SMU’s campus green again!