The Songs of Sentosa

I’ve never owned an iPod so I’m always fascinated by the sight of more and more people getting earplugged (not earrings) and easily shutting off the world – or any form of conversation for that matter– as they immerse in music. Forgive me if you catch me staring sometimes but, aside from the fact that your gadget looks way too cool, my mind also tends to wander and wonder about mundane stuff like – “What’s that song that’s making you bop your head nonstop?” Or, “Hey dude, we’re in Sentosa. Does your iPod manage to catch the beat of the island?” I can only guess.

When traveling, I always find it important to feel the rhythm of the place – be it slow, fast or easy. That way, it’s easier to get to the heart of any destination. Sentosa Island, Singapore, in particular, brings a wave of unforgettable iTunes you can easily download from its surrounding waters, beautiful structures, dazzling technology, attractions and people. If given the chance to save and shuffle the songs of Sentosa in any iPod, my playlist would be as follows:

UNDER THE SEA
Sentosa, dubbed as Asia’s favorite playground, takes entertainment to a whole new level by bringing in our favorite ocean playmates – Oscar the fish and the flipping dolphins, among others. Its dazzling 83-meter long glass tube is an interactive, one-of-a-kind Underwater World experience as it surrounds you with a wealth of marine life. Like a toddler in the sea, I couldn’t get enough of playing peek-a-boo with the sharks, trying to rub noses with the adorable dugong or running alongside the graceful rays.
As if that wasn’t cool enough, at night, Sentosa beckons with the “Songs of the Sea” – an award-winning show played on water featuring lively music, amazing pyrotechnics, water jets, fire and a melody of lights. Simply magical! Sebastian the Crab apparently nailed it decades ago when he sang to the Little Mermaid, “Under the sea, under the sea, darlin’ it’s better down where it’s wetter, take it from me…” Percussions? Oscar, bring it on.

TRANSFORMERS
I have the sneaky feeling that Sentosa Island is not at all what it seems. Some things you see sleeping innocently at daylight, like cranes for example, could easily take flight at night. The Crane Dance, one of the major attractions in Resorts World Sentosa, tells the love story of a pair of mechanical cranes whose love, accordingly, transforms them into ‘real birds’. Unbelievable may be, but the astounding light and water effects, the sheer beauty and sight of steel cranes moving deftly in the midst of water and light illusion is something worth watching for. Then, there’s the placid Lake of Dreams at the heart of Festive Walk, which dramatically comes alive every night. “Simply smokin’” I call it, what with its playful illusions of fire-breathing dragons, water cannons and laser special effects. And the best thing is-- the show’s free! Another remarkable “transformer” is the Steven Spielberg-inspired studio over at Universal Studios, “Lights, Camera, Action!”, which easily rearranges itself to give a thrilling play of wind and fire as you get to experience a simulated hurricane in a New York City set. As that singer of the Transformers’ theme song wails, yes definitely, Sentosa is “more than meets the eye.”

HARD ROCK
One of the coolest hotels I’ve been to is Hard Rock Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa. Oozing with style and creativity, its design and memorabilia give testament to the glories of music and rock culture. The walls are adorned with the faces of revolutionary artists from the 50s to the new millennium such as Diana Ross – The Supremes, The King of Rock N Roll Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Tina Turner, Madonna, U2, Rihanna and more. Just walking along the hall of fame with the blown-up photos of these rockin’ superstars makes you feel like a rock star yourself without the stress of having to cut a record album. They inspire you to dance or sing along, and as Alicia Keys on the wall would tell you, “No one, no one, no one can get in the way of what I’m feelin…”

AMERICAN IDOL
For me, Universal Studios Singapore is one big American musical experience. It offers not just one but a series of hit remakes racing through the charts. If I were to judge or vote for my favorite number in this theme park on Sentosa Island, it would have to be “Thriller!” sang by the freaky Monsters at Pantages Theater in simulated Hollywood. These cool rock n’ rollin’ Monsters, headlined by Count Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy and others, show the world they still have “IT”, with their screaming repertoire of “It’s My Life”; “You Give Love a Bad Name”, “Freak Out!” and once more, “Thriller Night”. In fact, they were so good, I had LSS (last song syndrome) while I was screaming my head off in the dark aboard the high-speed rollercoaster called Revenge of the Mummy in Ancient Egypt (another theme zone) – which, hands down, is definitely the most freaky ride ever. Sharp turns, fast reverse sections, fireballs, scarab beetles, Imhotep amidst total darkness…a psychological thriller, indeed!

The other song contenders in Universal Studios aren’t bad either. Timon and Pumba’s rendition of “In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle” brings together well-loved animal characters like the Madagascar troupe and the “Far, Far Away Kingdom” (another major theme zone) mainstays Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots. But then, the jungle king still towers over all. At 37 meters high, Merlion – the half lion, half fish creature, sits on top of a hill, preening as people line up for a photo op.

Anastasia’s “A Journey to the Past” also blends well with The Lost World- Jurrasic Park and Waterworld, Ancient Egypt and old Hollywood featuring vintage cars and singing quartets with spanking shoes and oily hairdos as they belt out the Jukebox on the streets.

The “Empire State of Mind” duet by American rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z and R&B soul singer Alicia Keys, is also a show stopper in the New York zone. This song easily encapsulates the place. To borrow their words, “In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made, oh there's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights (and bright yellow taxi cabs, mind you) will inspire you. Let's hear it for New York!”

However, the one garnering the most popular text votes, I bet, would be “Paparazzi”. There’s hardly ever any tourist in sight without a camera on hand. There are queues everywhere of people wanting to photograph with fake celebrities. But you know who the biggest superstar is? Nah, not Marilyn Monroe or even the Merlion. Listen and listen well as Lady Gaga clues us in, “Baby there’s no other superstar, you know that I’ll be papa-paparazzi.”

BUSES AND TRAINS
What I find absolutely delightful in Sentosa Island is its very organized – and take note: free! – transport system. For every significant destination, there are always color-coded buses, trams or trains waiting to bring you there. Inspired by the song “Buses and Trains” by the Bachelor Girl, I (to rephrase a bit) “walked towards a bus, got picked by a train, keep fallin’ in love, which is kind of the same… and it felt so good, I wanna do it again!”

While scribbling notes on this musical journey, I‘m yet on another bus on my way to nowhere. As we exit the gates of Sentosa Island, I couldn’t help but hum along and bop my head – sans iPod—to the lingering chords of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t forget me when I’m gone… my heart would break….”

-- SunStar Weekend, 16 April 2011

Postcards from Bali

Dear Readers,
I have traveled far to visit the famous and most photographed island called Bali, Indonesia. To be blunt, getting to the ‘land of the gods’ was not exactly a walk in the park. It’s almost like journeying to Narnia. First, fellow adventurer Jan and I have to go through the confusing maze of Kuala Lumpur’s airport and run through the mad crowd towards the tiny plane that would take us to the island. But then you have to guess which plane among those lined up in the runway as there were absolutely no signs or clues, how could that be? But following our gut, we passed the test on that and climbed aboard the right one. Then, upon landing, there were the dragons at the gate, otherwise known as Customs, who just had to pick on you just because you’re a damsel without a knight in shining armor. Well, there’s nothing left to do but smile, play the game and, if you’re lucky, tame the dragons, which we did. Finally, outside the gates of Ngurah Rai airport, there were the hyenas that welcome you with a smile, bring you to your coach… and then, ta-da! charge you almost like an arm and a leg of your carry-on rupiah. Shameless, just shameless. But after surviving the challenge of the maze, the dragons and the hyenas, it was almost like the gods were smiling down on us. From the distance, we could hear the enchanting echo of the gong. We were ready to enter Bali. Ah, Bali. For a glimpse of this delightful island, let me share with you some postcards. – xoxo –


Postcard #1 Kuta Beach



Dear Bro,
How’s Boracay? Would you believe it, I’m frolickin’ here in southern Bali – the famous Kuta Beach to be exact. The locals tell us Kuta used to be a sleepy fishing village half a century ago, but slowly expanded since the 1960s after its long sandy beach was discovered by travelers from Asia and wandering surfers from nearby Australia. To tell you the truth, the beach is kinda disappointing, it’s grayish and not that smooth – nothing like the powdery white sands of Boracay. But the sunsets? Wow, simply spectacular. A short walk on the beach leads you to the Boardwalk, where you’ll find the chic beachfront ‘Discovery Shopping Mall’, a line of shops, boutiques, galleries and restaurants. I know, I know, so what, right? But you see, aside from being a shopping mecca and the centre of night life activities in Southern Bali, Kuta is also famous for its breaking waves and waist-deep water, making it perfect for surfing, wakeboarding, and of course your sport- kiteboarding. You’d love it here, bro. Miss ya. -xoxo-


Postcard #2 Bintang Beer



Dear Drinking Buddies,
I have a confession to make. For the first time, I passed over my fave margarita for a few bottles of the local beer. I don’t normally drink beer, right? But Bali’s ice-cold Bintang Pilsener is simply irresistible. Originally from Java, Bintang (which means “star” in Indonesia) is by far the smoothest beer I’ve ever gulped down without an aftertaste. I’m hereby sending to you a postcard of Bintang. Have you seen it? Would you happen to know where we can find it in Cebu? If not, perhaps, you can forward this to our favorite bars and hopefully, they will import it soon. Till the next drink. Cheers! – xoxo –


Postcard #3 Bali Coffee



Dear Mom,
I took a whiff of the best-tasting coffee here in Bali (even perhaps the world) and thought of you. We visited a coffee plantation in Wedang Sari, Sebatu Village in Kintamani where they also grow their own honey, lemon, cinnamon and more. We saw how they harvested, ground and prepared their coffee. The most interesting was the Kopi Luwak - coffee made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet (weasel-like face, cat-like body and long tail with fur which may be either gray or brown with darker stripes). These beans pass through its digestive tract, then defecated seemingly without losing their original shape. These are then collected, washed, sun dried, roasted and ground as required, yielding an aromatic coffee that is noted as the most expensive and rare in the world. Unfortunately, we didn’t try it though as it’s so expensive and the whole process frankly just weirded me out a bit. However, they did offer us a free taste of their ginger tea, lemon tea, ginseng coffee, ginger coffee, chocolate coffee and the original pure Bali coffee. It smelled so good and the taste was unlike anything I’ve ever tried. It’s just heavenly, mom. I’ll bring you some. – xoxo-


PostCard #4 Ubud Market



Dear Sis,
I know you sent me to Bali on a mission – to find one of your uniquely shaped purses. But despite going to different markets already, I still couldn’t find it. Are you sure that even exists? Nevertheless, Balinese bazaar-hopping is fun. I get a kick out of being asked “How much would you like to pay, daahh-ling?” or “Don’t you like this one, dahling? It suits you dah-ling.” Apparently, Bali is the land of the dah-lings. Anyway, we will continue on to the colorful Ubud market where they sell all things from batik, silver, handcrafted bags, jars, paintings and hopefully, your purse. Don’t worry sis, I’m not giving up on the mission. You are, after all, a dah-ling. –xoxo-


Postcard #5 Balinese Painting



To my artist friends,
Bali totally inspires in the richness of its art and handicrafts, especially in the Ubud art villages of Celuk, Batubulan and Batuan. In Celuk, we met the gold and silver smith who lured us into buying silver rings we couldn’t resist. Batubulan, which our guide explained means “stone” (batu) and “man” (bulan), is famous for its intricate stone carvings displayed in houses and lined up on the streets. Finally, in Batuan, we visited the house of the master painter I Wayan Mardiana and his brothers Made (2nd); Nyoman (3rd) and Ketut (4th) – also all painters—whose gallery simply explodes in color and the most variety I’ve ever seen from elephants to Hindu gods, women, landscapes and more. As you can see, I stole a shot for inspiration. –xoxo-


Postcard #6 Jimbaran Seafood



Dear Popsy,
For our last supper, our Balinese guide, Made, took us to a fresh grilled seafood restaurant in Jimabaran Bay, said to be the best place to enjoy dinner at sunset, with a unique Balinese dance from the lovely Hindu epic Ramayan. And what a feast it was with crabs, shrimps, fish, mussels and veggies, plus Bintang beer. I know you won’t be easily impressed with this, after all, you can find all these food in your own backyard. Anyway, how’s your side of the sea in Medellin, pops? As I prepare to eat this feast, sadly I realize I still don’t know how to pinch a crab. Wish you were here. –xoxo-


Postcard #7 Tanah Lot



Dear Elizabeth Gilbert,
One fine day in Bali, we took a long drive from Kuta to Kintamani to gaze at the majesty of its semi-active volcano Mt. Batur. Then we proceeded to see the amazing rice terraces at Tegallalang and ended by sunset in Tanah Lot, where a great temple stands on a huge rock by the Indian Ocean. Somehow, between the peak of Mt. Batur and the uneven rice plains of Tegallang, I began to wonder about your journey and search for balance between devotion and pleasure in Bali. In the temple at Tanah Lot, before they granted us entry, they let us drink from the holy spring, put a yellow flower behind our ear, and dabbed some grains on our forehead. Yes, I felt both the devotion to their faith and pleasure over beauty, but balance? It’s such a tricky thing isn’t it? Bali, since I set foot on the island, has been consistently throwing me off guard. In Tanah Lot, as I sit between a huge rock and the Indian Ocean, I feel my world shift yet again. Still, I smile at the setting sun as I remember your words, “Even in my underpants, I feel different.” –xoxo-

--SunStar Weekend, April 2, 2011