ArtScience Museum

The ArtScience Museum opened in early 2011 without much fanfare in Marina Bay Sands complex in Singapore. Which is rather a shame since there are three amazing exhibitions being held simultaneously

• Dali - Mind of a Genius
• Van Gogh Alive
• Shipwrecked - Treasures from the Tang Dynasty

Dali - Mind of a Genius

The word "genius" is often an overused cliche, employed by amateur art critics to window-dress their shortcomings. However, in Dali's case, it is well-deserved. I have always found his surrealist works rather disturbing until I began to understand his masterful use of imagery.

Soft clocks are the hallmark of Dali's work, and they often appeared in his dreams. The reason they appear as soft is because he views time as soft, fluid and cyclical. Unlike most of us who just declare that there are 60 minutes in an hour - hard and fast facts that would have anguished the genius of Dali. He once declared "...as for clocks, they would have to be soft, or not be at all!"

I was introduced to other religious themes in his sculptures such as this work representing Adam and Eve, as well as angels on snails.

In many of Dali's works, butterflies often symbolised the soul. These delicate nature of these female sculptures are reflected in the dainty butterflies they hold aloft.

Apart from sculptures, Dali was also a painter and furniture designer. I thought the furniture exhibition looked rather IKEA-ish, but stood to admire for almost 10 minutes anyway because it was so artfully mounted on the wall and ceiling.

Van Gogh Alive!

Words cannot do justice to this thrilling exhibition. It needs to be experienced, not just seen. Van Gogh is one of my favourites and to see his works projected on 40 giants screens accompanied by some of the best classical pieces is breathtaking!

Standing in front of these Irises projections, I felt as if I'd been magically transported into a spring day in Tuscany!

Sizzling skyline

Singapore's skyline has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last two years, thanks to the emergence of Marina Bay. The entire complex is breathtaking, be it day or night. And it's such a pleasant place to go for a walk, far from the madding crowds of Orchard Road.

View from Lantern Bar at Fullerton Bay Hotel

Potato Head Beach Club

I sneaked a quick trip back to Candidasa, Bali in May this year with seester Li Ki to catch up with old friends and make new ones. While propped up at the bar one evening, we heard rave reviews about a new club called Potato Head in Seminyak. Having been sorely disappointed by the arrogant service at Ku De Ta several years ago, we were a little hesitant about this one.

We were pleasantly surprised!

A stunning facade of colourful screen doors greets visitors at the entrance of Potato Head

The Infinity Pool is a great place for kids to frolick

Sunset views of the Seminyak horizon from the bar

The drinks, food and service staff were all superb! We had the undivided attention of Oka, a waiter who anticipated our every wish and catered to every need (almost!). Li Ki and I thoroughly enjoyed the day out at this new club and will definitely be back the next time we're in Bali.

Meet Nancy Malfanti

Up till now, the Journeys of Aunty Jo Jo has largely focussed on the places, experiences, food and shopping that I've enjoyed on my travels. An area which hasn't been given enough prominence are the people whom I've had the privilege of befriending along the way. Hence, an introduction of a new feature entitled "Along the Way" where I'll be sharing encounters with wonderful people I've met.

Enjoying a walk along Manly Beach (Sydney) with Nancy

One of the most interesting people who has claimed a special place in my heart is Nancy Malfanti.

Nancy and I become the unlikeliest of friends when we lived in the an apartment complex in Belmont Avenue in Wollstonecraft. What would a 30 year old Malaysian corporate road warrior have in common with an elderly Australian retired kindergarten teacher? A lot more than you think!

What impressed me most about Nancy was her hunger for knowledge! She is an avid subscriber to correspondence courses from the "University of the Third Age" and in one of our first conversations, she completely blew me away with her knowledge of DNA coding and genetic engineering! She also took courses in Art History, Geography and Literature.

We developed a special bond over the garden in our complex since Nancy was solely responsible for ensuring we had the loveliest blooms throughout the year. The gorgeous baby blue and peacock blue hydrangeas that greeted us each spring were a product of Nancy's hard work throughout the year.

Our friendship grew steadily as I often volunteered to take her out for a drive to the North Coast (around Palm Beach) where she grew up or to the Southern Highlands for a cup of tea. I learnt so much about her life, her marriage and her aches and pains. But the most important thing I learnt from Nancy is that we must never stop learning.

Published in Expat Living

Five years after starting this blog to channel my writing energy, I've finally been published in a Singapore magazine! Expat Living picked two of my travel stories, on Angkor and Xian, to feature in their Annual Travel Guide for 2011. This is so exciting!

Here's to the start of an award-winning, best-selling career as an author ;-)

Angkor - Kingdom of Wonder


The Many Faces of Xian