Fireworks Saga (in 5 parts)

Part 5 - Saturday, August 12 (Team France)
Today was quite a busy day. In the morning, my sister and I decided that we wanted to go for the Library book sale at the Expo. BIG MISTAKE. As we entered the carpark, we saw the large crowds at the entrance. No way man, I've had enough of mingling with people this past week. Not so hardup about buying cheap books. So immediately I made my way out of the carpark. What a waste of petrol plying up and down the AYE! On the way back we managed to pack duck rice for everyone at home for lunch.

After lunch, the kids wanted to go for a public transport "excursion" according to the itinery planned out by Sean, our neighbour: MRT ride from Queenstown to Outram Park, then switch over to the north-east line down to HabourFront. From there take bus 409 up to Mount Faber. Then take a cable car round trip to Sentosa and back. Sean and his dad, TT and the kids (Cheryl, Isaac, Lauren and Oli) went for the excursion. My sister and I enjoyed some peace and quiet at home for a while....About 2 hours later, I drove up to Mount Faber and picked all of them up to go home! MRT -> Bus -> Cable car -> Car!




After dropping off Sean, his dad and Isaac (who would be taking his nap), we headed to the National Library to drop off the books we borrowed 3 weeks ago. TT then headed off to his badminton game. We milled around the Library for a while before heading to the Jubilee Hall (Raffles Hotel) to watch "The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Stories by Eric Carle" at 4pm. I had booked the tickets quite some time ago through the internet and we got pretty good seats. The kids enjoyed the show where puppets were painted in flourescent and illuminated by ultraviolet lights. I thought the chameleon was really cute and tried to take a short video clip using my camera, but got stopped by the wardens! After the show, TT picked us up and the kids went swimming in the evening. Phew! What a busy day!

I was totally put off by the crowd the day before, so enough of closeup fireworks for me. I was sure I didn't have enough energy nor will power to lug 4 children through the thick crowds. But TT was still very enthusiastic and he decided to go ahead alone while I stayed at home with the kids. The kids watched the fireworks from our home windows. According to TT when he came back, the crowds were worse than the night before and he only managed to take videos from across the road near Fullerton hotel. And his view was slightly blocked by a building. I'm really glad I decided to stay at home. This is the pic of the fireworks TT took.

Rating: 6/10 (4 marks for the faraway, not-so-impressive view of the fireworks, 2 marks for watching the display in the cool and breezy comfort of my bedroom window with Isaac huddling in my arms.)

Part 4 - Friday, August 11 (Team New Caledonia)
Not totally deterred by Tuesday's failure, we decided to have another go at watching the fireworks closeup. This time TT and I set off earlier, around 7.45pm. We took the MRT to Raffles Place, and as we walked towards the merlion park, lots of people and families with children were also moving purposefully in the same direction. It was around 8.30pm, and the merlion park was totally filled up, so we decided to make our way to the Esplanade Drive bridge (see pic). We squeezed our way through till we were midway on the bridge. The whole place was lined with photographers with tripods and other spectators. We found some breathing space there and decided this would be our viewing spot.

This is a pic of TT and Isaac and Merlion at the backbround. We noticed that the protruding part of the Merlion park had been cordoned off for VIPs and probably sponsors. The rest of us "commoners" had to endure the discomfort of people packed like sardines. We had to wait about 20min before the fireworks began. The display was spectacular and impressive and it almost felt worth the discomfort we experienced. Cheryl and Isaac seemed pretty awed and probably slightly frightened by the heart-thumping explosions of the fireworks, and not to mention the immense number of people. After the show, it was another crazy squeeze to make our way out of the bridge to cross the road to Fullerton hotel side. Since Cheryl and Isaac have already experienced the fireworks closeup, it would be unlikely for me to attempt to brave the crowds again anytime soon. Taking the train back was less of a hassle, and we were back home by 10pm and Isaac probably enjoyed the MRT ride home more than the fireworks. I am definitely writing in to the forum about closing the roads during such events.
Rating: 8/10 (Full marks for the fireworks, minus 2 points for the bad crowd experience)

Part 3 - Wednesday, August 9 (National Day)
I can't tell you the exact details, but we managed to catch the fireworks from the balcony of a condo along Meyer Road near East Coast Park. We were at the 25th floor, and the city view as well as the sea view was simply breath-taking! The fireworks display did not disappoint although I fancied the duration was much too short. However, I was still not quite totally appeased by the episode of the previous day. TT took a video of the whole thing, so I don't have any shots of the fireworks.
Rating: 8/10

Part 2 - Tuesday, August 8 (Team Singapore)
The following is a pathetic tale indeed. If you wish to revel in my ill-fortune, read on...

Not content with watching fireworks from our home window, I was determined to bring the kids to watch it from a relative's office at Suntec Tower 3 on the 41st level. But I had a pilates class after work which ends at 7.30pm. TT was playing badminton from 7-9pm. His badminton time is non-negotiable, but I wasn't willing to give up my pilates class either. So after class I rushed home by cab. By the time we (my two kids, maid and myself) set off, it was 8.15pm. Reached Queenstown MRT but just missed the train! Damn, got to wait 7 minutes for the next one! #%@! The train finally came and it wasn't too crowded (yet). Two kind souls offered their seats to us. By the time we alighted at City Hall, the train was packed. Even the train station was brimming with people. Heard over the public announcement: "The station is very crowded. If you are not boarding the trains, please leave the station!" (wah fierce). 8:45 - We made our way to Suntec via the CityLink. Looks like everyone's rushing to see the fireworks too. We had to carry Isaac in his pram when we encountered stairs because the escalators were way too packed. It was a real workout getting from City Hall to Suntec. And totally pram-unfriendly. Time suddenly went twice as fast, the malls appeared much longer, and our strides seemed so small. We could only walk as fast as Cheryl's legs could manage. I had hoped the fireworks display wouldn't start on time, but it did. #%@! We had just reached the convention centre when it began. By the time we reached the foot of Tower 3, they were firing the final blasts. We managed to see some of it through the tall buildings. 9.10pm and it was all over. Hey, wasn't it supposed to be 15 minutes of fireworks, not 10 minutes? Felt so cheated. Went up anyway to the office to catch the view of the city and smoke. Tired. Hungy. Hot. And Fedup. And then later we had to contend with the traffic jam when my sister-in-law drove us back. Cars from the carparks were now trying to get out of the place, and this was like an hour after everything was over. It was Hell! Nightmare!

I knew I should have set off earlier, but I almost made it you know... My kids didn't seem to mind, the journey was quite an adventure in itself. But I can't help feeling upset about the whole episode. On hindsight, I must have been out of my mind to brave the crowds with two kids in tow using public transport... Plain stupid. But at least I tried.
There must be a better way to catch the fireworks...
Rating: 2/10

Part 1 - Saturday, August 5 (Team Italy)
We just watched it from our living room window. We can only view fireworks from the Festival displayed at the Marina Bay. We cannot see the display fired off at the National Stadium as it is being blocked by the opposite HDB blocks. Today's display lasted a good 15 minutes.
Rating: 4/10