Saturday, May 21, 2011 (Singapore)

AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE KING: Sandy and I went on a date today. We figured we better get at least ONE in before we leave (on Wednesday). We saw "The Lion King" in the theater at the Marina Bay Sands. (Of course, it was the matinee; we thought we might keel over during the second half of any 150-minute performance that would begin at 8 p.m.)
We absolutely loved it. For a review and some images of the Singapore production (which opened in March) go here. I recall that a traveling version will be in Syracuse this fall. It's well worth seeing. After the show, we ate supper at db Bistro Moderne. All within walking distance of home.

SPOTTED A DIFFERENT KIND OF MANE MEN ON THE WAY TO SEE THE LION KING: While walking along the shore of Marina Bay, we came across installations of cat/lion statues. These represent Singa the Lion, who is a mascot for the Singapore Kindness Movement.
It's been around since 1982, when it was created in conjunction with a National Courtesy Campaign. Lots of Singaporeans have grown up with this mascot. I think these particular Garfield-esque felines were installed earlier this month, while we were away.
A sign near the trio says, "I'm here to inspire kindness and graciousness in everyone." When we first walked up two children were fighting over who would be the first one to touch the lion.
They pipe in a lot of music along the shoreline here. With these kindness cats in place, I don't think the playlist will include the Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice."

WILL YOU BE ABLE TO WALK INTO A CARTIER STORE WITH A SLURPEE? The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, known for its luxury-goods lineup, is filling some of its storefronts on the western end. As we walked to the Lion King, we noticed that one large spot will be devoted to a 7-Eleven store, I mean shoppe. The convenience store fills many niches in Singapore and Southeast Asia. It can evidently stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the world's great high-end emporiums. On the level below, the sign says, "The world of luxury shopping starts here." It's a whole new world. The attitudes around the 7-Elevens here are totally different from the attitudes in the U.S. The products are wide; the neighborhoods cover the entire spectrum.