Saturday, September 11, 2010

Chinatown welcomes Autumn

Tonight, 11 Sep 10, Chinatown in Singapore welcomes Autumn with a lights-up and grand performance as we prepare for the Mid-Autumn Festival - Zhong Qiu Jie.

What was missing were the delightful clear-glass lanterns that would have been of fishes and even aeroplanes (considered as modern then). Tonight it was modern technologies in full display with dance modernised with modern beat. Something that is atuned with the younger Singaporeans.



While the older people sat back, or rather stood, to watch the performance, it must be the performers who enjoyed and probably appreciate the Mid-Autumn festival of current times.

With full grandeur, performance after performance graced the stage and carried on to perform on the streets to the people who came from afar to watch. It was an event where Singaporeans, working foreigners and tourists came together to enjoy.

Wait, it was not just the younger people who performed with their energetic leaps and dance, the other slightly older group from Sokka Association was also there - 36 of them I heard, performing the fusion line dance!



The young parents and the grandparents must have been the ones busy trying to carry their children/grandchildren over their shoulder to get a glimpse of the actions. An introduction to the culture of Singapore. Just the beginning.

Hakka Songs Event @ Hong Lim Green

On 10 Sep 10, the Hakka community in Singapore and Malaysia came together to share a night of singing at the Hong Lim Green. Thanks to modern day Karaoke system and disks, there were plenty of songs from which the participants could use to sing and perform.



To the delight of the grandchildren who called out to their grannies as they walked to the stage to sing their favourite Hakka songs. There must have been some three to four generations of Hakkas present at this event. And there must be more than 200 of them as they sat, listen and cheered the performers on.

And from Johore came four members dressed in kabayas.



With the popular Taiwan soap opera on the TV, this Hokkien song also has a Hakka version.

Mid-Autumn Festival comes to Chiinatown

As Chinatown feted the Good Brothers with grand offerings and sending off, the scene changes very quickly. 8 September 2010 is the first day of the 8th Lunar Month. The 15th of the 8th Moon (as described in Chinese) is the day dedicated to the full moon in the cool Autumn Night. In Singapore, the cool Autumn night might be missing (but who knows as cool to the Singaporeans could just be a drop of one or two degrees) but the celebrations will be colourful and loud. And almost hot!

As we await for the lights-up on 11 September, hours away, here is a sneak preview of what it is like this year.