Pump It! LOUDERRR

So I fell behind in my blog entries as you can probably tell. I have been quite busy in my job search - running around meeting people, barking up strange trees and whatnot. I apologize for my slippage.

But, I had to take a break from this all-consuming self actualization. So I went to a concert.


Where: Singapore Indoor Stadium
When: Monday, October 22, 8 - 11PM
Who: Black Eyed Peas


Click Five opened at 8PM and all the teen girls pushed their way forward in their sections to scream and bob excitedly behind the railings. Ahh, youth. I recognized "Just the Girl" but was agedly clueless on the rest of their seminal hits.


All around, there was this earnest sing-along of the new generation, unable to quell their excitement and worship. I did feel old. I wondered if I looked the same way at my first concert. (Bon Jovi at Giants Stadium - I know, I know)


Black Eyed Peas kicked it off at 9PM.


They were a fantastic live act, completely working the near-full stadium of a slightly odd mix of demo - expat professionals still in their business casuals, local families with kids ages 3-20 and grandparents, twenty-something's obviously on a date, tourists, teenagers who managed to shake adult supervision, etc.


BEP put in 2 charged hours of all their hits - Bebot, Don't Lie, Don't Phunk with My Heart, Hey Mama, Shut Up, Pump It, My Humps, Let's Get It Started - and more.


Fergie and Will.i.am, who are pursuing solo gigs, performed their own songs, which weren't as strong as the group works, but hey... the crowd was nonetheless enthusiastic.

Will.i.am: I Got It From My Mama
Fergie: Fergalicious, Glamorous, London Bridge


During 'Bebot,' it was pretty awesome to see the demure Singaporean woman in front of me, jumping, waving and screaming "Filipino! Filipino!" and hearing a group of three women behind who were singing along to Apl.de.Ap's Tagalog. Yup, I wanted some chicken adobo at that moment. Check out the video below for reference.


They ended with 'Where Is the Love' and wished the crowd well. Good time was had by all.


Check:

Entrepreneurship Is Here To Stay

Some people have the perception that Singaporeans live in a severely structured society and lack chutzpah and imagination. I present you with two strange-yet-compelling business ideas that prove otherwise.

Observe, the wonder that is the Browhaus, a one-stop shop for all your brow needs. Indeed, even a miniscule surface area can support a sound franchise business.



With a hypnotic and bizarre tagline ("I died my brows and now it matches my hair"), funky treatment names and a sassy tone, Browhaus targets young people who frequently experiment with their hair. In the land of black locks, people are keen to stand out and express themselves with dyes, highlights and perms. There are 5 locations just on this island, ready to thread, dye, resurrect, curl, weave and more.


Now, I was walking by this van and could not believe that "Dial-a-Diaper" business existed. I will save the commentary but feel free to check out the Diaper World site for more information.

A Food Court within Reach

When I was a student just a few months ago, Holland Village was a 5-minute cab ride away from my apartment and school. It was the closest commercial neighborhood with a Cold Storage supermarket, a Häagen-Dazs, a Starbucks, a 7-Eleven, pharmacies, tailors, hair/nail salons, bakeries, newstands, banks, and a couple of restaurant strips with several bars (e.g., Irish, Aussie).

A delightful eating option there is the food court located in the back of the main Holland Road Shopping Center.

Before you start scrolling for food pictures, here is a basic table of differences between food courts and hawker centers for future reference.



Now for the pretty pictures.....

An Indian food stall with spicy curries and flavorful dishes.

A fish ball soup stall where you can grab a bowl and tongs, and throw in as many processed fish ball (much like imitation crab meat), vegetables, tofu, etc. as you'd like. Then you select the broth, hand over your custom bowl of precious soup ingredients, pay by the number of ingredients, and wait patiently for the cook to throw it all together and make magic happen.


A stall where you can get fresh fruit as well as juices made on the spot. You can mix and match as you'd like. Today called for sugarcane and watermelon.



Read:
> Wikipedia entry on Holland Village with fun facts