Craptacular Christmas Extravaganza

For daily sustenance, I am forced to visit many malls in/near my neighborhood. That's where a lot of the good food courts and restaurants live. And in this country, malls = community centers.

And malls are now completely decked out in Christmas plasticana. Some even feature live shows. Just the other day, I saw Bert and Ernie sing "Deck the Halls" and dance with a couple of creepy, grown-up dancers in bright overalls on a makeshift stage. Alas, I did not have my camera to make my ex-colleagues at the ol' Workshop shriek in horror.

I was walking back from a great bowl of authenic Japanese ramen (Marutama Ramen, Central Mall #03-90) and I see a tiny ice skating rink-cum-stage (with real ice) getting ready for a show!

The host came out and introduced the ice show, which was apparently all about old Hollywood musicals. He was Aussie-chirpy and hiding a bit of a paunch, but managed to get the dazed shoppers to clap along and cheer on the skaters.

'Craptacular' was the first word I thought of...

Now, I know you are dying to experience that red-and-white, rhinestones-and-feathers opening number. C'mon, turn up the volume and press play. Do it for me. [60 sec]

This next one is a solo routine from the youngest (around 14-16 years old) skater in the show. He had this amazing artificial-yet-earnest expression (think young Brian Boitano) the whole time he was twirling and I doubted whether he was sober or straight. [2 min]

Now, if any of you can tell me which musical this next one is from, I would appreciate it. I'm hearing it in my nightmares. [2 min]

Hooray for Hollywood. And BAH HUMBUG.

* ! * ! * M E R R Y * C H R I S T M A S * ! * ! *

~ ♪ Everywhere You Go ♪ ~

Happy Holidays!

For me, Christmas has always been associated with Broadway and 5th Avenue lights, the Rockefeller Center tree, large woolen scarves wrapped around your head/neck/chest against the chilling winds, last-minute shopping frenzy, and hot chocolate thawing your frozen fingers at some cafe.

Singapore is “same same but different”. Observe…

An instant shopping village sprouted in the middle of the Takashimaya mall basement

A Christmas decoration booth at Takashimaya (for all the plastic pine trees, of course)

A 3-storey Christmas tree in the main lobby of the Takashimaya, where families take group shots and look at foreign brands they can never afford

Orchard Road with lights (it puzzles me that they are in the shape of snowflakes)

A group of elder-angels getting ready for a street performance in front of, where else, a mall called Paragon

I don’t know… am not feeling that holiday magic, despite the carols constantly pumped through the malls and food courts. I think I always had an issue with the hyper-commercialization of Christmas (and holidays in general) in the U.S. but Singapore managed to go a step further by emulating snowscapes and evergreens.

Bah humbug.