Pantene Shine Award
Flan read the mail aloud, "Please vote my lovely friend..." Yes! Please vote me! I am the 'lovely friend'. Most friends have congratulated her, as if she had gotten the award already. It's a good feeling to be selected and it would be an even better feeling if she won it. An msn message popped up to the screen. Another well-wisher!
WY typed: hey, so have you started on your book yet?Flan typed: erm. no. just the ideas. afraid that if I write it, no money to publish it...hee heeJust then, the MacDonalds ad came up. Eat MacDonalds and stand a chance to win $10,000 a week! And someone just did! Flan stared at the woman on the screen - she was so happy she could hardly talk. But she heard her fine, that she would tell all her friends to eat MacDonalds (and get fat) so that they could win $10,000 too. Yes, it's important to share such good "lorbangs" around.
Flan realised that she should have eaten MacDonalds instead of imposing on all her friends. She decided that once the results are out, she would console herself by eating MacDonalds. Who knows, she just might get it the second round...
appreciate my art, please!
The sun beat down mercilessly on all the young and aspiring stall owners. It may cost only $20 to set up a stall on a Saturday, but it sure makes it tough on both the buyers and sellers. Flan roped in her dad to help her that day. It started off quite excitedly, despite the sweltering heat. Everyone seemed very perked up - the stalls were also set up way before the official time, 1 pm, and shoppers seemed impatient for the goods to be displayed.
Flan knew exactly how she wanted the stall to look like and wasted no time. In ten minutes, she had laid it to her satisfaction, labelled the items according to what they were worth, and stepped back to admire her masterpiece. Selling her handicraft at a flea market was the wrong place to market her art, but she had to "test" the market and at $20 a day, she could afford the risk.
An hour later, she wasn't so sure anymore. She could hear the two ladies next to her selling used, branded clothes and accessories gossiping in the background. Somewhere far behind, a girl was shouting, "3 for 10". Her father had just finished his bowl of beancurd and was settling down companionably next to her. "I don't get it. I don't get it." Flan mumbled. Her father grinned in reply, "Well, you are not the only one..."
"Oh, these are so creative! These are just so beautiful. And did you make them all?" interrupted a middle-aged Caucasian woman, accompanied by her husband. "Can we? Please, could we take a photo of them?"
"Oh, sure, by all means!" Flan said graciously. Ideas sure aren't worth much these days, she thought as she stood and showed the lady how some of the boxes clasp together very neatly. In the end, the lady whipped out a list of names and decided that she would do her christmas shopping right at that very stall. Trembling with excitement, Flan felt a rush of adrenaline course through her as she assisted the lady with her choices.
Ten minutes later, she was beaming with joy. $19! It just about cover the rent! And that was her last thought as the clouds above her released buckets of raindrops to cool everyone down.
a 'local' experience
Flan hurried towards Crystal Jade. She was ten minutes late and she felt bad. She always feels bad when she has inconvenienced anyone. The girls were waiting for her. "Hey! Hi! So sorry, got delayed earlier!" Flan smiled brightly at the two tall girls standing in front of her.
"Ah..no. It's ok..." YH replied shyly. She seemed happy to see Flan. There was no sign of awkwardness, just pure eagerness to start their exploration. Flan didn't want to disappoint the foreigners, but there really isn't much to show in Singapore! It's a tiny country - a mixed-up, bottled-up, and very 'empty' country. But hey, she can't disappoint them! Besides, she promised she would bring them around and treat them to some "local" delicacies.
"Are you guys hungry? Shall we take a walk and see what you may like to eat? Holland Village is a very popular eating place. There are all sorts here - Japanese, Turkish, Italian, Indian...you name it..."
Flan sidestepped some woman leading three dogs and continued, "What do you think? These...or would you prefer some local food...like 'Laksa'?"
"Laksa! Ahh! We want...to try that!" both girls exclaimed in unison.
"Fantastic, there is a very famous Laksa place here, but it's hot! No air-con. So, be prepared!"
They found seats easily as it was still early. Soon, each one had in front of them a sinful bowl of chili-red laksa. They found the 'otah' mouth-watering; Flan was glad they seemed to be having a good time.
"Now, time for desert! So, you guys game for some 'local' dessert? Or you want ice-cream from Gelare?"
"Local! We want to try the local food," again in unison the girls exclaimed. "Ha ha! Ok then, we will have to go to the food junctions for these...nothing fancy, and very local!" Flan led them towards the newly renovated food junction. As the girls insisted on paying for this round, Flan told them what to order - "Chendol", "Ice Kachang" and "Red Ruby".
"Yum...I love Chendol. Ok, so what's next girls? You guys planning to go anywhere in particular? The night is still young! Holland V is quite central, quite easy to get to places..." Flan placed her spoon next to the watery mixture.
"Oh...we want to see teacher's house!" YH asked bashfully. "Is that ok? We want to see how the house in Singapore is like."
Flan hated disappointing the girls - or anyone for that matter - so, naturally, she has to agree.
and so it all ends today...
It's the last day of the Biennale. Everything will be torn down and gradually forgotten. "What a shame." D said aloud. They were standing in front of a large wall - faces of distinctly Japanese-looking women gazing adoringly ahead..at them.
"Hi everybody! How are youuuu? I love youuuu!" Flan screamed into the microphone, Ayumi style.
The reply is the same for all who stands behind the microphone - screams of half-crazed, possessive joy exploded from the speakers. "I am a star!" cried Flan. "For one second!"
They spent the next hour walking through the art pieces (literally) before they were informed to leave the place as the exhibition was closing for a private party - no matter that they were invited to the party they must still vacate the area.
Flan could not help but feel a strange sense of loss and relief at the same time. When it first started, everyone was talking about when it would all be ending. The questions would always be - "so when will this biennale be till?" "when is the last day again?" "oh, you mean it's ending this week?" Her friends have waited too long to take time off, and now it's too late. They will have to wait for the next one, two years later. At least there will be another one!
"Hi guys! Thanks for coming today. We are very happy to ...." a familiar voice greeted everyone. Flan and D took in the sight - balloons were tied to each pillars, chairs of all sorts scattered about the yard, a projector hidden in a mini-car was playing a slideshow (and no one was watching!) and two long rows of food lined the stage. A satay man was busy fanning his pit and dishing out satay. The party is underway!
As Flan was making her way back to her seat, she saw a familiar face. The Japanese artist! He caught her look and waved at her. "Hello! Nice to meet you! How are you?" He gushed, extending his hand. Flan was so surprised he remembered her, she grinned brightly and shifted her drinks to one hand.
"Great! Everything is fine. How are you? So, how is everything?" Flan didn't know what she was saying. She was caught by surprise. A nice surprise.
He told her that he was here to take down his art work from the buildings, and spoke briefly about his next project. Stubbing his cigarette on his shoe, he took out his namecard, and gave it to Flan. "I will! It's been great knowing you. Yup, I will see you around!"
Flan looked at the name, "Takafumi O Hara"; it even showed a picture of his art piece for this biennale! She did not return to bid farewell to the tall, Japanese artist but she did keep the namecard in her folder.
