ArtScience Museum @ Marina Bay Sands

Last weekend my friend and I spent the day sketching like I mentioned in my previous post. It took me a while to post this because I needed to get my grey markers for my shadows and shades. I have them now and so my sketches can do what they do.

Designed by Safdie Architects and completed in 2011, the ArtScience Museum of Singapore is a lotus-shaped beauty that hovers on the bay. I remember the first time I came to Singapore. I was in a taxi heading from the airport, eyes peeled and trying to soak in all I possibly could. I saw this strange, white form that I was only able to get glimpses of before it disappeared out of my sight. The cab driver was nice enough to point out sights of Singapore and told me of the lotus building. It is also quite beautiful inside. I will find my pictures from my visit last year and post some of them for you.

“The building form is made up of 10 “fingers” anchored by a unique round base in the middle. The design of each finger reveals different gallery spaces featuring skylights at the “fingertips” that illuminate the dramatically curved interior walls. The Museum’s roof channels rainwater through the central atrium of the building creating a 35-meter water drop into a small, reflecting pool. The rainwater is then recycled for use in the building.”

I took this photo out using the “super vivid” setting on my camera. The colors are definitely vivid if I might say so myself. Here are a few links you can check out too:

• http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Museum/About/
• http://architectism.com/the-new-artscience-museum-in-singapore/
• http://www.archdaily.com/119076/

Stay tuned for more sketches of this location, but what and where should I sketch next? Any suggestions?

Have a great day!

This work byVernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

View across Tiong Bahru Road, Singapore

It’s felt like forever since I have sketched and posted like I used to, and I miss it! I have had good reason to though.

I am back in Singapore, like I think I mentioned last and I am sooo happy to be back. Yesterday my friend and I spent the day sketching and I could not stop saying how much I missed it. I have posted for you today a sketch I did when I was here in 2012. I never got the chance to post it, so here it is. I was staying at the Global Residence on Tiong Bahru Road, and this was my view from my apartment. Lush, green, and so much development.

Stay tuned for the ones I did yesterday.

Have a great day and it’s good to be back!

This work byVernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Wednesday 02 January 2013

Project 365 continued…

I am in Trinidad doing field research for my thesis…

Above is a photo of  Mr. Martin Luby. A mas man for years! Here he is touching up a drawing of a clown done by Robert Miller, another mas Man extraordinaire.

These mas men are mind blowing.

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Old Years Day 2012 (New Years Eve).. Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year to each and every one of you!!!!

I have missed you and missed documenting my days. I was unable to complete my Singploration with you all, and this semester was just CRAZY! I missed doing this a lot! My cousin mentioned to me this holiday about Project 365. That is, taking one photo per day in your life. I thought it may be a happy medium for me as my semester will be crazy again. I may not post just one photo, but maybe limit myself to 5 photos per day, should one photo not do me justice on a particular day. So here goes…

Again, I missed doing this and I missed you all!

I went home (Trinidad) this Christmas vacation to do field research for my thesis. I spent Old Years Day (what some call New Years Eve) with my family. The photo above is that of the garden behind my family home. So lush, so green. Sugarcane, mangoes, cherries.

The street in front our home. So well manicured, clean, and green…

My cousin’s dog, Spot! This was my first time meeting him. Isn’t he a beaut! He was quick to lay down to have his stomach rubbed.. looking at me with those come-hither eyes, and an irresistible nose…

“I think I’m in love”.. LOL

My other cousin’s dog, Squingy. Do not ask me about his name, my uncle named him.. These doggies (googies) just love tummy rubs! Look at him! While I am balancing on one leg he is smiling in glee..

“Oh that was goooood!!” He says to me.

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Saturday 16th June 2012

Day Three of my Singaploration!

Hi all!!!..I have been behind on my posts.. Terribly behind…Not only am I busy at work, but with the time I get in between, I try to see all that I can.. Don’t worry, you will see all that I see, maybe just a little slower than usual… ;-).

It is Day Three of my friend’s stay in Singapore and today we begin at the Ritz Carlton. We “embark on an artistic adventure” at the Ritz which houses 4,200 pieces of artwork and sculptures, valued at $55 million SG. 90% of the art was commissioned for the hotel with about 350 major “museum quality” pieces.

Nice…

Mao figures (2001) by Zhu Wei outside of the hotel..

Brochure and audio to guide you through the exhibit..

Frank Stella – Cornucopia sculpture weighing approximately 3 tonnes

Lovely..

Dave Chihuly‘s glass installation – Yellow Persian forms

Malcolm Morley – Landscape (1990’s)

John Rose – Double Screw (1995/6)

Janis Provisor – Landscape (1990’s)

David Hockney – Titled ” “” ” (1994)

David Hockney – Untitled (1993)

David Hockney – Pushing Up (1994)

Frank Stella again

Rainer Gross – Landscape (1995)

Moby Dick series

Moby Dick

Sam Francis

Li Lin Lee – Lucky Life (1990)

Sam Francis – Untitled

We leave the Ritz and try to find a bus tour.. Look at the Marina Bay Sands ahead… Hmmm

A look back at the Ritz Carlton.. designed by Irish architect Kevin Roche

It is very hot today… sweltering!! So we sit and cool off a bit.. I had a delicious rum and raisin gelato..

Singapore’s beauty and efficiency takes my breath away… If only…

Singapore Gardens by the Bay. Jubilee Hall across the waters… I have yet to go there…

Marina Bay Sands.. another view! I really love this building.. It works!

Soldiers preparing, rehearsing for upcoming National Day celebrations on August 9th.

Finding a place to buy tickets for a tour bus..

And we’re on.. I choose to sit atop for photo-ops.. but JEEZ AN AGES!!! The sun is just KILLING ME!!!!

I see this and think… “Design & Computation”

Outskirts of Chinatown…

Nice!

This place is so beautiful.. it’s no joke.. Look at that!

One of my stomping grounds, Clarke Quay..

I love how they colored this.. It’s now a Police Museum or something like that.. I might be a bit off..

I wonder what’s going up here…

This stood out in the sunlight.. the shadows and geometry was attractive…

Orchard Road… THE Shopping street in Singapore..

I don’t need to say what this is again do I?…

A nice game of cricket was happening here… And isn’t the backdrop beautiful… The green lawn, trees and…. LOL

So after that sweltering bus ride I need food, shelter and something cool. Yikes! So we head to Clark Quay and head to Hooters…

It was great! We did ask them to reheat that butter you see there.. Cold melted butter.. no way..

This is the reverse bungee ride at Clarke Quay… it is fun! I haven’t tried it just yet… maybe if I company I will..

Walking to Chinatown from Clark Quay…

I love the food culture here.. everyone is eating! lol..

View from cross-over bridge down to the street in the Chinatown area..

View down the steps..

Food street in Chinatown..

Souvenirs in the shops…

Yuck! I had this ice kacha I think they call it, but I took the one with durian… Ewwww.. puke! puke! What da hell was this?.. and it has corn!!! What da?!!! Ughhh!

Disgusting! I should have had beer…

Every day I am here, I STUDY Singapore.. The country amazes me.. it is a model for other countries and most importantly to me, for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), ESPECIALLY the Caribbean and Trinidad & Tobago. Things work here. Of course nothing is 100% perfect, don’t get me wrong.. but it’s hard to see too many wrongs when so many things work right here.. I speak with Singaporeans to find out about them, their lives here, what they like and don’t like about Singapore.. It’s so good to hear some of the things I have. This country started with a VISION.. and it continues to work on that vision. Vision, Planning and Execution! I dream that maybe one day I may have the opportunity to try to implement such in the Caribbean and my home country.. We are soo similar to Singapore in terms of our multi-culturalism, climate, and can be as awesome as Singapore I think.. I wish! Maybe I will dream about my vision for T&T… Everyday I grow more and more passionate about my vision for T&T..

Happy Friday everyone!!!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Friday 15th June 2012

Day Two of my Singaploration!

Today is day two of my friend’s visit to Singapore… We haven’t seen each other in a few years and have so much of Singapore to see and so much catching up to do..

I had to go to the Ministry of Manpower this morning to collect my Temporary Employment Pass (TEP) at Clarke Quay. Talk about efficiency! I did not wait very long, but apart from that.. service was definitely top of the line. When service is efficient, be it in a country or place of business, it wins with me all the time! Terrible customer service bothers me a lot..

I took photos as I was on my way back to my bus stop… I have noticed that pedestrians here come second to cars I would say… In the US, I feel like pedestrians come first.. zebra crossings, laws, etc.. In my experience thus far in Singapore, cars turn corners without even wondering if a pedestrian might be crossing.

This pavement is a nice generous one… I don’t usually see wide pavements except in certain areas.. I have  my own thoughts on the reasons for these narrow pavements…

This building under construction continues to interest me…

Note the narrow sidewalk here.. Nicely shaded… Landscaped buffer between streets and pedestrians..

Even elevated crosswalks are landscaped…

I am at my bus stop now.. there is a park to my left.. going to check it out…

Nice!

I spy one bench so far…

In a park this beautiful you would think there would be benches for sitting, and people everywhere, yes?. Not here…

Singapore is blessed with lush vegetation.. and a government that takes their idea of a garden city seriously..

A pavilion of some sort it seems…

I board my bus when it arrives and head back to work…

After work I meet Joe at the Outram MRT and we head out to this evening’s adventure..

Outside the Outram MRT

We decide to go to Clarke Quay.. there’s a lot happening around there.. nice place to sit, eat, drink, people watch, get lost in the environment, and relax..

Boat rides along the river, people.. water… place..

People enjoy sitting on the steps which bank the river relaxing..

It’s Friday and people are out.. TGIF!

We aren’t hungry, but a little peckish (feeling for a snack), so we sit at a restaurant and have a nosh.. The wings were good.. I can’t remember if I ever mentioned this to you all, but napkins at eating establishments (not restaurants), are not the norm here… Maybe it’s their way of reducing trash and littering, but in Singapore, walk with your own napkins…

We talk, soak in the breath-taking scenery, chat, share stories, and time just passes by…

After our snack we take a walk around Clarke Quay…

Then we decide to do a boat ride on the river… There is a lady playing a musical instrument on the boat…

The reflection of the lights look lovely on the water…

That was a restaurant on a boat..

View from the water…

Reverse bungee ride all aglow..

Light show from the Marina Bay Sands Hotel..

Museum..

The Fullerton Hotel…

Marina Bay Sands Hotel… Sorry about the fuzzy photo..

Better!

Singapore’s ArtScience Museum on the left..

Out here the water smells wonderful.. what I mean by that is.. it smells clean..

We are passing below the bridge, which is beautifully lit as you see, and the sound of the instrument the young lady on the boat is playing, is transformed!! It’s deeper, louder.. it’s a noticeable, worthy change.. a great barrel effect..

You can see one of their Merlions here.. spouting water from its mouth..

Louis Vuitton restaurant I think..

When we get back on land.. talking about how great the ride and views were… we walk through Clarke Quay a bit… see what’s up!

Souvenirs of course.. kinda expensive if you ask me…

We’re scoping out what we will be having for dinner… We’re looking at you crabs.. Chilli crab is a signature dish here…

“You lookin’ at me?!” I think he’s really watching me..

Lobsters…

What’s this ugly sucker you ask?…. Geoducks!!! The ugliest thing to eat I have seen… WTH?!!!

We’re now crossing the bridge to the other side of the river… A performer on the bridge.. She was okay..

Geoducks again! But these are giving those on the other side a run for their money.. They should come with a R-rating don’t you think… So improper.. LOL.. Oh, there were fishes too…

Nice wine display…

We check out some restaurants here then decide to go back the other side…

We head here for dinner..

I had a strawberry thing… tasted different.. looked great though.. I like this photo.. Oh, the straw was the biggest straw I ever drank from.. that’s what prompted the photo… You could suck oil from a well with that straw!

This was good!! The green stuff was crunchy, well seasoned and a fantastic break from the fried stuff.. Everything on the plate was good… sometimes a little too much breading, but still great..

This fish was good too… crunchy skin, good sauce addition… It was a wonderful night.. and there’s more in store for tomorrow…

Happy Friday!!!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Thursday 14 June 2012

Sentosa!!

I am excited today! My friend of many years, who has been living in India is coming to visit me.. I can’t wait! We have so much fun talking about stupid stuff, important stuff, and laughing.. I can’t wait to see him!

I always wanted to take a photo of this to share with you because I have never seen this anywhere else.. At many of the pedestrians crossings here there are these signs… Elderly persons or persons with disabilities are given these cards which they can “tap” and get more time to cross the street. I found this such a tangible way of showing how a society cares for its elderly and infirmed..

Even in the buses and trains (public transportation), there are seats assigned for the elderly and women who are pregnant. I have never as yet seen an old person standing while a young person sits on those seats.. people are so quick to giving their seats to the elderly..

Ok.. so my day at work is over and I am heading to meet my friend at his hotel..

Tall residence at Outram Park metro..

I am telling you.. these large, green, and beautiful trees and shaded streets get me everytime!

Singapore.. the Garden City (see below for more)..

A look back..

These drains again.. I like them.. it think because they’re not “just drains” to me but they have a sculptural tome to them..

So I meet my friend, we have some drinks, reminisce, and laugh.. All the while I couldn’t believe I was seeing him in the flesh.. it was as though we saw each other yesterday! I couldn’t shake how cool that was.. I am so happy to share the beauty of Singapore.. He asked me what I wanted to do, I was game for it all… He told me about some place named “Sentosa” here.. I said ok and off we went…

We took the train and went to our destination.. I had no idea!!!!! We disembarked at the Harbourfront Metro stop and searched for where we needed to go.. The mall is HUGE and we had a little confusion finding where we needed to be but found it eventually… My friend “Joe” wanted to do the luge.. the what? I wondered… then he said let’s do the Segway ride through the Eco Park.. Check the long list of adventures at Sentosa above!

We took a cable car ride to the island.. but what’s cool about getting to this cable ride is that to get to the cable cars you walk for a bit.. All I knew is I was in the city with tall buildings. We bought our tickets at the ground floor of this “office building” and were told to take the elevators… In the elevator(s) was a button to press that would take us to the cable cars.. In one voosh! an express elevator we were several floors up in the air.. The efficient combination of business and pleasure with an elevator impressed me.. Giving a piece of what may have been a private building for public access to fun… great idea!

Cable cars in a constant loop picking persons up..

Shots from inside the cable car..

A look back at where we got on the cable car.. The top of an office building!

I have no clue what I am seeing here.. I am just in awe! Standing, going to the left and right of the cable car trying not to shake it to much…

Singapore’s port all aglow.. One of the busiest ports in the world..

Weeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some sort of resort below.. Pools, huts, etc… Wow!

Hard Rock Cafe..

Thank you..

The Tiger Sky Tower

We took a bus to the place with the Eco Park and segway ride..

Look at people!!! I tell you.. no joke.. this place had so many people.. soooooooo many people.. so much joy and excitement in the air..

Joe and I went to a restaurant.. by this time my tummy was calling for something to eat.. So we went to the restaurant SKY atop the building..

Shots from the restaurant…

I don’t know what I seeing there… but they’re aglow too..

The restaurant and bar.. people chilling out, relaxing, and just enjoying it…

Live band playing music.. They were really, really good too!!

This you see here is a must I think.. I hope to go to it before I leave.. This is the Songs of the Sea show… People flock to it! From the restaurant we could see and hear some of the action… and what impressive action it was! OMG!!! I have included some short vids I took below…

Water is spraying out here and it is being used as a screen for these singing and talking characters…. WOW!

Look ting!

Fireworks too of course!

This is not even 5% of how spectacular I am sure actually being at the show is…

Singarich!

Nice eh?!

Spectacular fireworks closing of the show…

After our dinner, which really wasn’t to good (the food was tasteless), we decided to head back to Singapore proper..

We have to walk back to an MRT (metro) because the cable cars are now closed. :-(.. At least we get to see more..

The Merlion – mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore…

We eventually got home.. It was a long but fantastic day for us… tomorrow will be another adventure filled one!!

Click here to read a paper on Singapore the Garden City…

Check this below video too

Sentosa is a MUST DO!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Sunday 10 June 2012

Hi friends…

I’ve been busy with work and experiencing all I can of Singapore.. Slow internet at home doesn’t help quick upload of photos either.. therefore my posts have been slower in coming….

Today my friend and I are heading out a bit..

We get off at this bus stop an walk a bit..

Many of the sloping drains I see here look like this…

A church along the way…

Garden city is right!

Temple…

The doors to the temple were very beautiful…

While my buddy Ki is getting some stuff done, I take a walk throughout the area to see what may be in store for me.. The sun is extremely HOT today.. Aye ya yai!!! No umbrella.. pure sun! Ouch!

Mohamed Sultan Road – There are some restaurants and massage places along this street.. I will be going for a massage some time soon…

The scale here is a success… broad streets, tall buildings, shorter historic buildings too..

As I saunter down the street I see this temple and decide to check it out..

Wow!

Hi!

Such vivid colors..

The juxtaposition of modern and historic in Singapore is so successfully done I think..

Very ornate…

A bit about the temple…

After my wandering through Hong San See I head back out to the streets to continue my exploration..

I turn right and stroll up this narrow street… feels quaint..

Looking back onto the main street..

Wowee! Tall buildings are everywhere…

I make another left down this street…

So beautiful.. so green..

I wanna roll down the hill, but….

I’m back out on the main street again..

I make a left, keep walking straight and I meet the river…

What the what?! I love, love, love water and waterfronts.. and this brings me great joy!

It’s very calm, clean…

I wanna live here!

The water isn’t clear or blue or anything, but it is clean.. i.e, there is no trash, no odor.. it’s just muddy or murky I guess..

I see joggers along this path too…

This is like Europe man!.. Bilbao?

View from the bridge…

I head back to meet my friend and took a photo of this… FYI.. My friend Ki and I head back the the river to have a drink or something…

We were kinda surprised by this.. I can’t remember why… I think because it felt so much like Europe.. or somewhere really pricey that we have never been but have seen on television..

Fountain…

Having a drink and cooling down after such a HOT, HOT day! I look forward to sharing so much more!!

Enjoy your day everyone!!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Thursday 07 June 2012

SUTD – Singapore University of Technology & Design

I’ve been a bit busy settling in, starting work, and getting to know Singapore better as I am sure you would have guessed. So much I want to see!

It’s my first day at the office in SUTD today..

Waiting for the bus.. the #33 from Tiong Bahru to SUTD

Bus lay-by

Shots from the bus along my journey…

I never thought I would be seeing this.. This is The Interlace by OMA under construction. I remember discussing this project when it was revealed by OMA… Wow! What a monster..

We missed our stop because the bus driver wasn’t sure also.. so we are now walking back to where SUTD should be.. Took this photo of a building along the way..

Ughh!!! It is sweltering! Walking in this heat is no joke!

Lovely skies and green forests…

Look at bush! (as we would say in Trinbago)

This is SingTel’s tower I believe.. the phone company.. I love this shot against the sky…

High density high-rise apartments that are the norm in Singapore…

We stop along the way to ensure we were on the right track… Ki checked his email and I went across the street and asked a lady for Dover Drive.. we were about a block or two away…

.. and we’re walking, and we’re walking…

Here we are! Finally!

I will be here for the summer doing research in Digital Fabrication technologies…(Rapid Prototyping)… I have a lot that I hope to accomplish by the end of this summer…

Wow.. we’re really here… One of SUTD’s buildings…

Beautiful landscaping…

Walking through the facility …

A Better World by Design.. YUP!

Stay tuned for more…

Have a mind blowing week!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

My culinary experience in Singapore thus far…

Pack lightly.. all you need are your taste-buds!

Today I thought I would post my culinary travels in Singapore thus far… in cases where I remembered to take photos… Hope it’s not too painful on your eyes… and stomachs..

This was my first meal in Singapore.. It was ok.. nothing to talk about just yet… I think I was just settling in and overwhelmed by it all…

Ki had this soup.. it was good.. but we wanted more spice! More heat!

Thus far, this guy is my favorite! I have had food from him only twice.. but both times I was blown away..

Heat!

Delicious!!!

The beer of Singapore it seems..

I had this for breakfast… Milo (which I am very familiar with.. I grew up on it), lightly toasted bread with something akin to a jelly in it, and soft boiled eggs… I tried the soft boiled on my friend’s encouragement…

Soft boiled eggs after adding soy sauce to it.. this was not my cup of tea… My palate could not wrap around the texture… and the taste wasn’t much either.. it needed seasoning or crunch or something.. I could not finish it!

Ki had laksa.. this was good! I would not have it for a breakfast meal due to its spiciness, but it was really good! There were some little things that looked like beansprouts, but had the texture of slightly boiled dumplings.. it was really, really good!

Bakery with so many delights!!

Get in my belly!!!

Dinner at home.. On this night I tossed some green leafy vegetable (like pak choi) with garlic, had left overs from lunch, bread, and ramen…

This was a good meal…

Fish was fried in a batter, and there was a chilli sauce accompanying it… It was warm, light and tasty…

Fried chicken.. it was ok.. it was a bit cold… so not enticing to my palate…

Mmmmm.. this ramen was a boss!!! It was very delicious and it looked good too..

At this point I was sleepy and wanted my bed…

Black pepper fish, with veggies and rice… this was good too.. the fish especially was very tasty with a light crisp on the outside!

I can’t remember what this was too clearly, but it was chicken.. and there was tofu with the veggies…

Fish Delights – FAILED! This dish was not for my liking, neither was it for Ki… I think maybe with time we can get used to it… but for now.. it was a failure for us… Currently Ki is 2/14 when it comes to failures… I am  0/7… haven’t had a failure as yet.. and I hope it stays this way…

LOL!!! Ki eventually discarded his meal and got another dish…

I had black pepper beef.. It was good… It wasn’t enough, and if you know me.. if I say something was not enough.. IT REALLY WAS NOT ENOUGH..

Best Thai Green Curry I have ever had!!!

This was the best green curry I have ever had, hands down! This was so good I can still remember my experience as I ate it.. OMG! The curry was rich, flavored, aromatic, all the adjectives to describe an awesome meal… This chef is currently my favorite  thus far… I am going to try almost everything he has!

Mango Salad… This is the second mango salad I have had here.. This time I took it without the peanuts.. It reminds me of Chow (a Trinbagonian favorite). It is essentially a mango chow, but presented as a salad.. which means sans the soul of a chow which is the sauce.. But it is really well done.. This salad had carrots in it too, but the previous one I had was 100% mango… mango, salt, cilantro, onions, hot pepper, and maybe a bit of lime.. just a little… Heaven!

I like spicy food… so peppers are always at my side.. I had a scrumptious meal this night.. My stomach was definitely full after this meal!

Ki had this which contained noodles, and seafood… it was also very tasty.. cheap too!

I had this meal from ‘Pots and Pans’ I think was the name of the stall… You get your food simmering on this hot plate… I had black pepper pork and rice… It was good… but again my stomach felt it was not enough..

This will burn you to smitherines!

Ki went back to the place with the failed meal above to try this… numerous people were leaving that stall with this meal.. so he tried it..

You get your meats (fish, shrimp, and more), veggies (lettuce, pak choi stuff) vermicelli all raw. Along with it comes a boiling pot of soup to cook them in…

It seemed like first degree burns were on the menu for us tonight .. 🙂

This was a success.. the soup still needed a little work.. but great experience!

After walking around in the hot sun I had this.. Sprite never tasted this good!

Ahhhhhh!!

Smile!!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.