Singapore Ice (Non-injecting)

This item crept up on the author silently like drifting bergs at the Pole perhaps. A number of Eskimo-like winter clothing ads ought to have forewarned. Well, nothing so remarkable about fleecy coats and hoods in the boutique stores here on the equator. Well-heeled Straits Times readers were always on the look-out for an escape from their Little Red Dot hot-spot in this middle kingdom. A kind of paradise of sorts, though fantasies of snow and fir do take over this time of year especially. Tis the season to be merry, Christmas cheer in the northern hemisphere—in the Malls here. The Joy of Christmas at Frasers Centrepoint holly-coloured back page. Home held more tempting tidbits in the same vein: Santa-red gift ideas with bite-sized news items.

         One was only finally socked between the eyes when the Life! segment was opened. (Glittering blue-eyed cover-girl selling jewelry.)

         An Ice spectacular....

         Ah-ha. Hmmm…. London? Paris? Shanghai perhaps? (One knew it wasn't local powder-form in a family newspaper.) They often did foreign arts events, celebrities, travel features in Life! For the business, entrepreneurial, harried middle-class unexplored exotica made life not worth living.

         Noooo. Ice here we were talking. On the island. Singapore. Housed within a 35,000 sq. ft. hall beside the iconic MBS, flanked by the Convention Centre and Gardens by the Bay spitting distance.

         Fifteen degrees below sheltering beautiful sculptures of world landmarks from the hot tropical sun, such as Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Lib. (London & Paris wasn't far wrong.)

         Twenty professional ice sculptors from China working three weeks to produce thirty masterpieces from 450 tonnes of clear and coloured ice. Maintenance workers ready for de-icing the fans and walkways; sculptors for touch-ups. (Still somehow the heat gets in.)

         $32 adult, $26 child, free for children under nine or below 1.2 m. if accompanied by paying adult. (Same as on the transport system.) White gloves come with tickets and because not everyone in Singapore keeps a winter coat in the wardrobe—despite the advertising—$5 hire at the door.

         Sounds like leg-pull right?