Observing the Scottish Parliament

So I open with a question that I've been nursing ever since my first glimpse of the Scottish Parliament building. In this day and age when anything seems to go, what makes a piece of architecture 'good' or 'bad'? How does a building ascend the unassailable ranks of the 'avant-garde,' and avoid being relegated to the plain -ugh-?

The Scottish parliament building has been beleaguered by criticisms ever since it was first unveiled in 2004. Coming to Edinburgh, I've learnt that locals have conferred upon the building a whole constellation of dubious titles. One city guide memorably called it a '400 million pound eyesore.' Ouch! Well I'll let you be the judge:

Admittedly this is one of the nicer glamour shots I managed to find online. If you look closer, you'll notice that rows of bamboo poles line the entrance, the roof and some of the windows- one of the Parliament's more bizzare features. Part of Catalan architect, Enric Miralles' vision to integrate the building with its surroundings, such that it appears to 'grow out of the land'?

In spite of the generally hostile public reception, I was interested to know that the Scottish Parliament has been feted within the architectural community. It's even received several awards! Definitely a structure that has polarized opinion.

Whatever your views on the building are, the Scottish Parliament is a visitor's attraction in its own right. And after popping by yesterday, I would strongly recommend you go not just to gawp at the soaring heights of Miralle's imagination (detractors would say insanity), but to experience what the Parliament itself houses. It's worth remembering that this monumental project is first and foremost, a triumphant symbol of Scottish home rule. The year 1997 saw Westminster agreeing to the creation of a devolved Scottish parliament - the first of its kind since Scotland's union with England in 1707. And today, anybody today can walk into Miralle's building and watch the Scottish Parliament in action, as I did two days ago.

I arrived at the premises around 10.30am and easily got a free timed ticket into the Parliament's debating chamber. I soon learnt that Thursday is the best day to visit as that's when the Parliament is in full session. You can also catch them on Wednesdays as well, but the chamber only meets for half a day then - more importantly, you'll also miss one of the most exciting parts of the parliamentary session (which I'm coming to.)

The public gallery in the debating chamber was relatively empty when I first arrived. The speakers present were debating the issue of community justice centres, from what I could catch. However closer to around 11.30am, swarms of people poured into the gallery, including a whole gaggle of school children. The sudden influx of people was explained when the Presiding Officer announced promptly at 11.40am, the start of Question and Answer time!

My timed ticket expired at 11.40am but it seemed no one was enforcing this. I consequently ended up staying till around just after 12pm, which was great because I managed to catch a little of the First Minister's Question Time - undeniably one of the most entertaining spectacles of the week. It's identical to the Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Commons: members of parliament take turns to pose questions to the First Minister, Alex Salmond of the Scottish National Party, whilst simultaneously inserting a catty comment or two about his administration. The resulting dialogue is a lively spar with both sides jousting with clever barbs and witty retorts.


MP: ...So that said, my question to the First Minister is: Is he ignorant, or was he lying?

Presiding Officer: We will not have accusations of lying in this Chamber. I ask that you withdraw your statement, sir.

MP: Alright, I'll withdraw that but substitute it with something else. Was the First Minister ignorant... or was he economical with the truth?

Haha somehow that stuck.

If you are interested in gaining entry into the chamber to catch the First Minister's Question Time, it is advisable to book your gallery ticket ahead as it is very popular with the public. Alternatively, parliamentary proceedings are screened in various locations within the building itself. So if you can't get a ticket, you can watch the action on the medium its most suited for: a plasma screen TV.

Finally I have to say that the staff at the Scottish Parliament are one of the friendliest and most helpful I have encountered. They will take the initiative to approach you without prior prompting - whether it be to enquire if you need assistance, or to inform you that they have spare gallery tickets for Question Time. Magnificient people. I was very impressed.

Contentious appearance notwithstanding, I'd say the real debate and fireworks lie inside Miralle's creation itself. So definitely, make the Parliament one of your stops in Edinburgh.

A Taste of the Modern: Dean Gallery and Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

Scottish National Modern Art Gallery - taken from the landscape lawn

So with my visit to the Dean and Modern art gallery last friday, I can now proudly say that I have visited all 5 gallery complexes under the National Galleries of Scotland!

The Dean and Modern art gallery are located all the way Northwest in Dean Village (see earlier post). The surroundings are quite beautiful - both galleries are set in the midst of parkland. The Modern art gallery itself has an interesting landscaped lawn, which is full of sinuous curves and water features - you can walk on it yourself and get a mild dizzy high while standing at the peak of the landscaped mound which overlooks the entire lawn.

Sadly, I wish the experience inside the modern art gallery had been as inspiring as its exteriors. I must qualify first that I like and support how museums and galleries are gradually evolving away from their 19th-century image as unassailable temples of reason, perpetuating linear narratives of cultural progress. At the same time, this is no excuse for a movement into post-modern chaos! Or should I say, a generally poor organization of the collection.

My main gripes with the Modern art gallery were that it included no ready floor plan (none I could see) to help orientation within the gallery space, and also poor labelling of the works - descriptions should never be repeated (or appear repetitive) even if they pertain to the same artist!

In general, I came out of the gallery feeling as if I hadn't really learnt or benefitted much as there was too little of the right information, and a weak sense of narrative coherence suggested between the different exhibits in the permanent collection.

The highlight for me though, was finally getting to see in person the handiwork of the infamous Damien Hirst. Frankly speaking, I was not impressed by some of Hirst's works. Call me ignorant or unappreciative of contemporary art, but I don't think an enlarged periodic table should be taking up so much space in an art gallery. Its significance (to me) seems to be drawn from the fact that it once hung in Hirst's restaurant, rather than from any intrinsic artistic or cultural value. It did not draw or engage me into any deeper kind of contemplation either.

Some works of Hirst which I did like however, included "Trinity: Pharmacology, Physiology, Pathology" which is a contemporary and rather playful take on a medieval triptych. I also quite liked his sculpture, "Wretched War" which was disturbing, but nevertheless compelled a powerful emotive response. From what I gather based on the exhibited works, some themes Hirst repeatedly engages is the tenuous interface between life and death, and an observation of the quasi-devotional significance society places on drugs and medicines (reflected best I thought, in "Trinity") At the same time, I don't think he deserves to have so many rooms devoted to him, compared to the other individual artists who were featured. Neither do I think that these fascinating ideas are best explored through animals suspended in vitrine. That's my opinion anyway.

The Dean gallery next door was a better experience for me. If you do go there I would recommend heading straight up to the current exhibition featuring '4 Scottish artists.'

In particular, I enjoyed viewing the small but fascinationg collection of works attributed to John Bellany. They make the Gallery well worth a trip. Check out his interpretation of the Crucifixion scene in 'Allegory.' It is a provoking work that fuses Christological imagery with scenes of realism drawn from Bellany's own experience growing up in a rural fishing community. Really quite something altogether.

Alright have to scoot off now world - ta ta!

Things to Sink Your Teeth Into (Quite Literally)

1. Sink your Teeth into...Dental Care in Edinburgh

So if you're coming to Edinburgh and planning to hang around for a bit like myself, do the right thing and get registered for healthcare services.

This might be quite intuitive for some, but coming from Singapore where I'm used to waltzing into the 24-hour clinic at Clementi and expecting next-to-immediate attention, this was a minor (okay, a major) annoyance.

Getting registered at your nearest GP or dentist at the earliest possible date saves you precious waiting time when you have an emergency.

If you're a future student coming to the University of Edinburgh, make the Richard Verney Health Centre on campus one of your first stops - persist and double-check if the counter staff say registering is unnecessary (as they did to me in January). It is necessary as I found out 4 months later.

On the bright side, not registering in this case isn't such a big deal - they'll simply ask you to come about half an hour before your appointment to fill in your details. However, what's a bummer is if you're in need of dental care - the University does not have any dental services on campus so you'll have to scout around for the nearest dental clinic near you.

So the long and short of it was that I experienced major tooth-achage in my wisdom tooth on the eve of my Spain trip. I survived the holiday taking Ibruprofen and gargling with salt water. By the time I returned to Edinburgh it had subsided but I thought it would be a good idea to get it checked out just in case. So I called up the nearest dental clinic, which promptly informed me that I would have to be registered. Shockingly, the earliest appointment they could arrange was in a month's time, unless my case constituted an 'emergency' (ie: serious pain)

However she kindly directed me to Chalmers Dental Centre on 3 Chalmers Street (near Tollcross), which is a clinic for individuals who are not registered with any dental practice, and who might need immediate attention.

If you do end up making a visit to Chalmers Dental Centre, here are some things to note:

i. Go as early as you can. I arrived at the clinic around 10.20am and filled in some forms about my medical history. Half an hour later, I was attended to by a nurse who recorded my symptoms and assessed my situation, before referring me to one of the clinic's dentists. The wait-time in between the nurse and the dentist was at least an hour. It's first come first served, so obviously the earlier you go, the further in front of the line you'll be. And yes, the clinic is busy.

ii. Service: Once you finally get to meet the dentist, the service is generally friendly and professional. I felt like I was in fairly safe hands during the entire procedure - though that might've been helped by the anaesthetic injections which numbed me to any pain!

The gum area around my wisdom tooth was cleaned to prevent further incidences of local infection. Some anti-bacterial gel was also applied to the affected area. The entire procedure cost just 6 pounds.

iii. Patient after-care: Another difference between the UK and Singapore is that medicine is not dispensed within the clinics. The doctor will give you a prescription, but you have to make a trip to the nearest pharmacy in order to pick up the required medication. Again this can be a bummer.

Perhaps this separation of the clinic and pharmacy explains why patient after-care is slightly lacking. For one, I wish the dentist had prescribed me some good pain-killers. The pain after the anaesthetic wore out was truly terrible (I hadn't expected it) and even the ibruprofen I had didn't help. It largely ebbed by the next morning although the area remained sore and tender.

The dentist handed me a slip of paper with the name of an anti-bacterial gel (corsodyl), but no explicit instructions were given on how to use it. So clarify all doubts before leaving the clinic to ensure you have as much information as possible. The pharmacist will be able to answer your questions but obviously having treated you, the dentist would be better-placed and more well-informed about your situation.

2. Sink your Teeth into...A Tasty Tandoori Treat

So a week later, my tooth has fully healed. No more gnashing of teeth, it's time to celebrate with a proper meal!

I headed down to Kebab Mahal on Nicolson Square, a small sit-down restaurant specializing in traditional Tandoori dishes. Kebab Mahal's been around for about 20 years now, so that's something you have to respect. The menu is also entirely halal.


I ordered a Shish Kebab which came with a side of salad (mainly onions as pictured), and a slice of naan. The naan was not particularly memorable, however the meat was excellent. Cubes of juicy, flavourful beef coated in a bright red sauce - I don't exactly know what the sauce consisted of but it does make your tongue tingle quite literally. And it is rather intense I must say! Order a lassi (cold yoghurt-based drink) to temper the spice.

All in all, a satisfying meal can be had for 3 pounds. Go if you want a zing unattainable from the comparatively (dare I say?) bland flavours of English food - this is sure to whet your appetite! Although note the closure of the restaurant on Fridays from noon to 1pm for afternoon prayers.

Edinburgh's Best Kept Secret: Water of Leith Walkway

The wonderful thing about Edinburgh is that it's a city you can never truly exhaust. Beyond the obvious attractions, it holds many surprises if you give it a chance. Always keep your eyes peeled for the discreet detours. And don't be afraid to jump down the rabbit-hole - you might just land up in your own little wonderland.



I went off to Dean Village last Friday, to make my long-awaited trip to the Modern Art gallery. Dean Village is roughly 20 minutes by foot from the City centre. Start from Princes Street, and head North-west; you'll segue nicely from the impenetrable mass of shoppers to rows of sweet, well-tended residences which sit snugly along Belford Road. It's a nice place by itself to stroll around.

The museum lies somewhere down Belford Road, but what's inside it is a subject for another time. As you cross the road to enter the museum grounds, you might notice a sign by the side of the road:

Head down the wooden flight of stairs which lead to the Water of Leith Walkway. I have a feeling you won't regret it.

You'll find yourself on a little pathway right next to the river. Trees on either side of the Water of Leith enclose you in a quiet, contemplative world where the only sounds are the footfalls of the occassional jogger - muffled by the soft, mossy ground - and of course, the whimisical bubbling of the water as it makes its way down the river bed. It's picturesque, enchanting and a wonderful place to just wander along and get away from it all.

I've since learnt that the walk way extends for quite a distance, and leads all the way to Leith. I only walked a smidgen of it on Friday, before making a detour to get back home before dark. If I could, I would definitely go back again and attempt to cover the entire length of the walkway!

So if ever you need some respite from city life (not that Edinburgh's stressful actually), head straight to the water. Just stand there and take all the time you need to soak it in. You'll be charmed.

Recalling Spain. Caution: Long-winded Meditation on Travelling included

This is a much overdue update about my short 5 day trip to Spain. Well, I have to be honest and say that it doesn’t particularly stand out as one of my favourite getaways for several reasons:

• I was on painkillers throughout most of the trip because of my tooth problems, so that was a natural dampener
• I spent one cold night sleeping on the floor of the airport, after being told ‘vamos’ repeatedly by an irate café owner
• The attractions were just alright in my estimation. In particular, Madrid turned out to be pretty disappointing –don’t stone me please, but I think it’s boring! 
• I had heard a lot about street crime in Madrid, so I was on the look-out constantly for my belongings which did breed a certain amount of stress when in crowds
• Poor weather in Barcelona, poorer bunk mates in the hostel!

At the same time, I will admit that having only briefly sampled two places – Madrid and Barcelona – it is perhaps unfair of me to make any conclusive statements about Spain in general.

I actually want to add on to that last sentence, at the risk of overanalyzing a holiday; it is precisely this inability to know a place and a culture that has been bothering me for a while now. No doubt travelling can and does ‘broaden your horizons’ – I firmly believe it is an endeavour with the potential to enlighten, enrich and transform.

Yet at the same time, how far does the business of travelling obfuscate a locality by reducing it to a fixed set of stereotypes? Tourism is after all, about the careful management of a place– if a place lacks any exotic appeal, some must be manufactured. If the destination is however, too ‘different,’ this difference must be attenuated so that it does not alienate the tourist.

So when I say I’ve been somewhere, was I really there? Or was I simply re-enacting a particular vision of the place promulgated by travel literature?

As an independent traveler, did I really have full autonomy over my own holiday, or did I choose from sanctioned routes already chosen for me?

What then, is the purpose of travelling if I wind up consuming and then, perpetuating these same myths about places?

I blame Madrid for foisting these uncomfortable thoughts upon me – but really, what else can you do whilst chilling in the Plaza de Oriente? Your mind invariably wanders, and stumbles upon these awkward questions when you’re supposed to be enjoying an afternoon siesta!

So did I end up knowing Spain and Spaniards any better? Perhaps, perhaps not.

In my mind, there are further implications of this not all of which I really want to discuss. This is something I will have to continue thinking about. For the rest of this review however, I will limit myself to the qualification that I ‘did’ Spain the way it’s spoken about and visualized from the outside – sangria, flamenco, tapas. You name it.

So recognizing that commercial tourism celebrates the creation of showpieces, I will confine myself to judging it by its same self-generated tropes:

The Land of Paella and Sangria

Yes. Paella does feature on a lot of menus in Spanish restaurants. We had our first Paella in a Madrid pub. I personally have never thought Paella inspired fireworks, and I hold firm to this view after we sampled the dish in Madrid – it was decent, but not particularly memorable.

However, we did have Paella again in a Barcelona restaurant managed by Chinese – this time we opted for Black Paella (Arros Negre), which is a variation cooked in squid ink.

I have to be perfectly honest and say I was doubtful about whether Chinese people could ‘do’ Spanish food, but the Black Paella turned out excellent and better than anything else I had tasted thus far. So this was really a case of me eating my words.



Sangria is readily available in all the bars, pubs and restaurants, and you can get a whole pitcher if you want. Of course quality, taste and even fizziness differs from place to place, so there’s obviously no consistent recipe stuck to.

As I found out while on my medication, it is a bit tricky if you try ordering anything non-alcoholic in Spanish pubs - or anything vegetarian for that matter. However, try asking for cerveza sin alcohol (beer without alcohol) and hope they have it. It tastes exactly like normal beer.

If you’re vegetarian, good luck negotiating the Spaniards’ love affair with meat. And watch the ham.

Tapas



If I could explain Tapas to a friend back home, I would say it’s a cross between Chinese dim sum and bar food. From what I understand, tapas refer collectively to a selection of appetizers served in small portions, usually shared amongst a group of friends.

And most importantly as I found out, tapas is strictly served at bars and pubs. Don’t waltz into a café or restaurant asking for a tapas menu unless you want to attract stares. And as with alcohol purchased at the bar, it is not unusual to eat tapas standing up and walking around.

So I would say it is simple, fuss-free food in an informal context. For that reason, don’t think or expect tapas to be a ‘cuisine.’ A modest plate of olives, mini sandwiches, potato salad or meatballs can alone constitute tapas. At the same time, croquettas, calamari, and slices of Iberian ham usually feature on the tapas list. Of these, I would recommend trying Iberian ham as it is pretty unique to Spain and has an excellent flavor.

Other than that, do your tapas crawl, but bear in mind the context that it is usually consumed in – tapas in general, are deemed secondary accompaniments to drinking and socializing in Spain.

The Flamenco

We’ve all heard about this dramatic dance of passion. How does it stack up?

Well, a lot of Flamenco in Spain is staged for tourists, there’s no two-ways about that. Cover charges into Flamenco clubs can consequently be pretty expensive.

When in Barcelona, we had the opportunity to attend a Flamenco and Opera performance (literally entitled Flamenco y Opera). For about 30 euros, you literally get a fusion of everything quintessentially ‘Spanish’ in the performing arts – flamenco of course, and also a rendition of the celebrated Habanera from Carmen (yes, you know which one), in addition to singing accompanied by that famous Spanish guitar.

I don’t know enough about opera to comment, and frankly it intimidates me sometimes. In any case, I was most struck by the Flamenco dancers. The choreography for the show was designed for either the male or female to take centre-stage at any one time; they did not dance together that much as a result. This produced mixed reactions – my friends had hoped to see them dance more often as a couple. However I was enthralled by the individual dances, and in particular, how much passion and strength the female dancer exhibited singularly. She was sensual without coming across as a sex object – a rare combination today I feel. She exuded power, confidence and dignity – all without the help of a man. Bravisimmo!

Sunshine and Beaches

Spain is no doubt warmer than where I’m currently at. But no, it’s not all sun and fun. There are beaches in Barcelona which are excellent for surfing, however not everyday’s a perfect beach day. Always go prepared for dreary, wet weather especially in spring time.

While wet weather plans are essential in Barcelona, you might need similar ones in Madrid – not to escape the rain, but rather, the dry, oppressive heat. Madrid is known for its art museums, so I suggest you head right down to either The Prado or the Reina Sofia (if you like modern art) on those unbearably hot afternoons.

Gaudi in Barcelona

Barcelona tourism has a lot to thank Antonio Gaudi for. His inventive and often surreal architectural creations are the city’s main draws, and I believe Barcelona is one of the few places where a construction site is considered a local symbol. Gaudi’s unfinished Sagrada Familia attracts millions, and I will admit that the exterior is astounding to behold. However I had doubts about paying 13 euros to view the interior which I understand, after reading online reviews, is mostly covered in scaffolding.


Apart from the Sagrada Familia, there are plenty of other Gaudi creations in Barcelona. They are beautiful no doubt, but I feel they are overpriced. Park Guell is one of the few that are free to enter, and I do recommend you go there to get a sampling of Gaudi’s genius.


However the park is sadly marred by the tons of buskers and street vendors who converge on its walkways, taking advantage of the high visitor traffic.

A bit of a disappointment not because the park is deficient aesthetically. I would however put it down to way too much pre-visitation hype, which Barcelona tourism invariably encourages.


In a nutshell: I would recommend that unless you are a big fan of nightlife, do not linger in Madrid. It did not excite me, and we found ourselves running out of things to do and see by the end of the first day.

Barcelona is more interesting in comparison, though I personally feel that the cult of Gaudi (not Gaudi himself) is overrated.

The food I had in Spain did not blow my mind, although you might as well try it when there. Between the so-called ‘Spanish’ culutral activities of Flamenco and bullfighting, I would recommend the former not simply because I enjoyed it, but also because I personally think bullfighting is cruel! So there you go. That’s how I ‘did’ Spain.

AWARE Saga Concluded and Remembered

You must forgive all these posts on AWARE, but hey, in my opinion I think May 2 2009 has been an important day back home in Singapore for several reasons:

1. A vote of no confidence was passed against Josie Lau and her committee. At a staggering 2:1, it was a resounding call for them to step down. This can (and has been) read in many ways: the Old Guard rightfully reclaiming their organization; a triumph for secularism; a slap on the wrist for aggressive proselytizing in the public sphere; a step forward in tolerance and social inclusiveness; a maturation of public debate...however you spin it -

2. - I think it can nevertheless be called a historical watershed in civil society. Time will tell if this statement holds up. But in the meantime, thank you to all the women and men who went down to the EGM, and made their voices count!

I was interested to read some of the comments thrown to the New Exco here http://wayangparty.com/?p=8732

"I decided to pay $40, line up for 2 hours just for one purpose - to cast my vote of NO CONFIDENCE, and I ask them, after this meeting, how do you carry on? Dr Thio, you said you are a feminist mentor to women in Singapore. With due respect to you, I would not like you to be my mentor."

Ouch!

On a separate note, t is heartening how this incident has prompted many of my friends to declare their pride at being Singaporean today - something I would have never heard in years. Overt statements of national pride are generally not in vogue amongst my set.

3.


From the hilarious youtube spoofs of the saga (see typical Cantonese melodrama above) to the numerous facebook notes which have popped up, it is truly the dawn of a new media. It showed even today - the new executive committee shut out the media from the EGM proceedings, but they couldn't stop the one from within.

So let's hear it for the Twitterers who gave us all real-time updates in the cyberworld. It was thrilling, sitting glued to my twitterfeed getting a blow-by-blow of the events unfolding within Suntec itself. They made Channel News Asia, Straits Times and the lot appear slow. Your iphone batteries might have nearly died in the process, but you've recorded a valuable piece of social history twitterers! This needs to go into the archives somehow.

I also find it amusing that for several hours, the #awaresg thread dominated twitter, causing curious American users to go 'What on earth is awaresg??? I can't find it on wikipedia!!' This is worth stressing - for 5 hours, #awaresg was the top trending topic on twitter in the world.

4. The EGM has unleashed a host of deliciously juicy soundbites bound to be repeated and bandied about in the weeks to come. See below for Dr Thio's (in)famous "Page 73" remarks - first reported and immortalized by Twitter users.

I love how Margaret Thomas (founding member AWARE, blue shirt) is simultaneously raising her hand to calm the crowd, yet can't suppress a look of supreme disdain. See 0:33 - 0:36!


They've already created special edition t-shirts based on Dr Thio and co's gems! I present Ms Sally Ang's fateful words which have since been widely repeated (with some glee) by online users:


See more at http://www.printeet.com/shop/ Hilarious really.


***

A chapter has closed, but I hope this saga will signal the start of something larger in civil society. Critics have said that Singaporeans will simply recede back into normalcy ie: apathy once the controversy has blown over - let's take them up on this. Let's gather the energy and momentum this issue has created, reflect on it, and then bring it forward to make positive changes in our community.

Following the AWARE saga on Twitterfall

Singaporeans following the AWARE EGM in real time are ruling Twitter for once. Waiting for the votes to be tallied now - it's taking so long!

Anyway, my favourite posts on the AWARE saga thus far on twitter - most of whom are from fellow Singaporeans tired of waiting nearly 2 hours for the votes to be counted:

"the delay is obviously a conspiracy by suntec to maximize their
parking fare returns"

"I think we're going to see a unexpected net profit in Breadtalk's books this quarter (they own foodrepublic)"

"Reminder: Parking at Suntec City is $1.07 per hour."

"Exco quoting study on abstinence by group in Utah. Duh! They are Mormons."

"the mens room has been converted to the ladies...there are guys hanging around looking flustered"

"Singapore cannot be a Counting Hub"

"I am imagining this person counting the votes, and this other person constantly jumping out yelling "BOO!" to make her lose count."

"are they waiting for the helicopter for the emergency evacuation before releasing the results or what?"

"This is like getting updates from the Titanic... Batteries dead or dying. Few updates... It's so c c cold Jack..."

Hurry up and get the votes in already!

If you're reading this now, follow the tweets on http://twitterfall.com/?oauth_token=s7jKG7Rz8q8ATVAbmDCMBFdfY9z24znBUHuh82XVZ9E