1. Fans of Mos Def were sorely disappointed when the Hip Hop legend was a no-show at the Summerdaze music festival. The rapper was scheduled to perform at 9pm at RWS Hard Rock Hotel last Saturday, with the crowd eagerly anticipating his arrival. After hours of waiting, organisers announced that Mos Def was ill and unable to perform. Given that the event was completely sold-out, we’d say more could have done to keep party-goers updated throughout the night.
2. After almost seven months of walking with dinosaurs, the ArtScience museum has rolled out a new exhibition. Titled Flux Realities, the exhibition explores contemporary China through the eyes of its photographers. Around 60 photographs and two videos by established and emerging artists will be showcased, revolving around the theme of reflection and nostalgia amidst China’s social and political shifts. Expect personal, introspective works filled with surreal imagery.
3. The Media Development Authority (MDA) has finally decided to scrap its unpopular self-classification scheme, which encouraged artists to censor their own performances. Arts groups were naturally reluctant to comply with the regulations and organized a month-long campaign in rejection of the proposal. It appears their efforts have paid off, with the MDA acknowledging that the scheme would not benefit artists.
4. MRT ninjas, you might want to think twice before scrambling for that coveted seat the next time you get on the train. A restaurant manager was recently fined $4500 for causing injury to a nurse after she sat down on corrosive detergent on an MRT seat. He had placed the bottle on a priority seat, and failed to inform the authorities when the liquid spilled out. Consequently nurse Ms Wan Zahfirah suffered chemical burns on her buttocks, and had to be hospitalized for treatment and skin-grafting. Ouch!
5. Surprise surprise! After being infamously crowned the most expensive city in the world, Singapore has now been more favorably titled the fourth most liveable city in Asia. Evaluations were made based on factors such as healthcare, culture and infrastructure, with Singapore only trailing behind Hong Kong, Osaka and Tokyo (interestingly also one of the world’s most expensive cities). Since the list helps firms decide how much employees should get paid to work in a city, we sure hope the results spell out good news (i.e. a bigger paycheck) for us here in the LIttle Red Dot…though this applies more to expats. Oh well.
