Monday, January 24, 2011

Babe in Toyland

Hello All,

I know you're all chomping at the bit to hear about Pulau Ubin, this amazing island I visited this weekend, but I'm going to do things in reverse order. So, here is today (and tomorrow you get yesterday. Get it?)

I had an unexpected free day when my professor called in sick. Hooray! Well, not hooray for Prof. Soosay. I like him. Hopefully he was not really sick and was out enjoying the sunshine. But regardless of why there was no class, I had a day with nothing but limitless potential (and a need to get out of the apartment. We can only run the air-con for a few hours a day, and it was getting a bit stifling in there...)

I chose, at random, the Mint Toy Museum. Mint, as my fellow geeks know, often means new, in the box condition. However, in this case, Mint stood for Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys. Which I thought was totally cool. I have decided that the way their museum is set up is one of the better ways to do it. It's pretty small, but it's stretched over five storys so it doesn't seem that tiny. You can totally do the whole thing justice in 2hrs though, which is nice. The lighting is dim (think mood lighting) and the music is very chill (think smooth Cole Porter). I loved it. I had an unexpectedly emotional time (I know, everyone is suprised) but it was really neat in several ways.

#1. I learned stuff. The word robot, for example, was coined by a Czech playwright in 1924, from the Czech word "robota", which means "forced labor". It wasn't until the 1956 film "Forbidden Planet" that robots became mainstream. So, those are two facts that I did not know! There were tons of robot toys, space toys, etc., which was totally cool. Did you know most tin toys of the 1930s-1960s were made out of recycled tin cans?



#2. I felt very happy seeing so many childhood favorites: Strawberry Shortcake, Star Wars, Mickey Mouse and the Disney gang, and Snoopy. The things we hand to our children determine how they view the world, and that sets up their whole lives. Playing seems like such a simple act, but it is so incredibly vital to a well-founded life. It struck me that being a parent must be really, really hard: hoping for the best and desperately trying to instill values in your kid, all the while letting them become who they are. I was intensely grateful for my parents, who have given me every opportunity imaginable without letting me become lazy or snobby. They played hours and hours of games with me as a kid, and I still feel like a kid inside because of it. A child's sense of wonder is a beautiful thing, and I have Mom and Dad to thank for that. So, that was lovely.

#3. We have to be careful what we give our children.

Yes, those little toys are black dolls, and the sign does say "nigger boys".  I gasped out loud when I saw that. And those are Western soldiers getting stepped on (and punched out) by Chinese soldiers. When I was a kid, Mom had a sign in our playroom with a toy gun and knife on it that said "is it any wonder prsions are full?" I know now that it was Reagan-era propaganda (prisons are full because you passed three-strikes laws and upped the sentences for drug crimes!) but it always struck me as an important message-you are how you play. And we don't always play very nice. I second my own comment about how being a parent must be really hard. Although I am pretty sure I would never give my (eventual) kids "little nigger boys" dolls.

#3. I was so happy about the inspiring stories in the museum. There was a house of refuge in the early 1900s, for example, where former child prostitutes could make dolls in order to become self-sufficient. These dolls were on display, as well as the dolls made in a factory owned by a man who only employed refugees, and paid them fair, living wages so they could care for their families. It struck me, not for the first time, that everyone has the capacity to be a hero. You don't have to be a politician or a missionary (or even a public defender) to make a difference. All you have to be is a human being who feels like your fellow men deserve to be treated fairly. It's even easier than that-you just have to do something you love. Walt Disney may have been a philanthropist (I'm the wrong Sook to ask about Walt) but he brought joy into the hearts of millions with his little mouse. He put love into his work, and it filled the world with that love. I know this sounds unbelievably mushy, but I know also that it is true. We can all be heroes. And that was so worth the $7.50 to get into the museum.


Next, I went to Raffles Hotel, the standard-bearer of the halcyon days-gone-by of the East India Trading Company era. The guards here dress like Punjab from "Annie". In a non-ironic way. Yes, here colonialism is alive and well. Many famous authors, Rudyard Kipling among them, loved this place, particularly the Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling was invented. Man, they are good. I will have to have one here in Singapore, to date I have only partaken at my fabulous going-away party. I felt like I was at a Disney resort, except this is totally real. It was wicked weird, but also very pretty. I strolled the grounds and spent a leisurely hour reading on the verandah. I have to hand it to the colonials, they knew how to furnish a verandah. I hope when Mom and Dad are here I get to sample the sumptuous cuisine I spied through the window. Today, I was just a peasant at the doors though, and I rather feared at any moment someone would kick me out for not being white enough. After being among the locals for so long, it was a shock to see so many white people. I found that I resented them a little for being here, for coming all the way to Singapore and basking in the glow of their whiteness. I hoped that they got away from the CBD and at least saw a bit of the real Singapore. How did I get assimilated so quickly? I guess I really do love this place.




Just as I was feeling all topsy-turvy inside (byproduct of too much emotion and not enough sleep, I wager) I heard Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" in the food center. My  dear friend Dauren has a theory that I am protected by John Lennon's ghost (it's a long story) but at moments like this I can almost believe it. Just when I needed a little dose of everything I love about home, there is my Texas belle Kelly reminding me that when I am alone, I can do what I want. It was pretty magical. Perhaps the most magical thing that's ever happened at that food center. :)

Last stop of the day, JUDO! I signed up for a judo class with the sum of my judo knowledge coming from Austin Powers. I arrived nervous. I was the only ang mo there, and one of two girls. Gulp. More nervous. Once we started though, I felt awesome. My very kind instructor J.D. explained that judo is a martial art, so it's not about brute strength. It's about balance, flexibility, and body control. Long used to the humiliation of laps in gym class and the feeling that I am shit at anything "sports" related, this was a revelation to me-a sport that did not involve sprinting or pumping iron! Body control and flexibility-I did those things in yoga and dance! Could there possibly be something out there that was considered a sport that I was good at? It turns out-yes! J.D. said I had a "great stance" and encouraged me to stay with the class (I was in a trial period). I was getting stuff right the first time and doing really well. Let me tell you, that felt amazing. Like really amazing. Coming home on the bus after 2.5 hours of practice (outside, no less) I was sweaty as all hell and tomorrow I will probably feel like I was hit by a train, but I felt...good. Empowered. Strong. Beautiful. My body was not something to be lamented, it was to be celebrated. I don't know why it took me so long to find martial arts, but I frickin love it and I will definitely keep it up at home. Yay!

Well, it's late, Lisa is snoring, and I should probably go to sleep. Tomorrow I promise I will post the Ubin pictures (you know you want to see the monkeys). But I wish you all well and want you to know that I love you. Until next time, Sionara, suckers!

1 comment:

  1. Laura! It's Morgan. I wanted to a) let you know I am reading and enjoying your blog and b) tell you how stoked I am that you are taking Judo. That is awesome. :) love.

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