I thought I’d give your eyes a rest after seeing a glimpse of hell and all that. This post will be full of laughter and wonderment I swear!
*****
I exited the tube station and was met with a magical Christmas display.
So preeeeetty.
The decorations were beautiful and, despite it being the middle of November, I felt all giddy. Even though I won’t be having a proper Christmas this year, it’s nice to see Christmas cheer. Anything that gives people an outlet to being overly happy is a good thing in my opinion.
Everything looked so shiny and extravagant. As everyone else around me was getting progressively wetter, I didn’t feel too much like a hobo.
These elephant sculptures were a frequent fixture in Singapore. The Elephant Parade - life size elephant sculptures - are exhibited in well known cities and are auctioned off to raise funds for Asian elephants.
Is that a Christmas tree or a dalek?
More pretty decorations
I spent a while trying to make my way across to the IMAX theatre but to no avail. As it was raining so heavily I couldn’t see the front of each building. This meant I had no idea if I was edging closer or moving further away from my intended destination. It was such an arse. I was getting soaked yet I still had no idea where I was. In the end I ducked inside one of the malls and explored for a bit. I was in no rush.
I went down to the food court and had a tasty yet affordable meal. I heard rumours that there was wifi about but I couldn’t get on where I was sat. Instead I went upstairs and propped my laptop on a Burger King sign. Nobody said anything and there is no way I would ever buy a Burger King, yuck! Sometimes being cheeky pays off. I checked cinema times and logged off.
If only finding the exit was as easy. Well I say exit, what I mean is a way to get across the road. There are no (road) crossings on Orchard Road. Everything is underground. I needed to pass from one mall to another. I asked a concierge…twice, and both told me the wrong information. They pointed me in the direction to the exit onto the wet and still rainy street on the same side of the road. It seems like I’ll need to figure this one out for myself. I heard a couple whispering about getting to the other side. It seems I’m not the only one baffled by this mystery. I decided to follow them for a few minutes and found where I needed to be.
Just as I was about to cross over, I got side-tracked by a delicious little delicatessen. I was one brownie and a cheese bread roll heavier when I reached the Shaw House building. The way I write it makes it sound like I was only there for half an hour. I must have spent at least a couple of hours walking around – in and out of shops along the way of course! – before I made it to the other side of the road. There should be better signposts!
I started getting stomach flips as I made my way to the cinema entrance. Multiple screens to my right joined together to show the new Twilight trailer. At this point, I had not seen anything about the new film. I hate how I’ve become so out-of-the-loop on all things film/television/entertainment. Saying that, I certainly knew more about what was going on than a few people waiting in the ticket queue – “Real Steel? Well that must about cars right?” for which the group agrees. One girl says “One Day is like a Rom-Com”. Say whaaaa? Ha. I tried to educate them but was ushered to a till point by this giant grunting fellow. I got into trouble for dawdling. I must have been in the queue for all of two minutes. Everything seems to be faster in Singapore, including the escalators (random adage I know…maybe it’s just me). I loved it. Fast queues, fast service. Everything looked so pristine and exquisite. There was a restaurant with gorgeous looking food and tear-inducingly-good desserts each sat under a glass counter taunting me. I was good. I didn’t even get popcorn.
I didn’t mind parting with $22 as that felt like an incredibly reasonable price for what I was about to experience. It was the equivalent to what I would have to pay back in the UK to view a 3D film in a regular theatre. I’ve never been to an IMAX theatre but have always wanted to. I went to see Tintin. I wasn’t massively eager to see the film itself but heard good things about it. I was mainly there for the theatre itself. Most of the seats were already booked and all that was left were seats near the front. I instinctively thought that was a good thing without realising what an IMAX experience entails. I opted for a middle seat, third row in.
I had a bit of a wait so sat and tucked into my cheese bread and brownie. Others had done the same and brought sushi and bottled drinks in so I didn’t feel like too much of a cheapskate. Time didn’t drag and before I knew it, a message flashed prompting customers to make their way to the IMAX theatre. I was one of the first people to notice it and eagerly took my place in the queue. I walked past the cinema clerks and was handed a pair of 3D glasses the size of a snorkelling mask. Oooooh
Face-melting 3rd row = neck ache!
I submerged myself in the luxury leather seats and I could tell my arse was happy. Too many night buses and long flights have meant my poor tushy has been neglected. My arse was content, and soon enough my whole body was happy from the sensory overload that came. I put my glasses on straight away in anticipation. I was like a little kid edging their way in to Disneyland, tugging at their parent’s arm…
Spectacular. The film was great but the IMAX made it truly incredible. It definitely craps all over the 3D efforts in regular cinemas at the moment. Other than Avatar I have been disappointed with the 3D films that I have seen. If it’s not all in 3D then what’s the point? What an awesome end to a seemingly damp squib of a day. I just hoped the weather would get better.
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