Singapore flag.
Problem
I am either away the night of the moon cake festival dinner or away at the time they are selling advance tickets. So every year I miss it and vow, next year I will attend.
Awnings around the swimming pool. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
I see the awnings going up around the swimming pool for days in advance. The tickets are not sold by the swimming pool attendant but in the office. Residents are allowed to invite guests, eg visiting grandparents from overseas, former residents who have moved away, friends who live in the same street or nearby.
The tickets this year were modestly priced, about $5, but it was a pot luck supper. I love pot luck. (Apparently pot luck started in the USA with native americans who threw all their vegetables into a big pot for everybody to share. What you pulled out to fill your bowl was pot luck. At least that's one story. I'm sure there are several others.
I spoke to some friends from the complex (which has about six skyscrapers around the pool, 598 flats, with at least two people on average that is 1000 potential people). I reckon it means at least 1001, because the guests of honour is a government minister. I could go to the office and ask, or phone or email. Never mind. You get the picture. This will be happening all over Singapore.
Toastmasters Meeting Comments
At Toastmasters International evenings for several weeks we were starting the evening going around everybody answering the question,' what will you do for Chinese moon cake festival?'' or, 'what does it mean to you? Many people answered, 'It's for family and friends to gather together'.
Big Events
So, if it's a festival for families to gather together, why go to the big events? Firstly, to save organizing at home.
Secondly, the more the merrier. Convivial.
Thirdly, as an additional event. Your overseas visitors or returning family can have one family meal, another out meeting neighbours, distant friends, making new friends.
Children's Festivals
My Chinese Singaporeans also said, 'The Autumn Harvest Festival party is for children'. Like Halloween and Christmas: games, guessing games, contests and gifts.
Sound in Singapore
Finally, the sound of these large events echoes around the voids between the skyscrapers. All around the complex, the public arena, the HDB (Housing Development Board - Singapore equivalent of the UK's council housing), and the private estates. You listen to the cheers and laughter and wonder what you are missing.
You can't hear exactly what they are saying. But you can hear them all evening. Any other activity, such as reading or watching TV or talking, is punctuated by the sounds.
Notting Hill Carnival Sounds
It's a bit like the Notting Hill Carnival in London, as I learned from somebody who lived alongside. For many years she joined in. Then when she got older she went away for the weekend. She told me that if you live alongside, no point staying home trying to read or sleep with all that racket outside or bands, applause, cheering, announcements. Either go and join in or go away for the weekend.
Singapore's Mooncake Festival Prices
In Singapore at this year's Mooncake festival, or Autumn Festival, I was told,
your ticket either includes the price of a piece of mooncake or just the table and chairs (according to whether you bought a ticket in advance or just bought on the night. Presumably they need to know numbers in advance for catering, but you can turn up with an extra guest on the night so long as they only occupy a chair and don't need the free food included in the other price. The advance ticket will include a voucher for a slice of mooncake or other food.
Some places it's the other way round. At many Toastmasters events, paying in advance means a reduction.
Stalls around offer snacks you can buy.
Regrets and Plans
This year my family heard the sound of the festival and instead of regretting not going, my family, members, who are into classical music and singing in tune and vocal variety at Toastmasters, grumbled, "Dreadful noise. Nonstop cheerleading and shouting into the microphone. You couldn't talk to anybody. Glad we didn't go."
All the same, next year, I must go to the mooncake festival! I love mooncakes!
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
No comments:
Post a Comment