Whew!

If I ever have to explain to any sheltered (no pun intended) Singaporean children what a greenhouse is, I'm going to take them to the Atrium @ Orchard and stick them in the empty space immediately outside where the escalators from the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station come up. I don't know who designed the damn building, but if their objective was to focus all ambient sunshine in the vicinity to a heated pinpoint (à la the Death Star warming up its laser to blast Alderaan out of existence), then they sure as hell succeeded.

Fortunately, the scorching weather to which we're usually subjected on this side of the equator took a breather today, and it was actually raining by mid-afternoon, in time to cool things down for the official opening of Glimpses of Light. Nevertheless, it took two Starbucks iced teas to get Terz through the shindig, and it came as no surprise that the refreshments table rapidly ran out of cold drinks shortly afterwards. Miraculously, he didn't look as dehydrated as he felt during his TV interview (full text reproduced below, if the link's expired) and he got to tell a meaningful story to boot.

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported us. If you couldn't make it today, the exhibition runs till 30 March and there are guided tours by the volunteer photographers in the evenings. You might've seen some of Terz's pics already on his blog, but trust me, it's quite something else to see them on display full-sized and as part of a larger narrative.

Afterwards, we adjourned to Balaclava to rehydrate. Who needs water when there's one-for-one drinks to be had? Not to mention some seriously flavourful lamb pancake-y snacks.

Among the weighty issues we discussed today:

• Why don't people know how to behave at a photography exhibition? Why do they think they can go right up to a mounted photograph and poke at it with their greasy fingers?!
  Something tells me that even if those morons'd seen how Terz delicately mounted each photograph with a plastic bag over his hand to keep the photograph surface pristine, they'd still go ahead and poke it with impunity.Because it's a public exhibition, y'know, so they think they can do what they like.
  
  
• Why did we decide to go to Balaclava at Suntec City when everybody and their mother was there for the annual Natas travel fair?
  Traffic was a bitch, as mr brown eloquently explains in his recent podcast, and parking was a potential nightmare (although we lucked out on a spot --- must be reverse karma from last weekend, when after the IT show, a certain photographer who shall remain unnamed couldn't remember which level he'd left his vehicle).
  
  
• What's the difference between ginger ale and ginger beer, and what's the point of mixing both together in a Gunner?
  It seems that ginger beer is sweeter than ginger ale, which led to a guessing game about the difference between ale and beer. Terz thought beer has hops while ale doesn't, but a quick Google search today suggests that the difference is in the type of yeast used during the fermentation process. We still don't know why it takes two varieties of ginger-flavoured soda to make a Gunner.
  
  
• (Warning: adult content ahead.) For you heterosexual guys out there: how much would someone have to pay you to give another guy a blowjob?
  A quick poll indicated a range of asking prices from $30,000 to $10m. Of course, he-who-expects-$10m admitted that he might then spend that money paying chicks to return the favour to him.
  

Thus endeth the lesson.

Addendum
Full text of the news story featuring Terz's interview:

Title: Mercy Relief holds photo exhibition in memory of tsunami victims
By: Ken Teh, Channel NewsAsia
Date : 19 March 2005 2153 hrs (SST)
URL : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/138217/1/.html

SINGAPORE : Painful memories of the tsunami disaster and its stories of hope have come to life in a new photo exhibition.

Showcasing over 70 works by Mercy Relief's volunteer photographers, the exhibition at the Atrium at Orchard is open till the end of March.

Powerful images of pain and promise resurrect the horrors and hope of the tsunami disaster.

Taken by photographers who were with relief teams in Sri Lanka, Meulaboh and Aceh, the pictures give a glimpse into the lives of victims and aid workers.

Terence Teo, Mercy Relief Volunteer Photographer, said: "The one that stood out most in my memory is the picture I took of Rosita, it was out last day in Meulaboh.....and we were patting ourselves on our backs, job well done.....and we met her on the beach and she told us how she lost her husband and children.....and at that moment it served as a reminder to us that the work isn't done."

And it's a view that is shared by a fellow volunteer, one of those captured by photographers.

Kim Walker, Mercy Relief Volunteer, said: "I think if we can keep the interest of the Singapore population in the recovery of Meulaboh town and the people who live there, I think this exhibition would have done its job."

The heroes back in Singapore who worked tirelessly sorting and packing supplies were not forgotten either.

Moh Zuraimi Harif, Mercy Relief Volunteer, said: "I feel appreciated and it is good that we can share with the rest of the people what we have. This is the least that we could do and with all this great support, let volunteerism go on and on."

The Education Minister also unveiled the design model of the $700,000 school and orphanage in Meulaboh.

Designed by renowned local architect Tay Kheng Soon, the Muhammadiyah school will be completed in July.

The work is far from over. In fact for many of the relief groups in the affected areas, the reconstruction phase is only just beginning.

But it's smiles like that of eight-year-old Rahmad, an orphan in Banda Aceh that keeps them going.

Mercy Relief is distributing over 20,000 children's play packs in India, Aceh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives over the next three months. - CN