Survival Guide For Festival Virgins
Music festivals can be a memorable experience, for the wrong reasons. My virgin music festival extravaganza happened 3 years ago and oh boy..being a first timer, I was clueless to what I should wear or what to bring ! Thank God I was blessed with good weather and a well-prepared group of friends who made sure I was taken care of. After being to a couple more of such events and with many upcoming concerts and festivals coming to Singapore, here’s a (yet another) survival guide for others out there ! Disclaimer: The following guide is just based on my own experience and observations. Feel free to contribute more tips!
Have A Game Plan : It’s important to know the line-up for the day. You wouldn’t want to miss your favorite band’s act or not knowing who is playing on stage right now. If there are more than 1 main stage, know which performing area you want to be at next. If you have no idea who are the bands playing, just go for it ! I have discovered good music by randomly picking a band to watch too.
Ditch Your Friends : Don’t spend the entire day sms-ing and trying to locate your friends. You’ll bound to lose them halfway (somehow). Just enjoy the music and who knows, you’ll meet new people and usually you always do. See also ”Spot the spot“.
Sheer Freedom : Screw fashion, dress wisely – my ideal attire is shorts/berms+sneakers/flats+baggy T-shirt. Ladies, do not come in heels and maxi dresses. I saw a couple at Laneway earlier on and they inspired me to post this entry. As for wet weather, some others would recommend wellies but not many Singaporean probably owns a pair. I would say just wear a pair of shoes that you’re comfortable throwing away or ‘losing your sole’ at the end of the festival with. Do not wear flops because you’ll probably lose them in the mud and end up barefooted. Of course, ladies in white is always ‘sheer happiness’ for the guys – if you know what I mean.
Baked or Mudcaked : Being at the festival is not just a commitment but also an endurance-wise challenge. You will be there for hours so bring sunblock ! You’ll need it even if you think you want to get a tan. Hats and shades are recommended if you’re going for the earlier acts. Bring umbrella or ponchos (some events provide them too) in case of rain. Just remember that your umbrellas shouldn’t be blocking others’ views too !
Spot the Spot : Mark your territory! It is important to find a good spot where you can see the stage. Be a typical kiasu Singaporean – ‘chope’ a spot that your group of friends can hang out and easily locate each other in case one of you lose their way after visiting the loo or make a stop at the bar. Picnic mats are a good idea if it’s good weather and well, if it rains like how it did at Laneway – don’t bother.
Water Parade : Keep yourselves hydrated ! You don’t want to faint and be sent to the hospital before your band comes up stage. As much as you do not wish to visit the port-a-loo, just drink up and sweat it off by dancing the day/night away. There will be expensive mineral water being sold at the bar tents but it’s always wise to bring a bottle along. Of course, there will be alcohol and whatnots at the F&B tents too. See also “Cash It”
The Piss-Stop : There is no way you can avoid the port-a-loo throughout the festival. Yes, it will be stinky and dirty. I would suggest looking for the nearest cleaner options available for the girls (e.g Malls and nearby buildings) It will not be a 5-stars hotel toilet experience so always remember to bring tissue/toilet roll and hand sanitizer ! Not only to keep your hands clean but take a whiff of it before holding your breath in. (One trick I’ve learnt is to spray perfume on my tee/collar and pull it up to cover my nose before stepping in!)
Cash It : There will be merchandises and bar tents that provide snacks like hot dogs, nachos etc. Most of the time it’ll be double the price of the usual price outside so don’t get a shock. Drinks will also be available – most of the time it’s S$4 for a bottle of mineral water and S$8 or more for beer/housepour drinks. Remember to bring your cash since credit cards are most unlikely to be accepted. So if you want to save up, bring a bottle of water or if possible (most festivals do not allow outside food/drinks actually), bring your own lil picnic!
Moderation is Key : You are bound to end up drinking, dancing and singing out loud like nobody’s business. You will meet new people whom you would have never imagine knowing in your entire life. You will probably have a few butt gropes or arms around you for no reason. You will see crazy things happening around you. Just remember, it’s probably an once in a lifetime experience so unleash that crazy side of you! It is the way to live our lives as it is meant to be lived!
Buzzing Good Time : You will probably feel like your legs are breaking and you have gone deaf with that buzz ringing in your ears after the festival. BUT WHO CARES ANYWAYS ? Have a blast, be it rain or shine and enjoy the great music. Make it worth your ticket price and go home with a story to re-tell your children next time.
And for chrissakes - Don’t forget your tickets!
*Pictures taken off Google images*
Movie Buzz/Event : ‘Sex And The City 2′ Gala Premiere
Courtesy of HP, I had the chance to attend the Sex and the City 2 Gala Premiere @ Golden Village, VivoCity with my bestie, Rachael ! I’m ashamed to say that I am no huge fan of the TV series nor have I watched “Sex and the City” before the event, so I went into the theatre pretty much with an open mind and the idea that the whole show is about – 4 manipulative women in NYC with the most gorgeous dresses and a lifetstyle to die for…and I came out with the same conclusion !
This highly anticipated film, well..put it this way – if men have porn, women have Sex and the City. The fashion is to die for, the lifestyle is to die for, the men are to die for. The story gets drowned among the blings and backdrop, a typical chick flick about relationships, sisterhood, women empowerment – the men just don’t get it ! Girls gone wild but a more mature version and bringing the glam factor to the max. If you’re a film critic, you might want to skip this film but you must watch this if you’re a fashionista or follower of SATC the series. I’ll pretty much spoil the entire show if I were to comment on the story (yes, it’s THAT shallow and the plot is absurdly over-simplified) so I shall keep my comments to myself. Let’s just say that I can relate to Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) most because of her relationship problems and craziness while with her friends. I can almost imagine myself telling my future husband “Me and you, just us two”. On a side note, I must say it is quite an interesting topic to discuss if this film were to be alil more political – they were (almost) certainly mocking the Middle East in a way ! (haha)
Anyways, back to the event itself ! I had a great time checking out the HP products (look out for the gorgeous HP mini in the show itself ! ) and catching up with other bloggers. Thanks HP once again for the great night ! As you can see, it’s rather rare for me to post up pictures of myself on my blog but the SJP perfume is my current favourite ! Will someone please get it for me ? (puppy eyes) Hur.
I’ll give this movie a 2.5/5 but a 5 for the gorgeous dresses and yummy eyecandies ! They coo, we coo and coo some more together..that’s how the movie goes.
Bravo,Christian Lacroix the Costumier !
Ping, the boyfriend and I headed over to the National Museum of Singapore to check out the Christian Lacroix the Costumier exhibition. The museum was rather empty, probably due to the H1N1 outbreak or the fact that the museum closes at 6pm. We got our complimentary tickets at around 5.30pm (on the dot for last entry) and we had the whole exhibition hall to ourselves ! 
I was really looking forward to immerse myself in this whole charming French fashion history – the amazing costumes and sketches by the genius designer Christian Lacroix (which the boyfriend laughed and called me a “Fake French” because I have no idea how to pronounce his last name properly. haha) The exhibition was alot smaller than I imagined it would be but the decor sets the mood and I have to admit (randomly) that I really liked the chairs in that display hall. I wish I have one of those at home ! If I’m not wrong, the museum decorated the display to look as though you’re in a theatre blackbox with the red lighting and moving mannequins.
Design wise, you will definitely be impressed by the details and depth of his work. His sketches were stunning to begin with and I love his dramatic use of color and fabric. In case you have no idea, he first began with ready-to-wear designs to the displays you see in National Museum which are his works for operas, theatre and dance. For example, you will probably know “Carmen” and Shakespeare’s “Othello”. I think it is quite a rare opportunity for Singaporeans to be in touch with this aspect of the Arts since Opera is not a very “hip” thing in town.
It was quite spectacular if you enjoy fashion or you’re someone like me, who thinks “anything French is awesome” (HAHA). I had fun at the hands-on area where the museum provided paper (of really good quality, to my surprise) for sketches and paper dolls for dress-up games. There are 4 wooden dolls for you to place fabric over and create your own masterpieces as well ! The boyfriend and I had a go at it and there’s a reason why we’re both from a management university ! (hur)
So what do you think ? Who do you think have a better sense of fashion (HAHA) ! If you think you can do a better job, go down to the gallery and snap a picture of your magnificent costume for me to see ! 
This gotta be one of the biggest fashion event of the year, so don’t miss it ! The ticket is priced at $8 but you get to enter FREE if you’re wearing RED from 9-10th May ! 
