A Singapore Christmas

The Christmas lights are up on Orchard Road, so it's that time of year again.  A Singapore Christmas was one of the first children's books . So I thought I might share it here with anyone who would like to read it.  Don't ask me why I first started writing in verse; there is no rhyme or reason. As most of you know, I now primarily write in prose. Regardless, I hope you like the story. And if you want to track Santa's Christmas progress, please click this link here. http://www.noradsanta.org

A Singapore Christmas 
By David Seow

Late one Singapore Christmas Eve,
there was a knock on the front door.
It was a secret someone, would you believe.

Without a moment’s pause,
Sam, Sebbie and Di-Di-Di
just knew it had to be Santa Claus.

They crept quietly through the hall.
Sebbie whispered, “It’s Santa.
And I hope he’s brought presents for us all.”

Then they heard Santa say:
“Thank goodness there are no chimneys in Singapore.
All that sliding makes my bottom sore.
I much prefer to use the window, the balcony, 
or the front door.”

Now to their delight,
Santa looked just like what they thought he might.
And though he was wet, wet, wet,
he wasn’t in the slightest bit upset.

The boys asked, “Did Santa swim in a moat?

Just look, he’s completely soaked
from top of his hat to the tip of his coat."

“Santa, did you just have a bath?”
Sam asked.
This made Santa laugh and laugh.

“I have to confess,
look at me,
I’m a soggy, sorry mess.”

"Don't worry, I’ll get you some hot coca,”
said Sam,“in my favourite cup."
“And I’ll get you a towel,”
said Sebbie,“to dry you right up.”

“What can I do?” asked Di-Di-Di.
“Why you sit right here,” said Santa
and he sat Di-Di-Di on his knee.

When Santa was warm and cozy,
and his cheeks were rosy,
he told them his story.
And oh boy, it was a real dohzy!

“As I was flying all over Singapore-
Little India, Chinatown and Geylang Serai-
big storm clouds filled the starry night sky.
Lightning struck as I was right over town
and then my sleigh suddenly broke down.
I had to take a trishaw, a bus, a taxi and an MRT train
and then it began to rain and rain.”

Just then Santa looked out the window
and, there in the distance,
he saw a speeding bright red glow.

“That’s Rudolph and he’s on his way
with my replacement sleigh.
Hooray, Hooray, Hooray!"

Quickly Santa hopped to his feet,
went to his sleigh, and brought back
Sam’s, Sebbie’s and Di-Di-Di’s Christmas
presents, treats and sweets.

“Thank you,” said Sam, Sebbie and Di-Di-Di
as Santa placed their presents
in their stockings and under the tree.

“And now I have to go, go, go,” said Santa.
Then he was off and away
with ho-ho ho
in his very fast sleigh.

It was faster than a bus, a taxi, and an MRT train.
It was faster than a race car.
It was even faster than an aeroplane.

“I’m sleepy,” Sam yawned quite suddenly.
“So are we,” agreed Sebbie and Di-Di-Di.
They were so sleepy,
they fell asleep right by the Christmas tree.

As Christmas Day was dawning,
Sam, Sebbie and Di-Di-Di awoke a-yawning.
“Was Santa really here?” Sam wondered
“It didn’t seem like a dream,” said Sebbie.
“Let’s see what’s under the tree,” insisted Di-Di-Di.

And under the tree, were all
the presents, treats and sweets
Santa had left for them
along with a note that said:

"Thank you for looking after me.
Merry Christmas. See you next year.
Lots of love,
Santa C."

Lunch, Dinner and a Walk at the Botanical Gardens

Jacquie, Sarah and Mum

So after dinner at Jumbo Seafood restaurant, I met up with Jacquie and her sister Sarah for lunch with Mum at Paradise Dynasty, a Shanghainese Dim Sum restaurant for lunch. Mum was insistent that there should be no shellfish in the food and gave specific instructions to the servers. However, when she tucked into the fried rice, she suspected something shell-fishy and promptly sent the dish back; the waiter apologized profusely, promising us free dessert. I was more than okay with that, but then the manager returned with the fried rice, saying that the suspect morsel was indeed chicken. I avoided eating the dish after that for obvious reasons. :)


After lunch we headed to PS Cafe (brand endorsement here; I expect free cakes from now on) for a post-lunch coffee before Mum suggested  a mini tour of the prewar houses in our neighborhood and then heading back home for a bit of a chat. It started raining on our way home and by the time we stepped through the front door, the lightning flashed and the thunder roared. Sarah and Jacquie were trapped with us for the next couple of hours!! 

No, seriously we had a very nice chat and when the rain let up we walked down to Newton Hawker Centre, where Sarah and Jacquie were meeting a friend for dinner. I  took a slow walk back up Orchard Road and by the time I got home Mum was fast asleep, snoring. Proof that she had just as good a time as I did.

The next day, Jacquie and Sarah kindly invited me out for dinner at Clarke Quay- yay, they weren't sick on me yet- on their last night in Singapore. After walking around a bit, we dined at the very hip Indochine Forbidden City. It was delicious. Dinner was great but the company was better!  We made a post meal trip to Little India to see the Diwali lights. It was packed with people, ready to celebrate the holiday. Sarah and Jacquie bought a few trinkets for their neice before deciding to head back to the hotel. I was surprised that we were able to book a cab relatively quickly as usually it's never that easy. Thanks for dinner and a fun night out, Jacquie and Sarah!

The Botanical Gardens

Jacquie had one last full day of school visits before jetting off to London, so Sarah and I made plans to walk to the Botanical Gardens and Nassim Road.

So at around 9:30am the next morning, give or take a couple of minutes, Sarah and I set off from their hotel to the Botanical Gardens. It was hot! and I was drenched within minutes. We made our way around the gardens, including the Orchid Gardens before grabbing something to drink at the cafe and walking up  Nassim Road, one of the poshest neighborhoods in town. Those houses are unbelievably massive and the architecture of each house is completely different: some are modern; others are throwbacks to prewar days; some are neo classical with ornate columns. Sarah took photos of some of the more eye catching ones. After three hours - I was sweat-soaked and smelled like a sad sack of sardines - we made it back to the hotel. Sarah had some last minute packing to do before heading back to Sydney and I had to run some errands. And so sadly, a really fun week had come to an end all too soon. We have to catch up soon, Sarah and Jacquie, be it in London, Sydney or Singapore. Thanks so much for a really fun week!

One of the houses on Nassim Road