So Not Lost!

Swiss Band Starch at *SCAPE - Click to View Hi-Res Image

The Youth Olympic Games are not just about athletes and sports. Last night, I discovered the Culture and Education Programme at the *SCAPE Youth Park. There was a concert sponsored by Noise Singapore featuring youth bands from around the world.

At last night’s concert, I caught Starch, a band from Switzerland that plays a fusion of rock, hiphop, funk, and jazz. It was great fun watching them live, and I couldn’t help jumping when they asked the audience to jump with them. They have a great energy and sound, and after the gig, they were nice enough to snap a photo with me. I even chatted with them (and their sound engineer) a bit!

me, with the band Starch

Starch are also playing at Raffles City tonight, and Bugis Junction tomorrow night.

The Olympic Flame - Click to View Hi-Res Image

For the next week and a half, I will be putting up a new feature on the site: The YOG (Youth Olympic Games) Photo of the Day. With each photo, I hope to capture the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games.

The first photo says it all: The Olympic Flame, finally lit up at The Float @ Marina Bay, signifying the start of the first ever YOG. The flame made its journey from Athens, Greece all the way to Singapore, and from 14 August until 26 August, its flame shall burn bright.

As I mentioned in my previous entry, I had the pleasure and honor of watching the opening ceremony of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) live. I bought a ticket that seated me close enough to the center, and arrived at the venue early enough to be seated as close to the stage as possible.

The ticket said that the gates would open at 4pm, so I dashed to the Promenade entrance right after work, arriving at around 3pm. After relaxing for an hour at the nearby Millenia Walk, I joined the entrance queue at 4. We were allowed entry at 4:30pm (the excuse being that seats were wet following an early afternoon shower, and thus had to be dried).

entering The Float @ Marina Bay

Entering The Float @ Marina Bay took us on the scenic route around Marina Bay, giving us a view of the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands, and the Helix Bridge. The entrance had airport-like security, and upon passing it, we walked on the Helix Bridge towards the Youth Olympic Park and onwards to The Float.

at the Youth Olympic Park

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The inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will officially begin tonight, 14 August 2010, right here in Singapore. 3,531 athletes from 204 countries and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will be participating in the first ever Summer YOG.

For the past month or so, all of Singapore has been decorated with all sorts of YOG stuff. Flags bearing the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games logo have been flying or hanging along almost every street. Countdown clocks have been slowly ticking away towards the opening ceremony. Logos, Olympic rings, and even the official mascots Lyo and Merly can be found almost everywhere in Singapore.

YOG arch at Orchard Road

YOG promotions on Cavenagh Bridge

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Youth Olympic Games Flag and Singapore National Flag - Click to View Hi-Res Image

This is a big week for Singapore! Yesterday was National Day, which was celebrated with a parade and fireworks. And on Saturday, the inaugural Youth Olympic Games will be having its opening ceremonies (which I will be attending). All over Singapore, the Singapore flag, the Youth Olympic Games flag, and other related paraphernalia have been decorating the city-state. It’s a great time to be in Singapore!

I hope you enjoyed the TravelTuesday Picture of the Week! Enjoy the rest of TravelTuesday on Twitter and follow me @hyperren. Come back next week for another PotW!

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