Playing a little too 'try hard'...

So I was walking back to my place from Holland Village. This hamlet of shops is considered one of Singapore's most hip places. On any given day, you can find people dressed to the nines even if they were just going to buy a magazine from the news stand. Celebrities, upper class expatriates, yuppies and wannabes frequent this area. For some strange reason, the sun here seems to be rather glaring. Now you know why everyone seems to be walking around with those oversized sunglasses, even in the night. Another strange phenomenon is that the ladies around Holland Village tend to have much lower necklines and much shorter skirts than any other place in and around Singapore, save Orchard Road. My grandmother meant well when she commented on this phenomenon: 'My goodness, the cost of living in Singapore is getting so high! Even the people these days have to resort to getting smaller sized clothes in order to save money. '

I did not have the heart to point out to her that the underwired padded bras that was worn beneath the 'smaller sized' blouse had probably set back its owner by a good S$100. (and don't ask me how I know what these wear-on push-uppers cost).

On this day, as I walked back to my place, I happened to glance at some sculptures that were located opposite the back of Cold Storage Supermarket.

I turned to Favian, "They've finally completed the sculptures. It took ages to complete. The presence of the sculptures is supposed to heighten the 'cultural-ness' of the empty space below the block of government built flats."

Favian peered at the series of sculptures.

"Is that a toilet bowl?"

"That's just ridiculous," I scoffed at his probable worsening of myopia.

"No! It really is a toilet bowl!"

The smirk on my face gradually morphed into a jaw drop as I turned to look, allowing the millions of dust particles and microbes to enter my already deteriorating body (yes, in case you are in denial, your body is also deteriorating as you are reading this article).

What in heaven's name is a sculpture of a toilet bowl doing in a classy place such as Holland Village?

We crossed the road and went to have a closer look.

There were about 5-6 sculptures, each depicting a 'socially considerate' action. One was throwing rubbish into a bin; another was washing his hands in a basin (probably alluding to the Singaporean government campaign to wash your hands after using the toilet); and then there was the dude flushing the toilet bowl.

Someone hit me over the head and tell me I am not dreaming.

These sculptures were made by students from a local Junior College (Senior High School).

Sad.

My guess is that the town council probably commissioned the school to get their students to do the work for free, with the promise of their work being put in full public view at up-market Holland Village for posterity.

Then there are those who will do almost anything for fame.

And so, if I were one of the sculptors from the school, one fine day, I would bring my kids to see the works of art that I had accomplished so many moons ago. How proud they would be of me!

"Daddy, why did you sculpt a toilet bowl?"

"Well, son, I did it for the good of society."

"But why a toilet bowl? Why not a bird or a person, Daddy?"

"We did as we were told. Just like how this sculpture is educating everyone to flush toilets. So we must flush toilets."

"But Daddy, why do you need others to tell you to flush the toilet?"

"Government says we must. No questions asked."

"But Daddy, why is it Mummy complains that you do not flush the toilet at home?"

Such is the price of fame.