Bootcamp, Blenders & Singapore! Unplanned Self Discovery in New York City.

But it’s dirty, it’s so crowded, it’s smelly, it’s so COLD & the list goes on. What do you love about NY? I continuously get asked that question.

Where do I start? That’s always the answer. There are many things I love about New York City, but the number one reason I believe it to be the BEST city in the world, is it’s unexpectedness.

NYC is full of endless surprises. You don’t believe me? Just walk outside, with no clear plan, direction or motive and I assure you, it will be nothing short of unexpected.

Recently, I was walking back home from a kick ass workout at Barry’s Bootcamp in Chelsea. I cut across Madison Square Park, as I always do. It’s always such a beautiful view to take in. It’s this perfect, quaint park with billowing trees, benches to sit on and with the perfect backdrop that is, the Flatiron Building.

As I was walking, I came across an eBay Truck! Turns out eBay is celebrating their 20th anniversary with a cross country tour. They had tons of cool items for sale for only $20!

They were also promoting their new eBay 4.0 app available for iOS and Android. I haven’t used EBAY in years, probably since my college days, and wondered: “What on earth has taken them so long?” You think they would have had one YEARS AGO.

To promote the app, you could purchase a few of their $20 items and pick them up right then and there. You should have seen the line! Obviously, I am not the only one who can't pass up a bargain! Being a sucker for deals, I quickly downloaded the app and purchased two items!

A Seiko 5 Canvas Strap Automatic Stainless Steel Watches (retails for $185 I checked on Amazon, just to be sure!) and a KitchenAid 2 Speed Hand Immersion Blenders (Retails for $59.99), which is perfect for the smoothies I make daily.

Within minutes I was on my way home with my new blender and watch, but not before I’d come across the motive for this post.

There was a huge line wrapped around Madison Square Park and it looked like they were setting up for a massive concert. But it turned out to be a massive art installation on Singapore, it’s culture, art, music & food, in honor if it’s 50th anniversary. The Singapore Tourism Authority literally took over the park with a FREE exhibit for people to enjoy, and of course, hopefully prompt them to consider Singapore for their next vacation. I am intrigued, to say the least.

Set in a specially designed modular structure the showcase debuted in Beijing this past April then headed to London in June and ends in the best city in the world, of course. Singapore: Inside Out is an invitation to rediscover Singapore as reimagined by some of the talents shaping Singapore’s contemporary creative culture. Through collaborations across disciplines and geographies, this modular showcase encourages fresh encounters and new perspectives of looking at Singapore. The showcase will be set within an intricate lattice of scaffolding and provide an intimate environment with multi-sensorial experiences for the audiences.

These were a few of my favorite parts of the exhibit.

This was the poetry exhibit:

ZUL MAHMOD:

Artist Zul Mahmod is one of Singapore’s leading sound and media visionaries and has been a pioneer to a generation of sound-media artists in Singapore’s contemporary art development. Zul was the country’s first sound artist to showcase a full-on sound sculpture at the Singapore Pavilion of the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007) and has cut a reputation for integrating 3-D forms with “sound constructions” and “soundscap.

KINETIC:

Kinetic is a boutique design and advertising agency known for its unique hybrid of visual, interactive design and advertising. Headed by Creative Director Pann Lim, Kinetic has won over 450 awards locally and internationally over the last 16 years. Today, Kinetic continues to push the boundaries while seeking that elusive balance between creativity and marketing objectives.

SPEAK CRYPTIC Farizwan Fajari:

Speak Cryptic is a visual artist, whose works are inspired by the visual language prevalent within the cultures of comics and underground music. His works primarily discuss issues pertaining to the human condition, featuring personal iconographies and a cast of characters in narratives from current affairs and his immediate environment. His work has been shown in various exhibitions locally and abroad since 2005. Speak Cryptic is represented by Gallery Krisstel Martin and his works are housed in Australia.

I was even able to join in on teh fun, and leave my own mark on the art.

JASON LIM:

Artist Jason Lim’s repertoire of work comprises ceramics, photography, video art, installation and performance art. His ceramic works have been collected and commissioned by Singapore and international public museums, art institutions and private collections. Jason has also performed in more than 20 countries including Poland, Germany and Switzerland. He currently teaches at School Of The Arts, Singapore.

JANICE WONG:

Arguably Singapore’s most prominent female chef, Janice Wong is chef-cum-owner of dessert restaurant 2am:dessertbar. Janice’s progressive creations have pushed the boundaries between sweet and savory, redefining the dessert experience. Janice has received international recognition for her creations and was named “Asia’s Best Pastry Chef” by the prestigious San Pellegrino Asia’s 50 Best inboth 2013 and 2014.

The showcase is up for display in Madison Square Park until this Sunday, so if you’re in the area, make it a point to stop by and appreciate a little bit of Singapore, right in the middle of the concrete jungle.

Just goes to show, I stepped out for a workout and came home with a little bit of culture and some pretty cool swag! There are FEW cities in the world that allow you to step outside your door, and be immersed in art, culture, history, food and endless adventures without going too far. And that's the beauty of living in a city that offers so much of this, evrRegardless of the city you live in, I encourage you, take an unplanned walk, with no clear plans whatsoever. The gift is in the self-discovery, you find along the way.