Our first week here, we took our helper Cheryl with us to see The Gardens by the Bay. When we were in The Cloud Forest dome, she asked me if the mist was snow and she giggled when she put her hand in it. She told me being in that room was the coldest she had ever been in her life. I'd never really thought about it, but of course. I mean, we're living in a freakin' rain forest. It's not like they have blizzards here (though the stores do all have winter clothes!)
Also that first week, we hit the Science Centre Singapore, a big hit with all three kids, mine and the biggest kid of the bunch - Cheryl. Associated with the center is Snow City, an indoor place that makes snow and let's folks from this incredibly hot part of the world experience the cold. When she saw it, Cheryl again asked me all sorts of questions about snow. So I made up my mind long ago that I'd have to take her to Snow City.
Today was the day.
First, we started with the Imax theater there and saw a show called, To the Arctic. I figured that was the perfect introduction to snow. Like all Imax films, it was beautifully shot with some truly amazing photography of polar bears, including underwater shots of them swimming. We all really liked the film though honeslty, by the time it was over, I was a bit depressed since it was really all about the melting polar caps. The theater alone was cool to Cheryl and the kids since none of them had ever seen an Imax film. Maisie was a little freaked out as it may have been a bit much for her sensory issues. Hudson kept saying, "Oooo cool." Hysterical.
The big moment had arrived: time to see some snow!
I wasn't expecting much since all the reviews online were terrible. Turns out, the reviews that panned the place were actually kind. It sucked. I mean - really sucked.
Admission includes coats and boots. It's not like anybody in a rainforest owns a coat. I paid extra for us all to get gloves and waterproof pants, too. The coats were on coat racks in the lobby area. You just searched through them until you found one that fit. They were filthy and torn and smelled of mildew. Most zippers were broken. My boots? Honest to God, they smelled of vomit. I exchanged them for another pair equally disgusting.
The area of snow was about the size of a 2000 square foot apartment and that may be generous. The snow was actually chunks of ice about the size of 10 grains of rice stuck together. The worst part? It was kind of gray. In other words, it was filthy.
In the middle was a giant snowman, not made out of snow at all, nor was the igloo. There was a real snowmobile and cabin from a lift for photo posing. The rest of the room had a goofy Swiss chalet and a "hill" that was possibly two stories high. Bunny hills are far higher and steeper.
To be fair, they're in the middle of renovations so maybe the place will get better soon - and there is normally a bit more snow for the kids. Even so, I was told by our realtor that Snow City is something that you only visit once.
As disgusting as it was, the price of admission was totally worth it to see Cheryl giggle over and over when she realized she could see her breath. Oh my God! Hysterical! She writhed around in the snow with the kids and gleefully went down the hill on a tube. Photography wasn't allowed (though I snuck some on my cell phone) so I even bought four wallet-sized pictures because I wanted Cheryl to have them. My guess is 1. they want to make yet more money on the photos they sell and 2. if anybody saw the photos before they went, they wouldn't pay to go!
On our way there, Maisie kept saying, "But Mommy, snow isn't supposed to be inside." Of course, once we started playing, the kids didn't seem to notice how disgusting it all was and were 100% happy. Me? I actually appreciated the cold temperatures. It made me realize more than ever that I'd desperately miss seasons if we move here. It was very depressing to leave the cold only to be greeted by a blast of ultra humid, hot air.
The kids didn't last very long. The gear was so crappy that their hands and feet got cold very quickly. I know Cheryl was disappointed to leave so quickly - and maybe a bit disappointed in the whole experience. "Snow is supposed to be more white, right?" Oh well... it was what it was. Folks here do get a flavor of what it's like to be cold. I guess that's something.
I spent the afternoon looking for apartments and went out for drinks with my college roommate's little sister. More about that in another post. Stand by...