Public Holiday!

Who doesn’t love a public holiday? Whether you decide to sleep in and while the day away or wake up early and fill it with fun and exciting adventures, there’s just something special about public holidays. I especially love when they fall mid-week, breaking up the normal work schedule. Yesterday, Wednesday, was Singapore’s Labour Day holiday. Believe it or not, over eighty countries around the world commemorate Labour Day on May 1^st, and I opted for the “wake up early” option to take advantage of a uniquely Singaporean way to observe the celebration.

Singapore’s presidential palace is called the Istana, and it’s a beautiful colonial mansion situated just off Orchard Road on a 106 acre estate with beautifully landscaped gardens, lakes and lawns. The elegant yet imposing front gates, facing Orchard Road, are always closed to the public, however on selected holidays, the gates are open and the people allowed to enter the sprawling complex and enjoy the open space. Labour Day is one of four such public holidays this year, and I jumped at the chance to finally enter the Istana, whose gates I had strolled past countless times on my walks around Singapore.

A photo I shot back in December of the front gates of the Istana

I managed to convince Sonia and Motez to join me for the open house. We caught an early movie on Orchard Road before strolling down to the palace, and after paying the SG$1 entrance fee and clearing security, we were in! A tree-lined drive winds its way from the gates through to the palace itself. Meticulously manicured lawns were dotted with picnickers. Although the weather could have been better, the clouds parted from time to time revealing blue skies. It did lightly rain at several points throughout the day, but never enough to cause any real annoyance. And perhaps this less-than-ideal weather was actually a blessing, as the crowds weren’t nearly as monumental as we’d been told to expect.

The main driveway of the Istana

As you wander up the drive towards the main building, you pass several interesting and historical sites. The Swan Pond is immediately on your left after entering the property. With palm trees and lily pads and, of course, its namesake majestic white birds, this makes a charming first impression. The vine-covered trees on either side of the path were also undeniably impressive and stately.

The Swan Pond

There are also several other bungalow-type structures on the grounds, former residences of cabinet officials and secretaries, now used on rare occasions to host state functions. One of the most interesting is Sri Temasek, since 1965 the official residence of Singapore's Prime Minister, although none has ever lived there. It was built in 1869 and served as the home for the Colonial Secretary during the days of British rule.

Sri Temasek, former residence of Singapore's Colonial Secretary and the current residence of the Prime Minster

Wandering about, there are several other interesting relics from the days of British rule. There’s an old cannon presented to Lord Louis Mountbatten upon the Japanese surrender at the close of World War II. And there’s a very picturesque lily pond watched over by a regal statue of Queen Victoria, which once stood in the palace itself but was moved to the gardens when Singapore gained independence.

The canon presented to Lord Mountbatten after the end of World War II

Queen Victoria watching over the gardens

However, it’s the palace itself that steals the show. Perfectly symmetrical and undeniably stately, the Istana (which means "palace" in Malay) is the fitting home of a head of state. Although no president has ever actually lived there, it serves as the official residence of Singapore’s leader, making it the natural choice for state dinners and other ceremonial occasions. You may remember a post from back in September about Prince William and Kate Middleton’s state visit to Singapore—and their first night in town included an elegant sit-down dinner with important Singaporean dignitaries at the Istana.

As we weren’t sure about when our next potential visit to the compound might be, Sonia, Motez and I opted to pay SG$10 for a guided tour of the building. We had a bit of time to kill before our tour was slated to begin, so we wandered around the gardens and picturesque fountain situated just in front of the main entrance. Walking around the lawn in our bare feet was certainly nice considering any other Wednesday we'd have been at our desks!

Fountain in front of the Istana

Meticulously maintained lawns and gardens

Our quirky, energetic guide was a British woman who has lived in the Little Red Dot for over thirty years. She was full of facts and fun tidbits about the place, as she shepherded us from the Reception Hall through to the Banquet Hall and finally onto the State Room, pointing out items of historical importance, relaying stories about former presidents and explaining the significance of various works of art scattered throughout the various rooms. She even mentioned how she had met the current president, Tony Tam, at an afternoon tea reception held for all volunteer tour guides. And although decidedly upbeat, she did not shy away from mentioning some of the darker moments in the building's history, including the fact that it was built by Indian convict laborers and was occupied by the invading Japanese troops during the Second World War.

Following our tour, we wandered a bit more along the grounds and ultimately plopped down on the field overlooking a stage where the Singapore Symphony Orchestra would soon be presenting a free open air concert.

The concert included works by Copland, Bernstein, Khachaturian, Strauss, Fauré and Tchaikovsky. And about mid-way through the show, a disturbance was palpable among the gathered crowd. People were jumping out of their seats mid-performance running towards something I couldn’t quite make out. Turns out, President Tam had arrived to catch some of the show. Although we were a bit annoyed that he had chosen such a disruptive means of appearing, it was undeniably exciting to see him and the first lady. They took their seats in the front row and it was shocking how close the audience members were allowed to get to them!

The president and first lady of Singapore enjoying the music

The final piece of the afternoon was Tchaikovsky’s rousing 1812 Overture. Shockingly, in the middle of the piece, the president and his entourage stood up and began to mingle with the crowd, shaking hands and asking questions! To boot, the family that had been pre-selected to receive the most attention was seated right in front of us. So as Sonia, Motez and I tried our best to appreciate the music, hordes of people were forming a circle around us, snapping photos and ogling to get as close as possible to President Tam. It was actually a little frustrating, but in a memorable and funny way. I later joked to Sonia and Motez how haughty and posh we would sound if we complained to anybody, “We were trying to enjoy the symphony but the president kept being so disruptive.” But all in all, it was an unforgettable afternoon.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

We left the grounds following the performance, posing for some quick shots with the stoic armed guards who man the front gate on the way out. And we met up with Taz at a really cool bar called the Dubliner Irish Pub. On Penang Road, the Dubliner is set up in an old colonial building, and its front porch was a great spot to chill for awhile, enjoying some happy hour beers and the first real meal we’d had all day.

The Dubliner Irish Pub

As if that wasn’t enough, we then went to our favorite dessert spot, PS Café, to indulge in some seriously unhealthy but even more seriously scrumptious desserts. My favorite sticky date pudding was not available, so I tried a new one: ginger pudding with Earl Grey crème anglaise.  Needless to say, it was a good dessert session, and I’ll always be up for a repeat visit to PS Café.

Dessert overload at PS Café!

Back home we went afterwards, truly exhausted from our “holiday.” But I’ll take the “adventurous” over the “relaxing” any day, and I’ll surely never forget my first May Day in Singapore!