Jakjak had a scheduled learning journey with his class to the Botanical Gardens. On his school journal, it said to bring a hat, insect repellent and a camera. That last bit got me, for real. These are 6-7 year old kids who don't pay much attention to their belongings, and they want them to be bringing cameras. Cameras come in a load of different flavors now, but you still can't call them cheap (affordable, yes, but not cheap). I was having second thoughts of letting Jakjak bring one, I know him. One minute he is holding on to something and the next minute he does not even know he had had it. But at the same time, I did want to see if he had grown responsible enough to be entrusted with such a thing.
Well, I got to test it anyway when Jakjak asked for permission to bring his camera on their trip. We did get him one that was shock proof, dust proof and water proof (just to be on the safe side). And it wasn't cheap (affordable, yes). Since he asked nicely, I gave him a chance. I attached a neck strap to the camera (replacing the wrist strap) so that it would be easier for him to lug around. I spoke to him about his responsibility to take care of the camera. That he should make sure that it does not get lost or get snagged by giant spiders. And he was quite sincere and honest that he would do all that as well. So we taped his name, address and our contact number on all sides of the camera just to be on the safe side. And we let him bring it.
One hour into the trip, mum asked one of the parent volunteers to take pictures of Jakjak and the trip. Her friend then informed mum that Jakjak did not have a camera, and when asked, he said he must have misplaced it. Ouch! I wasn't really angry, after all, I did let him bring the camera (thinking that he would be responsible enough now for it). Well, it became a costly lesson for me (and him, hopefully). I was still hopeful that he left it someplace where people would find it and return it to him (like the bus), or maybe back in school. I was thinking about it all through the day until finally, one of the parent volunteers told mum that the camera was found in school! Somehow, he left it at his desk and his form teacher found it. Sigh!
Last year, the RSAF held its open house and allowed the public to view the RSAF's aircraft, its weapons, its anti-aircraft weapons and some knowledge thrown in for good measure.
However, we came home from that show missing the aerial display. This year, the bi-ennial Airshow returns to Singapore. So we decided to give this airshow another go.
The 2012 Singapore Airshow is bigger than the RSAF open house, on account that this airshow includes commercial aircraft as well. Even so, the Air Force (and practically the entire armed forces) still had a strong presence.
This time around, the experience was a little different. Getting to the venue was a good 20 or so minutes from T3 (it would have been ok if we were sat on a chair, but we weren't). And before you could get in, there was a very long and frustrating queue to get through security (yes, the RSAF open house proved to be more efficient). But once you are through, it's pretty much smooth with only the crowd putting you down from time to time (some people just don't know how to queue). We took to the pavillion when it got too hot, which got us through most of the displays and demos from the manufacturers. You can see that the pavillion was more intended for trade visitors than the actual public, but it was a good place to be in than the scorching heat outside. Besides, the fun came when several costumed folks started mingling with the crowd.
And then of course, there's the aerial display. The rain was actually a god-send as it cooled off the grounds and the clouds covered the sun diffusing glare and intense light. And because my lens wasn't long enough to actually get "awesome" shots of the aerial display, I just watched. And watching was really more fun than trying to get a shot or two off my cam. Jakjak and his cousin Andrae were also having a pretty good time. It was exciting to say the least. And very, very loud. I kept waiting to hear a sonic boom, but we were probably too low. The sound of those jet engines, the smoke trails left by the aerial acrobats, and the precision flying was enough to wet your pants (not that we did, but Jakjak felt the excitement down there). It's a good idea to bring hats and polarized sunglasses. We were lucky that the weather cooled us off and the sky wasn't so bright. The clouds were also quite thick and added to the drama as the aeroplanes sliced in and out of them highlighting their paths with smoke and vapour trails. It was great thrills and a great experience. It was fun and the bonding time with Jakjak, is priceless.
