Heritage Fest: Fun On Foot

On Wednesday, Bad sms-ed me that there would be a FOOT Fest on the 22nd (which was yesterday) and needed volunteers to help out with the event. I thought that she had mis-spelt FOOD as FOOT and so, I agreed with it.

Yesterday morning, we met 6.30AM at Lavendar MRT Station.? Imagine how early I had to wake up to reach there? Actually, I only slept at 4AM, but I woke up at 4.30AM and left the house at 5AM to take the first train to Lavendar.

I fell into a deep slumber all the way on the train. I could have a very good sleep actually, but unfortunately, the Indian man sitting beside me had with him many, many packets of Roti Prata (enough to feed the whole village!) and the smell was so strong that I was ‘choke’ awake several times. I like Prata. I really do! But to inhale such a overpowering smell at 6AM in the morning when you are trying to sleep is plain nauseating!

I reached Lavendar MRT Station exactly at 6.30AM on the dot and Jannah was already there. Soon, the rest came and we proceeded to the Jalan Besar Sports Complex. Why would a FOOD Fest be held at a sports complex?? Shouldn’t it be held at either Suntec or Expo??

It was only then I realised that the FOOT Fest is indeed FOOT Fest and not the FOOD Fest as I had thought it was.? This event is actually one of the activities organized by the National Heritage Board for the Heritage Fest. This was something like the Amazing Race where participants had to solve the clues given to them to proceed to the next station within Jalan Besar and Balestier.

We would be the Station Masters at each alloated points to wait for the participants and direct them to their next location. Unfortunately, I was assigned the task of logistics and I had to stay behind. After briefing us on our roles and duties, we were promised of breakfast cum lunch and that brought a smile to my face.

Before the event started, I have to double up as a road marshall and stop the vehicles from coming into the stadium as well as to direct the invited VIPs and the Minister, Mr Lee Boon Yang.

Mr Lee smiled and waved at me when his car drove past.

After giving his speech and watching some performances, Mr Lee officiated the start of the race. We quickly pack up everything and drove to the ending point at Balestier where we unloaded everything that we had just uploaded into the van and it was really hard work!

By then, it was already in the afternoon and the breakfast that we were promised in the morning did not materialize at all! The lunch, Chow Mien, came quite late and it tasted awful!

I can cook nicer Chow Mien than that!

After a while, the first group started coming in and we distributed the goodie bags to them. We were kept very busy as the participants keep coming in continuously after them to collect their goodie bags.

All of us were totally exhausted at the end of the day. My shoulders were strained and I stretched my neck muscles.

The event was not totally unfruitful though. At least now I know where is Urban Pooch, Sun Yat Sen Villa and that very nice Fish Head Steamboat recommended by Lingzhi and Chongqing from 933FM the previous night!