Make History! Seek Your Fortune In Singapore!
Dim Sum Dollies: The History Of Singapore
My first encounter with the Dim Sum Dollies was at the theatre production Little Shop of Horrors. When I saw the advert for The History of Singapore last December; I knew I had to catch it together with Chris and I am glad I did. I was laughing hard from start till finish as the Dim Sum Dollies re-told the history of Singapore in their irreverent dim-sum-dolly way. The first act was dedicated to Sang Nila Utama. He was very relak prince who loved to sit under the coconut tree and play music. In the end, his mother had to shame him into sailing away to discover new lands in order to do his country proud.
The next major act was about Sir Stamford Raffles signing the treaty with the Temmengong in the background while the Dim Sum Dollies donned their sarong kebaya and had a discourse about - you guessed it - Sarong Party Girls (or commonly known as SPGs; a label which my friend Alex inadvertently blurted when he knew I was dating Chris. To set the record, it was Chris who had first approached me and I do not solely date Whites!). The Dim Sum Dollies said the ang moh (pronounced with a slang annggg mohh) smelled better with cologne while the local men always smelled of kiam cai (preserved salted vegetables). Then they practiced speaking good English "How delightful!" and "Charmed!" (which they mispronounced as chamed - which means "damn it" in local Hokkien dialect). Obviously, as part of the SPG steorotype, they discussed about having that one chance to impress an ang moh and live a happily ever life in a foreign land. Chris was disappointed that Sir Raffles did not even get to speak a line but I told him that the SPG mentality from the British colonisation was definitely of more humor value.
It was a very good theatrical production because they had integrated current happenings into the re-telling of Singapore's history; spoofing the F1 races to rickshaw races, emphasising Singapore's free tax entrepot status in the past versus high GST taxes now and how integrating opium houses, gambling dens and brothels makes it an integrated resort!
The turbulent 60s when Singapore was forced to leave Malaysia was made fun of too. Hossan Leong (chopsticks) acted as Miss Singapore and sobbing how she can longer participate in Miss Malaysia pageant. How is she to determine her beauty when there is no one to compare herself with? Then the Dim Sum Dollies came on the stage and re-assured her that everything is fine; they will have a Miss Singapore pageant with different constituents. It was hilarious seeing Miss Aljunied, Miss Desker Road, Miss Geylang Lorong 4, Miss Toa Payoh decked out in the stage in their pageantry fineness (especially when 6 of them are guys wearing figure-hugging cheongsams).
This is a highly recommended production; I find it proud and heart-warming when Singaporeans make such fantastic shows where we get to laugh at our eclectic history mixed with quirky Singaporean habits and steorotypes. Like how they ended their final act; the Singapore Girl is truly a great way to fly.
min on Saturday, February 23, 2008
