Abercrombie Invasion Inverted: NYC

Having written about the Abercrombie & Fitch store opening soon in Singapore and their less than blameless record as a corporate citizen, this blog will now offer some more humorous, gentle subversion. The outstanding comedy group Improv Everywhere staged a performance inside an A&F store in New York in 2007. Unsurprisingly, management took a rather dim view of Improv's antics. Every major Abercrombie location has a shirtless male "store model" at the front door, and this does not beget a corporate sense of humor?

For more great stunts visit the Improv Everywhere YouTube channel.

Creepy Medical Advice – Singapore Turf Club

The cover.

An addition to yesterday's post about a day at the races. The racing schedule Punters' Way gives out lots of details about the horses and jockeys competing in the day's meeting. I can learn about the pedigree and past performance of a particular horse; I can see what color silks the jockeys will wear for a given race.  I can even find details of how to place a variety of bets, which is especially helpful to racing neophytes like me.

Creepy advert on the inside.

What I did not expect was the above advertisement offering me the kind of personal medical promises usually found in the Junk Mail folder of my Hotmail account. Those who would like to read the hilariously detailed and optimistic text can click on the picture for a larger view; I warn you that it is frankly worded but PG-13.  You will definitely learn about the Thai herb kwao krua. The Sean Connery of Celebrity Jeopardy! (video link) would definitely be interested.

Depressingly, the advert copy claims the product is available from real Singaporean chemists who sell lots of real, useful, scientifically valid medical products: Unity, Watsons, Mustafa.

Singapore Turf Club, Gold Cup

The action along the final quarter of the Singapore Turf Club. 

A few weeks ago Passenger J went to the Singapore Turf Club to watch the ponies run for the Longines Singapore Gold Cup.  The venue is way up on the north end of the island but very accessible on the MRT.  As with so many places in Singapore, the venue is shiny and new and filled with all the latest amenities.

Tiers of tables in @Hibiscus overlooking the course.

We had a group of nearly a dozen gathered around a front row table at @Hibiscus, the mezzanine-level dining club.  We sat in the air-conditioning and watched the horses run in the warm mud on a rainy day.  The place offered adult beverages, but soft drinks and coffee were included in the ticket price, along with a big buffet of tasty Chinese and local dishes.  I plumped up on fried carrot cake, an honest-to-goodness savory dish here in Singapore.  Then, I had the apple crumble with vanilla sauce.

The starting barriers are wheeled into position for the 2200m Longines Singapore Gold Cup.

Oh, for the record, I am no good at backing a winner.  One win-place bet came good at 4-1, but I had to use that cash to repay the gracious organizer who purchased our tickets en masse.  The Turf Club is pretty good value provided one stays away from any high rolling antics. Admission, buffet, racing schedule, a S$5 betting voucher, and a tacky souvenir could all be had for one S$60 ticket (GBP 29/USD 46).  Not bad to watch a race meet with a S$1,350,000 (GBP 657,000/USD 1,037,000) stake. Actually for just S$3, payable with the same ez-link card that works for the MRT, one can watch on the non-air-conditioned lower level. Spend S$7 and one can sit in the air-con cool of the upper grandstand. Risky Business came on late and ran away from the Gold Cup field. 

More photos after the jump; click below left to see the parade ring.