Seriously it has been raining A LOT these days! I was hoping to enjoy some sunny days, but in the end I couldn't do so 'cause it was either very overcast or raining heavily. Like yesterday - I was supposed to go out but it rained, so I was "confined" at home, doing proposals.
It's getting kinda depressing...having so much to worry about this time. I'm so glad it'll be all over by the end of the year!
Anyway...here's another event I totally forgot about until today! The Elephant Parade - which was held between late last year and early this year! Anyway be prepared - for there'll be pictures of LOTS of colourful elephants! In case you were wondering, these elephants have all been auctioned off, and every now and then we receive news about them.
Here are some initial pictures I took of them. The elephants were all gathered at the Botanic Gardens - and it was the last day they'd be there, before they were auctioned off.
As you can see, they were all painted with different colours and patterns. Some of them even had words on them, and others were more plain but equally beautiful.
Oh and not to mention, there was an elephant painted to look like the red bird from Angry Birds! The resemblance is uncanny. But it was kinda amusing to see an elephant wanting to look like Angry Birds. I found this one kinda cute - but I don't know who bought it eventually.
The elephants also had different facial expressions, although they seemed to be made from a similar template. Some of them had a surprised look, some with closed eyes and some with more neutral expressions. Talk about individual differences indeed! In fact, all of them had unique patterns! No two elephant looked alike.
I'm really intrigued by the different patterns painted on each of the elephants. Especially those that were more intricate.
Of course, there were some that were painted with one solid colour, but they were gorgeous in their own ways too!
I really don't know how the artists managed to paint these intricate designs onto the elephants. Some designs included pen/pencils, others consisted of flowers, and there were some that were painted with abstract designs.
Another highlight amongst the elephants - the durian elephant! The King of Fruits - and people either love it or hate it, because of its pungent smell and strong taste. Personally I'm neutral. I don't really favour the taste, but the smell is just heavenly!
I remembered smuggling durian up a public bus before and fortunately I didn't get caught. I'd never ever do it again. But the experience was kinda fun! My teacher (an amazing, motherly lady whom I've known for 10 years and who taught me in primary 5) thoroughly enjoyed the durians - I brought it specially for her. :)
Some more pictures of random elephants before I switched lenses.
And here's a picture of the elephants that were displayed outdoors. Some of the elephants were housed under the massive marquee, while others were outdoors.
Artists working on some of the elephants. The paint had to be touched up every now and then, to ensure that the colour remained fresh and vibrant. This elephant was supposed to represent various aspects of Singapore, if I'm not wrong.
Of course, no festival/parade is complete without merchandise!
There were mini replicas of the elephants on sale, and they came in different sizes too!
Oh and there were specially-made necklaces. Pricey, but beautiful. I ended up going home with nothing but pictures, pictures and more pictures.
And speaking of pictures, these were the last couple of shots I took before heading to my alma mater to meet up with my brother and some friends.
Ok you have been warned - there were nothing but colourful elephants in this post! Gorgeous elephants though! I'd love it if they had events like this again. I remembered the elephants being scattered throughout the country before they were all centralised in this exhibition, and I kept having to guess what was going on. Well, now we know!