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Published: December 2nd 2007
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Today we are going to be filmed for Singapore TV - we're gonna be famous!
At 10.00am there is a knock on the door and we are introduced to the writer of the show, she basically explains that they are going to take us to a couple of different places around the Island and they just want us to interact with the hosts (who are meant to be very famous here!) and give our opinions.
Our hosts then arrive - Kim and Bonza - and we discover the name of the programme is 'Wow Singapore'!
Our first scene is shot in the hotels beer garden, which is 6 storeys up. They like the fact we are wearing bright tops and that Diane is quite tall as it makes the hosts look like midgets.
We had noticed that there was a giant DHL hot air balloon behind our hotel, but just thought this was for show. But it appears that you can actually take a ride in the balloon and it takes you up about 60 storey's high - and that was the first thing that we would be doing for the show! After sticking a large 'WOW SINGAPORE' sticker on our
arm for the programme and having to shout "WOW SINGAPORE" with big cheesey faces we were off to the balloon - it was so wierd having a camera crew follow our every move!
The balloon was actually filled with helium and not hot air which was good as it didn't give off any extra heat - a very good thing in Singapore's stuffy climate!
We had the balloon to ourselves however we had to spread out around it otherwise the balloon would tip over! The hosts turned out to be terrified of heights so keep crouching down on the floor whenever the film stopped rolling, me and di were very brave!
After that we were chauffered by the TV minibus to a place called Haji Lane - the narrowest lane in Singapore. Filming was halted for a moment whilst they removed a dead pigeon that had got run over after being shooed away from us (it was the TV crew's fault!) then me and di got spilt up to do different things.
I got taken with Bonza (the male in the photo's) to a Swedish Weights Shop - the only one in Singapore. Basically it was just a shop full
of weight, so I had to act interested as the owner explained the history and pretended to correctly guess the weight of my bag when really they has weighed it before filming (what cheaters!).
I was then taken to an Egyptian cafe where they were going to get me to try the local drinks. As the cafe was just opening up (this was at 11.30am!) me and Bonza went for a quick look around the shops why the film crew set up. On our journey Bonza told me (off camera of course) that most of the shops on this lane only served customers they know - that is why a lot of the shops only opened really late in the day. Rumour has it that when people get mugged or killed in Singapore, the items stolen are brought to the shops here on this lane, which is why they only do business with people they trust - good way to make me feel safe!
When the film crew where ready we were summoned back and I had to try 2 Egyptian drinks - although I can't remember their names! One was milky white and was very coconuty, apparently it was
very good for your digestive system. The other was a red colour and tasted like ribena, apparently it's very good for your blood circulation and drinking that will help me look like Cleopatra!
Di was taken to look at some clothes shops on Haji lane, she had to try some tops on but as all the Singapore women are tiny (about size 6 - 10) they struggled to accommodate for Diane's assets!
After that, everyone (including the crew) went for lunch at a Hawker centre - they were very impressed with my chopstick skills! We also tried Sugar Cane drink (made from the juice inside the sugar cane) very sweet but nice!
After lunch it was back to filming and the crew took us to a very well known Hawker Stall near the harbour front. Even though we were stuffed from lunch we had to try the local delicacies on camera. The first one was a dish that the locals often have as breakfast - Bak-kut-teh (translated means meat bone tea) which basically is a very peppery soup with spare ribs in. As the ribs have been simmering in the soup for about 8 hours they are so tensder and
Chris, our camerman!
Well, before diane nearly broke his lens, whoopsies! really yummy! We also had proper chinese tea and they told us that the traditional method to eat this dish was to bite your meat, then swallow it with the tea at the same time. The tea apparently washes down the oil and fat from the meat so that none of it is absorbed into your body - so this is how they keep so thin!
Just when we thought everything was safe, they then brought out the real treats - seaweed soup, pig's intestines, liver and stomach lining! The liver was quite nice, the intestines a bit like very chewy sausage but the lining was something else, I just couldn't bring myself to swallow it! But they did film my chopstick skills which I think everyone will be impressed with!
After our ordeal they decided to treat us and took us to St James Power Station - the home of the Tiger Beer Brewery!
We were filmed being taken on the tour (que interested faces and cheesey smiles again!) then we got to 'tap' our own Ice Cold beer at the end. The Ice Cold beer here is minus 2 degrees - really cold but soooo smooth! They made
us race to down our drinks and Christine I have done you proud, I am on camera downing an half of lager in less than 10 seconds! I am a true classy wigan bird.
The crew that went for tea break at the newest shopping mall around the corner - the Vivo centre, but as me and di were so stuffed from the 10 courses we had eaten we just went window shopping - and got lost! Luckily the producer found us and we were only 10 minutes late in the end!
Our final destination was to the Mount Faber, the highest hill on the Island with fantastic views. We just missed the sunset (whoopsies!) but got to try the cocktails (Snow Queen and Ice fantasy - yummy!) and also their famous dessert - ice cream with a chocolate browny underneath.
We had to talk about Christmas at home, they thought that English people sat around fires singing Christmas carol's to each other - we sound put them right! And the presenter also said (on camera) he thought I was 23 years old - my new best friend!
We then recorded the end of the show - me and di had to speak on our own in front of the camera about our views on Singapore - we basically winged it so talked a load of garbish about diversity and colours, but the producers like it!
The highlight of the night was at the end when there was a christmas show in the garden of Mount Faber, finishing by lighting the massive artifical christmas tree at the end - was fab.
After that they then took us back to our hotel and told us they would post a copy of the DVD to us at home - that will be funny to watch!
After a quick shower and change we decided to have a wonder and stumbled across the famous Merlion Park in Singapore where the lion is pouring water into the sea - really pretty when lit up at night. After treating ourselves to a jug of Tiger Beer to celebrate breaking into the TV business (we ARE now famous!)
Then it was time to call it a night and headed back for some well deserved beauty sleep.
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