Sunday, Dec 1: Beach BoysOne of the perks of living in this tropical heat is that it’s beach weather even in December, making it inexcusable not to go to The Seaside Show (www.sideshow.sg), helmed by the boys behind the Sunday at the Training Shed parties. It’s not quite as try-hard as some of the other beach parties around town (the gleaming, bronzed bods at Tanjong Beach Club come to mind), so just come in your lazy weekend gear, drink some ice cold beers and enjoy the music. 3-11pm. Myra’s Beach Club, Free.
It’s also the last day of the inaugural Singapore Art Book Fair, spearheaded by Books Actually and creative collective Hjgher. If you haven’t got your fill of art and design lit, don’t wait. Gillman Barracks.
Get seriously fancy at Japanese beef specialist Fat Cow as it rolls out its month-long omakase dining special ($180 per person). Yes, it’s decadent, but it’s better to splurge once on something really good—we’re talking premium tuna and lots of wagyu—than to eat ten boring turkey dinners. Add champers ($100 upwards) for that VIP experience. Through Dec 31.
For more festive dining deals, check out our Christmas dining round up page.
Tuesday, Dec 3: That's EntertainmentUnderrated 1960s screwball comedy Le Grand Amour is a must-see for its fantasy sequences and hilarious gags that wryly poke fun at bourgeois complacency and the male psyche. The star of the show is brilliant French comic and filmmaker Pierre Étaix, whose work has been lauded by David Lynch. Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore.
Nile Rodgers of legendary disco/R&B band Chic (though young’uns probably know of him, too, from his recent work on Daft Punk hits like “Get Lucky”) plays at Kallang Theatre in what promises to be a seamless set. 8pm. $68-148 from Sistic.
In the market for a new fragrance but want one to call your own? Learn how to make custom blends at Nose Who Knows’ two-day Perfume Discovery workshop, which walks you through the basics of perfume structure, types of materials used and how they’re made. Through Dec 5, 6pm-9pm. Escentials. $290.
The same crew that brought kickass old school hip hop parties to town last year, with guests like Ali Shaheed Muhammad from A Tribe Called Quest and DJ/producer/B-boy Tony Touch, are back. Headlining the party this time is hip hop and R&B legend DJ Jazzy Jeff, best known for being part of the duo with Will Smith in the ‘80s. He’ll play a live set with DJ Skillz, Kristian Hernandez, Complex and more. Email info@heavyboogie.com to RSVP. 9pm. Pangaea, 6688-7448.
New group show Motherland opens, with works by local artists Mike Chang, Sherman Ong and Robert Zhao, pushing the boundaries of what “home” means to them. Through Dec 22. Chan Hampe Galleries, #01-20/21, Raffles Hotel Arcade, 328 North Bridge Rd. Free.
Saturday, Dec 7: All SatIt’s the weekend, but you might want to conserve energy for ZoukOut (see entry for Dec 14). So adopt a more liver-friendly approach and spend the day at Timbre’s Saturday Social BBQ party instead, with lots of kick back and plenty of grilled meats and veggies and cold craft beers to wash it all down. Timbre @ Gillman, #01-05 Gillman Barracks, 9A Lock Rd.
Or practise your moves at The Black Swan’s upstairs lounge Powder Room as they throw their very first shindig with nu-disco tunes from DJ Zimmer. 9pm. 19 Cecil St.
Orchard Road may be a logistical nightmare at this time of the year, but Public Garden is worth the visit. If you must give presents, better your money goes to indie retailers rather than faceless fast fashion conglomerates. Pick up all the little stocking stuffers you need at Public Garden, like vintage gear from Be My Old School, silk scarves from Fyall and jewelry from By Invite Only. 1-7pm, Nov 23, 24, 30; Dec 1, 7-8, 14-15. 16/F TripleOne Somerset, 111 Somerset Rd., www.public-garden.com. More flea goodness.
Chase away the Monday blahs with craft brews at The Great Beer Experiment. It’s hard not to feel a tiny bit of festive cheer after downing spicy, warming seasonal beers like Mikkeller Santa’s Little Helper ($15.50) and Delirium Christmas ($13). Stall 46 Pasarbella, The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Rd.
Tuesday, Dec 10: Tour de FranceIf you somehow missed the 2011 Woody Allen picture Midnight in Paris, Alliance Francaise is screening it again. Although bumbling romantic Owen Wilson isn’t as hilariously neurotic as Allen, lit. and culture geeks will love (admittedly one-dimensional) caricatures like Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and Salvador Dali in this fun confection which took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay two years ago. 8pm. 1 Sarkies Rd. $7.20 from Sistic.
The Woman in Black debuts in Singapore. Based on the Susan Hill novella of the same name, this creepy play about the haunted Eel Marsh House has run for over 20 years in London’s West End, so expect some classic thrills and spills. Through Dec 14, 8pm. Kallang Theater, 1 Stadium Walk. $48-128 from Sistic.
One of our favorite new bars is Jekyll & Hyde, a brilliant collab between the folks from nail salon Manicurious and ex-Bar Stories bartender Jeff Ho; come from 6-9pm and you can get your drink on while getting a mani/pedi. Jazz music in the background and a bar that’s well-stocked with artisanal gins pretty much seal the deal. 49 Tras St., 6222-3349, www.49tras.st.
Friday, Dec 13: Maad MenOne of our favorite monthly party-slash-arts markets MAAD Pyjamas is on again. Art! Live music! Beer! Need we say more? Red Dot Design Museum, 28 Maxwell Rd., 6534-7194, www.maad.sg.
Catch the world’s top DJs at two-night beach do ZoukOut. Actually—who are we kidding—we’re there to look at people who look way better than we do in bathing suits (It’s not a Singaporean institution for nothing). See Scenestealer.
If you’re not on Sentosa getting sand in your bits, there’s Syndicate Subsessions back on the mainland. Dance to fresh tracks from Cherry Chan and local kids done good Octover, who’ve already been covered by the Wall Street Journal and Pitchfork. 8pm. The Substation, 45 Armenian St., 6337-7800, www.syndicate.sg. $20.
Sunday, Dec 15: Rise of the MongolsHaving performed all over the world at events like the BBC Proms in the UK and the Sarawak Rainforest Music Festival, Mongolian throat singing ensemble Khusugtun perform at the Esplanade’s Khöömii concert. Each vocalist can sing at least two distinct musical notes at the same time—so it’s not quite your usual acapella performance. 5pm. Esplanade Recital Studio, 1 Esplanade Dr., 6828-8377, www.esplanade.com. $30 from Sistic.
Monday, Dec 16: Body RockDespite its title, art exhibition Ghost: The Body at the Turn of the Century is really concerned with the corporeal, turning Sculpture Square into a sort of living record of how the body has played important roles in local counter-culture. Spend a manic Monday contemplating multi-media works by artists like Lee Wen and photographer John Clang here. Through Dec 31, 11am-7pm. 155 Middle Rd. Free.
It’s your last chance to take part in the River Boat Pub Crawl, which is always good fun (watch out for the “rules”—break them and you’ll have to down your drink). Just try not to fall off the boat. 7pm. United Overseas Bank (UOB), 80 Raffles Place, 9640-5611, www.singapore-river.com. $30.
Wednesday, Dec 18: Sister ActThe opening show of Alfian Sa’at’s play Kakak Kau Punya Laki (literally “The Husband of Your Sister”), about the eccentric eldest sister of a clutch of five, Maslindah, who acts like a cat-lady and whom everyone has pegged as a confirmed spinster, but surprises her skeptical family by falling in love. Through Dec 22. Esplanade Theater Studio, 1 Esplanade Dr., 6828-8377, www.esplanade.com. $35 from Sistic.
The one super-Christmassy thing we suggest you do this month is to make us greedy hogs some cupcakes. But you stand to gain, too—we’ll taste, test and write about your creations, and the truly outstanding ones will get a showdown at the end of the Christmas Cupcake Challenge. Bring at least two cupcakes of each flavor (you can make as many as you like) to our office on any weekday, 10am-6pm. #14-03, 211 Henderson Rd.
Silly season officially begins, with approximately two unproductive work weeks ahead, so book a staycation and just hide out until regular programming resumes. (Bonus: avoid family squabbles, too.) The recently revamped Naumi Hotel is stunning, with lots of natural wood, glass and LED lights; a rooftop infinity pool; even Andy Warhol- and Coco Chanel-themed suites. 41 Seah St. Room rates start at $370/night. More Singapore staycation deals.
The second edition of Lomography Blue Hour Sessions sees home-grown musicians MUON and Bani Haykal team up with visual designers TMRRW, Kristal Melson and SUSEJ for a night of zines and experimental live music. 7pm. Lomography Gallery Store, 295 South Bridge Rd. Free.
Sunday, Dec 22: Think BigYet another pop-up? Yawn—but wait, The U Factory is a huge, crazy mash-up with a food truck, live music, indie magazines and local art works to gaze at (or buy), workshops, retail spaces, a cocktail bar and a laksa bar. Not enough? Get some more scene cred by being spotted at the Monocle store, where you can buy Monocle-branded, er, tea trays and things. Gillman Barracks, 37/38/39 Malan Rd.
A spa within a shipping container may sound like nonsense from a hipster meme-generator, but Nimble/Knead is totally legit. Their Tropical Christmas promo (Nov 23-Dec 31) pairs Balinese massage with a Javanese lulur body scrub, herbal compress or ginger rub (packages from $93). Pure bliss. #01-28 66 Eng Watt St. More indulgent treatments for the Christmas season.
Tuesday, Dec 24: Bite MeSure, you can eat turkey like everyone else on the eve, but we’d buck tradition for tastier fowl like quail (deep fried with sumac and served with chilli jam, $8.50) and duck (rillettes, with black truffle, foie gras and roasted grapes to eat with crackers, $19.50) at A for Arbite. Don’t leave without ordering their cookies and cream “cheesecake” ($8)—one of our 50 Things to Eat this year! #01-01 28 Aliwal St.
Get out of bed and do a little for someone else, because there’s hardly a better day for it (WWJD, right?). Volunteer at a people’s home or animal shelter—they’re probably understaffed on Christmas Day—or pick a cause and find out what you can do for them. Even more of a no-brainer: donate all that unwanted stuff lying around the house on FoodBank or Pass It On and make other people really happy.
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