Too Cool for School

Who knew amidst the sensory overload of Dhoby Ghaut, one could be just a (long) flight of stairs away from a peaceful serenity? I dragged myself to Old School on a school assignment looking for an exhibition that didn't exist, but the fruitless walk around the complex was surprisingly enjoyable.

The old Methodist Girls' School is now a home to a collective of media/design companies. The first thing that greets you when you pass the gates is its elegant peacefulness. It was calmly quiet on a Sunday evening and the only few people around were just lounging at the cafe or mindfully finishing up on some weekend work.

As you walk in, slowly but surely you sense this creative spirit in the air. It's like the window of social acceptance just widens as you explore the place. The eclectic mix of companies here quietly tells you it's ok to be a contemporary dancer, to paint colourful characters on Chinese porcelain, to push or better yet disregard boundaries.

The architecture of the place is exciting. While the main building has corridors that seem to weave into each other, it remains just accessible enough to keep one from getting lost. I imagine it must have been amazing schooling in this compound exploring its almost dizzying array of nooks and crannies. Considering the building was probably built a very long time ago, I think the architect really did a brilliant job designing something that is still interesting so many years down the road.

While we are caught up in our rolled up jeans and wide framed glasses, its nice to sometimes immerse oneself in a truly genuinely unpretentious creative spirit that allow you to be whoever you want to be.