Monochrome - the oldest church

This is the oldest church in Singapore. Built in 1835, it is considered a masterpiece by the Irish architect George Coleman who designed it. It was consecrated the following year and dedicated to St. Gregory the Illuminator, the first Armenian monk. So the name of the church is the Armenian Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator.

A very old tree in the church compound.

At the back of the church is a little garden, It is actually a Memorial Garden with beautiful, ornate tombstones which are the tomb markings of Armenians who died in Singapore. It is worth a visit if you are in the area (60, Hill Street).




The gate close-up.

Somehow, the Armenian community is small but influential and stamped its mark in
Singapore. Like the Sarkies Brothers who built and managed the Raffles Hotel, Agnes Joaquim who is the inspiration behind the national orchid Vanda ‘Miss Joaquim’.

For more monochrome maniacs posts, go here.

Sugar cane in frontyard

Don't you just love the taste of sugar cane juice? The cane stick goes through the juicer and out comes delicious juice.

In the past, my dad used to bring home sticks of sugar cane for us to chomp on. Nobody does that anymore. I think the dentist will approve as it kind of cleans the teeth. Hehe...

I was delighted to see sugar cane growing outside somebody's frontyard.

abc wednesday round 5

Singapore Slingers

See that cone shaped roof? It's our indoor sporting arena designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange.

Foreign performing acts have played here, including The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Beyonce Knowles, Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Pussycat Dolls, etc etc. along with ice skating shows like Disney on Ice, circuses, magic shows.

Did you know that the Singapore Indoor Stadium is home to our national basketball team, Singapore Slingers?


Here's the inside view. This photo was taken last Sunday just before the match between the Singapore Slingers and the Malaysian team, KL Dragons in the GE ASEAN Basketball League 2009/10.


The merlion mascot making a cameo appearance. Special guest appearance by girls from the Singapore American School who put up a choreographed dance item. Other than that, cheerleaders in skimpy outfits were the time fillers for intervals.

It was an exciting match with emotions running high, with the KL Dragons winning. The Malaysian supporters were out in force. The one seated next to me clapped so hard my ears hurt. The next four games are lined up in the next two months, with matches against the Thailand Tigers and Philippine Patriots.

Personally I'd rather watch basketball than football. There was a huge following by the American expat community at Sunday's game.

Below is the Singapore Slingers doing a warm-up.

That's my World

Monochrome - cricket pitch, Kallang

A sign says, "This is a cricket pitch. Do not play football here".

Cricket as a sport is alive and batting in Singapore. Football as a spectator sport (especially the English Premier League) is alive and kicking too.

Though the future of that is a bit uncertain now since Singtel outbidded Starhub for rights to broadcast EPL. Most of us already subscribing to Starhub's broadband and cable network do not wish to subscribe to another telco to watch EPL. The solution, the one that will be kind to consumers, is to have a universal set-top device. If not, we're ready to say bye bye to watching EPL at home next year.

For more monochrome maniacs posts, go here.

Reindeer, sleigh bells ring ka-ching

Miss Reindeer + fashion = Reindeer fashionista

She's in good company...all seven of them reindeers. Can't help gawking...

Where there're reindeers, there's Santa! Some things don't change. Annual tradition.


Tie me up Chanel!
On a street in Singapore, the malls are calling out...to me!

ABC Wednesday round 5

a glitzy Christmas by the bay

Suddenly the stars of Christmas are all around us, looking like starfishes.

Those funny end-of-the-year vibes are buzzing. Courtesy of a shiny spangled portal to the bay area. Since the day view doesn't do it much justice....

here's the night view. Oooh glitzy. Seeing stars yet?

I love those shiny metallic discs. Is it just me?

More random Christmas pics tomorrow...

That's my World

Monochrome - Apertures

Aperture #1: Arches.

Aperture #2: Spiral stairway through ceiling, which is floor of first floor.

Aperture #3: Charming door, disused (a.k.a. Gate of Hope, for abandoned babies. Bless those sisters.).

All three photos are taken at Chijmes, the former Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ), a Catholic school for girls more than a century ago. Now its chapel is used for weddings and its grounds is crawling with pubs, restaurants, retail outlets.

Quaff a Guinness at Father Flanagan's, anyone? (You might want to follow that link for an interesting related bit of history.)

For more monochrome maniacs posts, go here.

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

Built in 1847, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in the civic district is the oldest Catholic church in Singapore and the seat of the Archbishop of Singapore.

As you can see, repair work is in progress and a major restoration is needed to repair the large cracks and other signs of wear and tear. The church is needful of raising funds as restoration is more costly than tearing down the building and rebuilding.

You can just make out the cross on top of the steeple. Its architecture is described as Renaissance style. The catheral's pipe organ is the oldest such organ in Singapore and still functioning, being installed in 1912.

For more scenic landscapes, go to Scenic Sunday here.

Chinese Heritage Centre

This Chinese archway dated 1955 is a legacy of Nanyang University, a Chinese university that is now defunct. Funded by donations from the Chinese community, notably Mr Tan Lark Sye, chairman of the Singapore Hokkien Foundation, who donated $5 million, the university (commonly referred to as Nantah) started classes in 1956.

The university merged with then Singapore University to become the National University of Singapore in 1980. Since 1991, this is the site of the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore's second university.

This is the Chinese Heritage Centre (12 Nanyang Drive), housed within the university's former administration building. It's a research centre for research scholars of overseas Chinese communities housing a library and two interesting exhibitions. One is the 'Chinese More Or Less' exhibition which explores through its exhibits the Chinese identity and what it means to be Chinese. The other is a pictorial exhibition tracing the 25 year history of the former Nantah. Admission is free.




A pavilion in Yunnan garden which sprawls in front of the centre.

That's my World

Monochrome - Zebra crossing, Geylang

Just another day in old Geylang. Familiar food sellers, familiar customers. Familiar is nice.

For more monochrome maniacs posts, go here.

Malabar Mosque

Clad in eye-catching blue tiles, the Malabar Mosque is the only mosque of the Malabar Muslim community who were originally from Kerala, India and were largely textile and jewellery merchants when they arrived here. The mosque is in Kampong Glam area, at the junction of Victoria Street and Jalan Sultan. An onion dome with a crescent moon and star crested an octagonal tower, similar to the other domes.


A closer look at those bluesy tiles.

I wondered if the mosque's name is in any way related to the Marabar Caves in E M Forster's The Passage to India. So, out of curiosity, I googled and the answer is no, it's the Barabar Caves that inspired Forster's setting in the book. There was also a movie based on the book, do you remember? Apart from examining British imperialism and racism, it's got an existential theme and the cave's echo played a central role.

Although, the Malabar caves do exist, ie in Malabar, a region of southern India and comprising the northern half of the state of Kerala.

So I'll just stop confusing you.


For more scenic landscapes, go to Scenic Sunday here.