notes from the lion city

Mob dance

2011-01-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

Imagine Raffles Place (Singapore's financial district) at lunch time.

Then people just started dancing. It seemed the office rat pack just joined in. Welcome to Singapore's mob dance.

What exuberance! Done? Let's get back to work.

China travelogue: scenic Chaozhou and Fujian

2010-10-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

Our Chinese forefathers hail from South China (the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan), as evidenced by the dialects spoken here, Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, Cantonese and Hakka.

Just some scenes of Chaozhou (a district within Guangdong province) and Fujian during my recent sojourn there.

Guangji Bridge in Chaozhou, China, spans the Han River, an important waterway between eastern Guangdong and Fujian province. Interesting bit about this 12th century bridge is that the centre of the bridge is formed by boats moored to join up eastern and western piers daily between 10am and 5pm, so it's called a "floating bridge".

In the same vicinity is Guangji Men, one of four doors in this fortress like wall which stretches 2100 metres from end to end. This is the old city wall of Chaozhou prefecture built in the Ming Dynasty (1370AD). There are seven gates each with a tower on it.

Tiger Stream Rock (Huxiyan) is built out of a rocky outcrop on the outskirts of Xiamen (formerly known as Amoy, in the 19th century). You can see rock overhanging roofs. Once a tiger lived in a stone cave here, hence the name. Donglin Temple (Rock temple) is here. Digressing, Amoy then was a treaty port and a foreign community was established on the island off it called Gulangyu.

A Victorian style house on Gulangyu island. In the 1860s foreign representatives built churches, consulates, villas on the island. The island was designated an international settlement for Europeans and the Japanese in 1903. There is no traffic on the island except for a tram that goes around.

Zhongshan street is a shopping area in Xiamen. And Xiamen on the coast of the South China Sea across from Taiwan is modern, modern modern. Well, as with other modern Asian cities, the new and the old buildings cohabit side by side.

Do you want to be a pink doughnut?

2010-09-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

Won't it be stuffy to be inside a pink doughnut? Oh but what sweetness looking at a walking pink doughnut!

Do you spy a Macdonald's French fries? A chicken drumstick behind doughnut head? There're more sinful snacks walking around that did not come into the camera's view. I don't want to add more temptation. :)

So what's the hullabaloo about? Eat a healthy soy snack. That's the marketer's message. Quite a sweet campaign if you ask me.

Facebook

2010-08-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

Facebook is kind of a reality show. Spill the beans on what's on your mind. Upload your vacation photos. And declare your relationship status. We're talking personal in public domain. We're evolving into ... public property. Sort of.

Saw this installation at the tunnel going to the Esplanade.

Nature's garden

2010-08-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

I wandered into a fruit farm in Desaru (Malaysia) and saw fascinating plants like...

(top to bottom)
Cat's whiskers - This has medicinal value but I've totally forgotten what the guide said.

Cultivated mushrooms - these are grown in sawdust mixed with slate lime and kept in a shade house for two months and the mushrooms bloom in two week cycle until the sawdust mixture has decayed. The mushrooms look like Shitake mushrooms and tasted good fried in batter.

Roselle plant - this has medicinal value and the drink I had extracted from the red roselle was sweet and refreshing.

Hanging bananas -this phallic looking thing is purely decorative as this species of banana isn't eaten. The locals will start wishing from top to tip - it is another version of a wishing well.

Trellis of gourds - Interesting trellis, and not only gourds are grown like that but also passionfruit.

In short, look into nature's garden and you'll find a treasure trove of health benefits in plants.

Straits Chinese cuisine

2010-07-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

Straits Chinese cuisine is one of my fave foods. It is Malay in expression but Chinese in essence. Well that's just my lazy way of saying. Straits Chinese are Chinese who were living in the Straits Settlements (a colonial construct that comprises Penang, Malacca and Singapore) and who have adopted Malay cooking, Malay dress and speak Malay. Signature dishes are bakwan kepiteng (a soupy dish of pork balls shaped with bamboo shoots and minced garlic, see that soup bowl in picture), ayam buah keluak (chicken curry with black nuts), chap chye (mixed vegetables and includes black fungus, can see in picture), babi pongteh (a pork dish), you can see on the plate. Ate this at a restaurant, shall not name it, because I find the standard less than authentic, but alright for a meal. Then there're the desserts that are made up of kueh or cakes that again take a leaf out of Malay desserts.

I guess my comments are as thin as the food I ate today.

Marina Bay Sands

2010-05-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

Marina Bay Sands Singapore is an entertainment destination. Sin destination. Well, if you consider gambling a mortal sin. The casino has opened its hallowed doors but the true blue Singaporean will not step inside the promised land because we need to fork out a hundred bucks to enter. Pui! (the local equivalent of Jack throwing a spit into the ocean in the Titanic) It's bad luck to lose that much before you even start playing. So foreign workers hang out where locals fear to tread. Well, I'm sure there're those who are hard core and will hope to recoup what a mere $100. Not not me.

The casino is housed in that low building fronting the Singapore river, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Not all the shops are open during a recent foray. The usual deluxe brands like Salvatore Ferragamo etc etc flash their construction billboards. La Senza the Aussie lingerie shop is already open though.

Of course everyone's eager for the opening of the Sands Skypark which is that rooftop thing above the three luxury hotel towers, floating as it were 200 meters above ground and offering panoramic views of the skyline and the ocean. It promises a dining experience under a canopy of stars. Designed by world-renowed architect Mosche Safdie and opening in the second half of the year, meaning anytime soon.

Oh one more thing. Hard core gamblers can be barred from entering the casino by family members who apply for restriction orders. And if you're not hard core yet you may wish to heed the writing on the floor of a train station - Crossing the line can lead to problems in gambling. Are you listening ? Whoever you are, I'm sure you're too busy taking the bus to casino to bother.

That's my World

Sir Stamford Raffles Statue

2010-03-29T06:28:00.000-07:00

Singapore (formerly called 'Temasek') existed way before Sir Stamford Raffles, an Englishman, came here in 1819 and founded a trading settlement. That marked the founding of modern Singapore. He signed a treaty with Hussein Shah of Johor and transferred control of the island to the East India Company, in return for monetary compensation. William Farquhar became the British resident of Singapore and Raffles left soon after. Raffles left instructions for town planning according to the Jackson Plan establishing segregated ethnic quarters near the Singapore River. He also drafted the first Constitution of Singapore in 1823. He was interested in the natural sciences and established a Raffles collection that today lives on as the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. It has a fascinating collection of flora and fauna specimens. He returned to England in 1824 and not long after in 1826, at the age of 45, he died of apoplexy. The longest he ever stayed in Singapore is 8 months yet he left a lasting legacy.

The pictures show the statue of Stamford Raffles on the north bank of the Singapore River, at a spot he was believed to have first landed.

That's my World

ode to street food

2010-03-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

I'm turning foodie, as in doing a street food series. Ode to street food. See previous post for first in series.

Our bodies need carbo right? In the West it's often bread and potatoes. In the East, we can't live without our rice. We start getting cold turkey without rice. Am I exaggerating? Not really.

Rice dishes can take varied forms. The top picture shows the roast duck rice. Roast meats stalls sell this dish. The roasted duck skin is crispy and fragrant and the meat is also fragrant and taste gamey like duck. You eat it with cucumber slices and side condiment of chilli (if desired). It makes a satisfying meal.

The French loaf in the second picture is called roti john. The story goes that some English guy wanted it with egg and minced meat (beef or mutton) fried in the loaf and kept ordering it so the original vendor decided to call it roti john. You can drizzle with mayo or chilli sauce. Whatever. It also makes a simple tasty meal. You get this dish from Malay stalls.

The third picture shows prawn soup noodles. The prawns are deshelled and the shells are boiled to make a very rich stock so you get a tasty broth. Then just boil meat, prawns, vermillici, beansprouts and kangkong (water spinach), add fish cake slices, and voila, a noodle meal that's tasty. Some vendors add pork bones meat and charge more.

Mum's not cooking? No worries. Go eat street food.

That's my World

Pantheon of gods

2010-03-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

G is easily associated with God, only in this post, God isn't monotheistic (as in Christianity, Judaism and Islam) but polytheistic.

The Hindu pantheon of gods include Vishnu, Ganesh (elephant god), Shiva, Kali (Shiva's wife), Brahma (creator) and in this temple at Tank Road, the Sri Thandayuthapani Temple, the child god, Lord Muruga, rules. The temple is famous for a statue of an elephant's backside in a seated position, which is rare.

It is most notably the end point for Thaipusam, a festival which involves piercing of bodies and carrying of kavadis, elaborate structures which pierce the body of the carriers, in a procession of thanks.

abc wednesday

Street food I love

2010-02-24T02:03:00.000-08:00

The best thing about living in Asia is the food culture, especially its street food. In other parts of Asia you may get a more bazaar like feel in terms of street food like dining in the alleys. There's still that in Singapore, but since we value hygiene above all else, we've gone for a more sanitised setting in terms of hawker or food centres (used interchangeably but referring to the same thing) which I still like even though these are not air conditioned because there's open air ventilation. I just don't like the smell of food in air conditioned food courts, the clash of different food smells in a closed up space. Anyway that's just me.

So today's post is all about hawker foods I love. F for food, what else.

Here they are, top to bottom, char kway teow (noodles in a sweetish black sauce with cockles, fishcake, beansprouts), won ton mee (noodles in a tomato-based sauce with pork dumplings and sweet sauce pork called char siew and strands of leafy vegetables), kway chap (big and small intestines, bean curd puffs (tau pok), stewed pork slices, egg, amongst other choices, but I usually just choose big intestines and tau pok)) with a flour based kway teow, same texture as noodles), and finally, sambal fried garoupa and kang kong (water spinach) and eaten with steamed rice. The last you could choose off a menu of dishes in what is known as a zichar stall. Zichar means you fry the dish in a Chinese wok under high fire so the cooking completes in a fairly quick stir fry fashion.

This list is not exhaustive and I will post more hawker food in future post. Bon appetit just looking.

abc wednesday

Reunion eat

2010-02-16T17:05:00.000-08:00

Over the last weekend, on Saturday (also Valentine's Day), the Chinese would have had their big reunion eat, the equivalent of Thanksgiving get-together, on the eve of the new lunar new year. The Chinese feast would have dishes like a hearty soup, curry, meat sauce dishes, roast meats, fish, prawn, vegetables - the Chinese go by the phonetic sounds of dishes to symbolise good fortune. For example, there's this moss like thing that's cooked with pork, because it sounds like 'you will prosper' (it's called 'fa cai'). It's just a crunchy algae taste and goes with the black sauce pork so well. My mum used to cook it. Then this black moss fell out of favour, apparently studies say it contained an amino acid that could be linked to neurological diseases, and also due to over harvesting (it grows in the acrid Mongolian Gobi Desert and Qinghai plateau) and it is listed as endangered (so China banned it). No moss, so sad.

Another interesting vegetable for the feast is the leek. You can see the picture of it at the supermarket above. Again, its phonetic sound, in Cantonese, is 'suan', which sounds like 'counting money'. You know Chinese are suckers for such things. The leek looks tattered but you sort of peel off those tatters and then slice them thinly and use it for a stir fry with prawn, beancurd and diced meat (optional). You can see the end result above as well.

Then there's yusheng, which translates to 'raw fish salad'. It's an appetizer comprising finely sliced raw fish (the version above uses smoked salmon), on a bed of julienned carrot, cucumber, radish, pickles and crispy crackers drizzled with sweet plum juice. Then everybody stands and do a big toss up and say some auspicious words, 'lo hei', and this act is supposed to bring good luck. There're now variations of yusheng, like Japanese, Thai versions. Everything is polygot nowadays including food.

E is for the big reunion eat, folks.

abc wednesday

death wish

2010-02-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

The writing's on the wall.

'Last meals' is curated by Jonathan Kambouris, for a tunnel underpass in Singapore. Death row prisoners from the US lining the tunnel in an exhibit titled 'Art & the Law'. Macabre and so mortal..mint chocolate chip ice cream, one pitted olive, one tortilla chip, garden salad, a banana, steak, eggs, hash brown, Eucharist sacrament, nothing...

The Straits Times used to run a column featuring a chef and then ask what their last meal would be. Morbidly fascinating stuff. D for death wish.

abc wednesday

My World - English pubs

2010-02-08T17:17:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd feature two pubs in Singapore, one English, one Irish. Both look adorably quaint.

The Penny Black Victorian London Pub along Boat Quay was assembled together from parts shipped to Singapore from England. Its name is of course inspired by the first English postage stamp, issued on 6 May 1840.

Drinks include Tiger, Heineken and Guinness, Strongbow Cider, Old Speckled Hen, Kilkenny and Erdinger Weissbier. I haven't yet ate there but best sellers are Fish and Chips with mushy peas, Traditional Roast, and home made Beef Burger. It's the hot hangout for the expat community.

Molly Malone's Irish pub is just a stone's throw away. There I've eaten many times. Its Fish and chips, Irish stew and pies will not disappoint.

Hope you enjoy my take on these two pubs.

My World - Year of Golden Tiger

2010-01-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

Sign of new Spring - faux plum blossoms suddenly blossom in Chinatown.

The beginning of the new lunar year falls on 14 February 2010 (yea Valentine's Day) and Chinese celebrate for 15 days because it takes that long for the new moon to become full moon. And we do that by visiting the clan, whoever is related to us, uncles cousins etc etc. And we bestow luck in the form of red packets with money inside. Although lots of people abandon tradition and go for a short haul holiday.

According to Chinese geomancy, there is an incredible shortage of water element energy in the charts which means you need to create your own springtime combination by having a Dragon image in your home to combine with the Tiger and Rabbit; and to adorn yourself with water by wearing blues and blacks and blue jewels and you need like a water feature in your home, I think in the East. I'm repeating advice from the doyenne of geomany Lilian Too.

The tiger carrier of mandarin oranges is kinda cute isn't it?

My World - Around Cavenagh Bridge

2010-01-18T02:41:00.000-08:00

Fullerton Hotel looking grand and all lit up..

Dining on Cavenagh Bridge. The bridge opened in 1870 and exists in its original form, the only suspension bridge in Singapore. It is a pedestrian bridge linking the North and South banks of the Singapore River.

Isn't the preserved old sign adorable, bringing us right back to the horse and carriage days?

yesterday once more

2010-01-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

A bit of nostalgia puff about yesteryear.

The coffee pot with the cloth strainer, that was how we made our coffee. You get a good strong brew out of the sock filter. You can still see this contraption in traditional coffee shops. But of course now we gravitate towards Starbucks, so instead of Kopi O, we ask for latte, or mocha frappucino, which is my son's current fave. Unlike the totally wired and modern settees in Starbacks, with background music, you drink kopi sitting at the iconic marble top settee you see above.

On a different footnote, those wooden clogs that my grandfather used to wear in the kitchen and wet areas of the home, they're more or less extinct. Nobody wears them anymore. That picture reminds me of the wooden clogs I saw in Netherlands- they're similar, and different.

abc wednesday round 5

the port of Singapore: aerial view

2010-01-04T03:52:00.000-08:00

Singapore is one of the world's busiest ports.

These are aerial views from the headquarters of the government agency that oversee our port operations, PSA International (PSA standing for 'Port of Singapore Authority'). The views are blurry but kinda rare, because these photos were taken during a specially arranged tour, a few years back.

Helps to have a bird's eye view of things, the new year and all. I guess my head is still up in the clouds, after the hols.

That's my World

Resolutions

2010-01-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

You know, new year, new resolutions.

Sort of goals you set for yourself. I hate to do open resolutions though. Like saying them out loud to the world at large is a kiss of death. Whether it's apparent or not, one year can change you on the inside, hopefully for the better. And probably you'll want to keep in mind the things you want to succeed in doing this year, things that seem within your control.

As for me, I want to make out small lists of projects to complete. If I succeed in one or two of them, that'll make me happy with myself.

So that you could produce a score sheet at the end of the year. God or whoever you imagine will tick off, so what did you do with your life last year? You score zero if you lazed around and mucked around and that will pretty much show up in your own thoughts and feelings about yourself.

Ate the last piece of fruit cake today. Will put away the Christmas tree and trimmings. Kids are back to school. Another cycle has started.

eXtra turkey

2009-12-29T22:51:00.000-08:00

I read in yesterday's papers that there's a spike in food wastage during the Christmas season and well, don't we all have EXTRA turkey leftover? So to assuage guilt, I've added into the curry devil I made.

That kinda saved me the guilt trip. The original store-bought turkey...

Whaddaya know, tomorrow's the last day of 2009. I'm so looking forward to ending this terrible blotchy year. Wishing you everyone in advance since I'll be away from keyboard, celebrating!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

ABC Wednesday round 5

And so this is Christmas

2009-12-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

Sweetly sing the angels.
Christmas carols around the fireplace,
glow of a choral symphony,
singing silent night,
what child is this.
The story of Christmas,
guiding star of Bethlehem,
the holy grail, an anthem of
joy to the world,
repeat the sounding joy (repeat).

The flight of flute and oboe
strangely instrumental
brings celestial longing,
brightens up the world tonight.
Warmer, drawing closer to the light,
we wish you a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year (repeat).
The Christmas tree
aglow, flickering candlelight burning
the scrooge of our hearts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Reverie - Cirque on Ice

2009-12-23T21:36:00.000-08:00

Happy outing to the ice skating circus show in town - Reverie - Cirque on Ice.

It's a show that fuses circus acts with ice skating, with incredible soundtracks in a dream-like setting. Kind of creating a new genre like what its producers say. There's a moment when my friend turned to me and said, and that's when the Chinese acrobats will start bringing out the plates. So predictable that, so what we're saying is that the Chinese should know how to break out and bring an avant garde edge to their world class acrobatic acts. Take the cue from this show which takes Cirque du Soleil to the ice skating rink.

What's most mesmerizing are the trapeze acts, to me. The props and costumes are lavish couture pieces, creating a sense of spectacle though I missed out on their relationship to the storyline. There's a storyline but it's lost in the mist of pure acts of human grace.

The show which premieres here in Singapore runs at the Arina stadium near the Indoor stadium till 27 December 2009. Be advised to seek out the toilets at the Indoor Stadium pre and post show as the portable toilets at this temporary venue mar an otherwise delightful outing.

You can view rehearsal and interview clips at Youtube here.

Wheel of fortune

2009-12-22T05:10:00.000-08:00

Actually not. But the end of the year surely signifies a completion of a revolution of 365 days so here's a wheel to symbolise that. It's a water feature at Raffles Link.
I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas this week and wonderful blessings ahead, and for a good turn of the economy in the new year. Season's greetings to all.

ABC Wednesday round 5

Tis the Holiday Season

2009-12-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

As Christmases stacked up year by year, it's easy to lapse into indifference. Yet for my little nephew, it will be his first Christmas, celebrated in the US!

Still, the holiday spirit is slowly snuggling up to me (due in part to the cool weather) and for those who celebrate Christmas, it's just a great way to wrap up the year, surrounded by family and feasting. It's a useful marker.

So here're my images of Christmas...the Christmas holly hanging on the door, the crib, that's ours...as for the Christmas tree covered with poinsettas and the gingerbread house, I borrowed those from Pan Pacific Hotel coz they're nice.. for further infusion of the holiday spirit for this post.

Happy holidays everyone.

Ellipsis

Elizabeth Gilbert on Creativity

2009-12-16T04:35:00.000-08:00

Totally captivated by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the New York bestseller Eat, Pray, Love, talking about the process of creativity and how not to lose your mind in the process by externalising it as a thing outside of self, a collaborative with an external muse, so to speak, a kind of paranormal thing. The ending is so inspirational.

I've read and enjoyed reading her journey in the book a while back. After watching the video below, I reached for the book which is collecting dust on the top of my bookshelf. Funnily, this is what I flipped to:

"Two nights in a row now I've had dreams of a snake entering my room. I've read that this is spiritually auspicious (and not just in Eastern religions; Saint Ignatius had serpent visions all throughout his mystical experiences), but it doesn't make the snakes any less vivid or scary." This is in the section on India, the 'pray' part. Immediately it held my attention because I had a dream about reptiles and have wondered since what it meant. Talk about serendipity.

I'm looking forward to reading the sequel which will be out pretty soon I guess. I think her message to writers, dancers, composers, et al, is important: to not be daunted by naysayers and keep on showing up to do the thing you do.

Very convenient - Crowne Plaza

2009-12-15T05:38:00.000-08:00

Crowne Plaza is located right at Changi Airport. Imagine you have an early flight and you just want to be right at the doorstep of Singapore's international airport resting assured that your backside is already in the airport. Well, I guess that's the main idea? The hotel looks like a scintillating rectangular jewel box. In the bottom photo, you can see it next to the control tower. In the top photo, you see it's directly connected to Terminal 3. It's also connected to Terminal 2 and 1 via the skytrain. Of course this means you have all the F&B choices within the hotel or those located in any of the terminals. It's more suitable for short stay travellers who won't be making repeated forays to the central areas.

ABC Wednesday round 5

Wagyu steak

2009-12-12T05:40:00.000-08:00

My son had his first taste of Wagyu steak at Swensons, Terminal 3, Changi Airport yesterday.

It was juicy and bursting with taste.

It cost something like $49 and if you top up $4.90 or something like that you get a free flow of the salads at the salad bar. There was a good assortment as you can see. So mummy took the salad.

Tonight he tells me he's thinking about it and dreaming of having another order of it.

Food trip Friday

Broadway Beng

2009-12-09T22:44:00.000-08:00

The review in the Straits Times sucks but diss the review.

I fear lame jokes but while there're misses the hits make this a bang for your buck local musical. I know getai can be such a cheena scratchy old record but I did like one Hokkien song in particular which Sebastian Tan, Beng extraordinare delivers with aplomb. I love love the spoof of Les Miserables and of Queen (both the English monarch and the band).

We're people who straddle two cultures, and when Sebastian splits between Western musicals and getai, on a stage no less than the Esplanade, we've reclaimed our birth right and well and truly embraced both our mastery of Western and Eastern cultures in one sitting and we should send screaming applause down the aisles. As Sebastian urges the audience to say, 'HO SAY!' (translates roughly *thumbs up*)

OK, this one's strictly for locals. For the uninitated, a Beng is, according to the Coxford Singlish dictionary,
'an unsophisticated Chinese boy, usually Hokkien. Stereotypically, he speaks gutter hokkien and likes neon-coloured clothes, spiky, moussed hair and accessories such as handphones or pagers, all of which are conspicuously displayed. '

A Lian is the female counterpart.

The musical runs till this Saturday. Just go watch it!!! Support local talent and not just foreign talent!

Underpass art

2009-12-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

There're always some art installations in the underpass going to the Esplanade. It's called the tunnel.

The medium is paper, specifically storybook pages. Out of this paper comes pop out 3D art with a heavy penchant towards teddy bears. Painstaking, meticulous, mostly miniature, except for this big paper teddy bear with a crinkly red bow.

The creator, Cindy Harjatanaya from Indonesia, uses storybook scrap paper to depict the idea of children's perception between reality and fantasy. By bringing these fabled characters to real life, she blurs the line between reality and fantasy.

ABC Wednesday round 5

Taoist prayers

2009-12-07T21:45:00.001-08:00

My World - Turn of the century mansion

2009-12-07T00:27:00.000-08:00

Look at this, a dilapidated mansion. I couldn't tell you how old it is, but am guessing it's as old as the turn of the last century. Will it ever be restored? Wh0's the owner? Questions...I took the photo in 2006 and can't confirm its location. Dang~

It reminded me of Grey Gardens, which is this majestic mansion in East Hampton, New York, that decayed along with its occupants, a mother and her daughter, both called Edith Beales, who were relatives of Jacqueline Onassis, wife of John F Kennedy. They became famous because of a 1975 documentary film and more recently a film of the same name (2009) starring Drew Barrymore as Little Edie and Jessica Lange as Big Edie. It's an intimate portrait of the two eccentric recluses, a reality show before its time.

Here's a clip based on the original documentary. The mansion still exists having been beautifully restored by its new owners.

My World Tuesday

are you a social media addict?

2009-12-06T01:52:00.000-08:00

Are you, are you?

Thai spirit house

2009-12-02T02:07:00.000-08:00

A Thai spirit house is a shrine to animist spirits placed in an auspicious spot to appease spirits. It is commonly seen in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, less common in Singapore. This one sits at the corner entrance to a food centre along Sembawang Road.

ABC Wednesday round 5

Prata Place

2009-12-01T00:08:00.000-08:00

This is like a off-the-road diner and it's popular for serving up prata for breakfast. Prata is dough fried on a girdle.

The Indian kitchen. I note a big pot on right (can't see in picture) with a sign which says soup kambing which is a mutton broth. That must be for lunch or dinner. There're Indian curries at the counter for you to order if you wish to order chicken or mutton pieces in your curry. If not you get a meatless curry as a dip for your prata.

We order the side of mutton curry. This is the prata kosong (or plain prata). You can order prata with fillings of cheese, chocolate, banana, etc if you so wish.

Here's another view of the exterior. It's nestled in the Springleaf Garden estate (1 Thong Soon Ave) which is along Upper Thomson Road.

That's my World

Monochrome - the oldest church

2009-11-29T17:07:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-24T17:22:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-22T22:55:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-17T18:11:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-07T23:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-02T16:30:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

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

For more monochrome maniacs posts, go here.

Malabar Mosque

2009-11-01T00:13:00.000-07:00

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.

East Coast foodie

2009-10-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

Home of the original laksa. Even Martha Stewart has featured laksa (a spicy noodle dish) on her cooking show. For the authentic article, head to 328 East Coast Road.

(Tip to visitor: You might want to take a detour to the lane, Ceylon Rd, right beside the laksa coffeeshop to see a South Indian style temple, the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple, built in the mid-19th century by the Ceylonese Tamils from Sri Lanka and the second oldest Hindu Temple in Singapore. Its gateway is dominated by a 21 metre five tier structure and its roof topped by a dragon and images of deities.)

Another authentic tradition, Kim Choo's nonya dumplings.

Charming Peranakan tiles leading to the second floor dining space at Kim Choo Restaurant (109 East Coast Rd). This is a good place for visitors to head to for a taste of Straits Chinese cuisine. We ate there last weekend and had a really appetising meal - ikan pedas (assam fish), ngoh hiang (meat spring roll), chap chye (assorted cabbage and vegetables), ayam buah keluak (chicken spiced curry with black nut), prawn fritters (really good), and had chendol as dessert/drink. You can get iced water too for 30 cents.

Red House bakery, a traditional confectionery with the trademark red facade, is boarded up. I wonder what's going to reemerge here.

Established in 1925 at 75 East Coast Road, deemed unsafe and closed in 2003. A Jewish man, Jim Baker, started the bakery shop and a Hainanese seaman, Tan Siang Fuan, took over the operations in 1931. The building is owned by the Alsogoff family, put in trust to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.

The vintage bakery served traditional cakes and pastries of the East, like spicy dried shrimp bun, creamy custard puffs and swiss rolls, and was a hangout for local bands in the 1960s.

That's my World

Monochrome - Snowman, Vivocity

2009-10-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

38 degrees. But don't worry, I'm melt-proof and made to last till Christmas.

Love, Frosty.

For more monochrome maniacs posts, go here.

Singapore Art Museum

2009-10-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

A Darth Vader like figure, from the inside looking out. Series of small sculptures...

Stand in the middle of this portico or porch-like alcove, turn your back to statue and look up to see...

...this preserved pediment, circa 1852, when the building was built.

One of the two courtyards..love those palm trees set against the classical columns and the old fountain.
One of the stations of the cross in the former chapel.

And this is the facade of the Singapore Art Museum at 71 Bras Basah Rd. It occupies the former St Joseph's Institution, a Catholic boys secondary school that has moved on to Malcolm Rd.

You can still see the school's name inscribed on that arch and that's the statue of St. John Baptist de la Salle, the founder of the Christian Brothers Schools, that you first saw from his black robed back.

Finally, an Oriental maiden with an Apple notebook, one of a few such maidens lending a touch of whimsy on art and technology on the wall of the reception area of the museum. The museum showcases travelling art collections.

That's my World

Monochrome - Capitol Theatre revisited

2009-10-19T02:39:00.000-07:00

Sepia tinged Capitol Theatre, standing disused in a corner.

When will a suitor come along and reinvent this old thing?

For more monochrome maniacs posts, go here.

Church of the Sacred Heart

2009-10-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

Living in an urbanised cityscape with continually renewed spaces, one needs to know where to look for a bit of history. On these walls are a bit of archived history of this Catholic church.

The Church of the Sacred Heart on Tank Road was constructed in 1910 on a site of an abandoned soya sauce factory, next to the Tank Road Railway Station, then the main railway terminus in Singapore. That station has vanished into history, and our only railway station is now at Tanjong Pagar.

An angel statue perched at the back of the church. You can see nearby construction ongoing.

Fortunately, the church hasn't vanished.

Its French baroque style lends beauty to the scenery.

For more Scenic Sunday posts, go here.

What's 350?

2009-10-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

Think Green Thursday

The world's melting. I'm melting. Meltdown.

Here's something I wrote.

The mercury has risen, tipping the scales
for climate change. Though all the world does is,
raise an eyebrow asking, is it happening?
Deep in our hearts, we know the smouldering
truth: the heat is frying us.
But because we are not living in Ethiopia,
we just pay for more air-conditioning.
We are in denial. Day after day,
everyone else does the same.
We won’t sell our cars, nor refrain from flying
to whimsical destinations the world over.
Give up gourmet foods, are you crazy?
We are not going back to the Third World.
Don’t point a finger, everyone is exacerbating
the problem of carbon emissions.
The government should do something about
the floods, the droughts, the burning of forests.
When we encounter disasters that are acts of God,
we pray for the grace of miracles.
We will carry on our lives much the same,
colluding to further collapse
the biosphere, because a miracle
will save the polar bear from extinction
and bring us back from the brink
of hellfire.

350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide—measured in "Parts Per Million" in our atmosphere. 350 PPM—it's the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.

We pipped 350. We need to get back. Political action needed. Spread the word. Blog it.

Read more here.

From Vintage to Grand Prix

2009-10-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

You know that stamps are fascinating pieces of postal art right? Like this sheet showing vintage cars.

The sheet is one of the stamp exhibits at the Singapore Philatelic Museum. Yup, round this bend on Coleman Street, is a boutique museum that not only tells the story of stamps but also tells stories through stamps.

Currently it has a thematic stamp exhibition called 'From Vintage to Grand Prix'. Besides stamps on vintage cars you get to see the adorable collection of about 400 toy vintage car models on loan from collector Mr David Christie.
Fast forward to racing cars. There're a few storyboards explaining the history of motor racing and the Singapore Grand Prix. Before Singapore hosted Formula 1, Singapore used the curvy bendy Upper Thomson Road as the racing circuit for the Singapore Grand Prix from 1961 to 1973.

I leave you with this video of F1 on Singapore's Marina Bay Street Circuit which happened just last month on 27th September, taken off the telly. Vroom!

That's my World

Monochrome - stairs winding up a hill

2009-10-12T03:17:00.000-07:00

These stairs are made for climbing.

Not up Bukit Timah Hill, the highest spot in Singapore. Up to Fort Canning where you can see gravestones, spices..

But first, those stairs. They make you stare.

For more monochrome maniacs posts, go here.

architectural details

2009-10-10T02:28:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous red door with a lion head knocker... Chinese style.

Archway with inscriptions... Islamic style.

Both details are taken off these two buildings side by side. In Singapore, not only does East meet West, East meets East too.

For more Scenic Sunday posts, go here.

St Joseph Church, Bukit Timah

2009-10-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

The St Joseph Church in Bukit Timah has a Chinese watch tower and Chinese tiled roof structure. Its history dates back to 1846. The Catholic church built a church to provide spiritual succour to the Chinese community of farmers and coolies in the forested Bukit Timah interior of the island.
In the 19th century the Chinese community here grew gambier and pepper for their British masters for export. As the British did not extend their jurisdiction to the interior, the community was ruled by secret societies.

View of the verdant green of the Bukit Timah rainforest from the church. In the 1850s, tigers once roamed the reserves and were known to take the lives of Chinese coolies at the rate of one a day. Famous naturalist Sir Alfred Wallace, who studied the flora in Bukit Timah, wrote in The Malay Archipelago (1869) that the area was laden with tiger pit traps made of sticks and leaves. I read on the church website that Fr Augustine Perie once protested with the British to provide a proper burial to a coolie who was killed by a tiger when the British wanted to leave his body there as bait for the tiger to return and hopefully, be shot.

A view of the church from the backyard.

Do you know what fruit tree this is? It is the butterfruit tree.

And this tree is the belimbi or cucumber tree.

No doubt the handiwork of the old church warden. It's quite rare to see these trees nowadays, so they're pleasant surprises.

That's my World

railway crossing, Bukit Timah

2009-10-04T00:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of deck chairs for dining alfresco, near a railroad track.

Overhead railroad crossing over Upper Bukit Timah Road, on the track going towards Malaysia...

Scenic Sunday

Pinnacle @ Duxton

2009-10-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

The changing face of public housing in Singapore, as seen in the Pinnacle @ Duxton, 50 storeys high, looming behind the old housing blocks in Tanjong Pagar.

For more Skywatch posts, go here.

Colours of Heritage - A mobile museum

2009-09-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

Singapore's public buses are sometimes all dressed up in ads, some even with 3-D installations. Well, this bus's different. It depicts a girl kicking a shuttercock (or better known as chaptek in local lingo), a boy playing a hoop and a kite soaring. Wait a minute, this is no ordinary bus. It's the new heritage bus.

There you see it. A bus that's been retrofitted so it's a museum on the inside. Whoa. Is that novel or what? Curiouser and curiouser...

The bus comes with a stock of traditional games that Singaporeans used to play. Clockwise from top left: chaptek, five stones and zero point.

Quick glossary:

Chaptek - a feathered thing nailed to a rubber disc that we kick and keep up in the air for as long as possible

Five stones - cloth sewn with beans inside and we play these on a flat surface throwing them onto the surface and then picking and swiping each one or all of them according to a preset pattern with an opponent

Zero-point - A bunch of rubber bands strung to make up a long elastic string, that we used to play a game called zero-point. Just tie them up end to end and perform a series of jumping challenges with your opponent.

I guess it's all kind of Greek to these primary school girls who were invited to the official launch of the heritage bus yesterday at Tanjong Pagar Plaza. Which is why the heritage bus wants to show them the traditional games that their parents played in childhood.

The games provided hours of fun for kids back in the 60s and 70s. They're cheap and fun. No Lego. No computer games. No money to spend on toys. The only masak masak (toys) bought were treats like simple tea sets, or police cuff links and the like..available in the market.

A text panel on the bus showing the props - Kuti kuti, comprising colourful animals like fish, crab, dragon, etc. It's like collecting trinkets. How to play? The object is to try and flick yours over the opponent's kuti kuti. Whichever kuti kuti lies over the other wins...simple as ABC.

These fabrics I saw on the bus are used to tailor the traditional dress of the four major ethnic groups in Singapore ie to make (from left) Indian saree, Chinese cheongsam, Malay batik shirt and lace for an English dress (for the Eurasians). In reality, there are further cultural differences between subgroups within each ethnic group.

Every ethnic group use spices in their cooking. So let's take a look at a few of the spices displayed on the bus.

Candlenut or buah keras have been mistaken for macadamia nuts. They're blended with chillis and other ingredients to make the curry paste or rempah. Malays, Peranakans and Eurasians use this ingredient in their curries.

People grow curry leaves in their garden or backyard (if you live in a house with a garden) as you only need a few leaves for cooking. Now that most Singaporeans live in high rise flats, we buy them off the shelf.

There're air holes and so go closer and you can get a whiff of how star anise smells like. The Chinese use this ingredient in their meat stews and the Indians use it with other spices to make garam masala.

Nuts of different varieties were sold as snacks by the kacang puteh man, an Indian man who in my mind always wear a dhoti. Just point to the type of nuts you want and he will scoop them out of the air tight jar into rolled up paper cones. So economical and eco-friendly. These ones were for show during the launch yesterday.

There is a cool digital touch screen on board the bus that showcases food from different ethnic groups. The one you see here is a page from the screen that appeared when I selected 'Hainanese chicken rice' from the menu.

I thought this bus made by the Tanjong Pagar kindergarten kids for a art competition sums up quite nicely our uniquely Singaporean multicultural people and heritage.

Do you have a mobile museum where you live?

That's my World

Stamford House

2009-09-25T04:51:00.000-07:00

I was walking past this building today and looking up, noted its age, 1904 inscribed on its curved central pediment. If you click to enlarge, you can see it for yourself. I think the building looks spectacular. Its ornate friezes in the style of Victorian Renaissance architecture seems almost surreal in contrast with other modern prosaic buildings near it. The building has been gorgeously restored in the early 90s.
It's just a hop and a skip from City Hall MRT. If you dip into the building, you'll enjoy walking on its tropical hardwood chengai lining its interior flooring which has replaced the old rotten floorboards, and skylight that filter into its central arcade, not to mention the cool airconditioning. Its mix of tenants leans towards interior furnishings and art.

For more Skywatch posts, go here.

Peranakan Museum

2009-09-21T23:08:00.001-07:00

Straits Chinese furniture have intricate inlays of mother-of-pearl. This set is found in the Peranakan Museum in Singapore.

If you're interested in exploring other cultures, the Peranakan Museum at 39 Armenian St is worth a visit. The artefacts of the Straits Chinese on display are quite comprehensive and to me, it's the best museum to visit if you're in Singapore. It is an authentic boutique museum. In fact it is like a huge bungalow and you climb the wooden stairs to get to the upper galleries (three floors), no lifts. The building it inhabits was actually a Chinese school built in 1912, the Tao Nan School.
The style is eclectic classical and you can see the tropical influences like the bamboo chicks.

Peranakan or Straits Chinese culture has its own traditions, notably a hybrid of Malay and Chinese cultures. They are descendants of Chinese traders who settled in Malacca and the coastal areas of Java and Sumatra and then Penang and Singapore. Peranakan Chinese are Chinese in race but Malay influenced in their food and dress, and they speak patois Malay.

A typical kitchen in the Peranakan house.

Marriage rituals are explained in this gallery. This is a mock up of a leg of pork which is given to the bride's family. Actually I thought it should be a whole suckling pig.

Peranakans wear kebayas and these vary from the simple white everyday kebaya to more ornate embroidered ones like this one. One of my neighbours was Peranakan and I remember she wore kebaya tops and sarong as daily wear. Today, kebayas may be worn for special occasions as formal wear.

Kebayas do not have buttons but instead are fastened by brooches called kerosang.

Well, enough nuggets of info about the interesting offerings of the museum.

That's my World

Flowers, Changi

2009-09-20T01:51:00.000-07:00

During my walk in Changi, I took pictures of two types of flowers. Do you recognise what they are? I guessed, 'bluebell' maybe, but I was wrong. Ta da...the above flower's common name is King's Mantle. Its scientific name is Thunbergia erecta.
This is an interesting looking flower that I've never seen before. It's called Russelia (scientific name), or coral plant. Origin: Mexico.
Here's the whole bush of them with their pine like leaves. Well, hope you learn something new like I did. Actually, if not for blogging, I wouldn't be taking pictures of flowers and finding out their names. Anyway, happy to share with you out there and hope these flowers will brighten your day.

Visit Today's Flowers.

Changi Village

2009-09-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

My walk on the boardwalk (see previous two posts) is ending. The boardwalk hugs the coastline of Changi..I started the walk at the section of the boardwalk next to the Changi Beach Club and the walk leads me to Changi Village...
These are the bumboats docked near the Changi Ferry Terminal. They ferry passengers to Pulau Ubin. You can see a video of the ferries at the end of today's post.

The old iconic bridge that links Changi Village to the sandy stretch of Changi Beach.

While walking along the boardwalk, I took a shot of this old bungalow which is part of the Civil Service Club today. The bungalow was built by Manasseh Meyer, a Jew who also built the Chesed-El Synagogue. When the British established a military base in Changi, the bungalow was bought over to be used as a school. After WWII, it became the Royal Air Force Transit Hotel for RAF officers.

To be honest, I've not eaten at Charlie's Corner, an eatery at the Changi Food Centre which has become an institution. In the late 70s, it evolved from Changi Milk Bar, which was in Changi from the 1940s. It has a totally laid back vibe and well, it's decorated with an eccentric collection of fake fauna. What's on the menu? Charlie's Famous Fish & Chips, Burgers, Spicy Hot Wings, Chilli Dogs, Sausages, Beers...
Changi Village is a sleepy hollow. You see two rows of low-rise residential blocks with commercial outlets on the ground floor. Beyond the low-rise block you see is the food centre which has an assortment of food stalls to satisfy the palate of locals. You'll notice the International Nasi Lemak stall which has perpetual queues.

The stretch that I've taken this picture from is now lined with eateries and restaurants, from chicken rice to Thai to Spanish to Indian to seafood to dim sum..My favourite in the row is Jacob's cafe which sells Western cuisine in a homely setting.

The bumboats to-ing and fro-ing Pulau Ubin, the last bastion of rural life in Singapore.

That's my World

For more Outdoor Wednesday posts, go here.

Monochrome - On the boardwalk

2009-09-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

On the boardwalk series...

More tomorrow.

For more monochrome maniacs posts, go here.

sailboats, Changi

2009-09-13T00:04:00.000-07:00

A coconut palm tree lends a touch of the scenic to the seascape in Singapore.

Another view of the sailboats docked off the sea in Changi..

For more Scenic Sunday posts, go here.

Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2009-09-10T21:34:00.001-07:00

Blessing our sky in Hougang is this beautiful church, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, constructed in 1901 in the Gothic style. It's the oldest Catholic church for the Teochew community in the area and its history intricately overlaps with the community. The church built a number of schools that helped educate generations of Singaporeans. The legacy of the church lives on as schools like Holy Innocents High School, Hai Sing Catholic School, Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Our Lady of the Nativity and Montfort School are still around today. Former students cherish memories of the brothers and sisters who taught at these schools...those were the days where principles of discipline and values were held high.

A closer look at the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in front of the church flanked by angels.

For more Skywatch posts, go here.

National Museum - the old and the new

2009-09-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

A modern, whimsical touch to the National Museum, these eight gorgeous swinging chandeliers by Suzann Victor. You can view the video recording at the bottom of this post. Who would have thought up chandeliers that swing, and these do in sequence or in a staggered pattern. Hypnotic gazing...these are located at the new extension wing added to the old building just beyond the glass bridge.
The museum shop is a hodge-podge of vintage stuff..note the paper tear out calendar at the back..This used to hang in my father's house and everyday we'll tear one sheet to start a fresh day. I can still visualise the old vintage clock above this calendar hanging on a wall of our old house. Pity, we don't have these anymore, just boring desk calendars. Some old printers still print this type of calendar. I've seen smaller versions around, and of note are the horse racing dates printed on them.

I was kinda thrilled to see this. It's called tikam tikam and I still remember these at the mama shop (ie neighbourhood Indian shop selling daily necessities). You pay like 5 or 10 cents I think, and tear out one ticket and the prize is printed on it. Prizes like a sweet or a toy. Such were the thrills of childhood.
These moulds are for making traditional biscuits and kueh and I can make out the designs. The ones on the top right are for making love letters which are a rolled up pancake biscuit roll made specially only on Chinese New Year. It triggered memories of my old neighbour who would make batches and store them into reused biscuit tins when the season came. Such practices and rituals add fun and excitement in the preparations preceding the new year. You don't see people making love letters nowadays. They're made in factories and everyone just buys them off the shelf.
In my childhood, there weren't any canned drinks. All soft drinks come in glass bottles like these and the popular brands were Green Spot and Kickapoo. I remember buying these drinks during school recess.
Posters of old Malay movies. The museum screened part of the Pontianak movie which is about a female Malay ghost. Of course, when we see these movies, we're struck by how 'backward' special effects were back then, like Pontianak flying. None of the digital technology that propel special effects to sophisticated realism nowadays.
Look up as you enter the museum and you'll see the stained glass windows in the dome of the National Museum. Aren't they lovely to behold?
The very iconic spiral staircase, reputedly haunted.
Well, this is the far view of the grand old building that's our National Museum. It's been standing at Stamford Road since 1887.

I leave you with swinging chandeliers. There's also a media screen which flickers on and off catching your reflection on the large screen. I was lucky enough to capture a recording when it flickered on, so did this family.

That's my World

Skywatch Chinatown

2009-09-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

Am I looking skyward? Kind of. And this is what I see, a row of holy cow statues lazing on the parapet of the Sri Mariamman Temple, a South Indian Hindu Temple in Chinatown. The oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, dating back to 1827 or eight years after the British East India Company got its toehold here. The gopuram of colourful dieties at its main doorway to the right is all covered in tarpaulin sheet, presumably under maintenance, so I'm not flaunting that.

However, what I wanted to point out is to the left side, that yellow building with Chinese characters called the People's Park Complex. It's an old 31-storey residential cum commercial complex, built in the 1970s, and is a so-called prototype of this kind of mixed development complex. Old hat nowadays but new and exciting during its time. What's noticeable about this building is its potholes at the top of the residential block. And that's all I have to say about this brightly painted old building.

For more Skywatch posts, go here.

Raffles Hotel

2009-08-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

The tropical garden style courtyard of Raffles Hotel, a colonial style hotel dating back to 1887. Its founders are Armenians, the Sarkies Brothers, and it's named after the founder of modern Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles.
A close-up look at one of the coconut palm trees dotting the courtyard, and the leafy ornamental detail on its pillars.
An old style fountain, one of a few on its grounds ...
Seah Street Deli, a New York style delicatessen serving American sandwiches, entrées and salads, just one of the dining options in the hotel.

Tailored dress, bag and shoes made by a former dressmaker who had a shop in the hotel in the 1900s, on display at the Raffles Museum.

The museum displays memorabilia and old photographs and artefacts and is free to all visitors. Apart from the museum, there's also a hotel shop on the ground selling interesting souvenirs and books that's worth a visit.
The Raffles Culinary Academy runs cooking and lifestyle classes by award-winning executive chefs. Dishes are Asian, international and fusion.

A small garden is tucked away in one of the recesses of the hotel's compound.
Isn't this heliconia rostrata growing amongst the foliage at the hotel lovely?

That's my World

For more Outdoor Wednesday posts, go here.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

2009-08-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

Singapore is a mix of the traditional and the modern and it's usually the former that lends a touch of the scenic to the urban landscape. Here you see shophouses in Chinatown and hey what's that Chinese roofed structure further along? Let's have a closer look.

It's called the Buddha Tooth Relic temple. Founded in 2002, it houses different relics of the Buddha. Besides tooth relics, there are relics of bone, blood, etc. These are of different sizes and are like coloured crystals (see temple's website.) left behind after cremation. There is a Buddhist museum in the temple and guided tours can be arranged.

Further along, in nearby Tanjong Pagar, you see public residential blocks under construction. It is called The Pinnacle @ Duxton comprising seven 48-storey tower blocks laid out in the shape of a hook and linked by skybridges on three floors. Well, this is modern public housing in the city. No wonder the units were fully booked. It is being built on a site that is one of the oldest sites of former ten-storey public flats. I'm thinking the would-be residents must be breathless with anticipation as it's going to be completed pretty soon.

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As evening falls

2009-08-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sky over suburban Singapore. It's twilight and the subway train is making its crossing along the track...

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Terminal 3, Changi Airport

2009-08-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

A collage of images of Terminal 3 of Singapore Changi Airport, the newest terminal to add to existing Terminal 1 & 2. It opened in January 2008. A feeling of spaciousness engulfs you as you enter its space. What is particularly interesting is its lofty ceiling which allows natural light to filter in through a 'butterfly' roof design with 919 skylights with reflector panels.

The SIA stewardess is an icon of Singapore Airlines. We bumped into her (top left) and she was so kind to hold the lift for us and gave us such a perky smile. Sigh, miss flying SIA. Somehow our holiday trips have been on other airlines usually those of the country we're visiting.

Whenever we return home, the airport is always such a welcoming oasis imparting a feeling of being homeward bound, safe and sound.

That's my World

golden showers

2009-08-23T00:46:00.000-07:00

Correct me if wrong, I think these flowers taken in the Raffles Hotel garden belong to the golden shower family. Flowers are blooming everywhere. They love the sun. I'll share more soon.

Visit Today's Flowers.

Sky over St Joseph's Church

2009-08-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

The sky over Victoria Street, last week. An aerial view of the Gothic style St Joseph's Church (founded by the Portuguese Mission and built in 1906-1912) nestled amidst old residential and commercial buildings. Singapore's old buildings lend history and charm to more recent buildings, like the uber-modern National Library building where I took this picture from. If you take the library's lift, the one with a full view of the surroundings through its glass, soaring skywards, you might get a feeling of floating in air like I did.

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Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay

2009-08-17T04:20:00.000-07:00

These outdoor exhibits in front of the Esplanade provided a trip down memory lane for visitors and passersby. The timeline installation of images of yesteryear such as the Samsui women (Cantonese female migrants who worked in construction and are identified by their distinctive headgear), trishaw rider, roadside satay seller, etc. The installation is part of our National Day celebration.
The installation of the old National Theatre makes a nostalgic point juxtaposed as it is against the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, our premier performing arts venue today. The National Theatre was the first performing arts venue in Singapore completed in 1963. Its five-pointed facade represented the five stars of the Singapore flag. It's an open air amphitheatre with no air conditioning. I remember seeing Cliff Richard perform in that place. The building was demolished in 1986 due to structural defects in its cantilevered steel roof.

Here you see the striking dome-shaped architecture of the Esplanade which locals referred to as 'the durian'. It's definitely iconic. The Esplanade has added vibrancy to the local performing arts scene having presented local and international performances from musicals to concerts to dance and theatre including Chinese opera. I remember watching the musical Mamma Mia! here ..

There's also an arts library, with literature and audio-visual materials covering music, dance, film and theatre.

That's my World

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Marina Bay waterfront

2009-08-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

Marina Bay is a bay created through land reclamation at Marina South and the completion of a barrage which blockaded the Singapore River mouth. The result is a beautiful bay with a scenic waterfront. The top picture shows a stroll through the leafy promenade. In the bottom picture, you see the open air amphitheatre for outdoor performances, with the Singapore Flyer in the distance.

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Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort

2009-08-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Twilight view of the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort that's taking shape in the Singapore waterfront skyline. The three 50-storey hotel towers you see being built will be connected by a Sky Garden spanning across the towers. The casino resort touted as an entertainment destination is slated to open next year. It represents a leap of the imagination - for the first time, Las Vegas style gambling will soon become a reality in Singapore. Other leisure amenities include theatres, a waterfront promenade and an Artscience Museum. There's another casino resort simultaneously being built on Sentosa.

The air around the Marina Bay waterfront is so relaxing. It's a great feeling sitting out there.

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Also visit Friday My Town Shoot Out: Relaxation

Singapore's National Day Parade 2009

2009-08-10T01:51:00.000-07:00

Singapore celebrated her 44th year of independence yesterday (Sun, 9 August 2009) amidst the worst recession it's seen. Our nation is showing a spirit of resilience and in this way, this National Day celebration is special as it demonstrates a coming together to celebrate the plucky attitude of Singaporeans to survive the crisis. As you can see, the floating platform on Marina Bay shows continual renewal in the Singapore skyline with mega construction projects ongoing, the most significant of which is the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort which is expected to open next year.
The big screen eye on the platform shows the unfolding of the different spectacles forming our big bash celebration. This screen shows the firing of five ceremonial guns.
Here, you see the real thing on the baywater - it is the first time that 21-gun Presidential Salute is fired from a floating platform. The guns fired at 60 second interval while the President inspects the front row of the marching contingents. The contingents comprise 2000 people from the armed forces, the police, uniformed and civilian groups. The ceremonial part of the celebrations is always part of our National Day celebration. Over the years, more exciting performances were added. The crowd pleaser is the air, land and sea simulated exercise of a counter-terrorist attack.

There is the colourful pageantry of dances as usual but this year, there were skits put up by local actors which featured Singlish, that non-exportable Singaporean-speak that is an identity marker, cringeworthy at times but always heartfelt. For the first time, Ivan Heng, our talented theatre director in the local performing arts scene, was the creative director.

I leave you to view our finale, the fireworks display, of our birthday bash. Happy Birthday Singapore!

That's my World

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Fullerton Hotel

2009-08-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

Fullerton Hotel is sitting on the site of Fort Fullerton which was built in 1829 to guard against naval attacks. In 1874, the fort was no more (the cannons were moved to Sentosa) and eventually, in 1928, the Fullerton building was completed on the site. It was named after Robert Fullerton, the first Governor of the Straits Settlement. Besides the General Post Office which occupied the first two floors, the exclusive members only Singapore Club rented its upper floors until government departments took over in 1961. Besides the post office, it is best remembered as the place of the Inland Revenue Department office, which occupied the building from the 1970s to 1995. The General Post Office vacated in 1996 and extensive renovations and restoration works turned this into the five-star Fullerton Hotel which opened in 2001. Its neo-classical facade with fluted Doric colonnades give it an air of grandeur.

The hotel is linked by an underpass to One Fullerton, a modern waterfront hub with restaurants and bars with views of the Marina Bay, just across the road from the hotel. As you can see, the Merlion, a mythical icon of Singapore, is sited next to it.

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Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music

2009-08-06T18:24:00.001-07:00

This building is Singapore's first institution for studying for a degree in music. The Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music is a collaboration between the National University of Singapore and the Peabody Institute of the John Hopkins University in the United States. Opened in 2006, its facade comprise full length glass panels allowing peeks into the foyer of the concert hall and library and the filtering of natural light into its internal spaces. The glass walls are supported by paired bow trusses which look like the strings on a violin or cello.

Its young student musicians come from worldwide including China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Iran, Austria, United States, besides Singapore.

It's a significant building which allows for the aspirations of those with a passion of music. Aspiring young musicians here previously have to go abroad for music training.

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Bollywood Veggies

2009-08-03T00:07:00.001-07:00

Somewhere in the rural outback of Singapore (ok it's the Kranji countryside) are the farms but none as flamboyant as Bollywood Veggies, set up by a husband and wife team, who also live on the farm, although their house is not so obvious being concealed by fenced leafy foliage and guarded by fearsome dogs. They chose to live out their retirement by becoming farmers, which is quite an unconventional path for Singaporeans. They live by the slogan, "Back to the Nature is the Future".
Bollywood Veggies is an organic farm that claims it's the largest producer of organic bananas and papayas in Singapore. Besides fruit, all kinds of herbs and medicinal plants, and vegetables such as long beans, ladies finger, cucumbers and bitter gourds can be found on the farm. You can take a walk in the farm for a fee of $2. Try and pick a cool day to make your day trip.

There's a restaurant called Poison Ivy Bistro and the dishes include the cooking of organic vegetables farmed here. Both Western and Asian cuisine (eg chicken curry) are served. The fare is home cooked goodness and the drinks include aloe vera and fig tea which are so refreshing.
The lady in the cowboy hat is the proprietress Ms Ivy Singh, a very colourful, friendly and outspoken lady who was the former national netball captain. This is the alfresco part of the restaurant. The place is open Wed to Sun, 9am to 6pm. It is well patronised especially on weekends and group bookings can be made in advance if you want to go on a guided tour of the farm.

You can check out the website including details on how to get there. There is a shuttle bus running from Kranji MRT station.

That's my World

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MICA Building

2009-08-01T01:24:00.000-07:00

It's referred to as the building with the colourful windows. 911 windows, in all. Home to the Ministry of the Information, Communications and the Arts (abbreviated MICA), it is now called the MICA building. Formerly it was the Hill Street Police Station. Built in 1934, this colonial building at Hill Street occupied the site of Singapore's first prison and the old Assembly Rooms of the Town Hall. When it first opened, it housed a police station with a charge room, offices and garages as well as living quarters for policemen.

In my childhood we used to pass by the building after our weekly gathering at grandma's in the dark of night, and whenever we pass by it we will say 'There, there, the haunted building' and get all spooked. Civil servants who work there have their stories to tell.

After renovations in 2000 to relaunch it for MICA, its windows were painted in rainbow colours. It has a huge internal courtyard with a glass roof which is a space for art exhibitions and house art galleries, sculptures and a cafe.

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Istana

2009-07-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

Singapore's first colonial governor commissioned the Istana building which is in the neo-Palladian style and completed in 1869. The Istana is today the official residence of the President of Singapore. It is where the President receives and entertains state guests and where ceremonial presentations take place. In reality, no president has resided there since 1959. Our current president stays somewhere in the East.
Members of the public, including foreigners, may visit the Istana grounds on special occasions. The dates of the next Istana Open Houses are 2 August 2009 (in celebration of National Day), 21 September 2009 (in celebration of Hari Raya Puasa) and 18 October 2009 (in celebration of Deepavali). Expect to go through security checks at the entrance at Orchard Road.

The sprawling lawn of the Istana is akin to a public park with lily ponds and filled with interesting species of flora. The experience is somewhat like walking in the Singapore Botanical Gardens. A feeling of serenity and community with nature. There are some ancilliary buildings and a point of interest is the display of the Japanese Gun, presented to Lord Mountbatten after the Japanese surrender in 1945.
An artist drawing his impression of the Istana within its grounds.

That's my World

Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple

2009-07-25T04:11:00.000-07:00

Colourful deities on the entrance of the Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple at Keong Saik Road, in the Chinatown district of Singapore. The Hindu temple was built in 1925 by Nattukottai Chettiars, a money lending community from Tamil Nadu, India. The temple recently underwent renovation works. Its riot of colours add to the vibrancy of the street. It's worthwhile taking a walk around the shophouses here as there're some genteel establishments that have sprung up, including bookshop, retail outlets, besides coffeeshops. There's even a boutique hotel, the Royal Peacock Hotel, which is a nice alternative to staying in a big city hotel. Keong Saik Road used to be the red light district of Chinatown in the 1960s.

You'll see many shophouses being rented out as offices. I used to work in an office housed in one of those Art Deco shophouses along Bukit Pasoh Road which is just a lane away. A scenic place to walk around..

Color Carnival

Scenic Sunday

bullock cart water train station

2009-07-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

You know you're in Singapore when public announcements are in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. Public signages though, are in English and Chinese only. I was struck by the Chinese characters of the Chinatown train station. It translates to "Bull car water". The name is so lyrical that I googled to find out the origin of the name. And this is it: In the 19th century, water was transported to Chinatown via bullock carts.

By the way, the courtesy reminder on the door is courtesy of Rosie, the tai tai (lady of leisure) of Singapore sitcom, Phua Chu Kang (PCK). It's the sitcom that turned PCK (the renovation contractor known by this moniker) into a Singlish icon.

A for Chinese arch

2009-07-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

A Chinese archway to the Yueh Hai Ching Temple (meaning 'temple of the calm sea') at Phillip Street. The temple stands as a reminder of early days of Chinese migrants. This one was first built in 1826 by Teochew migrants, traders and sailors to thank the goddess of the sea for their safe arrival by sea to Nanyang (Southeast Asia). The temple was rebuilt in 1895. Its architecture is a cultural touchstone compared to the tall office towers in the heart of the financial district.

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walkup apartments

2009-07-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

Old private walkup apartments along River Valley Road. Signs of wear and tear, these apartments are more than 40 years old. Some owners still reside here...
These three or four storey walkups are not retrofitted with lifts. So if you live on the third storey you need to use your legs climbing stairs everyday.
Some owners rent out the units out as offices so you may find a new door replacing the old one. If the tenants do renovations then the place will be nice. This place is near to the city.
The grilles are so retro..The apartments are old but they're worth much..the trend for the past decade is for owners to put them up for collective sales. Until the current slide into recession, the buzzword is enbloc sale. Millions will pass hands and these buildings will be bought by a condo developer, to be torn down for the building of condos.
These walkups at St Thomas Walk are already empty and will be demolished for exactly the purpose. So this picture captures something that will soon be gone.

That's my World

Boat Quay

2009-07-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

A view of the shophouses lining Boat Quay, on the southern bank of the Singapore River. Once godowns that received their loads of cargo from bumboats, now the setting for cosmopolitan fine dining and watering holes by the river. A hotspot for expatriates who come here for their sundowners.

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over the rooftops, Bukit Timah

2009-07-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

The sky looks angry over the rooftops of houses in the prime residential suburb of Bukit Timah. The road names are inspired by royalty, like Duchess Walk, Coronative Drive, Princess of Wales Road, Prince of Wales Road, King's Road, Queen's Road. Residents should feel like lords and duchesses. The houses and condos here are each worth upwards of a million bucks. The city skyline's in the horizon.

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Raffles Place green

2009-07-14T23:11:00.001-07:00

Raffles Place, the heart of the financial district, has these lawny patches that has such a lovely, calming ambience. There're always people reposing on the seats by them and taking a breather. Lots of buzz in this place, as corporate suits in ties whizz by on their cell phones or linger under their offices for a smoke. The triangular neo-classical facade is of course, the entrance to the Raffles Place train station.
There's a sculpture by Aw Tee Hong, Struggle for Survival, shaped like a boat, on one of these grassy patch right in front of OUB Centre. OUB Centre, designed by renowned Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, has the prestigious address of 1 Raffles Place. OUB or Overseas Union Bank has been bought over by UOB (United Overseas Bank) and so the bank no longer exists.
Compare the scenery with this vintage postcard picture of old Raffles Place. I wonder why no one thought to put in a fountain here, like in the old days. Oh, I see where the neo-classical facade got its origin from, see the building on the left.

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Capitol Theatre

2009-07-13T04:55:00.001-07:00

Before today's multiplex cinemas housed in shopping malls, there's the Capitol Theatre, built in 1929 by a Persian family, the Namazie brothers. It was a lofty colossal single cinema hall with two storeys providing 1686 seats and feature a large screen. The grandeur of its neo-classical architecture made it a total cinematic experience, however. The building was bought over by Shaw Organisation in 1946 and the theatre became its flagship. Before it screened its last Hollywood movie, Soldier, starring Kurt Russell, on 29 December 1998, many Singaporeans, myself included, watched dozens of movies here on dates with friends. The milkshakes at Magnolia Snack Bar were popular with cinema goers.

Here's a vintage photo of Capitol Theatre in its heyday. You can see a trishaw rider on the left and the cars look really vintage.

The future development of the building, now called Capitol Building, is yet to be decided.

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Iluma : a play on textures

2009-07-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Iluma, which opened in March 2009, is dubbed an urban entertainment centre in the historic Bugis area. The building has really striking textures. You see the snow crystal like texture on one side and the linear textures on the other side. It's quite captivating.
Designed by WOHA architects, it is said to blend abstract futuristic shapes with a 1970’s Vegas style. A tessallated pattern made up of physical plastic bodies, and there's a matrix of flourescent lamps superimposed onto it to produce a display screen, so the surface can light up like a light fixture. I've yet to see the illumination for myself.

The geometric lines here contrast well with blue watercolours of the sky.

Sunday Stills

Goodwood Park Hotel

2009-07-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

The landmark Goodwood Park Hotel is more than a century old, having survived two World Wars. Built in 1900 as the Teutonia Clubhouse for the German community here, it is designed after a Rhineland castle. Its turret is charming and distinctive.

A closer look at the ornamental trimmings. In 1929, the former owners, the Manasseh brothers, turned it into a five-star heritage hotel. Many members of the glitterati have stayed here including the Duke of Windsor, later the Prince of Wales of England. The hotel is noted for its famous English Afternoon Tea.

The hotel's present owner is the family of the late Mr Khoo Teck Puat who bought over the hotel in 1963. One of his sons, Mr Eric Khoo, is a critically acclaimed movie-maker who has won several awards for his Singapore-made films. His latest film, My Magic (2008), was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, receiving a standing ovation. An earlier film, 12 Storeys (1997), was the first Singapore film to take part in the Cannes Film Festival. In contrast to his being born with a silver spoon, all his films including Mee Pok Man (1995) and Be With Me (2005) deal with the underdog and the grittier side of life.

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shophouse windows

2009-07-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

This series of shophouse windows are side by side each other along a street in Chinatown. They're full of old world charm. I wonder what the Chinese characters refer to...if someone else could enlighten me, I'll share with everyone out there.

Window Views

art by the Singapore river

2009-07-07T05:50:00.000-07:00

Salvador Dali's sculpture, Homage to Newton, in the atrium of UOB Plaza. As the placard explains, the suspended apple is a reference to the aha moment when an apple fell on Isaac Newton's head and led him to discover the law of gravity. The open torso signifies open-

heartedness. A stone's throw away is Fernando Botero's Bird sculpture by the Singapore River. Signifying the joy of living and the power of optimism, qualities that Singaporeans should live by.

A serene mood of relaxation descends on those lounging around the Singapore river when evening comes and the city offices disgorge workers who head home after a hard day's work. A sea of tranquillity can be felt when you stop for a minute by the river.

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quaint traditional shops

2009-07-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

In the days before gourmet chocolates and Western pastries altered our tastebuds, there're the traditional confectionery shops selling Chinese pastries. The assortment of biscuits and cakes are great for snack attacks. Somehow these have a more homely bite to it. It's still possible to find quaint old confectioneries like this one along our streets.

It's like a provisions shop but with a twist. This shop in Chinatown stocks clothes, household appliances and all things imaginable, using only paper. The Chinese burn them as paper offerings to their ancestors.

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Singapore River scene

2009-07-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

This view by the Singapore River seems pretty majestic to me, a confluence of different architectural styles. Dominating the north bank of the river is the neo-Palladian facade of the Empress Place Building which houses the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), a museum featuring different Asian collections. Up till the late 1980s, the Empress Place Building had housed government offices, notably, the Registry of Births and Deaths and the Immigration Department.

To its left, the circular disc of the new Supreme Court building (a modern interpretation of the dome of the old Supreme Court, you could only see the top of that dome peering above ACM in this picture). Rising behind ACM, the clock tower (completed 1906) of the Victoria Memorial Hall (first opened in 1905 and in 1979, renamed Victoria Concert Hall after renovations done to house the Singapore Symphony Orchestra). The tall modern tower you see next to the clock tower is Swissotel The Stamford, the tallest hotel in Singapore.

Watch this space for another post on what's interesting around the Singapore River.

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Singapore Racetrack

2009-07-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

Those horses are the masthead of the Singapore Racetrack at Kranji. If you take the East West bound train you'll pass by the track and this is where I snapped the photo.

Horseracing in Singapore began in 1842. Formerly the Singapore racetrack was at Bukit Timah, till this state-of-the-art racecourse was completed in August 1999. Measuring 81.2 hectares, it holds its ranks among premier racecourses. Racing days are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tours for tourists can be arranged. Singapore Turf Club is the only authorised operator of horseracing and totalisator (horse betting) services in Singapore.

What can I say? The Chinese are inveterate gamblers. I see the gamblers alighting at Kranji station to try their luck and this place is where the action is, at least until the Integrated Resort open heralding the arrival of the legalised casino in Singapore...

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Here you can watch the prestigious Singapore Airlines International Cup held in May 2009 vicariously.

Clarke Quay

2009-06-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Clarke Quay, a riverfront development, in recent years, is coming back to life, thanks in part to the fairly new mall, Central (on left). It has the usual same old mix of tenants and a hodge podge of restaurants although its ads position itself as Japanese themed. Not so true as far as I can see. Note the steel crane-like structure on the right called Extreme Swing (more of that later). If you continue walking like the folks in the picture, you'll come to...

this row of pastel shophouses with alfresco dining under big umbrellas lining the walkway.

Continue walking and you see even bigger umbrellas...

Here's an aerial view. Those umbrellas are part of British architect Will Alsop's sophisticated shading/cooling system and the result of a lavish makeover of Clarke Quay a few years ago. Aerial photograph from http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/.

I leave you entertained with a video of Extreme Swing..

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Toa Payoh

2009-06-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

Toa Payoh is one of the oldest public residential estates in Singapore. It is so called a 'matured estate' and has undergone upgrading to refresh the estate, part of the government's ongoing plans to rejuvenate older estates. This clock tower was a feature added during upgrading.See how it oddly tries to blend in with the open corridors with hanging laundry of the block of flats behind it. You'd be interested to know that HRM Queen Elizabeth II visited a resident in this block as part of her tour of Singapore a few years ago. Furthermore it was a return visit, the earlier one being maybe 20 years earlier...No kidding, check the poem extract below!

This is an iconic housing block in Toa Payoh, according to our guide. One of the first blocks there. I took these pictures while I was on a heritage trail to Toa Payoh earlier this month.

The guide (in white T-shirt, centre) is an independent niche bookseller, ie. owner of Books Actually, which niches in literature books. He grew up in Toa Payoh. Well, he read a poem titled "A Brief History of Toa Payoh" written by a former journalist in this hot spot. In case you're wondering why trail participants are carrying umbrellas!

I'll quote a bit from the poem: "...the pride and self-sufficiency /of early settlers /eclipsed: /town centre, bus termini, the first SEAP Games, /the emporium's sacks of fragrant rice, /children's playgrounds, the garden's lake and tower, /the Queen's lookout /excite no more/and the children of Toa Payoh/are the mothers and fathers/of Woodlands, Pasir Ris,/distant orbits of the new satellites..."

Well, Woodlands and Pasir Ris are the newer satellite residential estates, further away from town. And yea, the children now all grown up are living in the newer estates because prices in the older housing estates have skyrocketed..

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Singapore Flyer

2009-06-27T02:07:00.000-07:00

A picture of the Singapore Flyer snapped from the highway. Funnily enough, a giant ferris wheel could alter our urban landscape. It's so eye-catching. I've not gone up on it yet (fear, unnecessary risk, blah..) but maybe the whim will catch up with me sooner or later. Like the London Eye, it features exo-capsules attached outward to the wheel structure and one rotational trip lasts about 30 minutes. I think maybe a night ride will be a more glittering experience. From its perch on Marina Promenade, you'll overlook the deep blue sea and catch a panoramic view of the spectacular city skyline.

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