Places in Singapore

River Hong Bao festivities Jan 2012

2012-02-05T13:59:00.004+08:00

Every year, there is a River Hong Bao festivity at Marina Bay and every year, except this one, I have chosen not to go because of my intense dislike for crowded places. However, this year I decided to venture into territory that I normally dislike and to my delight, the experience was a rather enjoyable one. Firstly, there were these gigantic lanterns that glowed so beautifully in the forms of dragons, dieties, the twelve animals in the Chinese Horoscope, fishes, flowers and I was just overwhelmed. Secondly, the crowd was there but because of the vast area allocated for the activities and lantern display, the crowd was more dispersed and on top of that, if you are tired, you could take a rest high up in the seating area facing Marina Bay. Light belongs to the night undoubtedly for they make things shimmer and shine and glow and transform the ordinary to something out of this world. You will know what I mean when you see the photos I took of the same place in the day time and in the bright sunlight.Click on the photo to see the slideshow.

Sentosa Flower Show 2012

2012-02-01T17:37:00.003+08:00

This year the Sentosa Flower scale appeared to be filled with less grandeur than expected. Nevertheless, it is always wonderful to to visit this annual flower show. Kudos to the foreign workers who kept the flowers looking lovely everyday with their meticulous attention to the necessary maintenance work as well as the decorative talents of those who put the show together a colourful display according to interesting themes. Also, I like the arrangement where young part-time staff were stationed at the special floral arrangements to take photos for visitors. Click on each of the three photos below to see my photos taken on three separate occasions - 18, 20 and 26 Jan.

Happy Lunar New Year!

2012-01-23T10:24:00.002+08:00

Chinese New Year festive lighting in Chinatown

2012-01-15T15:40:00.001+08:00

The year 2012 is the year of the Water Dragon and Chinatown in Singapore lights up to welcome its arrival. I overheard a tourist saying, "This is unbelievable." What he was referring to was either the magnificent dragon decoration along the road divider of South Bridge Road or more likely the throngs of people out to soak in the festive atmosphere.

My photos, with the exception of a few, do not highlight the sea of humanity under the bright lights and amidst the overwhelming red and gold theme throughout Chinatown as manifested in the store goods and decorations. I am known for my aversion to crowds and and was only there to see the festive lights along South Bridge Road where Chinatown lies on either side. I avoided the crowds by sticking by the main road and not venturing into the Pagoda street area where people were packed like sardines out of a can.

Our approach by car was from Tanjong Pagar and miraculously we were able to find a carpark lot without much difficulty at the People's Park. The dragon smiles on me!

Health and Good wishes couplets were prominently displayed for one to admire and to have photos taken with like the couplet on the right.

The mighty dragon along South Bridge Road was beautifully adorned with tiny lights defining its majestic form. There were other dragons too, smaller ones on the pedestrian bridge across the road for people like me who just wanted to take in the lights without jostling with other people to buy new year goodies or just to enjoy being a part of a moving body mass.When you are done with this post, click here for more photos.

This is the God of Fortune inside the People's Park shopping centre where we had parked our car.

Five dragons converging on a red lantern high above the escalator.

Stories behind Singapore Street Names - Exhibition

2012-01-14T16:25:00.000+08:00

Every Singaporean should visit this informative exhibition on the origins of our street names. There is an activity book for children and an excellent booklet that is free of charge and that will be a valuable addition to any home library. My visit to the National Museum was unplanned and this exhibition was a discovery that made my day.It is on levels 7 and 8 and is on daily (except public hholidays) from 10am to 9pm. You have until 29 june 2012 to catch this exhibition.

St Joseph's Church from the fifth floor of the National Library Building.

Maxwell Road was the area I always associate with driving tests and food.

You can watch a short video about how these unusual street names came about.

I took this photo because of the painting of the old houses in Chinatown.

Labrador Boardwalk

2012-01-04T23:10:00.000+08:00

A walk that takes you to the doorsteps of the wealthy to see their homes and yachts. Click on the photo to see my post on my nature blog.

Sentosa walk

2011-12-29T15:55:00.001+08:00

There are three ways to enter Sentosa. You can go in by car paying $2 per person in the car and two dollars for the car. You can take the Skytrain from the top floor of Vivocity and pay $3 per person. Lastly, you can walk along the year-old boardwalk linking Vivocity Promenade and Sentosa island and pay $1 per person and the best part is that you can take the skytrain back for free. The last option is the best when the weather is cool and the sun's rays are mild as was the case this morning. We had to pass through the Integrated Resort where the tourists were concentrated in order to reach the jungle trail for our walk. We spent only a dollar each on Sentosa and nothing could compare to the the lush greenery, the fresh air and the absence of crowds along the jungle trail for a mental and physical recharge. Click on the photo to see the slideshow.

Merry Christmas to all!

2011-12-24T15:00:00.000+08:00

For the first time in many years I set up a pretty Christmas tree in my house because my son said that when he was small he had always looked forward to seeing our Christmas tree when he came home from school in the evening. I never knew that the tree meant so much to him. So, it was not very difficult to have the tree back again and not very costly either because everything was from Giant.

Lunar eclipse in Singapore

2011-12-10T23:36:00.000+08:00

Tonight there is a total lunar eclipse that I happened to see by chance. I took these shots of the moon at around ten o'clock. The next such event will take place in 2014. I am not a fan of astronomy and so I did not check on the eclipse after spending about 20 minutes looking at the moon. It was enough that I was able to witness a portion of this natural phenomenon.

Not in Singapore

2011-11-27T16:11:00.000+08:00

I have been away and I have too many things on my hands and in my head. So I have not been around interesting places in Singapore these past weeks other than walking in the parks. But I have been to MALACCA that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. I have known Malacca since I was a child and the place holds special memories for me. See my post on Malacca here>>>>

Starry, starry night

2011-11-26T00:49:00.000+08:00

Have I come back from a dream

or am I dreaming that I have come back

from a dream

Whatever it may be, do go to this

excellent exhibition currently on at

the National Museum called "Dreams & Reality"

if only to see Vincent Van Gogh's

Starry, starry night painting.

Deepavali - Celebrating the Indian Festival of Lights

2011-10-19T23:02:00.002+08:00

Serangoon Road is the lifeblood of Little India. Singapore celebrates Deepavali with this beautiful light-up along Serangoon Road. Click on the photo to see the slideshow of photos taken as our car cruised through the tunnel of mesmerising festive lights. The shots at the beginning were taken along Geylang Road.

Nostalgia

2011-10-08T15:58:00.002+08:00

In a corner coffeeshop next to the West Coast Market, behind a Chinese Temple, I chanced upon this small stall selling the biscuits and sweets of my childhood. These are stuff that my relatives from Malaysia would never fail to bring along for us kids when they came to visit us. My aunt especially would pack her trunk full of these goodies each time she took the train from Ipoh to Singapore. I am not really a fan of these things but I did grow up eating them and have not seen these around in such variety for quite a while. So it was a nostalgic encounter with these Chinese-style biscuits that will one day be repackaged and lose their unique qualities forever.

Beauty World cha cha cha

2011-10-05T22:26:00.000+08:00

Beauty World is the title of our home-grown musical based on a local play. I watched it years ago and it brought back so many memories of my growing-up years in the area. Back then, there was a wet market, filthy and much dreaded by me each time my mum took me there.

I remember the smell of the grimy drains, the puddles of dirty water, how chicken was slaughtered on the spot once chosen by the customer and how the feathers were hand-plucked by women seated on low stools behind the cages packed with squawking birds. Those were the days when birds had a good reason to be angry.

I also remember the dried goods store and how money was kept in a tin that was tied to a string and dangled high above our heads and could be pulled down when the stallholder needed to put money in. Those were also the days before Singapore Pools came into the scene to legalise 4D betting and I often wondered why my mother would make trips to the back of the grocery store to pay money for some numbers to be recorded on a small notebook full of scribbles. Little did I realise that the grocer was also a bookie.

Next to the market were small wooden stalls that was our shopping centre. If you can imagine one of our heartland malls on a smaller scale and project the image of each shop into a 1960s setting, then you will have an idea of what I am talking about. My relatives from Malaysia love Beauty World for its variety and shopping appeal. I remember the cologne 4711 that was so popular with my aunties. Powder compacts, cosmetics, clothes, shoes, handbags, pyjamas and the list goes on. My family moved into this area when I was in secondary school. We moved out for a year or two when I was in Pre-U and then moved back again. Beauty World never left our hearts.

The Beauty World that I remember with fondness disappeared one year, wiped out by a fire and the place where it stood remained a vacant piece of land for many years. Business carried on in modern shopping complexes and the only reminder of its colourful history was the name - Beauty World Plaza, a far cry from what Beauty World had been. Gone were the wet markets, the clogged drains, the compact wooden stalls, and the friendly stallholders in my memory. The colours of life died in that fire. Half of that land is a public carpark now and in 2015 when the MRT station (Beauty World Station) is completed, I reckon that the carpark will be gone and another transformation will take place.

One day last week I happened to park my car on the seventh floor of the Bukit Timah Shopping Centre and got a bird's eye view of Beauty World area and a glimpse of the massive engineering work that is going on in the construction of our Downtown MRT line. In the background, parallel to the construction of the line are the Chun Tin Road shophouses comprising Malay and Chinese eateries. Behind them are the private housing estates and my mother's house is near the top of the hill. The land where the famous Beauty World stood once upon a time is not shown in the photos and is to the left of the shophouses. I seldom write so much on my blogs. I guess I got carried away reminiscing about a part of my life. Well most people would do the same.

A stitched up photo of the four photos above.

From Geylang to Kallang and back

2011-09-11T17:36:00.002+08:00

Once I said to my son that I would have liked to live during the fifties and the sixties and my son asked why. I really could not pin down any particular reason. Perhaps life would have been simpler as there would be less emphasis on making money and focus on material signs of success.

On a Saturday morning, we took a drive to Geylang Road where we took note of a coffee shop known for its superb mee siam and before driving on to the Kallang Riverside Park for a morning stroll. After taking photos of the surroundings and stalking some migratory birds along the river, we headed back to Geylang for our mee siam lunch. Oh, and I also have to mention the very expensive tea and coffee and scrambled egg breakfast at a refurbished warehouse at the entrance of Kallang Riverside Park.

Comex 2011 - IT and Technology fair at Suntec City

2011-09-07T23:12:00.001+08:00

I hate crowds and crowds make me cringe. Yet last Sunday I braved my hatred for crowded places at the Comex fair at Suntec City on Sunday. The strategy was to park at the Millenium Walk carpark and walk over to Suntec City to avoid the parking hassle. After what we went there to get a pair of sony headphones and some photo print papers. While there, I could not resist the opportunity to check on the price of the Sony Cybershot HX100V that I had purchased a week before.

The camera was selling at the same price i.e. $799 and so I was at least comforted to know that I did not pay more for my camera. However, the free gifts that came with the camera purchased at the fair were twice what I had got. In addition to the extra Sony battery, the carrying case and the SD card, customers were given a foldable tripod stand, a digital photo frame and a screen protector for the LCD viewing screen.

Okay, so I was a little regretful for not waiting before I bought my camera. Well, in life, nothing is perfect. I will have to learn to be more patient next time. Crowds do non flock to IT fairs for nothing obviously. On the other hand, I had one week of fun ahead of the fair and some of the photos I took with the camera like those of the Storkbill Kingfisher in the Singapore Botanic Gardens would not have been possible had I postponed my purchase.

Walking from Millenium Walk to Marina Square and onto Suntec City.

These tiles have not been changed for years.

Mild impression of the crowds because I took this photo around dinner time. The sea of humanity inside was much, much denser than what I had captured here.

The bridge linking Marina Square and Suntec City.

The fountain with the dancing lights where we rested.

We could have sat here.

After-dinner shot before leaving Marina Square.

From Waterloo Street to Parkway Parade - Canon Powershot SX130 IS

2011-09-01T14:33:00.000+08:00

This post is for Alice. Click on the photo to access the slideshow showing photos that I took with my faithful Canon Powershot SX 130 IS. I like this camera very much because it is compact, the colours are rich and the 14xzoom (if you have enough practice and a very steady hand) gives you reasonable good shots enabling you to capture shots from a good and safe distance. I like the wide picture format that gives photos a kind of panoramic feel and the only gripe I have with this camera is that it is not very fast in focusing and shooting if you are just using the full-auto and Program modes. Other than that, this camera remains one of the best point-and-shoot cameras that I have owned to date. It also records video in HD format and is easy to use. Check out the photos - most of which were taken with the zoom feature - here by clicking on the photo.

Sony Cybershot HX100V - my photos

2011-08-31T17:50:00.002+08:00

This post is not about any particular place in Singapore. When you click on the photo below, the slideshow will bring you through photos that I have taken with my new camera, the Sony Cybershot HX100V.

Sentosa walk

2011-08-26T16:57:00.001+08:00

A lion guards our city and keeps us strong. Our largest Merlion statue on Sentosa is an icon on Sentosa island where the casino and the Integrated Resorts (IR) are located. If you do not wish to gamble or to shop, Sentosa is a great place to walk around in especially when the weather is nice and cool. Click on the photo for the slideshow.

Bright Hill Pujue Ch'an Monastry

2011-08-24T18:00:00.001+08:00

Bright Hill Pujue Ch'an Monastery 光明山普觉禅寺 is the largest Buddhist Temple in Singapore. It is a spiritual place and one feels at peace and at ease amongst the beautiful architecture and the greenery surrounding it.

Vivocity - killing time

2011-08-18T14:45:00.001+08:00

Vivocity lives up to its name. It is always bustling, vibrant and filled to the brim with shoppers both local and tourists. But, amid the activities that the healthy and able, be they young or old, engage in at Vivocity daily, we cannot escape the fact that some of us do experience something that the usual crowd are spared. I was waiting for my friend outside the Daiso Store on the 3rd floor when I noticed that this old man was also waiting for his family to finish their shopping. I waited for about 15 minutes and when I left with my friend he was still waiting.

While waiting for my friend I killed time by taking photos, a simple pleasure I am truly thankful for.

Punggol New Town and the end point of Punggol Road

2011-08-13T18:02:00.001+08:00

This morning, we had to drive to Punggol town in the north-eastern part of Singapore to attend to something and with some time to spend we decided to explore Old Punggol Road to relive memories of times when we would drive to the end of the road to have seafood. We found a park that was supposed to have been completed in the first quarter of the year but till now is still inaccessible to the public. Part of the promenade was ready and the other part within the park was out of bounds. Anyway old Punggol Road still has much of the greenery and nature of before and I hope that these will be protected from property developers till eternity. Click on the photo for my slideshow.

2011-08-12T15:20:00.000+08:00

On Tuesday which was our National Day, we went to admire some of the historical buildings around the National Museum and Singapore Art Museum (SAM).

This was formerly Tao Nan School. Now it is the Peranakan Museum.

Beautiful arches of the Stamford House corridor where we walked through to get across to the Singapore Management University towards SAM.

Part of the Singapore Management University.

Stone tables and benches from years ago.

Buildings on the premises of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

Across from the cathedral is the SMU.

Statue of Pope John Paul II to commemorate partly the visit of the Pope in 2006.

The chapel at Chijmes that is now a function hall that one can hire for weddings and receptions.

The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd from the Singapore Art Museum.

The Singapore Art Museum, formerly St Joseph's Institution, a boy's school.

The Jacob Ballas Building, photographed from the side of the SAM. Jewish architecture.

Waterloo street. One of a few interesting buildings.

The Singapore Calligraphic Centre.

A calligraphic piece displayed at an exhibition in the Calligraphy centre.

An interesting clock at the Calligraphy Centre.

The twelve animals of the Chinese horoscope are represented here.

Looking out from the front of the Calligraphy Centre.

The National Museum.

School of the Arts (SOTA).

This building should never be demolished.

Going Home.

Bonus: Some of the works of Liu Kang at the SAM.

The ever-delightful works of Wu Guan Zhong.

SAM (Singapore Art Museum)

2011-08-08T00:05:00.001+08:00

SAM is the Singapore Art Museum that once in a while hosts special exhibitions like the works of Wu Guan Zhong, a Chinese artist whose works I really admire because there is always freshness in the way he perceives and depicts what he sees. He is my kind of artist, just like Van Gogh - different but true to himself in the way he presents his art to the world. On Fridays, admission to SAM is free just like the carparks around Fort Canning after 5pm - two freebies in a day!

Approaching the Singapore Art Museum from SMU (Singapore Management University).

The trees held my attention for a while despite the hot sun.

A cloudless blue sky letting in the full blast of the afternoon sun and we baked in the heat.

We are so blessed to have clean water and I thank God everyday that I turn on the tap. Below the water here is our Dhoby Ghaut MRT station.

A special exhibition of Liu Kang's work. Liu Kang was one of our pioneer artists famous for his 'Nanyang Style" paintings like these. There were several paintings exhibited and unlike Wu Guan Zhong's work that I really love, these are the only few works of Liu Kang that I can truly appreciate.

Life in a village where the emphasis was on the activities of the people in a Kampong.

This painting was titled "Chinese New Year's blessing". I found it ironical that while the blessings abound in the calligraphy couplets written on auspicious red papers, they did not have any positive effect on the destitute crouching below.

I also like this painting of men at leisure listening to the singing of the birds in cages hung on the branches of a tree above them. Though the painting seems like a mere record of what people do in the old days it is also sad to see birds in their natural environment not as free creatures but as servants of those who have the money to hold them captive in cages for their amusement.

This painting reminds me of a lady with a beehive hairstyle in the market that my mother used to frequent when I was a kid.

Eating durians is universal. You do not talk, you just sit and enjoy the durian to the fullest.

2011-07-30T18:32:00.000+08:00

This morning was an excellent day to go to East Coast Park. It was hot but there was a steady strong breeze and there was also a Triathlon event taking place by the sea. It did not interfere with our enjoyment of East Coast Park because it looked like a pretty well-organised event with marshalls directing athletes along the way.

We came across some delightful mosaic sculptures and this particular one looks like a kind of tribal shield.

I like this set of pillars giving a feel of the antiquity in our modern landscape.

This one by the same sculptor looks like a satellite dish.

Beautiful glazed pieces of mosaic underneath.

A row of Asoka trees lining the canal.

Public toilet.

A fir tree by the beach? Amazing things do happen.

Triathlon in progress.

Cannonball trees dripping with fruits.

Flowers of the Cannonball Tree.

What the inside of the fruit looks like. Someone must have hacked it open.

A group of Indian teenagers enjoying themselves - I like this photo very much.

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the distance.

Coconut trees responding to the breeze.

A man catching grasshoppers with his ingenious invention.

Walking towards the Food Centre.

A lovely environment marred by rubbish.

Board sailing round and round a lagoon.

Trees that looked like they were wearing skirts.

Cold dessert at the Food Centre! End of East Coast Park visit.

ArtScience Museum

2011-07-28T09:31:00.003+08:00

This post is specially for a Norwegian Lady I met at Food Republic at Wisma Atria one afternoon.

For a long time, we watched the painstaking construction of the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay waterfront. Was it supposed to be an abstract depiction of a lotus flower or a hand reaching out to pluck clouds off the sky? What it was meant to look like did not matter because finally it was completed and the ArtScience Museum was born.

When the entrance fee to view the exhibits was announced I was disappointed that it was set at such a high price. At almost $30 per person, that was enough to put off a visit. Why, the National Palace Museum in Taipei with all that world-class treasure from China's historical past only charged a fee of less than $10 and for that small amount we could view all the amazing treasures that thankfully were saved from destruction by the Communists.

When at last a friend and I decided to go and see the exhibitions at the ArtScience Museum and there were three of them, we found it painful to fork out $60 for a few hours to spend inside this museum. At the end of our visit, however, we changed our minds and were really glad we we went. Here's why:

Entering the museum.

At the basement of the museum to view the artifacts on display from the Tang Shipwreck Treasure, Singapore’s Maritime Collection that was acquired through the generous donation of the Estate of Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat, one of our well-know philanthropists.

This exhibition showcased some 60,000 objects salvaged from a sunken ninth-century Arab dhow comprising ceramics, gold and silver that had lain for centuries for more than 1,100 years. The shipwreck was found near Indonesia's Belitung Island in 1998, confirming trade between China and countries in the Persian Gulf. This find is considered of utmost importance in the late 20th Century. Here is a replica of the ship:

Some of the treasures include pottery,

and small artefacts like this inkstone used in calligraphy where a stick of ink is ground to produce the ink that collects in the ink well.This find indicates that there might have been a scholar on board the sunken ship.

Gold jewellery,

a small coin and a mirror from Java that might have been acquired during the voyage.

West Asian pottery that might have come from Iraq known to contain date syrup.

Chinese coins minted from 621 onwards.

Large jars, some encrusted with corals.

An incense burner with the opening playfully in the form of a man or boy prying open the mouth of a lion.

Jars were probably used also for packing the changsa bowls found.

Pottery found were decorated with birds, plants, flower and fish motifs.

Probably wine jars still in good condition.

The Belitung ewer, a meter tall with West Asian designs.

Beautifully glazed bowls.

Cups with 'drinking straw' - actually a clay tube at the side that I did not imagine was invented centuries ago. The hole at the bottom is concealed by a model of a fish or turtle.

Spot the fish at the bottom of the cups?

Silver boxes with intricate laced designs.

Another mirror with 'bagua' designs.

Gold containers! Gasp.

You have till the end of July to see these fantastic treasures and learn about the quality of trade between China and West Asia centuries ago.

After spending an hour or so admiring the Tang treasures, we walked over to the Van Gogh Exhibition on the same level. This exhibition is on until October 2011 and is the world touring premiere of Van Gogh Alive - The Exhibition, presented by Grande Exhibitions of Australia and VisionsCom of France.

Some people said that viewing 3000 gigantic slides of Van Gogh that were projected onto walls and ceilings of a large hall in sync with haunting classical music is not like seeing the real thing. I went in with an open mind and all I can is say is that you can enjoy Van Gogh in many ways and this is definitely an experience that should not be missed. It is also not an exhibition where you walk through in ten minutes. You have to sit there surrounded by the sight and sound of the show to appreciate Van Gogh's work down to the minute details of the dots and strokes that we often do not see when seeing his work in print. We stayed for about 20 minutes. The paintings showcased were from 1880 - 1890 produced during the most prolific period of his life.

The last exhibition was on the third floor of the museum and it boasts of the largest collection of the work of Salvador Dali ever exhibited in Singapore and it ends on 30 Oct 2011. My friend who has seen exhibitions of his work in another country was impressed by the size and variety of the exhibits. I am not a Dali fan. He is an artist that dapples in everything it seems - paintings, sculpture, jewellery, furniture, decorative items - 250 items displayed in ten galleries. I am not a fan of surrealism and though I was impressed as well, I only enjoyed these items here:

This is a swan.

Turned upside down, the swan becomes an elephant.

Sculpture of Alice in Wonderland.

Me in one of those mirrors that distort you form with a sounds of a multitude of clocks ticking away behind me.

Gold jewellery.

Modelled after the lips of Mae West, the predecessor of Marilyn Monroe and Lady Gaga.

Three-legged chair.

Singapore Youth Festival 2011 - A great performance by students

2011-07-24T18:33:00.000+08:00

I happened to be in the library at the right time on Saturday in the later part of the morning. I discovered that at 5.30pm there was going to be a performance by students in celebration of Youth Festival and returned at that time to watch it. See the slideshow here>>>

2011-07-19T23:11:00.000+08:00

The tide was low, so low that we could even see the remnants of two sunken boats near the shore. What made the walk particularly enjoyable was the spectacular cloud formation. It was just awesome.

Another part of the sky in another part of Singapore - the Esplanade.

Saturday with myself - Part 5 (Teochew Opera)

2011-07-18T22:55:00.002+08:00

My Saturday ended at the Singapore Flyer to watch a free Teochew Opera Performance. I knew that I would not be able to understand what was spoken and sung by the artistes. Nevertheless I was interested to just go and feast my eyes on the beautiful opera costumes and headgears and to enjoy the graceful gestures and movements of Chinese Opera and I was not disappointed at all.

There were two acts - a short one and a longer one.

This one is about a couple in the nuptial chambers expressing their happiness about their marital status - I guess.

The second performance as explained by a lady next to me who was one of the Opera performers on her day off. She told me that the average age of the artistes is 60 and that she was already a sixty-five-year old grandmother of three. She explained the story to me as it unfolded. Thanks to her I was able to enjoy the performance a lot more.

The story was about a young couple bethrothed to each other from young and had never met each other until one day when the boy went to the girl's house to pay his respects to his prospective mother-in-law.

Later, as he was leaving, he bumped into the girl in the garden by chance. The girl fell in love with him and as a token of her interest in him, she 'accidentally' dropped her handkerchief and made a graceful exit.

Tjhe young man picked up the handkerchief with the intention of keeping it but was advised to return it to the girl by his faithful servant. He went looking for the girl and found her and her maid in attendance in the bedroom. While they were getting acquainted over the business of the handkerchief, the girl's mother came to fetch her to her Aunty's Birthday dinner.

At the approach of the girl's mother, the boy had to find a place to hide and in desperation climbed into a large trunk in the room. The trunk is at the bottom right hand side of the picture below behind the girl.

The mother came into the room unaware of what had been happening and quickly shooed her daughter along to the birthday dinner. While toasting her Aunt and making the usual pleasantries over dinner, the girl appeared to be listless as her mind was on the boy locked in her room.

There was a funny scene in which the girl pretended to eat but was actually dropping food into a handkerchief held by her maid with the intention of bringing it back to feed the starving lad in her room when she got back.

At this point, I had to leave and never saw the end of the opera. I really enjoyed the beautiful silk costumes and backdrops that were sewn in China. Unlike the costumes of Cantonese Opera, these costumes were in the style of Beijing Operas. Though I have a preference for Cantonese Operas, I was still able to enjoy this particular opera in the Teochew dialect because the nice lady next to me took the trouble to explain the story and the actions to me - in English because she thought that I could not speak Chinese well.

Saturday Outing with myself - Part 1 (Parkview Building)

2011-07-09T15:46:00.003+08:00

Saturday outing with myself contains 5 parts arranged in chronological order. I am now only at Part 4b. Part 4c will feature the Sarong Kebaya Exhibition and Part 5 will focus on the Teochew Opera at the Flyer food centre.

I have not been posting because I have been busy. As one gets older, time seems so limited. I do not know why people my age always get this kind of feeling. My way of breaking out of this mentality is to go out and take photos to keep engaged and focused on things around me. This is the first post of a few that document my day one Saturday when I decided to take myself out and the day started at 10am at North Bridge Road and ended at 10pm when I arrived home after an eventful day by myself. Click on the photo for the slideshow.

Saturday Outing with myself - Part 2 (Bugis Junction)

2011-07-09T15:30:00.002+08:00

After Parkview, I headed for Bugis Junction. My objective was not to go shopping at the mall there. I went into the building to enjoy the air-conditioning and then came out to take a photo of these old buildings across the road that house numerous eating joints including quite a few houses serving yummy Chinese desserts.

Comparatively inexpensive coffee shops where you can have a good lunch at half the price of those at the restaurants further down the road they flank.

What I saw at the Bugis Junction Mall and why does Blogger not provide a tool for us to rotate our photos???

Lovely air-conditioning.

These are not part of wagon trains in cowboy shows. At about eleven o'clock they transform into pushcarts selling costume jewellery, trinkets and specialty goods that appeal to the young and monied.

Saturday with myself - Part 3, Chijmes

2011-07-09T15:00:00.001+08:00

From Bugis Junction I headed in the direction of Chijmes (pronounced as Chimes) that used to be the premises of the CHIJ (Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus) Town Convent. It is now a tourist attraction because it is no more a school but a place where you can find fine-dining restaurants and where the chapel is now commercialised for events such as weddings and receptions. The buildings have been preserved very well and it was a joy to walk through them. Click on the photo for the slideshow.

Saturday with myself - Part 4A (The Peranakan Museum)

2011-07-09T14:45:00.003+08:00

I have been to the Peranakan Museum more times than I am able to remember. I will still be going there and introducing friends to the unique culture of the Peranakans in this museum because I do not tire of looking at all the beautiful historical objects in there. What is great is that the museum also has special exhibitions periodically that allow us to feast our eyes on things borrowed from private individuals and museums such as the last one that I saw on the exquisite jewellery of the babas and nonyas called "Baba Bling". Unfortunately photos were not allowed. Currently, a special exhibition "Sarong Kebaya, Peranakan fashion and its international sources" being held and that was what drew me to the museum last Saturday. I arrived at the museum at 1.30pm and since there was a guided tour at 2pm, I decided to hang around and wait for it because I think that for once, it would be good to enjoy the museum from the point of view of the organisers instead of wandering around on my own. True enough, the guide did a marvellous job of weaving in the main strands of Peranakan Culture - the origins, marriage and religious ceremonies, customs and family life of the well-to-do Peranakans in the past - so that we could spend time later to appreciate better the fantastic craftsmanship of the silverware, dining ware, jewellery and clothing of the Babas and the Nonyas. I have take so many photos that to share them on this blog, I will have to do a 3-part post on the Peranakan Museum. This post is Part 1 and will feature the things I saw on the guided tour that lasted 45 minutes.

I was sitting on one of the two long benches with inlaid mother-of-pearl waiting for the guide when I noticed these inlays. I had wanted to take a photo of the beautiful bench opposite me but thought better of the idea because people sitting on it might not like it. I was amazed at the colours of the mother-of-pearl inlays that were not apparent to the naked eye.

Vases are auspicious designs in Chinese and Peranakan cultures because "vase" in Chinese sounds like the the word for "Peace".

I enjoyed the photo gallery featuring Peranakan men and women, from the well-known to the ordinary folks.

Peranakan wedding photo on the left and a family photo on the right.

What brides have to wear - Singapore/Malacca on the left and Penang on the right.

Bakul Siah are baskets containing valuable wedding gifts.

These guilded Pagoda Trays were used to transport the jewellery during a wedding.

A belt I would photograph again and again.

Bride's gifts to the groom.

Groom's gifts to the bride.

Typical reception hall in a Peranakan House.

Items for the Hair-combing ceremony (Left - groom; Right - bride) that was carried out on the eve of the wedding in the respective houses of the bride and groom.

The spittoon under the table is for the disposal of chewed betel leaves.

The spouts of the teapots do not touch. Guess the reason for it.

Microscopic beads form the floral design of this table mat and those below.

Mock-up display of a Wedding Procession.

This is where the tea-ceremony takes place. The bridal couple had to serve tea to their parents and relatives and if they drink the tea, they show their acceptance of the bride/groom and after drinking the tea, they will give money in the form of a red packet (ang-pow) or gold jewellery such as gold chains, bracelets and pendants.

These portraits of a wealthy couple were made from mosaic pieces.

Spittoons big and small.

The guide drew our attention to this painting and asked why the lady surrounded by 4 daughters looked unhappy. In a culture where sons are valued and married daughters were considered as water thrown out of the house, you can guess why.

Children's clothing and amulets they were given to protect them from evil spirits.

Way before there was manga, there were these comic books that the ladies amused themselves with.

I had to strain very hard to see that this is a beaded slipper.

The beads are more visible here. The sewing is immaculate.

If I were a Peranakan lass in the old days, I would be spending my time sewing and doing embroidery instead of blogging.

The ancestral altar that was donated by a rich man. It is distinctive because most of the items on the table were made from silver instead of the usual porcelain.

Candle-holder.

Sarong Kebaya in my favourite colour.

Tok Panjang dining ware.

The Kamcheng (food container) that is the pride of a Peranakan family.

The Peranakan kitchen.

Saturday with myself - Part 4b (Peranakan Museum)

2011-07-09T14:30:00.002+08:00

This post features a beautiful piece of Batik cloth that was displayed in the Gallery 1 in a glass showcase. The lighting was rather dim. Undeterred, I used an ISO setting of 800 and did the best that I could to avoid camera-shake. Enjoy these exquisite hand-drawn designs of flowers and butterflies.

Singapore Flyer Food

2011-06-30T16:33:00.000+08:00

Overpriced Hawker food - that was what someone said about this place. I did not agree based on my first sampling of the food there last year. Last weekend, I went there for the third time and regret to say that I find the statement more agreeable now. Anyway, while waiting for my food to be served I decided to try and read the signboards of the individual stores in Chinese. To my delight, every stall had bilingual signboards.

This weekend's Teochew Opera performances.

The cars of the Ferris Wheel looking from below.

Another angle of the Marina Bay Sands hotel.

The Singapore Flyer.

The Esplanade.

Going home. Passing by St Andrew's Cathedral.

National Museum of Singapore.

Rendezvou Hotel.

A walk with my old mum

2011-06-21T18:47:00.003+08:00

My mum walked slowly using an umbrella as a walking stick. I walked beside her using my umbrella to shade us from the biting rays of the late afternoon sun. My mum has not been to the MacRitchie Reservoir for almost twenty years.

She remembers the times when we were children and would often take our Malaysian cousins to places like MacRitchie Reservoir, the Botanic Gardens and of course Haw Par Villa (that reminds me that I have black and white photos of our outings there). She noted the changes especially the huge trees that must have been a lot shorter and smaller when she last visited. For an octogenarian, she has a good memory although her legs are rather weak she likes to take short walks around the neighbourhood. Walking with my mum is different from my regular wallks. It is a lot slower and it is spending time with my mum.

I have been to MacRitchie Reservoir countless times and somehow have not seen this pair of regal-looking lamp posts at the entrance to the wooden bridge leading to the bandstand that is currently under renovation.

"See the trees how big they've grown..."

A fixture of MacRitchie Reservoir that went back ages ago.

New developments up there. Hopefully, we will have a new garden for enjoyment soon.

My mum liked this particular flower.

The Japanese Stone lantern looked like it came from some historical site.

Prinsep Street

2011-06-20T22:59:00.000+08:00

Late one afternoon, I parked my car at Prinsep Street and decided to take a walk around the area because the weather was cool and there was a nice breeze blowing and the surroundings were pleasant and there were many interesting buildings in the vicinity. It was only today when I was looking up information on some of the buildings in my photos that I made a discovery about myself in relation to the building here. The yellow grill gates belong this building and because of them I was able to identify this building and subsequently what it actually means to me. See my slideshow of my walk around Prinsep Street here>>>

Waterloo Street

2011-06-13T22:52:00.001+08:00

Waterloo Street has always been associated with the Goddess of Mercy Temple that attracts crowds of Devotees on the first and the fifteenth day of each Lunar month as well as on special Buddhist occasions. There is another quieter stretch of Waterloo street where you can see old buildings that are allowed to stay put because of laws to protect them. This part of Waterloo street is also filled with interesting characters that make Singapore a great place to watch the world go by and sketch (though I did not have the time to finish the drawing that I started).

Cruising up the Singapore River

2011-06-04T21:12:00.000+08:00

This river cruise does not come cheap. However, it is just something you do once in a lifetime unless you don't mind going on these small river boats more than once because you happen to enjoy boat rides or because you want your overseas friends and relatives to have an enjoyable experience on the Singapore River.

Food Court and HDB estate

2011-05-28T16:44:00.000+08:00

When I need to escape from people and spend some time by myself, there are a few places that I will seek out. This is one of them.

This HDB housing estate is way out of my normal travelling range in Singapore. Today I was there for lunch.

Joo Chiat

2011-05-25T14:51:00.000+08:00

Driving through this street in Joo Chiat area I saw this larger than life size sculpture of what seems to me to be a Malay hero or dignitary behind the fence of an old Kampong-style house.

The street where he resides is lined on either side by old conserved buildings that have been turned into offices and private residences.

Orchard Road - from Takashimaya to Orchard Central

2011-05-21T23:33:00.000+08:00

It has been quite a while since I took a walk along Orchard Road and to visit Kinokuniya, my favourite haunt during times when the store has 20% storewide discounts for books. At ten in the morning the bookstore was paradise because the noise makers i.e. kids have not arrived. I had about an hour of peaceful browsing and beat a quick exit when the bookstore started to fill up with people all out to take full advantage of the savings offered. On the way to Orchard Central on the same side of Orchard Road I came across these interesting cardboard cut-outs.

Orchard Road crowd on a Saturday or anyday.

These shots were taken as I rode the long and steep escalators to the top of the 12-storey Orchard Central building.

Looking over the roof tops of the Peranakan-style houses of Emerald Hill.

Where was everyone? Orchard Central is not as well patronised as its neighbour 313.

And then I discovered a small roof-top garden at the top of Orchard Central.

A child's garden overrun by her pets.

An interesting sculpture titled 'The stair, the clouds and the sky 2009' by Victor Tan Wee Tar.

Going home along Bukit Timah Road where towering cranes rule the roads.

Some great buildings in the city of Singapore

2011-05-18T16:41:00.000+08:00

A blue mosque that may not be in the class of the famous Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey but it nevertheless has its charm and I was drawn to its presence from the passenger seat of my car. From an awkward angle and having to work around obstacles in the form of traffic lights and stationery and passing vehicles I tried to get that perfect shot of the mosque with minimal distractions in the picture.

Viola!

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) that used to be a Christian Brother school (St Joseph's Institution). The school has long since vacated these prime-land buildings and an MRT station (Dhoby Ghaut) now functions silently below this calm body of water.

Opposite SAM is the Singapore Management University (SMU), a university in the city centre. Students here are so lucky to study in such a convenient location that is so loved by nature.

This is our National Museum, across the road from the SMU.

Esplanade

2011-05-05T23:52:00.000+08:00

Before there was Marina Bay Sands and the Helix Bridge, there was the Esplanade - where arts and theatre flourished under the twin durian-shaped roofs that Singaporeans either love or love to hate. It has been months since I went there for a musical event or an art exhibition. Although there were a few exhibitions nearing the tail end of their display period, I was glad to have seen this particular one dedicated to the victims of the recent horrendous Earthquake in Japan.

Read the details of this exhibit by Japanese artist Coco-Z.

I just love the graceful branches done in calligraphic style.

A unique place to extend the exhibit - a skylight.

Another exhibit where the artist fused Peranakan subject matter with a Mediterranean approach. Wall tiles given a western treatment - interesting!

Buildings that are our heritage

2011-05-04T17:32:00.001+08:00

From the window of a Mosburger fast-food joint at Bugis Junction, I watched the world go by. Most of all I had the time to admire these two buildings that must have looked like identical twins when they were first built. I have taken many photographs of them over the years but I have never ventured into the street between them that I found out was Liang Seah Street. So I decided to to a little exploration and found that other than the two coffee shops facing each other at the start of the street, there were many interesting small restaurants and at least three shops selling Chinese desserts further in. A few days later, I returned to Liang Seah street and had Vietnamese food at a small restaurant there and walked over to the next street called Tan Quee Lan Street that has quite a few Bridal shops and eating joints as well.

Tan Quee Lan Street that is next to Liang Seah Street.

Afternoon colours

2011-05-04T17:04:00.000+08:00

I got off the Clark Quay MRT station one hot and humid afternoon and spent a total of not more than 30 minutes taking in the colourful facades of these buildings that are thankfully protected by our conservation policies. Day time is not the right time to go to Clark Quay. The place comes alive at night with the lights and the evening crowds and the incessant tourist boats plying the river.

Book Exchange at the National Library, Singapore

2011-04-16T21:01:00.001+08:00

Today I chanced upon the Book Exchange event at the foyer of the National Library and found out that the Book Exchange takes place once a year. Two weeks before the event, you could bring along as many books as you want to the National Library and in exchange you will be given a coupon stating the number of books given. On the day of the Book Exchange, you will be able to pick the books you like up to the number you have been issued on the coupon. I think this is really a very good idea as I noticed that most books were pretty new and when you give up your books you are assured that they will go to people who love to read.

I was curious about this huge crowd and the long queue.

I got distracted by this sculpture of coolies having a meal with a girl reading a book.

I had intended to go to the reference section of the library but then how often do I get to go to one side and watch the world go by?

So I got myself a coffee at a cafe and sat there for an hour and a half to just watch the people in the crowd. Initially there was a tall, macho security personnel towering above the crowd. A DJ was playing music and a man was reading a newspaper behind him. A young man and woman who were National Library staff were there to make announcements and slowly more and more people were sitting around with the books they had scooped and going through them to see if they really wanted them.

Despite the large number of people, the atmosphere was pleasant and I guess it was because this was a gathering of book lovers, not shoppers.

The young, the old, the children and their parents...

...the couples...

...the stylish...

...the fashionable...

...the individualists...

...they all came and they picked and chose...

...sat around to read and talk.

Everyone went away with loads of books they liked.

Some helpers were really school children with that eager beaver look on their faces.

Books chosen by a teenage girl.

Wait here and I will drive the car round.

I had no book to exchange this time. Next year, I will look out for this Book Exchange event and not miss it!

Jurong Bird Park, Singapore

2011-04-14T13:01:00.000+08:00

I have not been to the Jurong Bird Park since my kids became teenagers - that long ago. Since then, the Bird Park has upgraded and now it is a great day to spend with friends and especially friends from overseas.

There were very entertaining bird shows at different locations throughout the day and a monorail for those who do not want to walk much but the price is not included in the ticket. The trees have grown really tall and the 30 meter man-made waterfall is now surrounded by towering trees providing ample shade from the sun. Even if it is a got day, you can minimise discomfort by hopping into enclosures housing the penquins and owls and other buildings that provide educational content on all aspects of bird life when the heat gets unbearable. For me, the bountiful shrubs and trees were good enough and I was lucky that there was a light breeze during my visit. The Jurong Bird Park rocks!

MacRitchie Reservoir

2011-04-10T19:01:00.000+08:00

This morning was cool and breezy, a lovely change from the scorching hot weather of the past few days. A change of plan from our usual breakfast place brought us to MacRitchie Reservoir where I had a full breakfast set complete with half-boiled eggs.

Bird's Nest Fern captured with the maximum 14x Zoom of my Canon Powershot.

Even people far away were not spared.

Fruit of the MacArther Palm.

Canoe training.

For some reason, the water was greenish.

Butterfly Garden at Terminal 3 of the Changi International Airport

2011-04-05T15:45:00.001+08:00

Travelling out of the country by aeroplane is always a thrill but the most strenuous part of a holiday is always at the checkpoints. Will my luggage be overweight? Will they find something suspicious in my hand luggage and make me empty out all the contents of my bag to find the suspicious item? Will there be a problem with my passport?

I get tired just thinking about these questions each time I have to fly anywhere for a holiday but this time I remembered being told about a Butterfly Garden in Terminal 3 of the Changi International Airport. Oh what a relief it was to get through all the hassle I mentioned to this lovely garden filled with beautiful flowers with lots of colourful butterflies fluttering around them. This place in Singapore is a small piece of what Heaven might possibly have I think.