This huge bungalow at 13 Wilkie Terrace has been sold to a developer and when June is over this bungalow will be gone. However, for the next three weeks there will be art activities by artists and musicians who will interact with the public to bid farewell to this beautiful house. The art project, called Displacement is the brainchild of Mr Yen Phang who is a member of the family that has occupied this house for three generations.

Because of the initiative of this young man,my friend and I had the chance to step into the past for a while and when we left, it was with the sad knowledge that what will follow in the wake of its demise will be something that leaves you with an insipid after taste. I cannot see how any future development can match the artistry and craftsmanship of the builders of this house.

 Thick textured glass windows that were tinted green and these windows ventilate the house well and let in light that will make a photographer and artist  want to stay here for a long time.

 The super-high ceilings means that the doors are elegantly long. The hardiness and quality of the wood of the doors and wood panels upstairs are remarkable.

 I have never seen collapsible window grills till now. How pretty and yet practical.

 The light, the light, I just love the light that comes into the house and the floor tiles - you will never see them again.

 An artist's statement blending in with the simple lines of the window. Enough is said.

 Wooden doors that could have found homes elsewhere.

 If I were a kid I would have a great time climbing in and out of windows such as these and if I were a teenager, perhaps these windows will facilitate a forbidden rendezvou at Cathay cinema nearby.

 A glimpse of the future and the fate of houses like these in the area.

Gates that have a style that defies age.

Stairs that could tell stories of countless footsteps recorded in their memories, if they could talk.

The spiral staircase appears to have moulted.

The wood can exist for another hundred years, if only they were allowed to. I hope they would not eventually end up as firewood.

Concrete is hard and unkind to those who are not careful as they walk up and down these steps. People learned to be mindful in those days.

And here's one of my favourite subjects - chairs.

So it's been a long while since you last visited me.

We never miss our Cantonese soap operas.

Let's get dressed up to the nines and go party tonight.

When the weather is hot, it will always be airy and nice here. Let's have some tea.

People in the old days, gather around to engage in after-dinner talk enjoying the coolness of the evening on high ground within the compound of their home. Nowdays, not many of us have the luxury of such private space. Anyway times have changed and it is no longer cool to hangout at home with the invention of an activity called clubbing.

Things that caught my eye because of my interest in Chinese Calligraphy and all things old.

 Wandering around the house.

 The fan will stop rotating when the time comes. The world will still rotate on its own axis and around the sun but we are at the mercy of those who are careless with the riches of the earth.

 The future is written on the wall. It's how you interpret what you see that determines how our next generation will live.

 

 Making the effort to pay a visit to the bungalow at 13 Wilkie Terrace also gave us the opportunity to explore the surroundings at Mt Sophia and Mt Emily. We were delighted to see a few remaining bungalows and old-style buildings in the area.

 

 

We did not see many people appreciating these houses and buildings. We surmised that they have all gone to look at the showflat of a condominium project that is coming up right next to 13 Wilkie Terrace. 

MacRitchie Reservoir



The beauty of MacRitchie Reservoir varies with the time and light of the day. This morning, everything about the place seemed picture perfect. The sky was the right shade of blue, the clouds were fluffy formations floating over the tranquil waters and the reflections were the right shades of blue and green mirroring the colours of the trees and the sky. It was a glorious morning and you do not need a sophisticated camera to capture the beauty of MacRitchie Reservoir, just an iPhone 4s will do. See the rest of the photos here>>>>>



Bishan Park one morning

Bishan Park on a weekday is simply heavenly. I saw an egret and two herons, a bird perched high up on a tree and wide expanse of greenery and blue skies. 

The Japanese Garden in Singapore

 The Japanese Garden in Jurong is right next to the Chinese Garden and both are linked by a beautiful white marble bridge supported by arches. The Japanese Garden was a collaborative effort between the govenments of Japan and Singapore and it was designed by a Japanese professor specially appointed for the task. Like my visit to the Chinese Garden, I was equally impressed by the standard of maintenance by the gardeners.

 

Imaginery mountains and waterfalls greet you as you enter the main gate.

Neatly-trimmed shrubs make you feel like a giant wandering around hillocks.

The red bridge, one of three in the garden brings back memories of my visits years ago.

Another massive river flowing through a forest of pines.

Graceful bamboo rustle in the wind.

Ixora flowers bloom healthily and abundantly.

A bittern stretching its neck to look for breakfast.

A large heron walking beside the pond hoping for fish.

Simple lines mark the architecture of this building.

You can sit here and listen to the birds in the shade of a huge tree.

Japanese stone lantern garden - there are several of them here including the cute one below.

Flowers of the bottlebrush tree.

Bittern with a punky hairdo surveying his tuft.

This one is more practical for it actively looks for food.

Why, I even saw this lovely kingfisher up on a tree.

Lotus in full bloom.

Pretty pink flowers - Kopsia specie.

I just love this bridge.

Shelter from the sun. This garden is wonderful also because of the absence of mosquitoes.

Cross over to the Chinese Garden using this bridge.

The Chinese Garden of Singapore

 

Today, I went to the Chinese Garden in Jurong after quite a long while despite living close to it. I remember when it was first opened in the mid-seventies, it was filled with people eager to see this landscaped garden with Chinese Imperial structures designed by an architect from Taiwan. 

 

My first visit to the Chinese Garden was with my best friend and we took black-and-white photos with my yashica camera. Between that first visit and my previous one some years back, I visited the garden sporadically during events such as Lantern displays and Children's Colouring competitions. I remember that at some point in time, the place was rather pathetic and had a air of neglect around it and that had contributed to my loss of interest in the garden and as time passed I forgot about this garden.

When I visited this forgotten place in my memory this morning, I was pleasantly surprised that the garden was well-maintained and the structures looked good as new and that some of the structures were in the process of renovation or maintenance. Though I did not have the time to cover the entire grounds of the Chinese Garden, I saw enough that made me feel that this was a garden that Singaporeans should be proud of and like me, should return to enjoy its beauty. See for yourself here>>>

River Hong Bao festivities Jan 2012

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

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.