Kent Ridge Park

Kent Ridge Park was the site of a fierce battle between the Malay Regiment of the British Army and the Japanese in World War II. Many brave soldiers were killed defending this fortress. Today it is a pleasant park with lots of greenery, flowers and birds. I chose to take this lot of photos in sepia because I think the deprivation of colours will sharpen my observation skills as I was forced to pay more attention to shapes, shades and texture. It is not a handicap not to be in possession of the ability to see colours as normal people do. People who can see the entire range of colours and who can detect all the subtle differences in every hue visible to the naked eye can also be blind to what truly makes the world beautiful.

Alexandria Arch and park connector

From the Alexandria Arch at the Hortpark we walked on a 50 metre steel structure and were elevated up to 18 metres from the ground at the highest point. On the way back we walked below this superb and amazing walkway that connects the Hortpark to Telok Blangah Hill along a pleasant and cool Earth trail. Being a Sunday, there were hordes of people thronging the narrow steel structure. A walk between Hortpark and Telok Blangah Hill is estimated to take only 20 minutes. We took nearly an hour and a half because there was so much to see.

The Singapore Botanic Garden

It was a hot day and it was noon time. It was a spur of the moment decision to go to the Singapore Botanic Gardens instead of settling for the cool comfort of some shopping complex. I was not alone for there were many visitors and I was glad that despite the heat I managed to take many photographs. Then the rain came in torrents. That was okay with me as well.

Chinatown

Today, I decided to get serious about my photo-taking. So instead of my Canon IXUS 860 IS it was my Olympus SP-55oUZ that I placed my trust in. It has an 18X zoom, is a 7.1 megapixel and takes sharper pictures than the Canon. Unfortunately, it is really slow - in starting up and in-between shots. It has full manual settings, aperture/shutter priority settings and of course it can be used in auto mode. I played around with some settings and though the pictures were not disappointing to me, I began to harbour thoughts of learning to use a DSLR. Maybe I should get a Canon Powershot at the next IT fair. It is not just the camera of course, so I should not be using cameras as an excuse of shots that are not up to expectation. Which was why I did some reading up on picture composition and went to Youtube for advice and enlightenment and what I found there could make books obsolete. Anyway I had fun today.

Singapore Indoor Stadium

This is the third time that I watched a concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Some said I was not normal to have gone alone (Well, spouse and friends I asked did not want to spend so much money on songs they could easily listen to from a CD); some wondered what it was about Wakin Chou that I was going to see him perform live a second time; some found it incredible that I actually would go see a Chinese performer and thought I would more likely go for a Cliff Richard, Air Supply or Englebert Humperdink concert. That's what people think but then I don't usually do what people think I should. So I really, truly had no regrets going to the Singapore Indoor Stadium to have a rocking good time with Wakin Chou singing all his wonderful songs about love and friendship.

The indoor stadium was packed with people like me, great fans of Wakin Chou and his music. Though the sound system wasn't perfect and my quite expensive ticket did not get me a seat where I could see his face clearly, it was the best that Singapore could offer. This is the first time that I have heard about a singer doing so many song requests for his encore. The concert started at 8pm and we did not leave till close to midnight. We stayed and we will be back for his next concert!

East Coast Park

East Coast Park is a great playground for lovers of the sun, sand, sea and outdoor activities like cycling, roller-blading and jogging. It is a great place for families, friends and especially groups of young people gathering for healthy social interaction through fun and games and barbeque. One really has to be there to be able to soak in the atmosphere and to enjoy what East Coast Park has to offer at different times of the week and different times of the day. So there is no use giving descriptions of what is there. One just has to be there to enjoy the place. So this post will now focus on the cat that held my attention and fascination at East Coast Park.
When I first saw if from a distance, I knew this was not an ordinary cat by the way it looked and way it moved.
Look at the markings on its legs and body,

Those perfectly shaped ears!
I have never seen a cat that has such interesting markings that make it look more like a wild cat than a domestic cat.

It was not easy to photograph this cat because unlike most cats, this one moved confidently and would not stop even though you are in its way. When it did come near enough for me to touch its fur, it started rolling on the tarmac playfully.

Those fantastic ears again.
And then it decided to move on after a while and I had to give way.

Bollywood Veggies - A farm in Singapore

We are urban and yet we have farms. Bollywood Veggies is a refreshing change for a day's outing with family or friends from what Singaporeans usually do on weekends - eating, shopping, going across the causeway to Johore Bahru, sleeping, going to the cinemas amongst other activities. There is so much to see on this farm - flowers, fruits, crops, herbs in so many varieties. It was indeed a delightful way to enjoy nature.

Green is good for the eyes

Green is the colour of the gardens that soothe the eyes and nourishes the soul.

Admiralty Park

Admiralty Park was written about in the Sunday Times today. And so we had our usual mee siam breakfast and drove a long way to find this park that brought us close to nature.

Bukit Timah Hill in the failing light of day

Nature's lamp post - fruits of the Fish Tail Palm.

A kind of ginger plant. A diseased leaf.

A familiar tree now a lot older.

Young leaves catching the weakening sun's rays.

Coming down is tougher than going up.

A precious tree - Ghaharu

Bottom of the hill.

Shiny and new.

Tomorrow I will look better.

Almost a fruit but fell off the tree before my time.

The huge trunk of the Brazilian Nut tree supported the growth of a huge fungi.

This was a granite quarry until the late 1980s.

A little bird was hiding in the shrubbery.

The children have gone home for dinner.

The birds must have had many good meals here.

A woodpecker looking for food.

Adios!