Picture: BBQ Pit 66, Area F, East Coast Park

For readers who are interested in the picture or photograph of bbq pit 66 at Area F of East Coast Park, I have posted it here.

For a map to see where East Coast Park's bbq pit 66 or Area F is, you can take a look at Npark's map of pit 66 location in East Coast Park.

Directions and details (like Bus service number, route map) on how to get to bbq pit 66 in East Coast Park are also available at the same web location.

Note that camping is allowed in this area of East Coast Park. You can see that Area F is very popular for camping by counting the number of colourful tents that are pitched around the area of bbq pit 66. Part of its popularity could be its proximity to washing facilities, toilets and a car park within a short walk. The sea view and sea breeze are also pleasant attractions here.

More related reads on Seen This Scene That:

1. How To Book Barbecue Pit in our Parks

2. Photographs of BBQ Pits in Pasir Ris Park

3. Camping in East Coast Park

4. More about East Coast Park

5. Map of Singapore at SeenThisSceneThat

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Hong Lim Park Singapore: Public Demonstration Venue, Speakers' Corner

Photo Credit: Culture Show at Hong Lim Green Park, National Archives of Singapore

Hong Lim Park Singapore: Public Demonstration Venue, Speakers' Corner

Hong Lim Park, Singapore’s first public garden created by philanthropist Cheng Hong Lim in 1885, was designated in September 2000 as the place for the Speakers’ Corner. From 30 August 2008, this 0.94-hectare Hong Lim Park will add another designation as a venue for public demonstration in Singapore.

Photograph: Speakers' Corner at Hong Lim Park Singapore where public demonstration will be allowed

National Park Board’s Hong Lim Park is bounded by North Canal Road, South Bridge Road, Upper Pickering Street and New Bridge Rd. Within this boundary, public demonstration (display) of election rallies, speeches and cultural shows took place in the 1950s and 1960s.

Besides the prominent “Speakers’ Corner” signage, Hong Lim Park has many public demonstrations (displays) of amenities accessible to public.

The Telok Ayer Hong Lim Green Community Club is a public demonstration of the social importance placed on the community. Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post is another public demonstration of the importance placed on law and order. Fitness equipment tucked in one corner of Hong Lim Park near a public car park is also a public demonstration of the importance placed on individual physical fitness.

Wide spaces are available at Hong Lim Park for public visitors to enjoy the demonstration of tranquility. For a public photographic demonstration of Hong Lim Park’s features, check out Npark’s website. More information on the administrative uses of Hong Lim Park, Speakers’ Corner or public demonstration in Singapore can also be found there.

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Free Fruits In Singapore: Yishun Park

Jackfruits at Yishun Park

Free Fruits In Singapore: Yishun Park

If you wander around Yishun Park in Singapore, you will notice tropical fruits are available free of charge during the fruiting season. I have seen durian fruits, rambutan fruits and jack-fruits hanging on branches at Yishun Park. Three roads bound this park in northern Singapore: Yishun Central, Yishun Ring Road and Yishun Avenue 4.

Nparks does not mind if park visitors pick up fruits that have dropped from the branches. However, under the Trees and Parks Act of Singapore, there are penalties if the fruit trees in public parks like Yishun Park are damaged in the fruit collecting process.

While I started my visit to Yishun Park with family with the intent to enjoy a stroll and the playground facilities, I was soon distracted by other visitors who were snooping around fruit trees with an eye to collect a free harvest of ripe fruits.

From my observations of the various free fruits on offer, the most difficult to lay hands on at Yishun Park are the durians. Firstly, durian trees at Yishun Park, probably planted many years ago, now reach heights that are too high for a safe climb. Secondly, for every durian tree that is ripe with fruits, there is always a ‘bodyguard’ or two hanging around them at most times in Yishun Park.

I saw elderly ladies and gentlemen sitting on benches of Yishun Park waiting patiently to chase after the fallen durian fruits. After friendly chats, we ascertained that at least one of these visitors had admitted that she was indeed waiting for the ripe durians to fall. For the record, not all durians drop from their high perches after sundown according to this freelance durian collector we spoke to.

Free Fruits are Dangerous at Yishun Park

Waiting for a ripe durian to fall at Yishun Park can be a risky venture. Warning signs are erected to instill fear of head injury due to falling durians. Moreover, the law of gravity can be painfully and acutely experienced as the fruits start their descent from a truly great height. The thick forest canopy at Yishun Park also hides the location of sneaky durians.

I was fortunate on this visit not to be hit by falling fruits. In fact I had an opportunity to catch sight of a harvest of free fruits in action.

Free Falling Rambutan Fruits at Yishun Park

Can you see this guy hanging high up in the branches while his friend scoops up the fallen rambutan fruits? The lady cyclist using Yishun Park as a shortcut couldn’t stop herself from picking up some of the fruits that had accidentally fallen into her path.

Free Fruits At Yishun Park

Neither could we.

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Kallang Riverside Park: Gas Works and Sculpture

Kallang Riverside Park Photograph

Kallang Riverside Park: Gas Works and Sculpture

If you visit Kallang Riverside Park, you cannot miss two distinctive structures that bring memories to this area of Singapore. They are the blue steel pillars of what remains as the gas holder of Kallang Gas Works and an abstract sculpture called the Spirit of Kallang.

Kallang Gas Works
Tall blue pillars are the gas holders that remain of Kallang Gas Works. These pillars that stand next to a carpark at Kallang Riverside Park are a reminder of the men and machines that gave life to street lighting in Singapore and cooking fires in homes of the past. Built in 1862, Kallang Gas Works was the town’s main supplier of gas that enabled streets to be lit after dark and helped residents to enjoy home-cooked hot meals in the comfort of their apartments.

Kallang Riverside Park: Kallang Gas Works

History of Kallang Gas Works
According to the National Library Board’s Infopedia http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_750_2005-01-11.html:

The Gas Works, initially formed as the Singapore Gas Company was the predecessor to the Public Utilities Board which primarily supplied utilities to the Singapore public. The Singapore Gas Company was formed in 1861 to provide gas lighting for the Town. This company built the Kallang Gas Works in 1862 (at the location of Kallang Riverside Park) to supply the first piped gas in Singapore to enable street lighting. It was given the Hokkien nickname huay sia or "fire city" because of superstitious fears that it might just blow up.

Photo Credit: Kallang Gas Works National Archives of Singapore

Four tanks were built in total and operated in the Kallang Gas Works. Nos. 1 and 2 tanks were built with the original plant in 1862 and were in use until they were demolished in 1957. No.3 tank was built before 1900 whilst No. 4 tank was built between 1908 to 1909.

As electricity took over street lighting in 1906, the use of town gas for street lighting declined until the last gas lamp in 1956.



Modern Kallang Gas Works
On 1 May 1963, the Public Utilities Board was constituted, taking over the responsibilities of the former City Council, for gas, electricity and water supply. Plans to develop the Riverwalk Park along Kallang Basin led to announcements in January 1987 that the Kallang Gas Works would be removed.



In July 1997, piped gas production operation was relocated to the S$240 million Senoko Gasworks. Singapore Power also opened a S$30 million gasholder at Toh Tuck at end March 1998 which serves as a contingency store of between 6 to 8 hrs gas supply should the Senoko operation face problems.Gas production continued uninterruptedly for 137 years at the Kallang Gasworks except for short breaks during the world wars. It opened to the public for the first time on 26 March 1998 before it would finally be demolished.

Present Time At Kallang Riverside Park
Nowadays, the remaining pillars of the Kallang Gas Works stick out like ancient monoliths as if plucked from a by-gone era and transplanted into the greenery of Kallang Riverside Park. If you do not notice the information boards placed at the foot of this structure, you might have thought that some contractor went bust and could not afford to put a roof over this tent-like scaffolding in the middle of Kallang Riverside Park.

Spirit of Kallang sculpture at Kallang Riverside Park

Spirit of Kallang Sculpture
A short stroll away along the Kallang Riverside, the Spirit of Kallang stands tall in this park. Its inscription about the Kallang Gasworks (1861 – 1998) reads:

“The Spirit of Kallang incorporates materials from Kallang Gasworks. Its design symbolizes the hardworking ethos and enduring spirit of the early pioneers of Singapore who worked hard to establish a better life for future generations.” The sculpture was commissioned by Singapore Power Ltd and created by Mr Lim Leong Seng.

If you walk around the Kallang Riverside Park on a late afternoon visit, gatherings of workers and friends who come from the surrounding suburb for an afternoon of picnics, leisure and siesta, can be seen. Elsewhere on the beaches of Kallang River, groups of water sports participants busy themselves at the park for an afternoon of recreational fun. Occasionally, you may witness dragon boats plying along the Kallang River while water skis jet about the river to compete for your attention.

Read about history in Singapore Parks in Seen This Scene That:

1. Lim Bo Seng Memorial at Esplanade Park

2. Tan Kim Seng Fountain, Esplanade Park

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Singapore Bay Run Review

Singapore Bay Run Review

The start of my participation in the 2008 Singapore Bay Run could not have been better. The morning sun, hidden behind clouds that gave no hint of rain, stayed cool after a prolonged downpour the day before. The 6-kilometre 8.30am flag-off of the Singapore Bay Run was still ten minutes away when I reached the Esplanade Bridge.

As Singapore Bay Run participants warmed up to the deejay’s banter, I managed to warm up before embarking on a journey along the Bay Run route that would take me along Esplanade Drive, part of Collyer Quay, Marina Boulevard, East Coast Parkway (ECP), Rochor Road, Temasek Boulevard, Raffles Avenue and Marina Promenade before ending at the foot of Esplanade Bridge.

Assoc Prof Koo Tsai Kee (Minister of State, Ministry of Defence) flagged off the Singapore Bay Run 6-km non-competitive runners at 8.30am on 24 August 2008. Instead of an explosive start off the start-line like I had been witnessing at the Olympic Games athletic events, the block of runners ambled along at a pace just faster than a crawl.

I joined in the fray once three quarters of the participants had started their Singapore Bay Run. Many participants were walking like a family out for a stroll in the park. The pace only picked up after about half a kilometre into the Singapore Bay Run.

Due to a sub-optimal training regime from sitting in front of the TV watching the Beijing Olympic Games, I was soon joining these walkers as well. Intermittently, I would also pause to take photographs of the many attractions along the Singapore Bay Run route.

Of note were the bands and performers that provided entertainment during the Singapore Bay Run. A percussion band played to whip the crowd into frenzy at the starting line on the Esplanade Bridge. Along the East Coast Parkway (ECP) near the Rochor exit, a jazz band from ITE performed to cheer tired runners who were unused to tackle the steep ascent up the Benjamin Sheare’s Bridge. Near the Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City, a Secondary School Band did their instrumental best to boost runners’ moods. Right where the Singapore Flyer sat, cheerleaders from NTU shouted and waved their poms poms to lift spirits of weary runners.

I did not get a chance to visit the Marina Barrage (see PUB site) as only the 21-km route took runners across the Marina Barrage. But the 6-km Singapore Bay Run route did allow us to run in front of the floating platform on Marina Bay where the recent National Day Parade 2008 was held.

While the start for me was good, the end point to the Singapore Bay Run was far from good. If only the end point could have been shifted to St Andrew’s Road (with a cheering crowd of supporters at the finishing line) like the previous editions, it would have been a satisfying Singapore Bay Run experience.

Overall, the 6km Singapore Bay Run was still a pleasant and enjoyable walk and run for me. Perhaps next year, I will try again to convince my family to come along and join in the Singapore Bay Run fun.

Read more in Seen This Scene That:
1. Marina Barrage: Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon
2. SPCA Charity Fun Run
3. Jog In Punggol Park


Do you have more running places to recommend?

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Learning Points: Team Singapore Table Tennis, Beijing Olympic Games

Learning Points: Team Singapore Women's Table Tennis, Beijing Olympic Games

The past fortnight has seen my family and I glued to the TV screen because of the Beijing Olympic Games and especially the efforts of Team Singapore Women's Table Tennis.

The Team Singapore Women's Table Tennis Olympic Silver medal winning performances were the highlight of the 2008 Olympic sporting extravaganza that have never been witnessed since our nation gained independence. The previous Olympic Silver medal winning performance that was won by Singaporean weightlifter Tan Howe Liang took place way back in 196o.

I am sure these Team Singapore Women's Table Tennis Olympic Silver medalists and their winning performances will become colossal role models for Singaporeans. The unprecedented Olympic medal winning performance since independence by Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu and Feng Tianwei will likely be telecast on national TV repeatedly whenever an Olympic Games year comes around every four years.

I will not go into debate about the degree of 'Singaporean-ness' these table tennis athletes are. As far as I am concerned and in the eyes of the Olympic competition, they are Singaporeans. This mighty Olympic medal-winning achievement is a Singaporean record worth celebrating.

As learning points for my family, I’m glad to say that my children were inspired to follow the table tennis women’s team and single’s events closely, even though they aren’t the athletic type, or particularly sports loving, unless the sporting event is played on PC with a mouse or joystick.

My kids have been learning how to point their table tennis bats correctly since the exploits of our Women’s Table Tennis Silver medallists at the Beijing Olympic Games. They have also been busy learning how to count points in their ping pong games. Inevitably, one loser will be learning how bad it feels to lose while the other will be learning how to win with respect and grace.

This win-lose concept of sports, the emotions that go along with it and attendent how-to-deal-with-it aspects are also learning points. Just like in the real world, learning how to handle both the positive points and negative points in their journey through life is an essential skill that they must learn to acquire.

Hopefully, the momentum of their interest in sports can be sustained long after the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The exposure to sports and physical games as recreational pursuits is a continuous learning experience for my family. I hope to add more points to their learning of sports in order to make their academic life more rounded and more balanced in our everything-must-be-number-one society.

Read more ...

1. Singapore Youth Olympic Games blog

2. Team Singapore Table Tennis: Beijing Olympic Games

See more sports, live more life.

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Dirty Beaches of Singapore: Pasir Ris Beach

Dirty Beaches of Singapore: Pasir Ris Beach

You would have heard about one of the dirty beaches of Singapore recently. Apparently authorities have found some bacteria contamination of sea water at Pasir Ris beach. While most beach visitors would not bat an eyelid at rubbish left behind by beachgoers or barbecue pit users, this dirty beach at Pasir Ris park's beachside waters is a little more serious than plain litter.

Warning signs such as this one shown above have sprung up along the beaches of Pasir Ris park in the northeastern corner of Singapore. Visitors are warned that the water is unclean and unsafe. Water sports and water-based activities are highly discouraged for fear of picking up skin or intestinal illnesses from touching / accidental drinking of contaminated sea water.

Questions remain on the source of the contamination. What is causing Pasir Ris beach to be one of the dirty beaches in Singapore? Would the contamination spread to Changi beach and other beautiful beaches around the coastal rim of Singapore? How long more would this "dirty beaches" tag stay on at Pasir Ris beach?

Let's hope Pasir Ris beach can shake off its "dirty beaches" tag soon. Otherwise lovers of water-based sports and activities will have to hang out at other beaches of Singapore to satisfy their sea sports cravings a while longer.

Read related posts on Pasir Ris Park and Beach:

1. Mangrove swamp at Pasir Ris Park

2. Pasir Ris Park Playground

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Water Cable Ski Places in Singapore: East Coast Area

photo: Water Cable Ski Places at East Coast Lagoon

Water Cable Ski Places in Singapore: East Coast Area

On the East Coast area that used to be the East Coast Lagoon sits Water Ski 360, billed as the first water cable ski recreational park in Singapore. Of the several water cable ski places in Singapore, this water cable ski park is placed in a sheltered body of water located at East Coast Park Service Road.

From carpark E1 at East Coast Parkway (ECP), it is a short walk across a path meant for cycling, inline skating, roller blading and pedestrian use to reach East Coast Lagoon.

At this sports park for water cable skiing, thrill seekers can attach themselves to a wakeboard and hang on to a wire for hours as a system of pulleys drags participants around in circles (360 degrees) for hours of water cable ski fun in one of the many fun places under the East Coast sun.

You can differentiate the semi-professionals from the novices by counting the seconds before a water cable ski participant loses his or her grip on the ski wire. While I do not have the inclination to try cable ski out, others who tried have enthused about its high degree of water ski thrills and spills.

Water cable ski usage fees apply, while equipment rental is also available on site. Even if you do not engage in water cable ski sport, you can grab a chair to sit as there many sitting places at the restaurant that carries the same name. Just be careful that you do not develop nausea as you watch water cable ski enthusiasts perform vertiginous 360-degree cable-led water spins in one of east coast’s many outdoor sporting places.

Related Reading in Seen This Scene That:
1. In-line skating at East Coast Park
2. East Coast Park Camping
3. More on East Coast Park

[... read more inside Seen This Scene That...]

Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East

Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East

Photo: Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East 'Seed' Sculptures

The contrast in atmosphere between Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East and Ang Mo Kio MRT station is stark. As you leave the Ang Mo Kio MRT station to make your way to Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East, cold steel and hard concrete give way to warm trees and soft grass. Located at Ang Mo Kio Street 53, Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East is a welcomed relief to weary travelers on their way home from office.

Unlike those who pass through this tranquil park in Ang Mo Kio to reach their residence, I am here as a temporary visitor. This garden and park visit is a relaxing holding area while fulfilling my parental duty as chauffeur to my child as I wait out for the completion of an inter-school competition at a nearby auditorium one afternoon.

The outstanding feature at Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East is the giant egg-like rocks, taller than me, scattered throughout this neighbourhood park. These are egg-shaped rocks embedded in this east town park in Ang Mo Kio.

photo:Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East, Rubber Tree history

I saw two sculptures that were sliced open to reveal plaques with written details about the rubber and nutmeg plantations that thrived in Ang Mo Kio Town many decades ago. These strange sculptures are actually educational art pieces that depict the seeds of rubber and nutmeg.

HDB residents and visitors from elsewhere will not miss these super-sized artistic installations, and the attendant natural heritage message, should they ever pass by Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East.

The town park has a hilly feature with sheltered tables and chairs near its apex that provide a bird’s eye view of the surrounding Ang Mo Kio town housing estate. Tall trees with dense foliage obstruct much of the town view though.

Other usual park amenities like a playground, fitness corner, jogging track and feet massaging stones can be found in Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East. Street lighting allows residents and other visitors to come here for a relaxing stroll after dark.

Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East looks like an unusual gem of a park in this corner of Singapore with its modern day art installations that remind of a by-gone era of our natural heritage.

Location and Map of Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East

Read more on Parks and Gardens in Seen This Scene That:
1. Katong Park in Katong Town: National Heritage Board Site
2. Esplanade Park in CBD Town: Tan Kim Seng Fountain
3. Sunplaza Park in Tampines Town

See more places. Live more life.

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Singapore Gets Olympic Silver Medal In Women's Team Table Tennis

Singapore Gets Olympic Silver Medal In Women's Team Table Tennis

In a historic moment, Singapore's women's table tennis team of Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu received their Olympic Silver medals today after their final women's team table tennis match against China.

Singapore's Ng Ser Miang, Vice-President of the Singapore National Olympic Council and Executive Member of the IOC, gave out the Olympic Silver medals during a medal presentation ceremony at the Beijing University Gymnasium.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge were spotted among the cheering crowd during the live telecast of the women's team table tennis finals.

The last time Singapore won an Olympic medal was on 9 Sep 1960, at the Palazetto Dello Sport Hall in Rome, when Tan Howe Liang, aged 27, put Singapore on the world map when he lifted a total of 380kg in the lightweight (67.5kg) category to beat 33 rivals for the lightweight Silver medal. As of the last century, it had remained Singapore's only Olympic medal.

Well done and congratulations to Singapore's women's team table tennis for this sterling Olympic achievement!

Related Reading:

1. Team Singapore Beijing Olympic Games

2. Singapore Youth Olympic Games blog

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Mushroom, Aloe Vera, Wheatgrass, Edible Cactus Farm In Singapore

photo above: wheatgrass 'farm'

Mushroom, Aloe Vera, Wheatgrass, Edible Cactus Farm In Singapore

Due to space constraints and lack of a farming heritage, few farms exist in ultra-urban Singapore. Of the farms that cultivate crops, most offer a rojak spread of common farm vegetables to tantalize visitors who live in concrete jungles. To discover a vegetable farm in Kranji Singapore that specializes in four combinations of unique crops (mushroom, aloe vera, wheatgrass and edible Mexican cactus) is a needle-in-a-haystack find.

Situated at 220, Neo Tiew Crescent in Kranji Singapore, I stumbled upon Kin Yan Agrotech in Kranji of Singapore. This organic farm cultivates mushroom, aloe vera, wheatgrass and edible Mexican cactus plantations in four mini-farms spread out throughout the Kranji countryside.

photo above: aloe vera plants

Visitors to this Kranji farm do not need to pay entrance fees to look at the aloe vera, wheatgrass, cactus and mushrooms as they wander around the neat farm. A large paved compound for free car parking sits next to a single-storey building, which serves as a visitor centre, mini-supermarket and office.

When you first arrive, hide from the heat by ducking into its air-conditioned main building to familiarise yourself with the end products dished out by the farm. You can sample juices and syrups of various kinds made from aloe vera, wheatgrass, edible cactus and mushroom, or try to chew on bits of these less common plants until stocks run out.

photo above: Mexican edible cactus farm

Once done with exercising your taste buds, move over to the Cactus and aloe vera corners that are lined up next to the visitor center. The edible Mexican cactus, its plump stem covered by a thick green layer, looks like a flattened baseball bat adorned with pointed thorns. Underneath that prickly appearance of the cactus however is a load of supposedly healthful ingredients. The Mexican cactus is a popular herbal cholesterol-lowering remedy in Mexico. Traditional Mexican healers use cactus for treatment of sunburn and minor rashes, hemorrhoids, insect bites, and abrasions. Sweetened cactus tea is said to lower fever and relieve chest pain.

Doubling up as decorative artifacts, Aloe Vera plants stuffed into large earthen pots line the periphery of the car park. Looking like an electrocuted green-coloured octopus with its stiff tentacles pointing to the sky, the Aloe Vera plant appears to have beneficial health-related surprises despite its rigor mortis posture.

In another single-storey building opposite the visitor centre, Wheatgrass are grown on shelves in a dark and damp environment. The rows of green Wheatgrass at maturity can reach up to 24 centimetres tall. Wheatgrass is believed to be a powerful detoxifier, which lessens risk cancer, reduces high blood pressure and lowers sugar levels, although no random controlled studies have been used to prove these claims.

There is a small area next the Wheatgrass plantation where chairs have been arranged in front of a table and whiteboard marker. Write-ups, photographs and newspaper clippings on various aspects of wheatgrass cultivation can be seen in what appears to be the health education center of this farm.

photograph above: mushroom farm

Walk past the rows of Wheatgrass deeper into the building and step into the indoor mushroom plantation farm. It took a while for my eyes to adapt to the dim lighting before I could discern a variety of mushrooms extending from a wall of wires filled with bags of nutrients. At full bloom, some mushrooms resembled chunky clouds floating on air while others looked like fat bean sprouts wearing safety helmets.

For an unusual place to learn more about mushroom, aloe vera, wheatgrass and edible cactus, look no further than this organic farm in Kranji for a distinctive farm visit in Singapore.

Read about other farms in Singapore:
1. Dragon fruit farm, Kranji Singapore
2. Animal Farm In Kranji Singapore
3. Vegetable Farm, Kranji Singapore
4. Frog Farm in Singapore

See more places, live more life.

[... read more inside Seen This Scene That...]

Have You Visited Hort Park?

As a first for SeenThisSceneThat, I am conducting a simple online poll of my readers. As I am passionate about family-friendly places that are related to nature, sky and space, I have chosen Hort Park, a new hangout on the Southern Ridges of Singapore to be the subject of my poll.

I have written about my visits to Hort Park in earlier articles. You can read them here:

1. Hort Park: A hot place to visit for a garden walk in Singapore

2. Walk at HortPark on Southern Ridges Park Connector

My question for this poll is: Have you visited Hort Park? You are offered four choices. Choose the most appropriate one that applies to your situation.

(1) Yes, and I enjoyed the experience!
(2) Yes, but it was not satisfying.
(3) No, but I plan to visit Hort Park.
(4) I don't want to visit Hort Park.

This poll on Hort Park will remain open until the end of the month.

This is an experiment that I am conducting to gauge reader response. I know most readers living on the same island as I are not the hands-on type. Most people like to watch and stare when something interesting like a seventh month getai starts, but few will volunteer themselves to be coaxed up on stage to be with the stars in the getai show. This is your chance to break the stereotype, so please vote in the poll on the top right sidebar.

Before you click on the "Show results" button, do click your own response first. Thank you for participating in my Hort Park poll!

Thank you for your support.

See more places. Live more life.

3 September 2008 Update:

Polls closed. Results are shown below:

Thank you readers for your particpation and support!

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Labrador Park And Nature Reserve

Labrador Park And Nature Reserve

Since 1 January 2002, Labrador Park’s 10-ha coastal secondary vegetation and the rocky shore have been gazetted as a Nature Reserve. The non-descript turn off from Labrador Ville Road into Singapore’s Labrador Park and Nature Reserve hides an adventurous place for families with kids to visit.

Kids Run
At the roundabout near the top of Labrador Park and Nature Reserve, we started our visit to this protected piece of land after parking at car park A. The impressive looking RainTree Resort and Spa posed a temporary distraction before we realized that most of Labrador Park’s attractions were in the opposite direction. With lots of space, our kids loved to chase each other and run at will.

Labrador Park and Nature Reserve: Heritage Site

The hill on Labrador Park and Nature Reserve houses remnants of the Labrador Battery that was assigned to this area to defend Singapore during World War II, as well as the Labrador Tunnels. There is an excellent heritage site on Labrador Park and Nature Reserve because of the artillery pieces and many graphic illustrations with written explanation to describe the details of this military involvement along the Labrador Nature Reserve trail.

Labrador Park and Nature Reserve: Guns

Old Guns
Among the exhibits, the huge 6-inch guns of Labrador Park and Nature Reserve impressed my kids tremendously. With statues of soldiers posing with cannon shells, it did not take them long to decipher the significance of this art installation. I felt that it would have greatly increased our appreciation of the target areas out at sea if views were not obstructed by overgrowth of vegetation.

Walking past the Olive Restorante, the Labrador Tunnels beckoned but we were there too late as the last paid guided tour of the tunnels at Labrador Park and Nature Reserve was at 6pm. If you wish to learn more, read more on the Labrador Tunnels here.

Labrador Park and Nature Reserve: Sunset at jetty

Setting Sun
At the top of Labrador Park and Nature Reserve, a panoramic view of the Labrador jetty reaching out to the sea and sky awaits visitors. If you come here at sunset like we did, you can take in the breathtaking scene. This sea-cliff at Labrador Park and Nature Reserve is the only rocky sea-cliff in mainland Singapore.

Beach and Jetty Fun
After being intoxicated by the beauty of sunset, try to climb down the long flight of steps that extend about 30-metres down the side of Labrador Park and Nature Reserve’s steep cliff without tripping over. Watch out for the overhanging branches in the secondary forest as you make your way down the stairs. At the end of this descent, let the sea breeze have fun with your hair while you stand on the jetty (the entrance gate to the jetty closes at 5pm). If you come at low tide, have more fun as you roam the seabed in order to appreciate the diverse marine inhabitants of the beach at Labrador Park and Nature Reserve.

Recommended reading:
1. Dragon's Tooth Gate at Labrador Park
2. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
3. Bukit Batok Nature Reserve

Do you have more places to recommend?

[... read more inside Seen This Scene That...]

Team Singapore: Beijing Olympic Games

Team Singapore: Beijing Olympic Games

Beijing Olympic Games Opening Ceremony: photo taken from TV

The Olympic Games is a family-friendly, once-in-four-year global sporting event that has captivated me for a long time. To keep enthusiasm for the Olympic Games at a high level over four years is a tricky process; but after watching the breathtaking opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, my old bones tell me the Olympic Games fever is starting to soar again.

With the brilliant Zhang Yimou-directed sequences, the Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony has set the bar much higher than previous Olympic Games editions. With 5000 years of Chinese history translated into a scripted series of mass displays, traditional dances, high-tech visual lighting and overflowing fireworks, the impact was simply awesome.

When Team Singapore entered Beijing’s Bird Nest Stadium, led by table tennis star and flag-bearer Li Jiawei, the expectations began to rise. Our Beijing Olympic Games Singapore team is the largest to gather at any Olympic Games venue and appears to be well-prepared for Olympic glory. Regardless of medal-winning chances, a trip to the Olympic Games is a hard-to-come-by learning experience, which I hope will spur our Singaporean athletes to give of their best.

This is also a learning experience for my family as the kids will learn more about Team Singapore and the sports that our Olympians excel in. Hopefully, this will spur them to become more active and develop interest in a new sport or two.

I will be watching Team Singapore closely during the Beijing Olympic Games. I will be cheering the team on home TV in Singapore. And hopefully the team can give Singaporeans more reasons to support them.

Read more of my posts and blog:
1. Singapore Youth Olympic Games blog
2. Tao Li In Beijing Olympic Games 100m Butterfly Final

[... read more inside Seen This Scene That...]

Images And Places In Singapore Seen On NDP

Images And Places In Singapore Seen On NDP

You’ll recognize this sense of dejavu when images like cakes, parties, drinks, feasting, family and friends are seen during one’s birthday party. What do you think are the images and places in Singapore, seen on National Day Parade (NDP)?

Emotion on the anniversary of their own births can consume some individuals. Perhaps it can be seen as a positive sign that these individuals have pressed the pause button on a busy work schedule in Singapore, seen how time has sped by and realized that it’s the relationships that connect you to people that make a great life.

No, it’s not my birthday today, nor am I going to bore my Singapore readers about it anyway. As August 9, 2008 approaches, I shall bring up images and places in Singapore, seen on NDP, on our nation’s birthday.

Celebrated by the Republic of Singapore on 9 August 2008, the National Day Parade (NDP) is the party for the nation. When a nation celebrates its birthday like during NDP, what is the significance? Does the day of NDP bear any meaning to you?

Do you go about displaying patriotic NDP images and give hand-on-chest declarations of love for Singapore? Do you reiterate NDP slogans about Singapore, seen on TV advertisements? Do you install flags on your balcony and NDP posters on your weblog’s sidebar? Do you sing or hum jingoistic NDP songs about Singapore seen on the official website? Did you even visit the NDP 2008 website?

There is no need to do any or all of these to show your support for NDP and Singapore. In the four chambers of your heart, you know the answer to that question. Only you can tell the significance of the NDP for yourself.

All these well-intended demonstrations of patriotism for Singapore, seen yearly at every NDP, are what you and I have come to expect, and accept.

Watching the NDP show, whether at Marina Bay or on home TV this year, will certainly make many Singaporean hearts flutter. New stunts, fireworks displays and mass performances to be seen on the upcoming NDP show will excite viewers to no end. At its conclusion, we shall rise to vocalize our commitment to the nation with pride.

After all, the greatest birthday show for Singapore during NDP is meant to celebrate another year of maturity, cheer our hardworking population, inspire our future generation and raise the spirits of a nation. Bread-and-butter NDP show routines are seen packaged with wholesome life goodness, family-friendly themes, a few offbeat performances, fast-paced commentaries and a cosmopolitan viewer-ship.

The images and places in Singapore seen on NDP depend on which group of Singaporeans you belong to:

A washroom break and the NDP show will be seen in the living room’s goggle box. A performance for the umpteenth time and the NDP stage will appear right under your feet. A final take-off call and NDP’s Marina Bay venue will shrink through your ascending aircraft’s window. A coffee break and the office walls will beckon to you 24/7 to strive harder for your year-end bonus. A final snapshot and post-NDP images will be seen on the Net. An outdoor walk and places in Singapore seen by me may show up on a blog.

Whatever your inclinations, you and only you can decide the images and places in Singapore, seen on NDP.

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Happy Birthday Singapore!
Happy NDP weekend to all my readers!

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Have You Seen This Crocodile In Pasir Ris Park?

Photo: Straits Times Page H6 on 6 August 2008

Have You Seen This Crocodile In Pasir Ris Park?

Hunters from PUB, Nparks, photography clubs and nature lovers are descending on the mangrove swamp near Tampines River canal in Pasir Ris Park to ‘shoot’ the newest reptilian addition in Singapore’s northeastern coastal land. Most visitors are looking for a souvenir photograph, while experts are aiming to catch it.

According to the Straits Times published today, authorities are working to trap the reptiles so as to remove the danger posed to Pasir Ris Park visitors. Experts believe the crocodile sighted is likely to be an estuarine or saltwater crocodile. These are common in mangroves and rivers in the region and can grow up to 8 metres long. They feed on monkeys, small deer, pigs, monitor lizards, fish, snakes and water birds. Cages with bait and nets in the water, plus a dose of experience and luck, are ingredients for a successful capture of these reptiles.

While experts believe crocodiles tend to avoid people, these same experts also advise that we should avoid them too.

Anyone who spots the crocodile can call PUB at 1800-2846600 (24-hour hotline).

Does the presence of a crocodile indicate that our upgraded mangrove swamp has become such an ecological Eden that it has attracted more inhabitants than intended? Is the timing of the crocodile’s appearance with the contamination of the beach at Pasir Ris Park just a coincidence or are they related? Are there more crocodiles hiding along the coast, waiting for the near hysteria of public attention to dissipate before they make a re-appearance? Are there more crocodiles in the river mouths and mangrove swamps in other parks in Singapore?

Time will reveal the answers. In the meanwhile, besides keeping an eye for the other wanted fugitive, you have this wanted buaya to catch too. Take care on your visits to park places in Singapore.

See more places. Live more Life.

Related posts:

1. Pasir Ris Park Mangrove Swamp

2. Pasir Ris Park Playground

3. Pasir Ris Park BBQ Pits Photographs

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Singapore Air Force RSAF Open House 2008

Poster courtesy of RSAF

Singapore Air Force RSAF Open House 2008

The Republic of Singapore Air Force RSAF celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2008. As part of the celebrations, the Singapore Air Force RSAF Open House 2008 will be held on 30 August 2008 and 31 August 2008 at Paya Lebar Airbase. Admission to the RSAF Open House 2008 is free for the public, from 9am to 7pm daily.

Highlights of the two-day Singapore Air Force RSAF Open House 2008 include:

Aerial Displays
Watch the F16 Fighting Falcons, AH64 Apache Attack Helicopters, CH47 Chinook underslung operations and the Red Lions parachute free fall displays and be awed by them all.

Static Displays
Touch and feel the F16 Fighting Falcon Black Knight, AH64 Apache and Hermes 450 amongst the static displays. Black Knight pilots will also be making special appearances, although I’m unsure if you can ‘touch and feel’ them!

Real Aircraft Rides
Ride in a real C130 Hercules, Fokker 50 or CH47 Chinook aircraft. And be airborne to watch the Singapore Air Force RSAF Open House 2008 from high up in the air! Children will love this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Lucky Draws will determine who flies and who cries.

Hot Air Balloon Rides
For the first time ever, Hot Air Balloon ride will be available at the RSAF Open House 2008! Participate in the Hot Air Balloon Ride Lucky Draw and win a 150-feet lift up in the air.

Air Force Museum
Learn about the history of the Singapore Air Force RSAF from its inception till today. This will likely be one of the better ways to beat the scorching heat, as the Air Force Museum cool air-conditioning. Read my post on visit to Air Force Museum here.

Kids Zone
The Kids Zone has been set up to entertain children. They can enjoy fantastic times at the carnival game stores and participate in many kid-friendly activities while waiting for the Hot Air Balloon Rides or Aircraft Rides lucky draw results.

Photo Taking in RSAF Uniform
For a fee, you can dress up your children in RSAF uniform with an Air Force-related backdrop to take photographs as mementoes.

Performances
Get close to MediaCorp artistes Jessica Liu and Dawn Yeoh LIVE! Be entertained, play stage games and win prizes! SAFRA Radio will be there, the SAF Music and Drama Company will show their flair. The SAF Provost Unit's Silent Precision Drill Squad will dazzle with their footwork and precision rifle drills.

Flight Simulator Visits
Catch the shuttle service to the Flight Simulator Centre and get the rush as you fly RSAF aircrafts on the advanced simulator systems that are used to train pilots. Adults and children can try it to see if they have what it takes to be a Top Gun!

Exhibitions
Five Segments at the RSAF Pavilion will showcase the 40 years of development in the RSAF and its transformation into the 3rd Generation Air Force. Take a walk through the Heritage Segment to witness the transformation journey of RSAF, the Structure Segment to learn more about the newly set-up RSAF Operational Commands, the Operational Concept segment to learn how RSAF exploits new Operational Concepts to maximise the use of air power for SAF, the People Segment to see recent humanitarian and peace keeping operations and the Technology Segment for latest developments in RSAF.

Commemorative Stamps
As this is the 40th Anniversary of the RSAF since founding in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command, 5 commemorative stamps with the First Day Cover and Presentation Pack will be officially launched on 28 Aug 08 at all SingPost Post Offices. Visitors to the RSAF Open House 2008 can buy them to keep a piece of Singapore’s military aviation heritage.

Fund Raising Event
SAF Officers' Wives Club will raise funds at a booth filled with used books, aircraft models and RSAF memorabilia for sale. Collect your favourite RSAF or aviation-related souvenirs and help charities including the SAF Benevolent Fund and Food From the Heart.

How To Get There
Free shuttle bus services from Hougang SBS Transit Bus Interchange and Eunos SBS Transit Bus Interchange. Free Shuttle Service- operating hours: 0830 hrs to 2000 hrs

Security Advisory
For security reasons, do not carry any sharp objects such as knives, paper cutters, etc, Cameras are allowed, but not telephoto lenses that are 500mm and beyond.

For finer programme details: (Singapore Air Force RSAF Open House 2008)
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/rsaf/oh08/highlights/programme.html

Read all in RSAF Open House 2008 website:
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/rsaf/oh08/

See more places. Live more life.

Read more in Seen This Scene That:

1. Hot Air Balloon Ride

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Scenic Places In Singapore: Little Guilin

Scenic Places In Singapore: Little Guilin

If we could aspire to have a place in Singapore listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Singapore’s Little Guilin or Xiao Guilin, one of the few scenic places in Singapore, in Bukit Batok Town Park at Bukit Batok East Avenue 5 should be among the top few on our application form.

Our Little Guilin or Xiao Guilin is a mini version of China’s famed mountain scenery. While it may not have similar lineage, natural size or economic stature in tourism appeal, it is still one of the scenic places in Singapore to call our own. With tall cliffs uncovered by vegetation on its exposed shoulders of sandstone surrounded by a placid lake and quiet neighbourhood, it is no wonder that many visitors who have been to scenic places in Singapore develop an instant affinity to Little Guilin upon arrival from other scenic places of Singapore.

Being practical people in a very practical economy, we harvest the rest of what’s left of the scenic places here for high-rise living, leaving little natural scenic places to enjoy our Little Giulin. Cars and buses drive up to the edge of this Bukit Batok Town Park lake, one of the few scenic places with water features to disgorge sightseers. Video cameras in hand, they ooh and ahh with animated hand gestures while recording the poetic outlines of Little Guilin; just in case economic progress in Singapore dictates Nparks to remake the shape and form of the few scenic places left in Singapore.

Wedding couples in Singapore looking for scenic places for their bridal photography know this area well. Those who wish to save a little bundle of money from traveling east to the larger scenic places in the original Guilin, in faraway China, come here in their wedding finery to pose for posterity. Poets, photographers and other Singapore park users will get their moments of inspiration at the striking landscape formations in Little Guilin.

There is a nature trail, the Bukit Gombak Trail, at the Bukit Batok Town Park where Little Guilin sits. But at the time of my recent visit, a sign disclosed that the scenic Bukit Gombak nature trail was closed.

While the dream to turn Singapore’s Little Guilin from an abandoned quarry into one of the scenic world heritage places continues, my immediate concern is to emphasize that Little Guilin users keep the our scenic places clean and litter-free, instead of relying on world-class professional cleaners to perform the tasks.

How To Get There (Drive, Bus, Walk)
It’s a 5 minutes walk from Bukit Gombak MRT Station. Service 945 from Bukit Batok Bus Interchange will also bring you there. Drivers can use coupon to park at Blk 524 or park at Bukit Gombak Stadium carpark.

Map of Bukit Batok Town Park
Check Nparks for Little Guilin map.

Other scenic places in Singapore’s Seen This Scene That you may like:
1. Bukit Batok Nature Park http://seenthisscenethat.blogspot.com/2008/07/nature-trails-singapore-bukit-batok.html
2. Nature Trails in Singapore
http://seenthisscenethat.blogspot.com/search/label/05-%20Nature%20Trails

(Tag: Bukit Batok Town Park, Scenic Places In Singapore)

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Mangrove Swamp Boardwalk: Pasir Ris Park

Mangrove Swamp Boardwalk: Pasir Ris Park

With the upgrading of the mangrove swamp boardwalk in Pasir Ris Park across Sungei Tampines from NTUC Downtown East completed recently, I brought my kids for a late afternoon walk at one of the few places in Singapore that’s available for a mangrove swamp boardwalk. This event took place before news broke that Pasir Ris Park beach had been declared unsafe for swimming and other water-based activities.

In the excitement to see a brand new mangrove swamp and boardwalk at Pasir Ris Park, we broke some rules pertaining to a visit to such a mangrove swamp park. Our constant loud refrain of ‘where are the mudskippers and fiddler craps?’ pierced the silence of the mangrove swamp. The clatter of our clogs on wooden boardwalk planks added to the auditory chaos. With squeaky bicycles pushed along the boardwalk, our totally noisy approach was hardly conducive to attract the inhabitants of the swamp to show their faces.

Fortunately, informative signboards scattered at regular intervals along the mangrove boardwalk brought some sense to our delirium. We picked up quite a number of learning points for our maiden visit to the newest upgraded mangrove swamp attraction in Pasir Ris Park. After we applied the recommendations as listed in the information boards, the sighting rate of mangrove inhabitants improved.

With a quieter scene, more patience and newfound knowledge of what to look for, the individual features in Pasir Ris Park’s mangrove swamp began to materialize out of the everything-also-look-the-same messy mud scene.

There were many features at Pasir Ris Park’s mangrove swamp worth seeing. I shall highlight just a few that piqued our curiosity.

Of the numerous residents of Pasir Ris Park’s mangrove swamp, we could only catch sight of a few inhabitants. Mudskippers, well camouflaged against the mud flats near the water’s edge were in abundance. If you wonder what visitors to do at a mud spa, come to the mangrove swamp boardwalk to see for yourself. The mudskippers appeared to be enjoying their mud spa treatment sessions, with full body and facial massage as they splayed on the mud pool.

Four-fingerbreadth-wide crabs were spotted upon movement of their pincers. They were busy feeding when we were there near dinnertime, but our rudimentary knowledge could not identify them with certainty. We witnessed a family with rods attempting to catch swamp fishes by leaning over the boardwalk railings. While fishes up to one-foot length in size could be seen sunbathing in the slightly murky waters, none of them swallowed the baits during our presence.

Piles of mud with gaping holes stood shoulder to shoulder along the perimeter of the swamp. These ‘mud mounds’ provide a good source of nutrition for life in the mangrove swamp. Restoration works to plant new mangrove plants were evident. These mangrove nurseries provide learning avenues for visitors to understand on-going efforts to keep the mangrove population alive and their inhabitants thriving.

The ubiquitous mangrove plants, standing on buttress roots that look like multi-legged supports, could not be missed in the dense green of trees and leaves. According to the information boards, mangroves provide dwelling spaces for many creatures living in the swamp. They are used for refuge, as food, as natural water filters and help to stabilize the coast.

A tower rises above the mangrove forest. For a partial bird’s eye view of the mangrove and for sightings of winged inhabitants, visitors should climb its approximately 4-storey high stairs. On this occasion when we visited, a group of teenagers had turned the tower into a private radio station with live music transmitting from their throats and guitars.

For first-timers going for a nature walk and sightseeing tour in Pasir Ris Park’s mangrove swamp, cycling on the mangrove boardwalk is prohibited. While the natural area is generally shady, a sunscreen lotion should be useful. Visitors should also bring along a good insect repellent to ward off mosquitoes. Other things on the good-to-bring-to-mangrove-swamp list would include umbrella or raincoat, cap, binoculars, camera and comfortable shoes.

Free car parking for 20 vehicles is available just next to the mangrove swamp, near NTUC’s Downtown East. You can also walk about 10 to 15 minutes to reach the mangroves from Pasir Ris MRT station and bus terminal near White Sands Shopping Centre. Otherwise, you can take SBS Bus number 403 from the bus-interchange and alight after one stop.

Useful Links:
1. Official National Parks Board Singapore website
2. Map and location of Pasir Ris Park mangroves

Recommended reading of my Pasir Ris themed posts:
1. Fishing and other pursuits in Pasir Ris Town Park
2. Pony Riding in Pasir Ris Park
3. Best Children’s Playground in Pasir Ris Park

See more places. Live more life.

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Beautiful Gardens In Singapore: SGF Part 2

Beautiful Gardens In Singapore: SGF Part 2

Why do people like to visit beautiful gardens in Singapore, especially one lined with many fantasy gardens like those at the Singapore Garden Festival? Beautiful gardens in Singapore that are so esoteric that they can’t be easily transplanted into high-rise living quarters? Beautiful gardens that can’t fit in Singapore’s high-rise living rooms due to the perpetual shortage of decent space for gardens?

Perhaps it is this deprivation of beautiful gardens in Singapore, in our high-rise homes that spur people to look for some substitute gardens that they find absent in their lives. Or perhaps beautiful fantasy gardens nowadays can refer to a pot or two of exotic beautiful flowers that people can bring into their homes. Or it could be due to the fact that promoters have spent a beautiful sum of money on advertising, to draw people’s interest in the beautiful biennial Singapore Garden Festival. The straight answer is “I don’t know”.

Whatever the reasons, I now find myself waxing lyrical about the beauty and awe of the Singapore Garden Festival, especially its beautiful gardens at the Fantasy Gardens themed exhibition in Singapore's Suntec City Convention Centre.

In the continuation of my post on the Fantasy Gardens at the Singapore Garden Festival, here is the line up of the remaining beautiful gardens worth a visit.

Island Journeys
Designed by Kelvin Chua from New Zealand, this beautiful garden piece is the result of his abstract ideas on paths between places and the spaces that exist in between.

photo: Message in a Bottle

Message in a Bottle
Designer Charlie Evans from Australia loves the Australian coastline’s beauty so much that he brought over the native plants from Down Under to present a garden with his quirky take on the beautiful relationship with the beach.

Search for Peace in the Maze of Daily Existence
S K Gutgutia from India tries to make a statement on how to cope with urbanization and the rat race through this garden design. One half of his design reveals a maze of plants looking congested and complicated, while the design next to the maze offers a contrasting Zen-like tranquility.

photo: Season of Mist

Season of Mist
This rainforest fantasy garden, designed by Diana Williams & Robert Cantley from Sri Lanka, features rare and spectacular-looking Nepenthes, the pitcher plants. It offers a rather unique and uber-cool visual experience like no other.

photo: A Garden of Dreams

A Garden of Dreams
Of all the fantasy garden designs, I find Alan Tan’s (from Singapore) garden to carry the most traditional garden look with its window-dotted fencing wall surrounding many beautiful flowering plants around a pavilion.

The artistic creativity in garden designs is evident in all the ten entries competing in the Fantasy Gardens segment of the Singapore Garden Festival. This beauty pageant for fantasy gardens is a once-in-two-year event. To witness such world-class beautiful garden presentations is infinitely worth more than the garden festival’s entrance price.

Catch the Singapore Garden Festival before it ends on 1 August 2008. Don’t worry if you miss this beautiful gardens exhibition in Singapore. The next edition of the Singapore Garden Festival is only two years away, in the year 2010.

See my other Garden Festival posts in Seen This Scene That:
1. Singapore Garden Festival 2008: Fantasy Gardens (Part 1)

2. Singapore Orchid Show 2008

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