Sengkang Public Library is part of the National Library in Singapore. It is located in the North-east of Singapore, in Compass Point Shopping Centre. A place for shoppers to acquire knowledge and a place that creates community bond within the residents.
Sometimes, the library organizes activities like reading and sharing session and conduct art exhibitions. The objective of these events is to create an art atmosphere both for the young and old and to extend art juices beyond the library.
For this season, the display glass panel outside the library’s entrance showcases art pieces of selected artists from the Meow Meow Art Studio. The owner of the studio, Ms Diana Lim is a caricaturist, if you are keen to explore her immense talent, log on to http://dianalimcaricaturist.blogspot.sg.
Meanwhile enjoy some of the art pieces I’ve captured…and we shall look forward to another season of showcase!
Saga tree (Adenanthera pavonina) is one of the top popular trees in Singapore. By saying that, we wish to imagine its presence but sometimes without even knowing its existence.
The Saga tree is hardy and fast growing species. It can grow like a giant in 15-20m tall and widely spread out to provide shade and like a welcoming kind father.
Bu courtesy of wildshores.blogspot.com
The fruits pods of this tree contain scarlet seeds, each of the 4 seeds make up 1 gram. In the past, it is widely used on gold and silver as a weight measurement.
By courtesy of kingyeungpohyin.blogspot.com
The red seeds are a well-know love seeds among all warm and solicitude heart. Some like to collect it and store it up in bottle for their love ones. Some prefer to stitch it up forming a necklace and some place it to form a heart-shape.
This Saga tree is located at Botanic gardens. He treated his fern fans as his own family. Surrounded with their friendship and love. They lived together and share the wide blue sky. Spreading love-seeds to passer-bys, it also naturalized through out Malaysia and Africa. This is the core soul of Saga tree, the saga never fail to entice!
Gardener always remain low and contribute so much effort to maintain the cleanliness of the park. They are always doing their job without any spotlight flashing on them. So, when you happen to pass-by them, do mind your step to give them your respect and status they deserved. They might be as low as grass, as tiny as sand, but they are equal on earth.
Sunlight and dropping leaves are the most favorable subjects on their stage of life.
Sometime they have to hide themselves in the lush to exchange the bowl of rice on their table.
An endless sweeping job day and night, through months and years. Are we able to take over them?
You can be a jaywalker, but have your grace and don’t litter around.
As there are many CCTV security systems watching you at everywhere you step on.
This is the front cover of positive thinking campaign post card by the SingaporeHealth Promotion Board. Though the campaign was held many years back, but the post card is still sticking on my wall. It pose as a reminder to me and the cute monkeys always made my day.
The campaign is also broadcasted on TV, with a few animated monkeys talking about how they feel so blessed though they are only getting peanuts for their salary.
At the back of the card, the Authority concerned throw 3 questions asking for feedback for a positive mind. This is an effective way of getting people to think and find a solution to their own answer.
I’ve chosen “I think about the good things in my life” among the 3 answers.
First of all, there are too many good things in my life. I’m not here talking about how much I have in my savings, and not referring to how complete a life cycle people always define to be.
I’m talking about the living up to an age with a moderate health condition, moderate standard of living, moderate unevenness of my path. That is good enough for me to conclude how much good things I owned in my life!
I’ve yet to include the blogging trails with the world that I have started 6 months ago. And I have not included my good bonding friendship with all my dear friends, my family members and my other half. Last but not least, how about my pet dog, Cougar!
All these enhance my quality of life and are comfortable enough to be treated like a 5-star dinner. I have so much side dish to recommend if I wanted to!
I can be served with a simple meal just with vegetables, though I’m not a vegetarian. I can bring in plants to add lush to the dinning hall, but I prefer to eat under the sky beside the green.
That’s the reason why these cute monkeys are still swinging on the wall without resting for a day! My gratitude to them for serving as a reminder, reminding us to create positive energy for our own and extension to others beyond your own circle. How about that?!
The number 9th day of Lunar New Year is a day where we offer our thanks to God of Heaven. It’s a big event to some Chinese. But I set up some simple offerings for my thanks giving. Some cookies, cakes, fruits and paper gold for prayers (not too good for the ozone layer though) and also a pair of sugar cane.
Ever wonder why is sugar cane significant to this big event of the Lunar Calendar?
Some legend began way back to the old era in China, in the province of Fujian (Hokkien). The story has it that villages in Fujian tried to escape from the killings and rummage of robbers on the 9th day of Chinese New Year by hiding themselves in the sugar cane plantation. Their lives were saved. Thus, from then, villagers offer a pair of sugar cane on this 9th day of Lunar New Year to thank the Heavenly God for the good blessings, protection from natural disasters and a year of good harvest in return.
Besides, ‘sugar cane’ in Hokkien pronounciation coincidently sounds like ‘thankful’ in meaning. That’s how the fable arises.
I gift-wrapped my pair of sugar cane in red-paper, hug him with good luck while I offer it to the Heavenly God, and wishing that he hugged me in return.
The hall behind the Sri Mariamman Temple is a place to offer a reunion dinner to those new immigrants and the underpriviledged. Early days, immigrants from overseas go through hard life, many were earning token just to fill up their stomach. So it is understandable that they live alone and did not start a family. This temple was also used as a refuge camp to hold new immigrants. During Chinese New Year, you will see them gather here to celebrate the festive season irregardless of race or religion.
This is the front view of Sri Mariamman Temple. It is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. It was founded in 1827 and built to dedicate Mariamman, a Goddess, famous for her healing power of epidemic diseases.
Banana and mango leaves hanging over the temple door, welcome and purify visitors with a fresh reborn life.
Mango leave will withered after a few days and closed up by itself, this symbolizes a humble society, caring for the surrounding and to make way for their passing by.
Isn’t it sending a clear message across? Being caring and benevolent are the cores of this festive season!
Planting arrowhead is famous among Cantonese tradition, as they believe keeping them for good luck and blessing. Sagittaria trifolia L is the scientific name for arrowhead plant. The name is related to the shape of the leaf when it’s mature.
In my young days, filling up pebbles or marble balls to decorate the pot is a joyful stuff to do. When the bulbs started to shoot up, tying a red ribbon around the stem is just like putting a color of red to your coming new year.
Arrowhead bulbs can be eaten as well. The usual way is to clean up the bulbs, slice it and fry it with sweet pork sausage. The texture is powdery, juicy and sweet. It is usually acceptable by most after a few try. According to some medical report, it has some medicinal properties too.
This year, I bought the bulbs quite late and foresee it will not shoot up on time. Nevertheless, am glad to see some new stalks turning green and some sign of growth. I believe it is the soul of my wish and I will keep it in my secret garden.
In the 60s, using plastic or Styrofoam cups is not a common sign comparing to the can you see in the picture. Nobody knew who started this wise and environmental friendly idea. Using the finished bottom-up milk tin for filling up coffee is a common scene along the street. Some worker hang the canned.
The process of making the can useable is easy. First open the can with a drill-opener, then allow a string to go through the hole of lid and hinge. Next, fill up the coffee and it’s done.
The tricky and amazing part of this is to press and slide the tin a little to allow the uneven lid edge to stay closed. Amazingly, the cover will wedge inward and you carry the canned coffee with the attached string. You may worry about spillage but after a few practice, you can’t agree more than this ingenius invention.
Process to enjoy the coffee is similar, pressured the tin and lift up the cover. The fragrance of the coffee is unleashed together with the smile on your face! Whatever the beverage is, I bet you will never forget the joy and the ethos behind.
After you have done with your drink, the most important thing to do is to wedge the lid back to the can, to ensure safety to cleaner who are clearing the rubbish bin.
Conversely these days, this environmental friendly method is no longer a common way to take away hot beverages as it is regarded not glamorous to some, to carry their drinks in a used can. Thus, the Styrofoam cups have replaced this tradition quietly. Before this is completely replaced and left in museum, I better take one before it’s gone with the wind.
Every single part of this, the string, the sharp cover edges, the sticky milk can, and the caution to carry it along the way home, make up an un-returnable journey with sweet wisdom and a wholesome me!
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