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Tag Archives: Asia


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No more racing on Race Course Road

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Race Course Road was named after the old racecourse at Farrer Park built in 1842.  It was the recreation hub for Europeans in the past and it also created jobs opportunity for the early settlers from Java and India.

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While some buildings gives ways for the new.  The present Race Course Road has many up and coming commercial buildings coming along the way.  But some prefer to sit still just like the Leong San See Temple(龙山寺) which was built in 1917.  It was popular with many Chinese immigrants who came here to offer their prayers.

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Just like the Heng Fo Buddhist Temple (恒佛寺).

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This historical building, “Temple of 1000 Lights” was reconstructed in 1930s with a changed of zinc roof to wood shelter.

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Public housing serves as changes of an era.

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Another story about my mom and me

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Down on memory lane, I recalled having high fever at the age of nine.  Mom tried keeping the temperature down by using a straw fan.  That was close to midnight, the lights was off but her hand was still moving.  The cool breeze did not stop my heart from moving too.  I told mom, “It’s alright, I’m fine, don’t have to worry about me..”

 I saw tears welling in her eyes, even though the room was dark, but I could feel her sobbing in the darkness.

mothers day 02Till today, I can recalled the moment we touched each others heart so much.  So much so that the offer of her un-returnable warm light keeps beaming.  Just like the rising sun, giving us warm without asking for any returns.  Treat your mother well; treat mother’s nature well.

Happy Mother’s day!


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Friend (29) – The sweet and bitterness of life

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There’s this 5-piece English historical building theme coasters sticking on my kitchen wall for many years.  I recalled it’s a gift from a friend some 20 years ago.  This friend was a full-time architect and a part-time chorus conductor.  I was then a lame singer in the choir.

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We rarely talk, not because he is a discipline guy but I guess it’s my introvert personality that fails to break the communication barrier.  Not long after I left the choir as I need to spend more time on personal enhancement.

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Yet, I was surprised by a surprise.  I received a souvenir from him through my sister who is also a choir member.  I came to know that he bought me the gift during his Europe tour.  As he knew I have a penchant for architectural stuff and he specially choose this theme for me.

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I recalled I was stunned and moved by this friendly thoughts.  On social ground I should at least give him a ring to deliver my gratitude.  But I didn’t, as I wasn’t a person good at expressing myself.  Yet, my way of displaying my gratitude is to hang the coasters on my kitchen wall.  Everyday, the coasters remind me of this nice, gentleman I’ve met in this lifetime.

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Lately, I came to know that he’s facing some upheaval in life.  It’s not easy to meet up again, but I’ll like to take the opportunity of this write-up to wish him all the best and have all his good wishes come true.  At least, there is also another man like him, who’s always standing behind, tasting the sweet and bitterness of life with another….Be blessed, my long lost friend!


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A Friday of Good Song

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It’s going to be good, after this Friday

Looking at the shinning cross

Paying respect at this moment

Thus, we know of this day

Let’s enjoy walking down the street

A complete silent without singing

And no dancing

Follow the eyes of this man

Sorrow drifting away

Believe me or not

We are going to be fine, after this

Believe me or not

It got to be good, after this Friday

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It’s going to be good, after this Friday

Looking at the shinning star

Watching the rise of this moment

Thus, we know of this day

Let’s enjoy walking down the street

A royal hour without talking

And no laughing

Follow the shadow of this man

Fear drifting away

Believe me or not

We are going to be fine, after this

Believe me or not

It got to be good, after this Friday


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My sweet Jumbos tree

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I spotted a Eugenia Jumbos tree near Eco Garden in Singapore Botanic Gardens. The floor are lying full of ripen fruits. It looks like a dropping bell at a glance.

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Eugenia Jumbos has many common names; water apple, Malay apple and rose apple etc.

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Eugenia Jumbos is native to Southeast Asia but naturalized in India.

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The flesh is crunchy and watery, and the taste is sweet and fragrant. Some time you can find it in the Rojak food. Rojak is a kind of an Asia food that mixes with different kind of fruits, and stir with prawn paste and peanuts topping.

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So next time if you happen to see this rosy cheek along the roadside, please greet him with a hello, because he is so shy that needs somebody to be more initiative than him.

Hello, my sweet Jumbos tree!


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Sculpture “Progressive Flow”

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The sculpture “Progressive Flow” was cast on the ground outside One Marina Boulevard at the traffic junction between Raffles Quay and Marina Boulevard.

This significant art piece made by local sculptor Han Sai Por invites interactive, exploration and discovery.

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Sculpture made in mess granite stone, consists of 6 blocks solid granite, weigh no less than 55 tons.

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The Cultural Medallion Winner sculptor is one of the recognized Singapore foremost sculptors.  She transformed the solid stone into curve and flow with a rhythmic grace.

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There are voids and gaps between the blocks, it allows people to walk through in-between, indirectly encourage viewers to join and participate the spatial game.

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The wave-like blocks are positioned for people to rest and seat while appreciating the graceful art piece.

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Not easy to imagine how much hardship has the sculptor gone through while hewing the sculpture?

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The rough texture of the stones surface signifies the coarseness of the sculptor palm.


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Two rare scene happen in one day Pt 2 – A moth

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I saw a moth landed on the wall outside my apartment.  It’s about 10 inches in length from wing to wing and dark brown in color. I’m not sure it scientific name, a moth I could only call.  I’m fast enough to take a shot of it and stood still to see what is going to happen to it next.

 I’ve expected it to fly off as it may be terrified by the sound of my hand phone’s shutter.  But he chooses to stay.  Continue his calm flagging show, opening and closing his wings calmly in placid movement.

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Some believe moth came from darkness; symbolized bad luck.  While some believed they were incarnated from our pass away relatives.  When a person passed away, he’ll return home as a moth on the seventh day of his passing to visit his family.

 I’m not certain about the origin of this belief, but the appearance of this species does contribute some points of mystery.  It’s just like the bat and his loyal vampire fan.

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This is our rare meet-up, it has come to a point that I can’t bear to kick it away though it doesn’t look as charming as the butterfly.

 To me, this is a beautiful moment, we happened to meet up at this junction of life.  Though we were brought up in different world but we happened to be on the same path.  What can be more magical?

We are captains of our boat.  At this moment of time, we share the same wave, and an eternal one…


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A 300 feet long counter in this Historic Building

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While we enjoying the sun-ray casting down through the skylight bringing down joy of the day and a smile splashing over high tea set in this Jade Restaurant. Do you have the thoughts of the nostalgic past of this General Post Office ever emerge your mind?

With thousands of incoming and outgoing mails waving at us a day, the human flow of this post office is no doubt, self-generating.

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The now Fullerton Hotel was built in 1928, it was a General Post Office then.  The post office was converted into a hotel in 2001 under the URA conservation plan.

In the past, postal counters used to stretch from one counter to the other.  It took up to a 300 feet long, and was reputed to be the longest counter in Southeast Asia.  The current location of the Jade Restaurant took the place of the former but with a very different ambience all in all.

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This is a scene of a new stamp issue on 9th July 1972.  The picture show a large crowd buying postage at the counters while others are affixing stamps on their ready mails.

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The architectural elements of this historic building speak a story of its own early days, and it keeps going.  No one can ever stop it…


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How we grow up in this garden

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We have grown up together inside this enchanting garden.  We feel contented living inside this gate, to be an orchid plant forever!  Visiting hour is the happy hour, but not for beer, but for our open heart and bright smiley cheers!

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Some of my friends live in the lab, shaking their bodies day and night looking for a fertile time to stick out the neck and say hello!

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Some of them may have to wait as long as 3 years to be a hybrid, it is an honorable journey to demark them a reputation status.

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Some just grow up a normal way and happily dress up every day in satin red.

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Or being a yellow tie?

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Or being a purple butterfly?

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And station outside the National Orchid Garden as a cheerleading live rock band!

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Please drop us a note if you are fond of us and want to be our long life fans!

We always welcome you with open hands and greet you from far before you land!


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Sculpture “Momentum”

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The sculpture “Momentum” located at the triangle traffic junction of Finlayson Green and Collyer Quay.  The vibrant color of this sculpture penetrates every passer-by’s eyes, and energizes the core of this financial district of Shenton Way.

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This sculpture is made of steel and painted with vibrant colors.  The sculptor, David Gerstein was born in 1944 and this works of his was built in 2007.  This is a huge piece of art interms of height 18.35m and 11.157 in diameter.

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It presents layers upon layers of figures in an upward spiral motion.  It signifies the population’s high energy and a continuouf of progress.

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It pays tribute to the nation of past and present.  Upon appreciative of their strength and ingenuity.  Without it, Singapore will not be a dynamic metropolis today.

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This vibrant color sculpture spreading out his color in this vibrant garden city, for sure is not coincidental.

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