Month: April 2013
A Tour to Toa Payoh Town Park
If you happened to ask a local, “Which particular park holds the most sweet memories in your childhood?” I bet 9 out of 10 will give the same answer: “It is Toa Payoh Town Park!” If you are too young to answer this question, ask your parents then!
Toa Payoh Town Park is sitting on the southern part of Toa Payoh Housing estate. In the 70s, this is a place famous for outdoor wedding photography. You will see dozen of visitors, couples, families enjoying themselves with photo shooting, having their picnic on the open grass field on weekends and public holidays.
Today, I return here to trace back some footage of my memories for my long faded album.
This pond-side restaurant is one of the iconic landmarks on this piece of greenery. To hold a wedding dinner, celebrate an event is not uncommon here and it’s exclusive in those days.
The brick-tiled broadway has been witnessed by many couples and happy families throughout their entire life.
The preceding willows replaced by reeds blend so naturally well with the clever thoughts of the landscape designers.
A snake-like design bridge with bolt nuts-like balustrade, give weight to recollection of certain bits and pieces of our faded memories.
The 2 curvy stone bridges are the pioneers in this green community.
The ‘Bottle Brush’ trees are the most humble and gentlemen around.
This 4-storey viewing tower is one most significant feature in this land. In the past, it was a joyful twirl walking up to the top of the floor to catch the bird-eye view of the entire garden. But in the present, we look for elevators or escalators to fulfill this task.
This park is filled with breeze and songs of bees. Last and not least, you’ll bump into a jaywalker like me!
Friend (29) – The sweet and bitterness of life
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Green Roof
When we enter the lobby of this green pavilion at Botany Centre (Singapore Botanic Gardens), you see a stretch of timber walkway covered by ripple of greens on the top of the roof. This special feature not only rejuvenate the gardens but also provides the objective of the green pitch roof.
You don’t find any special elements underside of the pitch roof. But, by enjoying the reflection of the pond on the ceiling might be a bonus to understand how nature interacts among them.
Either gets a faraway distant angle from the Green Pavilion, or another option is to reach the 2nd floor of the pavilion to get a closer look of the green roof.
With the help of lushly covered plants decrease the temperature of the room beneath, obviously also decrease the energy generated. It is no doubt, green roof are widely adopted eco concept and globally well received in the world. Then again, did we take this eco steps for granted? When you enter this blissful green land, the cooling and refreshing ambience don’t come along without the effort of green hands behind. Without them, we won’t have a chance to enjoy a green and blue combination of this horizon of landscapes. Should we thankful for that?
Sick Song
Sydney was sick for the past few days
He couldn’t get himself awake
Conquered by his body ache
Flu attack his nose
Lightning hammer his head
He walks like a zombie
Resting in the daze
He dreamt a lot
Slept a little
Weak, weak, weak
Still, his daily mission had to be conveyed
It’s on the way
Click, click and click…
Click for a day
Sydney was sick for the past few days
He couldn’t get himself rejuvenated
Concealed by outer space virus
Fire attacked his brain
Drowsiness drowning his pace
He talks like a zombie
Resting in the daze
He slept a lot
Dreamt even more
Weak, weak, weak
Still, his daily mission had to be conveyed
It’s on the way
Wait, wait and wait…
If he made any mistake
Please forgive, as he is still on his sick bay
A tour to Swan Lake
What are they staring at? Is it something interesting or something so eyes catching to them?
Yes! The swan lake. You are looking at the lake as old as the Gardens. It was built in 1866, since than the charming beautiful memories start. There is an island in the lake planted with Nibung palms, these has to be the most remarkable and timeless iconic in Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The Banyan tree is old enough to be our great grand father, and also wise enough to play the old garden song.
Though feeding is not allowed, as long as fishes and the feeder is happy, like-wise the cameraman.
This wooden swan sculpture has been there for many decades but surprisingly; they just couldn’t get out of this place!
There are 2 white mute swans from Amsterdam, always there be an ambassador, gliding like a sub-marine, shinning like a chandelier.
Feed me! Feed me! How could you bear not to feed me?
I’m so lovely and charming bright!
They are not lonely at all
Today is the last day of Qing Ming festival. According to Chinese believes, Qing Ming duration stretch over 20 days that is before and after 10 days of the actual Festive season.
The Choa Chu Kang Cemetery is the biggest cemetery in Singapore, located at west side of the island that takes approximately an hour to reach from my home.
This is the only burial cemetery left in operation but this also proves that many friends will be known in this special community.
My ancestors are somewhere there, the rest are their friends, a group of long living friends!
This Golden Shower tree is a very special friend of everybody. He is the Guard man of this senior home as well as the directional sign.
Some, they like to wave at you and show you the colorful smile over this windy season!
Some, they prefer stay green for lifetime on your head!
Some like us; be a green follower!
And some are so sweet and beautiful!
Some are very union, putting effort to get close to each other and cheer up the environment.
That’s why I’m glad they are not lonely at all…
Crouching Tiger and the Hidden Dragon Pt 2
One blogger put up a request to me for more pictures of these wooden tree stump sculptures displayed at the Green Pavilion, Singapore Botanic Gardens.
In fact, some of the sculptures were also placed as an art deco at the lobby. This is the one placed as a backdrop of the counter. No visitors would dare to confront the counter staff with the three dragons behind them. Perhaps, visitors may have mistaken them for the real ones and wonder why the dragons are let loose from their enclosures.
Do you fancy two gigantic lizards crawling on top of your head?
A miniature Godzilla having a good life here!
I still can’t figure out what animal is this? Could it be an eagle?
Is that real? Is up to you to judge!
Are these pumpkins? What are they doing here after the harvest, waiting for the next Halloween?
Just relax and take a sit, while you enjoy the works of art with our hands, provided by nature.
“Mom, wake up!”
These are the words from a three-months old elephant calf trying to wake up his dead mother. The mother elephant was found dead at the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve in Sabah.
Suspected being poisoned under mysterious circumstances, a total number of ten endangered Borneo pygmy elephants were found dead in the forest.
“We highly suspected that it might be some form of acute poisoning from something that they have eaten but we are still waiting for the laboratory results of the chemical analysis from samples taken from the dead elephants to confirm the diagnosis” said the authority.
“It looks like these animals are from the same family group, as the carnage took place on the same time and space. It was a very sad sight to see all those dead elephants, especially one of the dead females who had a very young 3-month old calf. The calf was trying to wake the dead mother up.” Said Dr Sen Nathan, Senior Veterinarian for the Sabah Wildlife Department. The baby calf was very distressed and had to be rescued. It is now being hand-raised by wildlife rangers at Lok Kawi Wildlife Park.
“Mom, wake up!” I heard the voice wandering in the woods….
Running story
In the wee hours of March 29, a secondary school girl, Tian Xiao Qi from Hualian, Taiwan sent her ailing grandma to the local hospital A&E unit for treatment.
She has an exam in the same morning at 10am. According to the news, the exam takes the whole class as a scoring margin. As she doesn’t want the class score to be dragged down by her absence, she’s very insistence to sit for the exam.
With not a single cent with her, she decided to run back to school on her own two feet. Started at 7am and reached school at 10, spending a total of 3 hrs for 23km. When she reached school, her classmates were stunned and touched by her action. They quickly offered her tidbits for replenishments as she ran with an empty stomach throughout the whole journey.
She was asked if anyone offered a helping hand along the way. She responded that 2 policemen from the police post offered but she can’t explain why she rejected the kind offer which will only took her 10-15min to reach her school.
In a good way, she made it in the end! When asked how she felt, her answer was simple “the running was not so difficult, as it is worthwhile exchange for a meaningful journey in life”.
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