Life / 生活
‘Shiok’ Singapore
Singapore Tourist Board made this short film to promote tourism in Singapore. The word ‘Shiok’ literally means wonderful or fantastic. It’s a broadly used local expression on something that you feel good or enjoyable about.
Example, drinking a cool, icy drink on a hot weather can be ‘shiok’.
A return from a wonderful trip is ‘shiok’.
Taking steamboat in cold season can be ‘shiok’
Having a nice cup of coffee in the morning can be ‘shiok’.
For me, walking in the rain is ‘shiok’.
So, what is your definition about ‘shiok’?
A Bucida tree will never turn you down
I got to know Bucida molineti tree since the day I shifted here some 12 years ago. At that time, it was a man with the height of his childhood. But then, he’s as tall as a four storey apartment now, and I’m sure he is holding an important role in decorates our neighborhood landscapes.
Attracted by this lovely tree, right from the sleek silhouette to the elegant exterior it portrays. The tiny arms and the leafy evergreens express himself in a refine and delicate manner.
Leafs are gently small compared to the size of the body. By saying that, he seems like standing on a moderate path, offering the blue sky to us and at the same time shading us from the cheerful bright sun.
I like walking on pavements shaded with these trees, under their widely open arms. Sometimes, the dropping leaves may accidentally got stuck on my glasses, but the kiss of it is so light and soft that I felt like it’s the teardrops of the tree.
Taking a second look at it, does it strike a chord on you? Yes, it looks like an upside down Christmas tree. So the next time you bump into one, ask him “where have all the Christmas trees gone?” I believe his answer will never turn you down.
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…
A thoughtful car parking lot
Whenever we look at a car parking lot, it doesn’t appear to be unusual, but at least to me, it is unusual!
对一般人而言，这个停车位是在普通不过了。但对我而言，它有异于一般。
An ordinary public car parking lot is usually made of cement, asphalt, bricks or sometimes just a layer of stones screeds.
一般的停车位用的建筑材料都离不开混凝土，沥青，砖块再不然就是铺上一层小石子。
This parking lot featured here is made of broken strips of thin concrete slab laid out sparingly.
这个停车位是以瘦长的混凝土块以间隔的方式铺设而成。
Nature will fill up the remaining gaps with weeds and gravels.
混凝土块之间的空间就由小石子与植物填补上。
Imagine a little foliage living under a tyre day and night, on the road for months and years. No passer-by realizes or knew their existence.
想象这些小植物日以继夜在车轮下生活。可曾有人留意它的存在？
Are we able to feel the hands of hard work behind these thoughtful parties, who are doing a great job for our Garden City? With intelligent ideas that combines concrete forest with nature green into a song. A beautiful song composed by a harmony melody and an activist conductor, the orchestra just goes on and on…
你可以感受得到那幕后功臣在这花园城市里所付出的努力吗？把绿意与钢骨森林结合成一首歌曲，这首美丽的歌曲由和谐的旋律与活跃的指挥家组成，不止如此，旋律会不断地播下去，继续地播下去。。。
A story about the three little Hornbills
These three lovely little Oriental Pied Hornbill were found in Pulau Ubin, an island in the north-east of Singapore.
They were discovered on 7 Jan 2013 by park rangers from the National Parks Board (NParks) on 7 Jan 2013. The three eggs were abandoned by the mother. The rangers decided to send it to the national bird park (Jurong Bird Park) for proper care and nurturing.
For lesser than a month, the first infant hornbill was successfully hatched on 25 Jan, weighing 22.6g.
The second chick hatched 3 days later, on 28 Jan, weighing 21.8g and the last little one was hatched on 1 Feb, weighing 20g.
Greatly appreciate all parties involved for bringing this delighting piece of news and a life of new to us!
Hundred sips for a day
It takes us a few mouthfuls to finish up a glass of water. Any ideas why we need hundred sips for this easy job instead?
This has to do with our number of stomach movements. Reason is simple. The movement of water gushing down our system equals to the number of movement created by the stomach muscles. So if you drink a cup of water with hundred sips, it equals to hundred times of stomach movements. By increasing the stomach movements, our intestines and digesting system become stronger and healthier.
In fact, it will be ideal if you can stop the sipping till a burp. The burping expels the stale and foul gas deposited in our stomach and discharge through it. The good time to do the hundred sips are in the morning with a cup of warm water. It warms up your body and gives a perk up of the day.
With practice, you’ll be able to feel the water gushing down into your system layers by layers. And the water vibration into the stomach as if finding a way to seep through the root to every single organs. Just like roots absorbing the moisture from the soil.
Its no magic trick, it’s patience and practice that we need. What good things can do without these two elements of life!
A Hello to QingMing
Long before I could recall, the day has arrived again.
Today, I spent a trip down to Mount Vernon Sanctuary to pay respect to my ancestors on this QingMing Festival. QingMing (also known as Tomb Sweeping Day) is a big day and a yearly day of observance to most Chinese. It is a day to remember and pay respect to their late ancestors. Sweeping the tomb, offering foods and joss paper accessories are common practice on QingMing.
The sanctuary is sitting on Mount Vernon Hill. This delighting piece of land is going to be transformed into residential developments soon. My ancestors would have to move out from their long stay in no time.
It’s a place I love to visit, as the lush greenery and fresh air is awesome. The peace and calm I got from this piece of land is as good as emancipation. The lovely surrounding for all these ancestors is going to be a past soon, though their existence will always remain in our present!
Imagine them strolling along the road, sitting on the bench and chatting about their past.
Enjoying the offerings from the wonderful nature.
The tree, the fruits…
While the rain just came on time for a happy ending…
Wall of Art – Sengkang Public Library
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!
Postbox collections of Singapore
These postbox collections of Singapore, from the British Colonial days until the present.
1950s
1970s
1980s
1990s
The saga of a lovely Saga tree
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.
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.
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!
AddGrainOnEarth 