photography
Friend (17) – Dream
The afternoon sun brim over the church hall, through the space between the iron railed window grilles. Looking out from the window covered with climbing morning glories, on the old brick wall parked a small mantis.
This mantis is so small and frail, he leaped while the wind blows, picking himself up over and over again against the wind. This garden with a pond is surrounded with fragrant flowers enriched with fertile soil, conclusively with this little mantis who was injured through his fall but never succumb to his collapse.
Friends, your name is “DREAM”
With you, saplings thrive and sprout year after year.
With you, failure is no longer an easy compromise.
With you, the wings of a dream turn stronger.
With you, countenance of the youth loses its silhouette of frustration. The forlorn feels warm in blizzard nights.
5) Life – Kachang Puteh Man
I met a Kachang Puteh man outside Peace Centre along the main street. “Kachang” in Malay means Bean and “Puteh” denotes color White, on the whole it means White Beans.
Kachang Puteh man was an immigrant who came from India during the 50s and 60s. They are popular among the kids, cinema or amusement park patrons.
Life is a start from scratch. They are self-reliance and sell beans for a living. Besides selling beans and nuts, tidbits like prawn crackers, sweet candies are what they can offer too.
The beans varieties were mostly roasted, though some were steamed (like the chicks beans). All beans in containers are neatly laid on the Kachang Puteh cart. The kachang are wrapped with thin paper folded in a cone-up shape. In those days, it cost $0.05cents per cone but now I have to pay $1.00 for a cone!
Personally, I have a penchant for the roasted variety which comes coated with a layer of sugar, though too much of it may cost the Tooth Fairy some works!
Kachang Puteh man usually lodged their carts outside cinemas or amusement parks. In those days, cinemas and amusement parks are standalone buildings and it is easy to push the cart around and start a business. Unlike now, cinemas are mostly “built-Ins” and run by building’s management. Renting a ‘peanut’ corner in a building will be costly and affects the Kachang Puteh Man’s income. Moreover, no outside foods are allowed in the cinemas other than those bought from the cinema’s vendors.
However, Kachang Puteh man are vanishing soon, we don’t see them around more than often, even in our country’s Little India these days. If you happened to see one, do stop by and patronize, as they may fad off soon. Now you see it, now you don’t…. In times to come, it does not only leave behind a taste of nostalgia but also the shadow behind our Mr Kachang Puteh man.
7) Chrysanthemum Song / 菊花之歌
Is just another day
People rolling on the street
Wheels chasing each other
This is the moment we meet
You are in a cart along the city
When I look into your eyes
Let me have a chance to call out your name
Miss Chrysanthemum
You are a whispering angel
Calling my name in the dust
You are a true angel
And I am a true follower
By your side
I rather be a charming face
Is just another day
People walking on the grass
Wind chasing each other
This is the time we greet
You are the guardian of the graveyard
When I look into your eyes
Let me have a chance to call out your name
Miss Chrysanthemum
You are a humming angel
Calling my name in the garden
You are a true singer
I am a true prayer
By your side
But I rather be a faithful hand
6) Cactus Song
I live in Texas my homeland, a desert an untouched ground
I love the sun being my clothes
And I love the sweet, warm breezy blows
With a grouchy cuckoo on my head
No autumn leaves or winter snow
No splashing stream or falling rain
Just an empty Paradise on my own,
With the rocks and stones.
I like to dance in the falling night,
With the cowboys dancing around
That is my homeland, a desert an untouched ground
I live in Singapore IKEA my homeland, a concrete desert ground
I love the air-conditioner being my jacket all year round
And I love the halogen light giving me a good shine
With a grocery shopper passer-by
No autumn leaves or winter snow
No splashing stream or falling rain
Just a perfect Paradise within my reign
With my color and little sands deco
I like to sing in my own shadow
With the shopper’s cajoling around,
This is Singapore IKEA my homeland, a concrete desert ground.
Friend (14) –Car Park Entrance Gate (Barriers) / 朋友（14）- 闸门
这个闸门在外人看来象个傻瓜似的,车来举臂，车走放下。工作毫无意义，毫无乐趣，在虚度人生。
In the eyes of others, this barrier looks like a fool, it jiggles its arm up and down whenever a vehicle comes up or goes down. Its job is no fun at all and to some is wasting life after-all.
这小人物坚守一份小工作, 任劳任怨, 做起事来不闻不问,不问付出,不求收获，一整天只会抬头点头，举臂放下。它的唯一工作就是听从指示，不可以有意见，不可以有投诉。
Still, this little guy stick to his insignifficant work. He is hard working, never ask for much, never ask for returns and is able to get things done in a different. Day in day out, he jiggles his head and waggle his arms. His only job is to follow directions. He doesn’t own his opinions or have his own grievances.
试问，除了它有谁做得到？
How can anyone do this, other than him?
答案是有的；就是那些没有感情的机器。举凡桌上的电脑，厨房的冰箱，24小时开放的手机还有那令人舒服的空调等等。它们就是那一群任劳任怨的傻瓜。
Certainly there is! These are machines without feelings. Whether it is a computer on the table, the kitchen refrigerator, our 24/7 mobile phone, the comfort providing air-conditioner and so on. Again, these are groups of hard working fools.
但有谁会跟这些傻瓜说声谢谢？那他岂不是也变成傻瓜？
However, who will thank these fools? Perhaps only fools will appreciate what these fools had done?
我们真的不需要跟它们说谢谢，唯一可做的是心里多一分感激，两分珍惜，三分欢喜，这样就行了。
Indeed we need not thank them for what they done, the things we can do is to show a little gratefulness, a little cherishing and a little delighting.
这样一来，当它们罢工时，你就会多一分包容，少一分埋怨，青春永驻。
By demonstrating, you feel more accommodating, less awful and that’s helpful way to stay youthful.
2) Local delights / 本地美食
Discover a Seafood BBQ stall at East Coast Park Food Center. Surprised by both by the delicious and reasonable priced food.
It is an added point having a nice meal while enjoying the sea view next to it. It is to me, a simple luxury.
The stall has been there since 1996 when the old lagoon was there.
A medium serving of fried Kai Lan (S$6/-) comes with fried shrimpfish toppings. The price does not come with how much the chef pays an effort to this little detail. The combination ► is just too perfect to my taste bud.
◄The spicy plate of mussels cooked similarly like Chili Crab cost S$10/-. It is definitely worth the sweat I have paid for.
This Stall No. 43 has so many varieties on their menu that are so yummy and with reasonable price. I am definitely going to reserve all those on the menu for my next trip !▼
21) Where is this MRT Station / 这是哪一个地铁?
A glance at the Stadium MRT Station.
Stadium MRT Station, an underground Mass Rapid Transit station on the Circle Line in Singapore. The station serves the Kallang area and it’s located within the Kallang & Mountbatten vicinity. It was opened on 17 April 2010 and earned The 2010 Singapore President’s Design Award, Design of the Year by reputable firm, WOHA Architects.
▼It was captured at an angle perceived with distorted effects.
▲
In my opinion, the interior of Stadium looks like a ship, cladded with gray tiles, side windows and a central skylight allowing light penetration. It also provides an oceanic view with vibrant turqoise colors as you slide from the top of the escalators to the basement platform.
Impresses every commuters like a stream of blue water flowing to the river ground▼
8) Friend – Freedom / 朋友(8) – 自由
露台外又多了一位小不点，外貌平凡，身材普通。
There is a little plant growing outside the terrace, simple looking and ordinary.
它又是太太在外头采香而来，看着七里香（Murraya）伸展双臂，象似一个小孩要求母亲的拥抱，在太阳温煦的手掌里微笑。
It is my wife’s latest seed picking collection from the park outside, looking at the Murraya, it’s stretching it’s arms like a child, awaiting from the embrace of its mother, smiling in the sun’s warmth palm.
朋友，你看到吗？它叫“自由”。
Do you see its freedom…friends?
它有肥沃的泥土，它有充足的水分，它有无忧的童真。
It has fertile soil, it has plenty of moisture, it has carefree innocence.
嬉戏就是它的玩具，哭闹就是它的手脚，它有跌倒的权力，它有伤心的自由。
我不打算给它特别的呵护，只让它拥有一双自由的翅膀，这样它的童年才有意义。
No toys required， it has the freedom of a bawl. It has the right of its fall. Liberty to its own poignancy.
No intention to provide it with special care, as it was given the wings of freedom, to make its childhood significant.
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