A view from Ghim Moh high flat

Flats in Singapore are getting higher and higher, once living on the 20th floor was considered high 'ground', now we have appartments at 40th plus floor, which makes me think, what happen if there is a power failure? 
Anyway; I am glad we are still living on the third floor....

A view from 42th floor, appartment of a friend.

Buildings at Tanjong Pagar

A giant housing/commercial building behind a series of renewed shop houses at Tanjong Pagar area, offering quite a contrast!

 

Small bird

Saw this little bird flying among the flower while having breakfast with my mom at Clementi.

Indians in Little India

There is this open space near to Mustafa, where a lot of indians sort of gather there, just sitting under the trees or playing cards at the coffee shop next to it.

印度同胞或外工常聚集在小印度的这片广场，他们在树下歇息聊天，或在一边的咖啡店玩牌，显得闲哉乐哉。。。

The Long Walk

Forest Walk 

Forest Walk (丛林小径)) is a 1.3-kilometre (0.81 mi) long walkway that cuts through about 50 metres (160 ft) through the secondary forest in Telok Blangah Hill Park and connects to Alexandra Arch. The raised walkway with heights ranging from 3 metres (9.8 ft) to 18 metres (59 ft) brushes the canopy of trees and offers a bird's-eye view of the forest. The Forest Walk also connects to the Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk (拉柏多自然与海岸径), also leading walkers to the Labrador Park MRT Station and Labrador Park.

(Text From :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ridges )

Walk on the bridge

Singapore river at night

新加坡河在夜幕时分，格外显得耀眼夺目，围绕著河边的各式高楼大厦，在夜里亮着点点各色的灯，各式店铺招牌霓虹闪烁，在河面反映成斑斓璀璨。河边的白色鱼尾狮更是被照耀得光芒四射。 在远处观望，宁静的四周，仿佛被这不甘寂寞的光彩，搞得喧闹起来。

In the night hours，Singapore river is especially dazzling, the different colors lights from high-rise buildings around the river,  flashing neon lights from all kinds of shop signs, project onto the river and turn into bright gorgeous twisting reflections, the white merlion on the riverside seems to be radiant surrounded by all these lights.Watching the scene from far, the quiet surrounding seems to be excited by these restless splendors.

Sentosa

Sentosa is a popular island resort in Singapore, visited by some five million people a year. Attractions include a 2 km (1.2 mi) long sheltered beach, Fort Siloso, two golf courses, two five-star hotels, and the Resorts World Sentosa, featuring the theme park Universal Studios Singapore.

Once Sentosa  was a place to relax, we went there, took the ride on the monorail, went to beach, walked around the greens and usually finished with a meal at the food court near to the ferry terminal.

Now, going to Sentosa has becoming to expensive to be relax. 

Bakkwa - Barbecued Pork

Bakkwa, also known as rougan, is a Chinese salty-sweet dried meat product similar to jerky, made in the form of flat thin sheets. Bakkwa is made with a meat preservation and preparation technique from China. The general method for production have remained virtually unchanged throughout the centuries, but the techniques have been improved. It is often made with beef, pork, or mutton, which are prepared with spices, sugar, salt, and soy sauce, while dried on racks at around 50°C to 60°C. However, nowadays, products with a softer texture, lighter color, and less sugar are preferred.
In Malaysia, Singapore, Riau Islands and the Philippines bakkwa or bagua is the most widely used name derived from the Hokkien Chinese dialect. Cantonese speakers use the term yuhk gōn', Anglicised version long yok, while in China and Taiwan the product is more commonly known as rougan. Commercially available versions are sometimes labeled as "barbecued pork," "dried pork," or "pork jerky." Bakkwa is particularly popular as a snack in East Asia and Southeast Asia. In Beidou, Taiwan, it is regarded as one of the three pork delicacies.

A friend in front of a bakkwa shop at Chinatown

 In Malaysia and Singapore, bakkwa has become a highly popular gift offered to visitors and acquaintances, as well as amongst corporate employees (some during the Chinese New Year). Bakkwa is becoming a favourite gift to hand out to friends and relatives during Chinese New Year. In Muslim-majority countries like Malaysia, halal chicken varieties of the snack may be used as a gift substitute. It may also be served in functions such as Chinese wedding banquets and religious ceremony dinners. While demand is particularly high during the festive seasons, it is also served throughout the year in various outlets as takeaway snacks or to be served together with main courses at home. The meat is commonly sold in red-coloured bags or packaging, an auspicious colour in Chinese culture.
(Text from :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakkwa )

PRC Performance

Recently, local singaporeans and so called 'foreign talents' from PRC are not in good term, the PRC are brought up be rather competitive and aggressive, their behaviours and self defense have created a 'hatred' from the locals. 
Few years back, saw this almost perfect performance by the PRC at Esplanade, not doubt the artists are hardworking and talented, but I think the extremely competitive selection and strict training contributed to the end result. As compared, Singapore has a more relax and peaceful way of living, once the PRC brought along the way they used to live into Singapore, it created conflict and chaos to the normally calm society of Singapore.

Look Through The Window Of The Bus

I love to sit on the seat right at the front of the double decker bus, it provides a magnificent view of the journey, plus I don't have to look at the heads of the people sitting in front of me which are usually proven to be not a beautiful view.

A view of Chinatown with rains scattered on the glass....

Gelatissimo

Gelato, ice cream in Italy, everyone love it, almost.
It is almost a national food in Italy, especially in summer, one can't go through summer without eating at least a few gelato.
I was surprised to see this 'gelatissimo' (meaning very gelato) in front of Shawn House, not sure about how genuine the taste is.....but I did noticed that the price is much higher than having it in Italy, so didn't bother to taste it.

Raffles place

Raffles Place is a geographical location in Singapore, south of the mouth of the Singapore River. Located in the Downtown Core and the Central Area, it features some of the tallest buildings and landmarks of the country.
 (Text from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffles_Place)

Black swan

The gorgeous black swan in the Botanical garden...

White swans

In the Botanical garden of Singapore there are three lakes, inside the lakes are some fishes, I saw some scarely big cat fishes, some turtles and beautiful swans.
Obviously, the swans are the main object for photographers.

 

 

Polar bear's tank

This photo is nothing special except that the tank for this polar bear in the zoo of Singapore was built by my father who passed away in April. Looking at this photo, does bring back some memories of him and me when I was a Kid. My mom was happy too at that time, she got enter to the zoo for free with my dad.
Having my father building a tank for the polar bears in the local zoo was quite a thing to be proud of when I was a kid.....

Still now,  whenever I am with friends at the zoo, I tell them my father built the tank to keep the polar bears.

Desker Road

Desker Road’s history as a red light district goes back almost to Singapore’s founding.
It is near to my favourite shopping center, Mustafa, so when I was back in Singapore and  happened to be at Mustafa, I would just walk over there and hoped to be able to snap some photo of the life there. Of course, snapping photo of the 'ladies' in those back door rooms is out of the question, I wouldn't want to risk being beaten up.

She saw me and knew that I was taking photo of her, in fact, next, she talked to a man beside her and both of them stared at me.....he looked quite fierce....

 The back alley of Desker Road, where the clients walk along the alley and view the ladies sitting in the house with doors opened.

 

Near dark at The Singapore Botanic Gardens

The Singapore Botanic Gardens  is a 74-hectare (183-acre) botanical garden in Singapore. It is half the size of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew or around one-fifth the size of Central Park in New York. It is the only botanic garden in the world that opens from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight every single day of the year, and does not charge an admission fee, except for the National Orchid Garden. The garden is bordered by Holland Road and Napier Road to the south, Cluny Road to the east, Tyersall Avenue and Cluny Park Road to the west and Bukit Timah Road to the North. The linear distance between the northern and southern ends is around 2.5 km (1.6 mi).
(Text from :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Botanic_Gardens)

Took this photo went leaving the Botanic Gardens, the photo doesn't justify the beauty of the garden, but I like the atmosphere it presents.

Clementi

Two years ago I came back to Singapore, there was a construction going on at the open space next to my block, the fountain was gone, the small green 'hill' was gone.
Two years later, I came back and saw this 40 storeys high building with shopping mall, food court and residential appartments. Result in more people crowding in this already crowded housing estate. 
The only good thing coming out of it is, I don't need to take the metro just to go to the nearest library, there is one in this building.

West coast

Have been 'staying' in Clementi(west side of Singapore) for almost 25 years, never really been to the west coast before, it has never occurred to me that it is a place like east coast, which has beaches, chalets, barbecue pits etc.

However, last visit back to Singapore, I found time to take a walk along the coast, its quietness and the beauty of its own way do leave an impression, ideal for a slow walk with just a few friends or alone, enjoy the nature without being disturb by crowd of people like in the east coast.

Merlion

The Merlion  is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore. Its name combines "mer" meaning the sea and "lion". The fish body represents Singapore's origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means "sea town" in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore's original name — Singapura — meaning "lion city" or "kota singa".
(Text from:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlion)

I remember once the Merlion was suited at the mouth of the Singapore river before the river flows into vast sea. Now with the lands reclaimed further and further out, the position of the Merlion seems to be less prominent and it status somehow is overshadowed by all the newly built tourist attractions around the bay.

LASALLE College of the Arts

The LASALLE College of the Arts, formerly LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts, is an arts educational institution in Singapore. It was founded in 1984 by De La Salle brother, Brother Joseph McNally. Currently, LASALLE has design, fine arts, integrated arts, media arts and performing arts faculties. It also offers Arts Management, Art History and Art Therapy programmes.

(Text from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LASALLE_College_of_the_Arts)

Reflection on the glass windows at LASALLE's City Campus.

Eat, shop and eat

Eating and shopping are two major activities in Singapore, no matter where you go, you can find shopping centers, shopping malls, where you can easily find places to eat inside or nearby too.
Being living in Italy for all these years, as compared to Singapore these are the two things in Sinagpore which I enjoy and appreciate alot, another thing is how easy to find a public toilet when in need, of course toilets are available in places where you can shop and eat.

If I remember well, this should be inside the shopping center Ion in Orchard Road.

Can't remember which shopping center this is....

A Sushi restaurant somewhere....

Costa Rhu Condo

Walking along the shore further down from Republic Ave, looking at the high class, beautiful condo of Costa Rhu, they make quite a contrast to the messy, untidy ongoing construction site.

Question: To what extend will Singapore continue to refill lands and makes more condo?

Little Bali

Was going for the walk on the forest trail until Henderson trail, before going up the metal bridge at the entrance of the walk, found this small house sitting quietly there with a garden with a small pond connecting to the road by a wooden bridge.

Only found out later that it is actually part of the restaurant 'Little Bali', it is perhaps the back door of the restaurant, anyway, find it rather charming.

Night sky

Saw this pre storm sky at chinatown.....

Little india

Little India is an ethnic neighbourhood found in Singapore that has Tamil cultural elements and aspects of other cultures.
It is often crowded, colourful and lively, is a sure place that I like to visit everytime I go back to Singapore.

Two indian boys crossing the road, thought they were holding hands as often seen indian men and their friends doing that in little india, but looked closely at the photo, it seems they were not holding hands.

Housing Block Playground

Singapore weather is so hot and humid, staying in the house can be quite unbearable, especially for people who doesn't enjoy air conditioner or even fan. Often, elderly people love to get down and sit around in the open air to enjoy some fresh air, especially after dinner in the evening time.

Three seniors sitting on benches near a playground to catch some fresh air in the evening, at Holland Ave.

Colourful houses

Some colourful houses in Singapore, mainly are shop houses or resturants or pub...

Near Tanjong Pagar

Near Arab Street

A view of public housing in Singapore

The majority of the residential housing developments in Singapore are publicly governed and developed and about 85% of Singaporeans live in such houses. These flats are located in housing estates, which are self-contained satellite towns with schools, supermarkets, clinics, hawker centres, as well as sports and recreational facilities. There are a large variety of flat types and layouts, catering to a variety of housing budgets. HDB flats were built primarily to provide affordable housing for the masses and their purchase can be financially-aided by the Central Provident Fund. As Singapore developed economically, changing demands has seen more up-market public housing developments catering to those with higher incomes.

Public housing in Singapore as such is not generally considered as a sign of poverty or lower standards of living as compared to public housing in other countries. Although they are generally cheaper than privately-built homes in Singapore, they are built in a variety of quality and finishes to cater to middle and upper middle income groups. Property prices for the smallest public housing can often be higher than privately owned and developed standalone properties (Townhouse, apartment unit etc.) in other developed countries after currency conversion. Even though the majority of residents live in public housing, very few are below the poverty line.

(Text from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_housing_in_Singapore)

Statues

There is this huge chinese temple at Chinatown just a few steps from the Hindu temple. Outside the temple, there are two very impressive looking statues of the 'Tian Wan' (Heavenly kings.)