A Wish for Singapore’s 47th Birthday

Enjoy Non-Stop Heritage Action This August!

August is turning out to be an exhilarating month for museum, heritage and art lovers in Singapore. There are lots to see, hear, taste and do as the National Heritage Board churns out a dazzling array of exhibitions, events and trails to celebrate Singapore’s 47th birthday.

For a start, NHB museums are offering FREE ENTRY to our museums for the permanent exhibitions during the entire month! Entry to special exhibitions such as the “Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum” exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) are also heavily discounted. Its certainly a good time to indulge your cravings for culture and to satisfy those nostalgic urges!

If you’re inspired by what you see at the museums, why not bring home an originally designed product (or two)? Working in collaboration with Ideas Empire, a young and growing creative collective, ACM is also hosting the IEX Asian Heritage showcase from now until September.

At IEX, you can feast your eyes on creatively designed products such as porcelain bowls, handcrafted jewellery, and contemporary Asian apparel inspired by the collections of the ACM. Why not deck your homes – and bodies – with fashionable objects shaped by history! 

Those yearning for some fresh air can check out the newly relaunched Jalan Besar Community Heritage Trail. Walk back in time and imagine how the colourful and fascinating neighbourhood was light in bygone years.

Launched this morning by MICA Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, the trail educates one on the fascinating history of various places in the Jalan Besar precinct. Visitors can also check out the Singapore Portraits exhibition held at theCity Square Mall along Kitchener Road.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Finally, mark your calendars for the 2 weekends of 24, 25 August and 31 Aug, 1 Sep as Night Festival 2012 illuminates our civic district in a heavenly glow. Be awed by the spectacular night lights, swing along with local bands and be amazed by the aerial acrobatics of Argentinian artists Fuerzabruta. Most of the museums will also be open till late and entry will be free.

With so much to do this August, you really shouldn’t be staying at home thinking about the past!

 

 

 

 

 

A Royal Feast at Singapore’s Largest Durian Fiesta

Thanks to the good folks from Resorts World Sentosa, my wife and I had the decadent pleasure of indulging in a feast of luscious, delectable and creamy durians at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Held as part of their membership programme RWS Invites, the one night event saw some 1,200 guests tucking into almost 3.6 tonnes of durians specially trucked in from Malaysia for the glorious occasion.

At the Durian Fest, we tucked into a total of 7 varieties of premium durians – Jing Feng, Zhu Jiao, D13, D24, D101, Ang Kar and the iconic Mao Shan Wang. As my wife Tina remarked, the taste was exquisitely different for each. Some were more aromatic and creamy while others had a slightly firmer and bitter taste.

Joining the king of fruits that night was the queen of fruits – the mangosteen – as well as other sweet tropical delights like rambutans and chikus. Washed down with sugar cane juice, the experience was quite extraordinary, and we ate so much durians that we couldn’t really move much that night.  A feeling of euphoria and light-headedness permeated my senses as the high tryptophan levels of the durians kicked in.

Served by some 200 staff that night, we could see that all guests enjoyed themselves tremendously. Like a factory line, the hardworking staff braved the spiky thorny fruit to cut them open, deliver them to our tables, and ensured that we had our fill of the heavenly fruit. I thought the idea of supplying diners with disposable plastic gloves was a coup – it prevented us from having durian smelling fingers thereafter.

Our verdict that night? Totally yummilicious!

Here’s the rest of the photos from that night’s hedonistic makan session for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy (though eating is probably better)!

Singapore Garden Festival 2012

Singapore Garden Festival 2012, a set on Flickr.

Had a nice time during lunch dining in the Hospitality Pavillion at the Singapore Garden Festival 2012 and visiting the flower show. Special thanks to MCI Singapore for this privilege! 🙂

An Untimely Death

Today is a sad day for us. Our beloved orange lobster, the largest crustacean in our aquarium, has passed away. The lobster has been with us for close to a year.

Fortunately, Ethan didn’t feel that sad.

If you look carefully, you’d notice that part of it’s yummy lobster tail was nipped off by the white lobster who now remains the only king of our tank.

May it Rest In Peace!

Visiting the Chinese and Japanese Gardens

Sometime last month, I brought my family to the Chinese and Japanese Gardens located around the Jurong Lake area. It has been decades since I last visited these gardens during my childhood, and I thought it would be interesting for Ethan and Tina to visit these “reproductions” of oriental gardens from the far east.

As we drove along Yuan Ching road, the sight of the towering Casuarina trees framing the road brought a strong sense of nostalgia. These silent guardians of the road had been there since my childhood. I told Ethan that there used to be a drive-in cinema in that area a long time ago, as well as a “Yaohan” department store there.

At the two parks, we started first with the Chinese Garden and strolled around its “faux” oriental landscapes with pagodas, pavillions, lakes, and arch bridges made to resemble those in China. It was quite an interesting twist to see that about 90% of the Garden’s visitors were foreign workers, with some of them making out in the stairwells of the mini pagoda overlooking the lake!

For hard-core park and garden lovers, both man-made gardens may be a little tired and lacklustre compared to the wonderfully landscaped aesthetic marvels such as the newly opened Gardens by the Bay and the eternally beautiful Singapore Botanic Gardens. While the gardens are generally well-kept and clean, I noticed that very few Singaporean families were present that evening.

Having said that, I am glad that they are well visited by our friends from afar. As free parks and gardens, they provide much needed recreation and leisure to overseas workers who have to scrimp and save every dollar that they earn from their blood, sweat and tears.

Ethan wanted to visit the “Live Tortoise and Turtle Museum”. Unfortunately, it was already closing time when we went there.

On the bridge connecting the Chinese and Japanese Gardens, Ethan was offered some bread by a friendly uncle who was feeding fishes in the vast water body connected to the Jurong Lake area. He enjoyed himself feeding the grey fishes and terrapins which swarmed around the morsels of brown and white baked flour.

Enjoy a walk through the serene greenery in the West with a selection of photos below:

See the full gallery on Posterous

Our next “heritage park” will be Haw Par Villa. I’m curious to see if it has changed after all these years, and to also gauge my son’s reaction as a Millenial child encountering a “retro styled” attraction.

Birthday Party for One-Year Old Aeris

Yesterday afternoon, Ethan, Tina and I went to the Silver Garden Restaurant at the Alexandra Retail Centre (ARC) to celebrate her ex-colleague Chin Kai’s daughter’s one-year birthday.  Themed with “Hello Kitty” banners, balloons, and goodie packs, the room was festooned with cheery balloons and photos of the cute and cuddly birthday girl.

A powerpoint slideshow with photographs of Aeris and her two-year old sister Ariel played overhead, providing visual interest as guests feasted, caught up and made merry with lots of kids running around. To entertain the kids, a balloon artist helped to create swords, flowers, cartoon characters, and other objects from colourful twistable balloons.

Tina and I agreed that it was quite an elaborate and meticulously planned affair, thanks mostly to Chin Kai’s wife’s Keleen’s keen hand. We sat next to two of her ex-colleagues from NEA, listening to tales of their travel adventures and mentally making our own plans to embark on a nature/wildlife trip soon. 

Both the birthday girl and her two-year old sister Ariel moved (or more appropriately, were carried) around the room, and they truly resembled living “dolls” (just look at their photos). They gamely took numerous photos and did not fret at all. Of course, it also helped that their dad is a keen photographer.

Meanwhile, Ethan had some fun having his portrait done by a caricaturist and making his own balloon contraption called the “flying carrot” from a souvenir from the party. I think he was rather amused by the colour and buzz of the event, especially the Hello Kitty shaped birthday cake which was discreetly “dismembered” so that we all could have a slice of her!

Here are more photos of the celebration for your viewing pleasure.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Why Plastic Bags are So Uncool

Courtesy of Greenr

I’ve read recently that the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) is proposing that supermarkets should charge for plastic bags as a way of reducing the amount consumed in Singapore. Kudos to SEC for proposing this move. 

While I agree that this could help to reduce the amount of non-recyclable and non biodegradable plastics used in our packaging, about 2/3rds of Singaporeans polled by Yahoo! objected to this. Their opposition probably stemmed from fears that like everything else, adding the cost of plastic bags to any form of shopping would add fuel to the high inflation rates that are worrying everybody here.

What are the true costs of plastic bags?

First, we need to understand what harm it does. In this very comprehensive and well researched article in Science 2.0, we learn that plastic bags:

1) have a slow rate of decomposition (I believe they can last for thousands of years), and are very dangerous for sea life;

2) are a sources of “microplastic” particles (or “plastic plankton”), which is vastly present in many marine areas around the world;

3) are able to absorb high concentrations of the toxic substances in water, which can in turn be absorbed by living organisms;

4) are now one of the most easily reproduced plastic materials (using biodegradable biopolymers);

5) is the product for which the market can best withstand a relatively high increase in the cost of raw materials, due to their low unit price.

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), there are “up to 6 pounds of marine litter to every pound of plankton”, and that there are “over 46,000 pieces of plastic litter are floating on every square mile of ocean today”.

The danger of plastic bags for marine organisms is well documented. They can suffocate sea turtles, whales, large fishes, and other fishes and animals. They result in pollution, accumulation of toxins, and destruction of marine habitats and ecosystems.

Most soberingly, the prevalence of plastic bags in our oceans could result in a poisoning of our own seafood supply.

In Singapore, about 1.2 kg of crude oil (yes, that diminishing, non renewable resource) goes into every kg of bag manufactured according to A*STAR. In 2011, we used about 3 billion plastic bags in Singapore. This translates to 37 million kg of crude oil and 12 million kg of natural gas.

As a consumption oriented society where shopping is a national pastime, many Singaporeans are inundated with plastic bags, plastic packaging, and shrink wraps in almost everything that we buy. In the name of hygiene, aesthetics, and convenience, we are generating a huge amount of waste that will become our legacy for future generations.

I urge all Singaporeans to do what we can to reduce our need for plastic bags. Let us bring our own bags for shopping and support businesses that are good for the environment (like our friendly neighbourhood karang guni man).

I am trying to do my bit to support the reduction of plastic bags by using recyclable bags (see below) so that my descendants don’t have to live in a global garbage dump. Will you do so too?

Exploring Gardens by the Bay East

After a hectic week of work and study in preparation for the Ethan’s upcoming mid-year exams, we decided to have a relaxing evening out in the park. I proposed visiting the Tanjong Rhu area having cycled from Marina South, through the Marina Barrage area, to the Gardens by the Bay East. This is an interim garden by the waterfront while the main Gardens by the Bay is being developed at the Marina South area.

While the weather was somewhat warm and humid, we did enjoy a slight breeze at the quiet new park. It was great to have the park mostly to ourselves, save for an occasional cyclist, inline skater, and stroller. We brought along Ethan’s inline skates so that he could roll about for a bit, get some fresh air, and help the blood to circulate a bit. It also helped him to relax before the oral exams tomorrow morning.

We had a surprise as we walked/bladed in the park when we saw a kite being flown in the air by…errr… nobody. After looking around the garden and determining that nobody was coming to claim it, we took flew the kite as we walked and rolled back to our car. Ethan sure had fun with it, as you can see in the photos below.

Visiting Singapore’s gorgeous gardens and parks is a good way to spend Earth Day, and I’d recommend this park for anybody keen on a little peace and quiet with gorgeous views of the Marina Bay area as its backdrop. A nice way to spend a relaxing Sunday evening and to refresh our tired minds and bodies before the onset of another hectic week ahead.

Here’s the rest of the photos for your viewing pleasure!

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649

Why I Love To Ride My Bicycle

I’ve been considering getting a bicycle for quite a long time now.  A family friend is an avid cyclist, while several of my social media buddies have moved from gadgets to gears. After several searches on forums, conversations with friends and family members, and visits to bicycle shops, I finally purchased a new bicycle as well as various riding gear and accessories (to ride bright, ride comfortably and ride safe).

For you gearheads out there, my rather basic set-up is a Trek FX 3.0 Hybrid bicycle (full aluminium body) with Shimano gear shifts, Bontrager seat, a cheapo alumnium bootle holder, Knog bicycle lights (front and back), and a Cat’s Eye bicycle bell. I’m fitted with a basic Bontrager helmet (just like my kid Ethan), Trigon cycling tights and a “free” pair of SAF New Balance running shoes!

The push from running to riding was triggered partly by my TCM who said that jogging was too strenuous for me, as well as my degenerating left knee. Cycling is less stressful for my body system, less sweaty (which is good for my dermatitis), and more therapeutic while still burning enough calories to keep my body lean. Not that I have any problems keeping my weight off (despite eating prodigiously at times!).

One of the real reasons why I ventured on two-wheels again after a long hiatus is that I love to ride. I recalled fondly my family’s cycling expedition at the Whistler mountain area in Canada and how we much we enjoyed it (of course it helped that we saw a cute black bear along the way). Looking further back, I also remembered a ride in Tokyo, Japan that I had with my wife and her Japanese friend Hiroko’s mother and relished the feeling as we meandered through rivers, ball parks full of Japanese kids playing baseball (with watchful mothers) and farms.

Perhaps the greatest reason for me to go back to bicycle riding is that my son Ethan has developed into an avid rider who loves to shoot the breeze. Riding together could be a way for us to bond more closely, while exploring new places in Singapore. Our next goal is to purchase a bicycle for my wife so that we can ride together as a family.

Beyond the green and health related reasons cited by numerous cycling fans – and that number is growing significantly by the day – my personal reason for embracing those frames, spokes and wheels is one that is more nostalgic in nature. As a kid and a teen, I used to ride my bicycle with my brother as well as friends in the lovely Serangoon Gardens neighbourhood where we lived. We ventured to places far and near, from the playgrounds in the estate to Ang Mo Kio to the Upper Serangoon and even Punggol area (back when it still had pig farms).

There were many adventures on two-wheels for a young boy back then. They range from those catastrophic falls with bloodied knees, hands and bodies as our bicycles freewheeled down steep and sharp corners, to “spy missions” where we “visited” certain interesting houses in the estate that had fierce dogs, fascinating aviaries full of parrots, macaws and other exotic “birds”.

As I grew older in my 20s, my passion for cycling resulted in the purchase of better and more expensive bicycles which took me further away. There was a period when I would cycle 80 km or more in a day, from my home in Yio Chu Kang all the way to the Changi Village and back. Those rides were gruelling but fun, and allowed me to see Singapore from a different vantage point. While the rides through the greener areas where often pleasant, cycling through the city area – especially the heavily trafficked Chinatown area – was always more stressful. Often, they were rewarded with calorific meals during the stopovers.

Where will the road take me in the future? Well, I doubt that I’ll venture on long cycling expeditions across continents, deserts, forests and cities although I may participate in some cycling trips now and then. However, it is likely that I’ll embrace this two-wheeling lifestyle for quite a bit as a recreational cyclist, exploring Singapore’s green corridor and living a different life on the asphalt roads of our city in a garden.