Ok, enough whining about things that are lost. Moaning about it ain't gonna help get it back. As a dear friend of mine would say, life still goes on....
Anyway, this is an overdue blog post about my trip to Singapore a couple of months ago, over the Deepavali weekend.
Singapore is a very arty-farty city.... or so it tries to be. Old colonial buildings have been renovated and restored to its former glory (and more!) and reused as museums, art galleries, trendy cafes or quaint post offices.
According to the local legend, a famous artist decided to use his mother's old rags to make a few life sized dolls and placed them as decor in his HDB flat. However, when people visiting his place saw the dolls, they started looking at him funny ;). So, one dark and lonely night, he secretly ditched them here on this wooden bench in front of the Singapore Art Museum and they've been here ever since.
I think this used to be a school. It just looks so much like my old primary school, but of course this looks much more spiffy. It was so clean you could eat off the floor. ;)
We ventured into the Kampung Glam area, and found ourselves beside this very impressive mosque called Masjid Sultan (or Sultan Mosque).
Sultan Mosque was built in the 19th century by Sultan Hussain Shah of Johor for his own personal use as well as the local Malay/Riau community in Singapore.
Kampung Glam was once the centre of Malay aristocracy in Singapore and after the island was ceded to the British East India company in 1819, it became the royal settlement of Johor's Sultan Hussain Shah and his entourage.
Whenever he was in Singapore, he stayed in the Istana Kampung Gelam. The Istana has since been restored to its former glory as part of the Malay Heritage Centre.
Ok, can anyone tell me what is wrong with this picture? Remember, this pic was taken in Singapore.
Afterwards, we took the MRT to Funan IT Mall to check out the electronics and computer gadgets on sale there... but not before we had a much deserved ice-cold green tea at the food court upstairs. Singapore can get really hot and muggy, even by KL standards.
We were amusing ourselves by observing the antics of this young couple having lunch. The guy kept asking the girl if she wanted to try his cendol, and she kept refusing. Finally she got angry and told him off rather loudly, " I said I dowan means I dowan lor.... I already overweight leh... "
Ok, shopping time. Seven floors of technological heaven, sellling any gadget you can think of, from cameras to iPods and everything in between all at very competitive prices. Compared to Low Yatt, the sheer scope of the products here is mind-boggling, but prices are more affordable in LY (due to the high SGD conversion rate and the 7% GST levied on all goods and services).
Afterwards we took a walk to the city centre and found ourselves next to the Singapore River, where all the skyscrapers jostle for space and soar into the sky.
I have to say, Singapore really is very clean and orderly. Everything is in working condition, buses and trains (MRT) arrive and depart on time and it's very convenient to go just about anywhere on the island using the public transportation. Trouble was, due to the weather, we were so sweaty and tired, the only place on our mind that we wanted to go to was back to the hotel room for a nice cold shower and to rest our tired feet. ;)
SO, we were content to just while the time away just hanging out by the river and take photographs of the colourful and unique buildings along the esplanade.
Once every few minutes a lone sampan would float past on the murky waters below us, most of the time filled with Mat Salleh tourists who find a river cruise down a glorified drain very interesting. Ah well, I remember doing something like that on a gondola in Venice myself.
No, this is not a pictorial advert for Novotel hotel. I was aiming for the funny steel contraption in the foreground which turned out to be the framework for a 'reversed bungee' ride. Basically you sit in a small cubicle and get flung up into the air on rubberised wires that are attached to those steel pillars. And since i just had my lunch, I opted not to go for it otherwise my lunch might get flung out of me instead.
Shhh....!!
Awww.... grandpa taking his granddaughter out for a walk. You don't get to see this very often in KL.
What'cha looking at? Never seen a crow before? Go away before I peck you to death!
It was a good relaxing time that evening, with the sun shielded by rainclouds that just didn't seem to gather enough muster to pour. Pity about the coffee-coloured river tho'. ;)
Anyway, this is an overdue blog post about my trip to Singapore a couple of months ago, over the Deepavali weekend.
Singapore is a very arty-farty city.... or so it tries to be. Old colonial buildings have been renovated and restored to its former glory (and more!) and reused as museums, art galleries, trendy cafes or quaint post offices.
According to the local legend, a famous artist decided to use his mother's old rags to make a few life sized dolls and placed them as decor in his HDB flat. However, when people visiting his place saw the dolls, they started looking at him funny ;). So, one dark and lonely night, he secretly ditched them here on this wooden bench in front of the Singapore Art Museum and they've been here ever since.
I think this used to be a school. It just looks so much like my old primary school, but of course this looks much more spiffy. It was so clean you could eat off the floor. ;)
We ventured into the Kampung Glam area, and found ourselves beside this very impressive mosque called Masjid Sultan (or Sultan Mosque).
Sultan Mosque was built in the 19th century by Sultan Hussain Shah of Johor for his own personal use as well as the local Malay/Riau community in Singapore.
Kampung Glam was once the centre of Malay aristocracy in Singapore and after the island was ceded to the British East India company in 1819, it became the royal settlement of Johor's Sultan Hussain Shah and his entourage.
Whenever he was in Singapore, he stayed in the Istana Kampung Gelam. The Istana has since been restored to its former glory as part of the Malay Heritage Centre.
Ok, can anyone tell me what is wrong with this picture? Remember, this pic was taken in Singapore.
Afterwards, we took the MRT to Funan IT Mall to check out the electronics and computer gadgets on sale there... but not before we had a much deserved ice-cold green tea at the food court upstairs. Singapore can get really hot and muggy, even by KL standards.
We were amusing ourselves by observing the antics of this young couple having lunch. The guy kept asking the girl if she wanted to try his cendol, and she kept refusing. Finally she got angry and told him off rather loudly, " I said I dowan means I dowan lor.... I already overweight leh... "
Ok, shopping time. Seven floors of technological heaven, sellling any gadget you can think of, from cameras to iPods and everything in between all at very competitive prices. Compared to Low Yatt, the sheer scope of the products here is mind-boggling, but prices are more affordable in LY (due to the high SGD conversion rate and the 7% GST levied on all goods and services).
Afterwards we took a walk to the city centre and found ourselves next to the Singapore River, where all the skyscrapers jostle for space and soar into the sky.
I have to say, Singapore really is very clean and orderly. Everything is in working condition, buses and trains (MRT) arrive and depart on time and it's very convenient to go just about anywhere on the island using the public transportation. Trouble was, due to the weather, we were so sweaty and tired, the only place on our mind that we wanted to go to was back to the hotel room for a nice cold shower and to rest our tired feet. ;)
SO, we were content to just while the time away just hanging out by the river and take photographs of the colourful and unique buildings along the esplanade.
Once every few minutes a lone sampan would float past on the murky waters below us, most of the time filled with Mat Salleh tourists who find a river cruise down a glorified drain very interesting. Ah well, I remember doing something like that on a gondola in Venice myself.
No, this is not a pictorial advert for Novotel hotel. I was aiming for the funny steel contraption in the foreground which turned out to be the framework for a 'reversed bungee' ride. Basically you sit in a small cubicle and get flung up into the air on rubberised wires that are attached to those steel pillars. And since i just had my lunch, I opted not to go for it otherwise my lunch might get flung out of me instead.
Shhh....!!
Awww.... grandpa taking his granddaughter out for a walk. You don't get to see this very often in KL.
What'cha looking at? Never seen a crow before? Go away before I peck you to death!
It was a good relaxing time that evening, with the sun shielded by rainclouds that just didn't seem to gather enough muster to pour. Pity about the coffee-coloured river tho'. ;)
4 comments:
Hey2 ... Sunway Lagoon recently installed the reverse bungee thingie there! Looking for someone to go try it some day.
Maybe it would be something that the gang would be interested to make a day of??
I know I know I know what's wrong with that pic. A Singaporean parking at a no parking zone in Singapore. They normally only do that in Malaysia.
So got win anything ah?
Nick: Hmmm.... you're certainly a revelation! First gym bunny... then club bunny.... now... up-n-down bunny! Hehehehe
Shah: Kor-lek! Please contact me to claim your prize. ;)
Whoah... this entry is really overdue. Since deepavali eh? Erm.. you still look the same right?
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