Teachers Day 2007

When I was a student, I gave small gifts to my teachers, and cards to the ones I had something to say... I believed that every teacher meant well in their own way, and we can't have achieved what we had without them. So there was this one day in a year, you could say how much you adore them. :) Well, now, I am no longer a student, but I still like to wish my colleagues who are teachers, a happy teachers day! I know the photo does't look very professionally done, but they will receive it tomorrow anyway.

Singapore Fireworks Festival 2007

I dunno why they call it a festival when there are only two days (17th and 18th Aug) of fireworks. But I read from the STB website that it is part of the national day celebrations. Friday's one was from Spain. Pity I was too tired, else I would have gone there to take a look. I think somebody mentioned that Sat's from China. The police wouldn't allow us to go up the Sheares Bridge anymore. There was a floating platform, but you had to pay money to enter. And because they are now building the DNA Millenia bridge across the marina, most of the other part of the esplanade park was sealed off. So I had to crowd with all the other poor folks on some damp ground behind the esplanade. There were a few pleasant surprises and it was good on the whole, but I felt that there was too much smoke. Perhaps they should time the fireworks less hurriedly, and avoid excessive use of those low firing fireworks that give out more smoke than light.

Elgin Bridge

If you walked along the riverside from Clarke Quay to Boat Quay, you will not miss the Elgin Bridge that links the City Hall area with the Chinatown area. Though not very large and spans only the rather narrow Singapore river, the design of its arc allows tourists to frame the skyscrapers nicely. And doing so allows you to combine the richness of history with the advancements of modernity.

Majestic up for Sale

Last Thursday it was reported in the papers that the Majestic Building is given up for sale at $48 million dollars. Though I never frequent its stores, nor watch any shows there before 2002, it did struck me as a worthy piece of our national heritage for its artistic facade, earlier in the year when I passed by it along Eu Tong Sen Road (Chinatown). Incidentally, I learnt from the report that the Majestic was built by Eu Tong Sen (a philanthropist) for his wife to watch opera shows by performers from China. During the Jap Occupation, it became a theatre for the Japanese. With so much history behind this building, it is more than just Majestic.

Another Unusual Guest

This morning the skies cleared for a moment....and a pair of green parrots were feasting happily on the tall branches of the rambutan tree. No one could have missed this one because it was making such loud noises. But much like the eagle picture I took a few days ago, the overly bright white sky and underexposure of the bird affected the picture. I touched this up this morning and replaced the sky with a bluer one taken at Koh Samui in June. If I could get closer to the parrot, its contrasting colours may have been more spectacular.

A Very Unusual Guest

It has been here before... I sometimes see it during the weekends when I spend more time at home than other days. But it is never quite easy to snap them in action. The moment you have your camera out from the drawer and ready yourself for the shot, the eagle has long gone. This evening, as I was just about to take a shower before dinner, it appeared unexpectedly on the rambutan tree. Surely it must be quite hungry to want to eat vegetarian stuff belonging to the squirrels and parrots. Compare the bird with the rambutans and you get an idea how big this bird is. Even the mynahs kept a safe distance below the tree in the presence of the eagle.

Flame Tree

The Singapore Botanical Gardens is home to countless species of trees, both native to the country as well as of foreign origin. And once in a while, a very unusual flowering of a tree species sends nature loving people into a frenzy. For me, it offered a perfect reason to take my butt off the cozy sofa, grab the camera, and exercise my limbs. Hailing from Australia, this tree bearing the red flowers is the Illawarra Tree. Sounds like a name given by the aborigines. It is isn't very tall, and the flowers aren't sweet smelling, but the bell shaped flowers grow in bright red clusters which are so numerous that from far, the tree looks as if it is on fire....thereby the name, Flame Tree. Its at the Sun Garden closer to the entrance at Holland Road. It won't last very long, so go there quickly if you can.