{100 Places}: Labrador Park

The light was ephemeral yet celestial - with the setting sun sending its last burst of arresting, sublime rays up to the heavens. The expansive sea to our left was calm and placid, its serene waves reaching the shores which led to mysteriously lush rainforest.

And we were ambling on a beautiful boardwalk, situated right in the middle of the sea and rainforest, with the dazzling golden light above us. What a sight to behold.

Welcome to Labrador Park, a little-known sanctuary that our family has taken to visiting more often lately. We love everything about Labrador Park - from the fun play stations scattered around the park (which included a "maze" made purely out of vertical logs!) to the rustic BBQ pits by the sea which I used to visit with my own family and cousins when I was a teenager.

We love to amble along the board walk, just letting it guide us to wherever it wants to lead us. We love discovering little nooks and crannies that only Labrador Park can provide - old, historical war monuments dating back to World War 2 buried deep in the rainforest, the juxtaposition of a see-saw beside a gun fortress and a tall cliff, a small cafe in the middle of nowhere, with an amazing view of the surroundings (not sure if it is still there!)...so many surprises!

The beauty of Labrador Park is that it is not permeated by crowds of people, so we get our space to explore and be carefree!

Previous posts about Labrador Park:
Close To Nature

{100 Places}: Tiong Bahru

We spent an unhurried, languid afternoon in the old Tiong Bahru precinct, soaking in charming nostalgia and immersing in the laidback culture. Quirky shops and cafes sprung up alongside old, fascinating residential blocks and kopitiams. We ambled along its quiet streets and admired the plethora of bicycles all around. We loved the old walk-up apartments that were wistfully dreaming of an era spanning decades of turbulence in Singapore. We browsed in hole-in-the-wall bookshops and had breakfast and coffee in 2 fancy cafes (that were really pricey, in my humble opinion!). 

It was great for the Bees to see another slower side of Singapore, where crowds were elusive and the pace less hectic. Where one can browse in creatively original shops, without the need to visit large, sterile chain malls.

Early evening was exquisite - with tangerine golden sunrays casting a warm glow on the old gracious buildings. It is little niches like this that make me love the varied landscape of Singapore - and I hope that more quaint areas will be preserved and kept in their original condition, without the need to construct new boring and colourless air-conditioned malls!

{100 Places}: Arab Street

We constantly find it miraculous that so much diversity - be it in society or in nature - exists within this tiny island we call home. We enjoy exploring different corners of Singapore over weekends or during school holidays, and even then, there exists untouched places in Singapore where we had not visited before!

I thought it might be interesting to compile a list of 100 places around Singapore which we had enjoyed visiting - and are continually visiting, especially the free parks and nature reserves! I would love to revisit these places for a long time thereafter, and this would be a wonderful way to constantly remind ourselves of the beauties around us.

I thought Arab Street would be a splendid place to start with - an enclave right in the middle of Singapore which feels like another world, another era.

Brilliantly colourful wall murals grace the facades of quaint, old shophouses. Dusty shops selling mystical and nostalgic knick-knacks from exotic perfume bottles to candies right from the 1970s era. Charming hipster boutiques hidden in long-forgotten corners of the streets. Whimsical, tranquil cafes that ensconce us into another realm of time. More importantly, we love to soak in the vibrancy and buzz of the Muslim community, understanding a different way of life that is so familiar to us through the decades.

It is a perfect escapade for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Early evening is the perfect time to visit, with golden sunrays casting a magical glow on the majestic dome of the Sultan Mosque.

Previous posts about Arab Street:
The Arabian Enigma
Ghoulish Glee

When The Moon Disappeared...

The Bees had always been fascinated by space and the universe around us. We started learning about the solar system and outer space since Little Bee was in K1, creating mini fact books, a rocket craft, singing about our planets and sketching the solar system.

We have had numerous conversations about the possibility of life in outer space. Hubby and I are strong believers that life exists in other galaxies, and maybe because of our beliefs, the Bees are starting to acknowledge the possibility of aliens, although the concept is totally creepy to them.

2 months ago, we observed the April total lunar eclipse with our close friends at home. We took out our telescope in a bid to observe the movement of the eclipse but were more successful at observing the red hues of the blood moon and the path of the eclipse with our naked eye. After the eclipse, when the moon was rising and shining bright, we observed its mysterious craters through the telescope. It was intriguing to look at the intricate craters and shadows on the moon through the telescope, and we adults had crazy conversations about potentially observing signs of life on the moon! We also discussed the moon landing conspiracies, and wondered about the state of the universe and the first creation of life.

It is apparent that the adults were more fascinated than the teenagers and big kids, who were holed up in the bedroom, gossiping about books and pop music on their own! These days, it is interesting to observe what teenagers and big kids do when they get together. These 4 kids had been hanging out since they were babies, and it is really heart-warming to see them maturing together from active kids who ran all around playing with toys to sedated teenagers who would rather lounge around the house, chatting about books and music.

As for the adults, we are excited to catch the next lunar eclipse!

Lunar eclipse in action! 

The mysterious surface of the moon

More moon pictures - these were all taken from our mobile phones through the telescope! 

Of Chalkboards And Clean Slates

To demonstrate the significance of life's impermanence, Tibetan monks will painstakingly create intricately designed sand mandalas. For months, they bent over the ground, arranging the sand grain by grain. Once their beautiful creations were perfected and completed, they cheerfully destroyed it in the ultimate celebration of impermanence.

Impermanence is the fundamental nature of the human condition. Yet, most of us are living our lives in a constant state of worry, denial and regret - and that is what's causing our supposed fears. Change is a constant reassurance that we consistently learn from the undulating affairs around us. Yet, we are often shocked by definitive constants like deaths, even though death is the most predictable outcome of life - more so than births, in this age of contraceptives and birth control tactics.

We emphasised the concept of impermanence with the Bees through simple chalk play one balmy evening. We hope that a better understanding of impermanence might help them to become more resilient, adaptable beings in future, able to face the myriad challenges that will appear in their lives soon.
We bought a box of colourful, cheerful chalks and painted a wall in our home black. We then spent the gloaming scribbling and sketching on the wall, drawing favourite pictures that bring us comfort and happiness. The Bees were mighty satisfied with the outcome of our family montage! Thereafter, we left the wall to the elements (this is an external wall, exposed to the elements).

Two days later, there was a huge downpour that wiped the entire wall clean of our sketches. After the rain, we observed the sad, faded imprints of our sketches and I felt a little sorry that our hard work was gone. However, I was surprised that the Bees exclaimed excitedly that they can start drawing all over again - on a clean slate!

And that is what life is about, isn't it? Building up things with people we love, appreciating them but not being overly-attached to them. And if something happened to shake up the foundation of these things, we cheerfully move on in life on a clean slate. Easier said than done, of course, but the Bees' approach to their chalkboard gave me something to learn and think about. I hope they can take this same attitude to the many vicissitudes in their lives next time!

Smells Like Singapore Spirit...

Rousing cheers. Rambunctious jeers. 

Packed, sweaty bodies violently gesticulating away. 

Massive crowds standing and stomping on their feet.

Banners. Whistles. Horns. Drums. 

A whole kaleidoscope of cacophony, elation, chaos, disappointment. 

And no - I am not talking about a rock concert (although the whole ambience felt like one!). Instead, the girls and us were at a Singapore versus Malaysia AFF Suzuki Cup match. Crowds were boisterous and all decked out in red. The atmosphere was electrifying. And the girls were shocked at how rude and rowdy football fans were, especially when they started chanting "boo" when players from Malaysia doubled over in pain during more aggressive tackles. Haha, not the best place to inculcate sportsmanship to the girls! 

The girls decked out in their father's favourite soccer team shirts!

Hubby and I thought it would be a good experience to bring the Bees to a roaring football match - and we knew the Singapore versus Malaysia match would be raucous enough! 

It was an excellent experience, and brought me back to those days in the early 1990s when we were all attending football matches with the Singapore "dream team" soccer team. Best of all, the match was played in the new National Stadium, and I was impressed by the huge infrastructure of a stylish, state-of-the-art stadium! 

The entire stadium was almost filled, and everyone did the Kallang Wave deliriously, much to the Bees' amusement. The Kallang Roar was loud and clear. And the spirit was high. Everyone smiled at each other, and much encouragement was shown to the small but zealous supporters of the Malaysian team. 

Little Bee brought along her pom-poms to cheer for the Lions!

Alas, we did not win, but I thought this was a wonderful experience for the girls (although they started reading their books halfway through the match!). We will be back for more matches! 

Oops, the girls started reading out of boredom halfway through the match!

We took the MRT to avoid traffic jams, and the entire MRT station was filled with red shirts! 

Exploring Our Heritage

A week before the Mid-Autumn Festival, we ambled around Chinatown and its surrounding streets just to gawk at the brightly-lit flowers that adorned the main road.

As we were in the region, we also went into some quaint, old shops to take a look at some old knick-knacks and toys, where Hubby and I were transported back to our childhood.

We showed some of these toys to the Bees, and extolled about the simplicity of life before the invention of Internet and complex electronic gadgets.

We were captivated by the sight of so many lanterns, and bought a number of them, in preparation for Mid-Autumn!

We chanced upon a timeworn aquarium shop, selling anything from fishes to terrapins to birds! It was a chaotic labyrinth within, but we wandered around the shop, peering into dark, mysterious fish tanks and ominous-looking styrofoam boxes with big, motionless terrapins. I did not think it was very humane to keep all the animals locked up in these tiny spaces, but this was nostalgia for Hubby and I. It brought back long-forgotten memories of little kids (us!) peeking at animals and fishes, almost as if aquarium shops like these were like mini zoos.

We then meandered down Keong Saik Road, and were amazed at the transformation of this street. What used to be a sleazy red-light district in the 1960s was metamorphosed into a hip, bohemian street with whimsical cafes and trendy motels, juxtaposed against a backdrop of modern, high-rise HDB flats and an exotic Indian temple. Truly fascinating.

I hope the Bees got a glimpse into a past that is fast disappearing in Singapore, understanding their roots even better. Simple jaunts like these are totally free and easy on our pockets, but they are so enriching for our hearts.

Happy 49th Birthday, Singapore!

This was taken last year when we were at the National Day Parade Preview.

This National Day weekend was spent amidst lots of bonding and lazing around. We hardly meet friends these days because time is precious and with the Bees growing up so quickly, we kind of want to hog them to ourselves as much as possible! Furthermore, with PSLE looming in the very near future, we could not afford whole days captured in leisure activities.

Still, it was a wonderful weekend which started with a secondary school class reunion with a brilliant turn-out and incessant catching up. It was incredible in the sense that all of us viewed one another with the unguarded masks of 15- and 16-year-old teenagers, mentally travelling back to the days before we had factitious and meaningless labels that are attached to our occupations, where we live, where we graduated from, how much we earn, etc. We were all stripped clean of all these labels and were convivial and genuine. It also struck me that time is cruelly trundling on, waiting for no one. A stark reminder of time's breakneck speed - Big Bee is a mere 4 years younger than the last time some of us had seen one another when we graduated at 16.

The rest of the weekend meandered languidly along with good food, lazing by the pool, a walk in a park and of course, watching the National Day Parade as a family, a time-honoured ritual since our childhood days.

The Bees were visibly inspired by this year's show of patriotism on TV, so I interviewed them in jest about what they love in Singapore. Here goes!

Q: What do you love most about Singapore?
Big Bee: "Multi-racial society, non-corrupt government and lots of educational opportunities!" (then she went cackling away and asked if I am testing her on her oral exams, hmph)
Little Bee: "Safe & clean, the trees and flowers are beautiful here, and I like the weather here!"

Q: Favourite places in Singapore?
Big Bee: "Hm, home, school and JEM (the shopping mall in Jurong, where she watched some of her favourite movies with friends and where there is a Kinokuniya)". Then she changed her mind. "No no, it is Universal Studios, Marina Bay Sands and JEM!"
Little Bee: "Oh, lots of places! Do I have any limit? OK - Kinokuniya Bookstores, Universal Studios, Esplanade, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens By The Bay, ALL our beaches, JEM and Westgate!"

Whew. And I notice they did not mention much of the nature reserves or parks that we brought them regularly to. Grrr.

Q: What was your favourite part of the National Day Parade?
Big Bee: "The video about the history of Singapore! So that the younger generation like me can understand what the pioneers had gone through to build Singapore up!"
Little Bee: "The dance performances! And the Red Lions!"

Q: Favourite hawker food?
Both girls: "Chwee kueh!"

How was your National Day weekend?

A Date With Shakespeare

We had a date with Shakespeare a couple of months ago where we watched The Merchant Of Venice in Fort Canning, under a starry night with balmy evening breezes.

Check out the crowds! We were lucky to have found an area right in front of the stage to plonk ourselves down! 

It was the Bees' first exposure to a play by the Bard, with full-fledged Shakespearean language. They had read a lot of his plays in adapted versions, in regular English, and we had talked about The Merchant Of Venice before this play. However, it was still a delight to see them looking quizzical in the first few minutes, whispering furtively, "Mummy! What language are they speaking in?" Haha.

I read the Merchant of Venice synopsis to them before the play, so the Bees were aware of the key protagonists and the main plot (and subplots). Once the play started and they got used to the archaic language, they were slowly drawn into the dramatic twists and hyperbole of Shakespeare's magic.

My qualms about this play were that 1) the setting was constructed deliberately in a modern setting with techno music (call me an old-fashioned, unadaptable fool, but I would prefer a good ol' Shakespearean play over these new modern re-adaptations!) and that 2) I wish more local actors could be in main roles since this was organised by a local theatre production company. The 2 key protagonists were non-Singaporeans. Otherwise, I thought it was a lovely evening out with the family, just kicking our shoes off, sitting back on the grass and simply having a chillax time!

Colours Of Nature: The Tree Huggers

Nothing revivifies our family better than a walk amongst the giants of nature. Even in insanely crowded Singapore, we try to escape far from the madding crowds on a regular basis - just so we can maintain our sanity, breathe a little freely, and retreat into our inner selves.

One recent walk that we really enjoyed was in the MacRitchie Reservoir Park. We hike here regularly because we love the serene combination of a large, tranquil lake and uncultivated forests deep within the park. Being mainly flat, it is also a relatively easy hike, compared to the steeper Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, so we could always stop anywhere and admire the amazing wildlife around us.

On that particular hike, we spent more than 3 hours traversing the edge of the reservoir waters alongside its boardwalk trail and wandering deep into its primary forests.

It was such a leisurely walk where we ambled along, spotting all kinds of wildlife like gigantic spiders, sun skinks, monkeys, kingfishers and all kinds of exotic birds, as well as damselflies and dragonflies. We loved the fact that these wildlife seemed really tame, nestled deep in nature, away from the harmful reaches of vile human intervention.

Long-tailed macaque monkeys

Nature's glorious beauties. Can you spot the spider with its intricate web?

This spider, perched in its huge web high above us in the forest, is as big as my hand (or bigger!)

Can you see the Common Sun Skink?

We loved the feeling of pure isolation in the forests, where we could be trudging along narrow paths without meeting another soul, surrounded only by towering trees that had seen more of this world than any one of us.

We shushed each other at regular intervals just so we could enjoy the pregnant silence of nature. And what deafening silence it was! Once human noises were curtailed, our ears were treated to the vociferous orchestra of the wild - the undulating trills of invisible birds, the hypnotic chirrups of  territorial crickets and the incessant whispering of stalwart trees.

The girls also used this opportunity to embrace these valiant trees, climbing as high as they could on the stout shoulders of these stately elders. They loved the feel of the textured bark on their hands and revelled in the support of the strong trunks and branches.

It was such a rejuvenating morning, and we are truly blessed by the myriad biodiversity in our very own forests!