Sunday, May 31, 2009

Dragonfly

I managed to capture a close up shot of this red dragonfly while on a day trip to Desaru, West Malaysia last year. Am glad that the dragonfly was so still there. :)



Not sure what species is this dragonfly.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Skywatch Friday- Housing Estate - Part 4

Skywatch concludes my series of posting on the housing estate and its facilities.
Although we are a small island and our homes are mostly built upwards, we do remembered to have greenery around the island.

This tree is fully bloomed with yellow flowers. Dont ask me what tree this is...lol.
Beside the mini park (which I posted yesterday), there is a big field for residents to play foot ball, etc.

And yes, the field is well taken care of.
A short video (zoom bigger) of the mowing process. The birds love it cause it helps them find food...lol

I conclude the posting with an evening sunset photo taken from my brother's flat.

For other sky watchers, please hop over to Skywatch blog.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Housing Estate Part 3 - Mini Park

This is the same park near my brother's apartment that I have posted before. You can view my previous posting in here.

I went down to the mini park with my little niece in the evening. Now I see people starting to come out and play and also to exercise.

This place is so shady, I like it.

A track for residents to jog or run. Noticed in the background, some flats are on the ground floor and they can dry their clothes in the open space and also to grow plants. Residents on higher floor also can grow plants in pots but they cannot placed them on dangerous place (eg. window ledge), which can pose a danger to people walking on the ground floor.

Anyone who throws objects down from high buildings to endanger lives would have to face a heavy penalty.

Pebbles on the ground for foot exercises. There are many fallen leaves in here, the poor cleaner would have a hard time sweeping them the next day.
A suspended bridge popular with kids.

Looked at my little niece having fun with her stuffed doggie on the sea saw. The doggie is a christmas present that I bought for my niece when she was about 2 and she still keep it. It is so dirty and yellowish but she refused to change for a new stuff doggie ....lol I think I will bring her out next month during the school holiday to get a new stuff dog.


Noticed that the see saw is designed for safety. It is low and the mat to cushion any fall by kids.

There are more play equipment at the playground like the swing, swinging chair, car, etc but I did not take the photographs .

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Housing Estate Facilities (Part 2)-Fitness Corner

Continuing from yesterday post about the facilities in housing estates around Singapore.


This is a very small amphitheatre for the green tea corner's (posted about it yesterday) activities.

Residents would come here to perform or watch dances, songs, and etc.
Behind the amphitheatre is a little fitness corner.

There are instructions teaching people how to warm up before using the equipment.

You can click on the photo to enlarge it to read the instructions.

This signboard teaches how to use the equipment. It is quite easy and fun to use.
We are so well taken care of. The mat below the fitness equipment prevent someone from falling on hard concrete and hurt oneself. It is fire proof too.

Noticed the background of the covered linkway. They are built to connect blocks of flats so that we wont get drenched by heavy downpour and to shelter us from the hot sun. Do you think we are too pampered?

When I was young in my teens, I had to walk knee deep in flooding places....lol. My sons had never even experienced a flood in Singapore. That's how well built and organised my country is, but it is still not 100% perfect.



A short video of the equipment.

I had my sister play on the equipment so that I can video it...lol

P.S. There are not many people using the fitness corner cause when I took this photo was in the noon. Visit tomorrow post where I took some photos of the nearby park in the evening where people are starting to come out and exercise.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

My World Tuesday-Green Corner in Housing Estate (Part 1)

I am starting a new series of the facilities in some housing estates of Singapore.


Singapore is a small island. Majority of us stay in high rise buildings and own our home. We have housing estates scattered all over the island and each estate is self contained in such that they have malls, markets, library , cinemas, etc.

But we cant always be in malls, etc.

So to get people to come out of their flats and mingle around with their neighbours, corners like the above are created. Some corners are known as senior citizen corner while the above photo is known as Green Tea Junction.

I think the word green explained the small garden near this corner and Tea Junction really meant to chat/mingle over tea at this corner.
It is for everyone, young or old. They have tables and chairs, wash basin, TV, etc. Residents can get together in this corner to discuss the day's happenings or celebrate a festival or occasions.
This corner has a small garden for residents who love gardening but dont own a garden in their home.

I could not get in the garden cause the person in charge of the keys was not around and it is noon and most dont do gardening at this time.

So I placed my camera through the fence and took photos of the little garden. :) I spotted some bamboo shoots, chillis and okra(ladies fingers).

Not sure what fruit they are in the below photo.

Please visit "That's my World" for other parts of the world.

Do come back tomorrow to view more photos of the facilites in our housing estate.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Very Precious Teaset Collection Part 2

Wow I am lucky today. I went to my brother's house for our monthly gathering for siblings. It happened that my eldest sister had not collected her inheritance of the teaset (that was part of my mom's wedding gift) from my late mom...lol.

I asked her if she still have her teaset collection and she said she had forgotten to collect from my brother's house (late mom stay with my brother).

So quickly I whipped out my camera...hehehe.

This teaset collection (now belongs to my eldest sister) is smaller, it does not comes with dinner plates nor sugar or milk bowls. It is just a teapot and six cups with saucers.

Love the drawings on the saucers, it had a dragon and phoenix on them.

Now this is funny, the below milk pot (part of another teaset collection of my late mom's wedding gift) was supposed to be with the teapot, cups and saucers and sugar and milk pot. My second sister had long collected her inheritance of the teaset but she left out this milk pot that was in my brother's house, so I was lucky to take photo of this milk pot.

I doubt I will be able to take photo of the rest of the teaset collection as my second sister had put her teaset collection in boxes in storeroom and she would take a long time to find them.
As for the last and fourth teaset collection, I have to visit my youngest sister's home and take photo of them when I get the chance.

Hope you like my little story of the four teaset collections of my late mom.
P.S. All the four sets of teaset are very old (my eldest sister is 55 years old) so the collections must be more than 60 years old or older as they are my mom's wedding gift.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Very Precious Teaset Collection

My contribution for Pink Saturday is this very precious teaset collection. I inherited from my late mom. :) They are part of 4 sets of teaset collection for my mom's wedding. They were given by my mom's cousin who was a sailor and he bought these from England.

So my mom gave each of her 4 daughters a set of of the teaset. So the teasets collection are older than me(am 49). I think they could easily be 60 to 70 years old or more. I have no idea.

It comes with a teapot, a sugar and milk pots and six tea cups and saucers and six dinner plates. I like the sugar pot best of all, can keep secrets there...lol (now no longer a secret...hehehe).
I love these so much.

Only show you two sets of the teacups and saucers there are four more.

I have no idea how much they are worth and I dont think I have the heart to sell them. I told my sons that these are antiques and they must not throw away as junk...lol.

If mom is still alive, she would be so proud to see her wedding gift in my blog. :) My mom is very proud and supportive in everything that I do.

For more pinky participants, please visit Beverly of How Sweet The Sound.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Problem visiting blog

Sorry, I have problem visiting some blogs. It just dont load, keep giving me an error. Wondered if anyone of you have same problem?

So sorry if I dont get round visiting blogs.

Will try to visit when the error is solved.

Have a nice weekend all.

Skywatch Friday-Telok Blangah - Part 5 - Henderson Waves

My skywatch today is still in the vicinity of Telok Blangah. Now you should know why I will like this place.

The latest trend of Singaporean today is to visit this very new bridge and explore the area around it. It is a long walk and climb.

The new bridge is known as Henderson Waves. It is designed with the shape of waves.

Looked at the long climb up. I did not climb on the day when I photograph this but had already make plan with my two buddies (same age as me) to climb and explore this bridge and another bridge (known as Alexandra Arch), it will be a long walk from Henderson waves to Alexandra Arch. More details of the two bridges in here. Right now, my buddies and I are too busy to go for the climb.

The whole of Singapore has a very good drainage system, so heavy flooding in Singapore is very rare but we do get flash flood every now and then whenever there is a heavy rain. Even rain water that falls in the rain are collected as drinking water. Water is so precious in Singapore.

The Henderson Waves is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore and it is 36 metres high and 274 metres long and 8 metres wide and the architectural design of it looked like waves.

I really have to climb up it to take photos to show you the beautiful brdige one day.
A short video of the bridge from below.
I will tell you more about this bridge and the long walk when I visited it with my two buddies.
For other sky watchers, please hop over to Skywatch blog.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Telok Blangah - Trees (Part 4)

Just outside the housing estate of Telok Blangah is this road where there are many trees along the road. I have no reason to be here but I wanted to take photo of the famous bridge that was built recently. The bridge is known as Henderson Waves which I will post the photo tomorrow for Skywatch.

There's lot of greenery over here, part of the reason it is near two hills where there's lot of trees and monkeys too. I have not encountered any monkeys so far.

The above sign is "No Jay Walking". In Singapore, if you see the above sign, means you have to use the proper pedestrian crossing nearby to cross the road. So that it is safe for the pedestrians and also the motorists on the road.

My husband was fined once for $50 because he jaywalked...lol. I think he deserved it cause he should have think about me and my sons. You should have see how my husband cross the road...lol. Even when we were dating, he would cross the railway tracks to save time instead of making a big turn to go back to his home. I always have to nag at him to cross properly.

Rich ferns growing between the trees. There are many such trees in Singapore. We are a garden city so trees and plants are found all over the little island.

To read more why Singapore is known as the Garden City, you can read the source from here.
Come back tomorrow to see photos of the famous bridge, Henderson Waves

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Telok Blangah Housing Estate-Part 3-Playground and Exercise Corners

Walking around the estate of Telok Blangah, I could see these exercise facilities for the eldery. The one on the extreme left are for swinging both legs. You just stand on top of them and and hold on the handles and swing both legs. The one in the middle is for exercising your hands. Just use both hands and turn the handles of the wheel. As for the extreme right, I have no clue how to use that...lol But I knew those blue benches are for sitting...hehehe.



These huge pebbles are meant for treating the soles of the legs. You have to walk barefooted on them. I tried walking but it was so painful...lol

Something for the youngs too. A playground with slides and bridges.



The place looked so dirty it is not because the cleaner did not do his job. As I have mentioned in yesterday post, this place is facing the sea and on top of a hill, it is extremely windy here and these are all leaves that had fallen from the many trees in this place.

I will post about the many trees in here in tomorrow post. :)

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

My World Tuesday-Telok Blangah Housing Estate (Part 2)

Continued from yesterday post.......

It is a very emotional task to sell my in law's flat. Both have passed away within seven months of each other and been a roller coaster time for us. The flat had been vacant a few years cause dad in law was bed ridden and had to be in a nursing home (very expensive) and mom in law went to stay with her unmarried daughter.

It is strange that friends thought we are going to inherit a big sum of money. It is just a small flat not a bungalow and also dont forget to include the nursing home charges, lawyer fees (in laws never make a will), hospital fees, funeral expenses, etc. Dont forget..... the cost of living in Singapore is quite high and all these fees are a hefty sum. So after deducting all these expenses, there are not much left from the proceeds of the flat and hubby need to share the proceeds with his other siblings. I will write more about cost of living in Singapore in another post whenever I get the chance.

While hubby is clearing the stuff in my in law's flat, I was having a great time looking at the view of the scenery from the flat. The scenery is so beautiful and as it is on the high floor, it is so windy and the flat is on top of a hill too.

The above photo shows some apartment blocks(more than 30 years old) in Telok Blangh. The apartment blocks are of different designs. Some are five rooms apartment , some are four rooms , some are three rooms and the smallest are like my in law's flat two rooms flats. The flats here are very popular as they are facing the sea and with great views. The rich greenery in the background is Mount Faber. Despite the name "Mount" it is not a mountain but a hill. You can view my previous posting of Mount Faber in here.

Look at how Singaporeans hang their laundries. Majority dont use dryers but hang them on bamboo poles and out of the windows. We are two degrees north of the equator so drying clothes in the hot sun make sense. It is also a green way too. :) I do that too but at times, I hang them in my balcony when I am not at home.

Closer look at the laundries hanging out to dry on bamboo poles. How to you dry your clothes?
This is the view from my in law's flat. I could view the cable cars on the left leading to and fro the little island opposite me. The island is known as Sentosa. You can view my previous posting of Sentosa in here. On Sentosa, the intergrated resort with Universal Studio and a Casino is under construction and when completed, one can view the lovely fireworks from here too.

I am looking forward to the Universal Studio instead of the Casino because I dont have gambling luck and not addicted to gambling. :) We can ban family members from going to the casino if they are addicted and locals need to pay a fee to enter Casino while tourists enter the Casino free of charge.

A short video of the surrounding area. Look towards the end of the video, you could spot the corridor of the block where I am standing. :)



Please visit "That's my World" for other parts of the world.

Please visit tomorrow for more photos of the surrounding housing estate.