Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sentosa - Fort Siloso - Wild Monkeys


As Fort Siloso is surrounded with many trees, it is not surprising we could spot many wild monkeys. It is illegal to feed these monkeys cause feeding will make them rely on humans for food. There are plenty of food in the forest and the monkeys can fend for themselves. So please dont feed them.

A very short video showing two monkeys fighting. The video is so short because I was afraid the monkeys would snatched my camera...lol.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Sentosa - Fort Siloso Part 5 - Surrender Chambers

There's a museum above the souvenir shop at Fort Siloso. It showcase the history of both the surrenders of the British to the Japanese and then the Japanese to the British during World War II.

When the Japanese invaded Singapore, they moved their headquarters from Malaysia to Ford Factory in Singapore. It is in this Board Room where the surrender documents were signed. The Board Room remains intact in Ford Factory but the table at which both the British and Japanese delegations sat is now in the Australian War Museum in Canberra, Australia. The seven teak chairs were moved to the Surrender Chambers in Sentosa where a replica of the event is displayed.

The above and below photos are wax figures which show the Japanese surrending to the British when they lost the war.

You can read more about the history of the surrenders from infopedia and mindef.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Skywatch Friday - Sentosa - Fort Siloso Part 4

Oooo, look who is greeting me at the end of the tunnel. It's not real just a wax figure of a British Soldier.

As they anticipated the Japanese would attack Singapore from the Sea during WW2, all the guns were facing the sea. So this command post was very important as they could spot the enemy from afar.

The guns were never used as the enemies came from the North (via Malaysia through the thick jungle) instead of the South from the sea. So sad, and they occupied us for about three years till they surrendered when America dropped an Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima, Japan. You might like to read more about the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

This is the peaceful sea now that the guns were facing. I was standing there all alone now admiring the beautiful peaceful sea.


A short video of the surrounding. Hahaha, you can see that I walked very fast while videoing cause it is so scary to be all alone out there...lol . Am afraid cause there are many wild monkeys in this forested area too. (Will show you photos of the wild monkeys in later post.)


A bit shaky here and there in this video but after staying out here for a while, I am not so afraid anymore. But on the way out, I ran all the way up the stairs of the dark tunnel to catch up with my tired relatives...hahaha



Thinking back of the incident, really made me laugh again, it's kind of funny. I think I should not have brought my tired Cambodian Relatives to visit this Fort. They have just recovered from a war and there's a lot of war museums in their country. I should have plan better.


Above another short video showing the peaceful sea.


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


Thursday, January 28, 2010

Sentosa - Fort Siloso Part 3 - There's Light at the End of the Tunnel

It is true about the proverb. There's light at the end of the tunnel. So when everything dont seem to be going smoothly for you, dont despair, something good might come up one day and slowly your problem will go away one by one.
Sometimes we need to walk the tunnel alone to see the light (meaning ...at times, we need to solve our own problem alone)....I found this so true cause noone wanted to follow me walked through this tunnel to view more exhibits...lol. My relatives were all too tired to continue the walk. So when I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, it was a delight to me.


I wanted to take photos of the exhibits to share with my cyber friends, so bravely I went in the tunnel and am so happy when I saw the light...lol. It was like a horror movie, I was so worried something or someone in the tunnel, will suddenly touch or appear before me...yikes!

You have to visit tomorrow to see what is at the end of the tunnel.


A short video of me walking in the tunnel. I cant even see my camera or my hand....hahaha. As I was so afraid, I made a lot of noises as I made my way down the stairs. You can also heard the echo of my relatives talking in the background, they were sitting in one of the bunks resting and waiting for me.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Sentosa - Fort Siloso Part 2

Continued from yesterday post on Fort Siloso, there are so many things to be seen in here.

The best part was going into the bunks and fort to visit. There are wax figures to show us the history of the fort.

There's a small museum too. I spotted a samurai sword in the museum.


More photos coming in later posts.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

My World Tuesday - Sentosa - Fort Siloso Part 1

Today, I will begin my new series on Fort Siloso on Sentosa Island.

Fort Siloso is a coastal artillery battery and one of twelve coastal artillery batteries which made up ‘Fortress Singapore ’ at the start of World War Two. Although there are remains of other batteries to be found on Singapore, Fort Siloso is the sole restored battery. ‘Siloso’ is a Philippine word meaning ‘Jealous Person’. You can read more about the history of Fort Siloso from its official website.

Fort Siloso was heavily armed in anticipation that the Japanese would attack Singapore via the south from the Sea during World War II but the Japanese soldiers came via our backdoor i.e. from the North of Singapore via Malaysia. So the guns in Fort Siloso was never used for the fighting during WW2.

So sad that we lost the war and was under Japanese Occupation for about three years. I was not born then but my parents did suffered during the war.






A short video taken when I was on the tram going up the Fort. The tram ride was about 5 minutes ride and sadly we need to do most of the walking in the hot sun.....lol.



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



More photos of Fort Siloso coming up in the later posts.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Sentosa - Posing with the Python


Tourist posing with the python...yikes, it is scary. The last time I posed with a snake was when I was visiting Penang, Malaysia at a snake temple. I had to hold the cold slimy snake in my hand cause my son wanted to snap a photo with the snake. I carry my son on one hand and the snake on the other hand...lol.

A short video of the brave girl and the python.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Skywatch - Sky Tower

Viewing Singapore from Sentosa in this Sky Tower which can turn 360 degrees. I did not take the ride cause my relatives from Cambodia did not want to take the rides. But I sat the Sky Tower before in Hong Kong. The one in Hong Kong is shorter than the one in Sentosa.

A short video showing the ride up.

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

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Sentosa - Games of Yesterday

There's a section near the Images of Singapore where we could play with the games of yesterday. These are the toys that I played with during my childhood. Most of us could not afford any luxury toys during that time, so we had to make do with these simple games and I find them interesting. Nowdays youngsters dont like to play these games, they prefer the computer games.

I used to play marbles with my neighbours and friends and my brother is very good in playing marbles cause he won a lot of marbles.

We used to draw the shape of the hopscotch on the sand using sticks as pencil. If it is on a cemented ground, we would used chalks to draw them. It is quite fun and very healthy, no wonder we were so slim when we were young with all the hopping and jumping...lol.



Another game that I love is the skipping rope. It was expensive back then to buy a proper skipping rope, so we gather some rubber bands and chained them together to make a skipping rope.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Sentosa - Images of Singapore (Part 3)

Continued from yesterday's post.

The exhibit of a baby sleeping. During the olden days, people cannot afford a crib or baby's bed so they make do with a sarong as a cradle. A sarong is a very big piece of fabric wrapped around a person's waist (just like a large tube) and can be worn by both men or women. When I gave birth to my sons, I also used the sarong as well as a baby's bed...lol. But as my sons get older, they can climb out of the sarong.

During the one month old of a baby, there will be a celebration and eggs are dye in red to celebrate the occasion.

An exhibit of an old man and his grandchild having some tea and cakes to celebrate the moon cake festival. Now this is interesting. The table, chairs, teaset and even the basket on the table were exactly the same as those used by my grandparents. Even the old man's singlet and pyjama pants are exactly what my grandfather and father wore...lol.

A replica wax figures of a wayang/opera.

Lion Dance
As I climb up the stairs to view more exhibits, I can view the lion dance from the above. Take a look at the short video and take note of a wax figure in the opposite direction where I was standing. It looked so real...

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

My World Tuesday - Sentosa - Images of Singapore - Part 2

Continued from yesterday's post on Sentosa - Images of Singapore.

Singapore is a multi racial and multi religious country where the different races live in harmony. Inside the Images of Singapore, you can view exhibits show casing the history of the different groups.

An exhibit on a perankan wedding.

A malay wedding

An Indian Wedding

An exhibit of a man carrying a kavadi during Thaipusam.

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

More photos on chinese festivals coming tomorrow.....

Monday, January 18, 2010

Sentosa - Images of Singapore Part 1

Took these photos last November but was too busy to sort them out.

Had a great time visiting Sentosa. The Images of Singapore showcase the history of Old Singapore. It is very interesting and very worth visiting.



We were viewing a short movie about the different cultures of Singapore and where our forefathers come from.

These are just some exhibits show casing the coolies (labourers) taking a rest in their quarters. These coolies mostly come from China and worked in Singapore as coolies to pay for their journey from China to Singapore.

A ma jie (house servant cum babysitter) seeking the help of a writer to write a letter back to her family in China. Most of these ma jie come from Singapore and they vow never to marry. They came to Singapore during the early fifties to earn more money to send back to their family in China.

A female construction worker also know as Samsui women. They worked mostly at construction sites in the 1950s. They carried rocks, dug holes and conducted menial work that defied their small physical stature. They wore a red head dress which became their trademark feature. You can read more about them from infopedia.

A milkman delivering fresh milk to our door steps. Nowadays we get our milk from the supermarket. The milkman is no longer seen in Singapore.
More photos in later posts.

Monday, January 11, 2010

City Square Mall (Part 2) - Farrer Park

Continued from yesterday post on City Square Mall.

These two are the mall's official eco-ambassador and they are looking for names. There's a promotion to name them in a contest at the mall.



A short video showing the food court in the mall.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

City Square Mall at Farrer Park


Another new mall that open last year. It is a eco friendly mall, which means it is going green and saving energy. You can read more about it from their official website.



There are many such sculptures around the mall.

As the mall is very new, it has a prize of a car just for shopping there.