Marina Barrage

Officially opened on 31 October 2008, the Marina Barrage spans the 350-metre wide Marina Channel separating the water in Marina Basin from the seawater thus creating Singapore's 15th reservoir.

The Barrage.Click on the above photo for high-res image
Marina Barrage consists of a dam that also doubles as a pedestrian bridge that links from Marina South to Marina East.

What better way to find out about this new dam than to go to the Barrage itself and take some photos since I heard that it's a pretty scenic place.

The Green Roof.Click on the above photo for high-res image

The city skyline looking towards the "Flyer".Click on the above photo for high-res image

The viewing pad.Click on the above photo for high-res image

The photos turned out pretty well in spite of the overcast sky. Thankfully, I didn't get caught in the rain because I was only there for a short period of time.

Alexandra Arch

The bridge, with its curved deck and tilted arch, spans across Alexandra Road like an opened leaf. On one end, it continues to Forest Walk, which is made up of an elevated walkway for pedestrians and earth trails for cyclists through the secondary forest of Telok Blangah Hill Park. On the other, it links via a floral path to the Horticulture Park - or HortPark for short.

Although white in colour during the day,
at night it is illuminated with colours. Click on the above photo for high-res image
The steel elevated walkway leading towards the Forest WalkClick on the above photo for high-res image
The end of Alexandra Arch is the start of Forest Walk, a steel elevated walkway that one walks viewing the forest surrounding it.
Forest Walk can only be done in the daylight as there is no lamp-post. Not only that, there is also no toilet too but there are a few stairs that bring one down to the forest to answer nature’s call.

Long tailed Macaque, the guardian of Forest Walk.Click on the above photo for high-res image
Exiting the Forest Walk via this zig zag elevated steel walkway
will bring you to Telok Blangah Hill Park.Click on the above photo for high-res image

Quaint Lamp Posts

Click on the above photo for high-res imageAbout thirty of these quaint lamp posts now at the old Seletar airbase will be preserved for use after the area is transformed into a modern aerospace hub. These quaint lamp posts are believed to date back to the British era. I find their ornamental design rather unique.

Click on the above photo for high-res image These lamp posts will soon be taken down as they are affected by the major road works slated in the area. Let us hope that these too will also be re-installed at the Seletar Aerospace Park.

Durian Fever

101 Durian Stall, Smith Street, Chinatown.Click on the above photo for high-res image
The King of Fruits, Durian, is in season now. This time around, Malaysia has a bumper harvest and truckloads of the spiky fruit are rolling in from across the Causeway everyday, causing the prices to plummet. For durian lovers in Singapore, this is truly music to their ears.

The Legendary 猫山王 Mao San Wang.Click on the above photo for high-res image
The durian most in demand this season is the new cultivar called "Cat Mountain King 猫山王" ("mao san wang"). Haven't tried it yet. It's a special crop and is only grown in Pahang... currently the most expensive in Singapore. ( from 15 to 20 bucks per kg). In Malaysia, the locals there call this fruit "Raja Kunyit". The legendary "mao san wang" durian is characterized by its small seeds and creamy flesh . . . sweet with a slight tinge of bitterness.

Al fresco dining.Click on the above photo for high-res image

Even "Ang Mohs" cannot resist the durians.Click on the above photo for high-res image
My favourite stall is the one at Smith Street in Chinatown. Here we whack the durians "al fresco" style. I was surprised to see "ang mohs", Japanese ladies (tourists) and some Indian tourists tucking in the king of fruits like connoisseurs.

The "kampong durians going for $2 per fruit".Click on the above photo for high-res image
The price for the the "kampong" durians (or wild strains of durians) ranges from 50 cents per fruit to $10 for 3. ( prices depend on the size of the fruits ). As for me, I am quite happy with the usual "kampong" ones taking my picks from the 1 for $2 pile . . . small fruits but shiok. After eating 3 of these durians, I am too full to try others.

Oooh . . . Look at the bright yellow, custard like flesh ! .Click on the above photo for high-res image
Also on display were the premium varieties such as D24, Golden Phoenix, XO, and D13, but I find them too overhyped and usually overpriced.

A tip from the older folks to getting rid of the smell from your fingers. Get some water and pour it into the empty cavity of the durian shell and then wash your fingers using this "bowl". Some versions say add some salt into the water. Supposed to work very well.

55 year old hotel makes way for MRT

The Preferred Budget Hotel in Singapore.Click on the above photo for high-res image
The latest to bite the demolition dust is the New 7th Storey Hotel in Rochor Road. Built in 1953, the New 7th Storey Hotel is a landmark of a bygone era. Evidenced by an ancient lift, probably the last mechanical lift in Singapore with its own operator and an exterior spiral staircase. This iconic spiral staircase has been a favourite backdrop for many photographers.

The Spiral Staircase at the rear of the Hotel.Click on the above photo for high-res image
By the end of the year, The New 7th Storey Hotel will be demolished to make way for the new Bugis MRT station for the Downtown Line. The hotel’s owner and occupants will have to move out of the premises by the end of December.

However, I can’t help but to express my disappointment that this small but quaint hotel - popular among backpackers - has to go the way of the red-brick National Library Building in Stamford Road. Already fading in our memories, is the former National Theatre.

The Möhne Dam

A warm welcome to all who are interested in aviation history.

65 years ago tonight, the RAF's 617 squadron set off to target three dams in Germany's Ruhr Valley near Dortmund.

Nineteen Lancaster bombers departed in three waves from R.A.F Scampton on the night of 16th May 1943. Nine were to attack the Möhne Dam, then proceed to the Eder; five were to attack the Sorpe; and five constituted a 'flying reserve'.

In the early hours on 17 May, the bombers managed to breach the Möhne and the Eder. The Sorpe was attacked by Lancasters from the reserve force but, though hit, it was not breached. Severe flooding occurred where the Möhne and Eder were breached. The raid proved to be costly in lives as almost 1,300 people died in the floods following the dam bombing (more than half the lives lost belonged to allied POWs and forced-labourers).

Breach in the Möhne Dam (Morning after the attack). Click on the above photo for high-res image
The British casualties for the raid were high. Of the nineteen Lancasters that took part in the raids, eight were damaged or shot down, and of the 133 aircrew, 53 were killed and three captured.

Oldest Bus Stop in Singapore

Click on the above photo for a bigger picture
Singapore's oldest bus-stop is at Old Chua Chu Kang Road . . . where service no. 172, 975 & 405 plies. There are four of these along Old Choa Chu Kang Road. Built in the 1970s, they have been slated to be torn down as part of improvement works by the Land Transport Authority.

Oleander Hawkmoth Cat

Check out this beauty!

I found this little guy (8 cm long) enjoying the leaves and shoots of my potted Desert Rose (Apocynaceae Adenium obesum). Seeing that it had a voracious appetite I had to quickly relocate the caterpillar to another spot in the garden where it would not do so much harm to my beautiful shrubs!

Common Name : Oleander Hawkmoth
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Daphnis
Species : D. nerii
Binomial Name : Daphnis nerii

Click on the above photo for high-res image

Labrador Jetty re-opens today.

At last, this is the day all anglers have been waiting for. The Jetty was closed for upgrading works during the past three and a half months. The re-opening today is very timely as now is the season for blackbarred halfbeaks (Hemiramphus far), commonly known as "putput" by the Malays.Click on the above photo for high-res image

Common Name : Blackbarred Halfbeak
Genus: Hemiramphus
Species : far
Binomial Name : Hemiramphus far

Click on the above photo for high-res image

Apple Launches MacBook Air

The star of the 2008 Macworld Conference & Expo at the Moscone Center in San Francisco was the ultra-thin, ultra-light MacBook Air, which was unveiled yesterday during the opening keynote address by Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

MacBook Air.Click on the above photo for high-res image
Claimed to be the thinnest notebook in the world, as one would expect from Apple the new addition to the Macbook range has been beautifully styled. With a sleek wedge shaped anodised aluminium case the Air weighs only 1.3 kg and boasts a variable thickness of 1.9 - 0.4 cm; this is despite its 13.3″ widescreen display, full size keyboard and extra large touchpad. An I/O door on the Macbook’s side neatly hides a headphone jack, USB port and micro-DVI output.
Click here for video showing the launch of MacBook Air by Steve Jobs.