WTA back in Singapore

After work on Wednesday night, we were eating at our local hawker stall when Bernard the florist turned up with a number of fellow students and a teacher from his schooldays at St Gabrielle's. They had all been out for dinner together in the city to celebrate the birthday of his ex Principal and they were dropping by for a last beer (or two or three) before retiring. Turns our Bernard graduated from studies in art and sculpture. An unusual choice of career path in this society. They were keen for us to join them which we did after eating. Conversations ranged from good bird watching sites, to the threats by Malaysia to turn off the water in days gone by, the British handover where they left only one aeroplane to run an airline and such restrictions on the port that made it almost impossible to attract custom, Singapore's military might, difficult neighbours that refuse to sell granite and sand, etc, etc. Essentially, Singapore is mighty and their neighbours are all jealous. We just agreed with everything said. One piece of good news is that they all believe the haze will be gone at the end of the month because the monsoon season will arrive and the winds will change direction. I hope they are right. 

During the night my legs began to itch with sand fly bites. I must have been bitten when we walked on Coney Island. I slathered them in Calamine Lotion but it didn't really help much so in the morning I went on a fruitless search for an aloe vera plant. The other thing recommended was ti tree oil. I did manage to buy a lotion at the supermarket but have found my ti tree underarm deodorant is the best balm.  That and keeping cool. If I even walk fast and get a bit warm, they flare up again so no housework this week, that always leaves me in a lather of sweat. Must be something good about this situation. 

Had a lovely long email from Adrian in Alice. He is keeping very busy, has bought himself another guitar and is continuing to write and make music with innovative equipment. The latest is a beat box he fashioned out of timber and an old number plate. He now has a forklift licence and a pay rise compliments of Bunnings! He is off to Melbourne soon to watch the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Apparently it's mixed martial arts where people from Olympic wrestlers to karate or judo test their fighting styles against each other. He doubts either of us would be interested, and he's right.

To celebrate the end of another working week we went to 5 Drunken Rabbits, a bistro in Pasir Ris park, on Sunday night. It is a lovely setting but we chose to sit indoors to avoid 

the filthy haze which has been bad for the last few days again. Others at work have taken our lead and headed to Bali for a brake as we did a few weekends ago. Robert, Heather and their mother Pat joined us along with Sally, June and Peter. It's actually very close to his new school and he did some preparation there earlier. It would be nice to come here after a bike ride around the Park and have lunch. You could just sit outside and watch the visitors coming and going in this beautiful park.

On Monday we enjoyed what felt like a luxurious sleep-in because this week's walk was

scheduled for the evening. The day was filthy so we were trapped inside once again for most of the day and had to cancel the walk. We cleaned out the fridge (which was well over due) then I got out the sewing machine and made a pair of mopping slippers from some airline slip-ons and $2 window washing mittens. The result is effective but I have discovered a design flaw. I am not expecting the uppers will survive more than a few circuits of the washing machine since they are very flimsy. And who wants to hand wash? The whole idea was to reduce housework. It was obviously time to break free of the cabin fever so I went with Eric to Clarke Quay where he was holding his last social club mtg for the year and I browsed the shops. A few of the walkers joined us later and we had dinner at Wine Connections in Robertson Quay. On the way we enjoyed somewhat lower haze conditions and the lights over the river were as enchanting as ever. 

The best women tennis players in the world are here again to contest the WTA Finals. We went on Fri last year but had to leave the early session to get to work on time, even before the first match finished, so this year we went on Tuesday and had tickets to both sessions. You get a good idea how hazy it is from these comparison pictures taken from the National Stadium, looking across to the city. The one on the left was taken earlier in the year and I don't need to explain the one on the right. It makes you clear your throat just looking at it, doesn't it. 

The Indoor Stadium is a great venue for the event and they players are treated like rock stars. That is Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario being interviewed in the Fan Zone and the chap on the right is an illusionist with a glass ball as pre match entertainment. 
Our opening match was between the third ranked Chan sisters from Taipei and No.2 seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova. Although the final scoreline was 6-2, 6-2 in favour of the Chans, it was a very entertaining match with all players showing great hand speed at the net. 

Next up was Flavia Pennetta (7), playing the last tour event of her professional career, who rallied to beat Agnieszka Radwanska (5) in a close match after twice being a service break down. We saw Radwanska play last year and we both felt she looked tired this year. 

During the break we went to the practice courts to see who was warming up. It turned out only Halep was in action. My she is toned! The second session opened with a legends doubles match where Martina Navratilova paired up with Marion Bartoli against Tracy Austin and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in an 8-game pro set. There were lots of laughs enjoyed by both the players and spectators. Martina is the event patron. 

Then Maria Sharapova (3) held off an inspired second set fightback to defeat Simona Halep (1) in a match which, for the first 45 minutes, was dead even on serve. She raced ahead in the second only for Halep to fight back. Really good tennis with amazing power.

The final match for the day was the Spanish pairing of Carla Suarez Navarro and Garbine Muguruza (8) against Caroline Garcia and Katarina Srebotnik (5). Seeded 8th, the Spanish pair are only here because Australia's Casey Dellacqua and her partner withdrew. They were eventual winners but we had left by then as the standard of play in the first set just wasn't up to what we had seen earlier and we had spent a long time in the stadium already. 

So, it was a day for the underdog as the lower seeded players outdid the higher ranked opponents in every match. 
The good news is we awoke to lightning in the early hours of Wednesday morning and the skies have been much clearer all day.

Singapore's Coney Island

We had a lovely walk through the Botanic Gardens on Fri, one of the aims was to find a particular flight of steps to the Plant House near the Tanglin Gate. We have enjoyed the gardens many times but I only recently read about these two flights of brick steps which were built by Australia Prisoners-of-War during the Japanese Occupation. The Japanese took over the Botanic Gardens on 20 February 1942. A closer look at these steps reveals their rough-cut form and non-uniform arrows on almost every brick surface. While arrows were commonly used to mark Government property and identify key survey points during the colonial period, these arrows were actually an example of subtle defiance by the Australian POWs to identify themselves as ‘property’ of the Japanese.

No one was aware of the origin of the steps until 1995, when 8 surviving Australian ex POWs returned to Singapore and asked to see the steps and explained that, during their captivity, they were required to make the bricks and steps. Today, the steps remain as a sign of bravery and reminder of the days of the great hardship during the Japanese Occupation.

We finished our walk at Gastonomia, a landmark colonial building we have often walked by or ridden by in a bus, and said "One day we must try that spot". Actually it reminds me very much of the Cool Spot Cafe in Darwin. Food was delicious too, but here very over priced. Good to try it once.

On Saturday night we stopped off on the way home for a drink at Nectar and Vine to see some of the activities taking place at the Hougang Tou Mu Temple, the oldest Nine Emperor Gods Temple in Singapore, just across the road. Each year they celebrate with very colourful and noisy processions that cause huge traffic jams though no one seems to mind. We were invited right into the interior to watch as the devotees paid their respects and sent the gods on their way, before walking to Grapevine for a quick dinner. 

We returned to Joe's on Sunday night where Peter dropped in to join us on his way home from the airport. He missed us.

On Monday we lead the walkers from Marsiling MRT to Woodlands MRT via park connectors we had linked together on an earlier test run. We met up at a coffee shop in an HDB beside the MRT which was also beside a popular "bird singing corner" frequented by men in their 60s and 70s who all own oriental-white eyes. The men gather in the designated void deck of the HDB with their birds to chat and enjoy the birdsong, the only legal places to display them. So prized are these oriental white-eyes or peaceful doves for their birdsong, that their cages are made of finely-carved ornate rosewood, with some containing little ceramic jade bowls for food and water. While this unique activity is slowly dwindling, there still remains a healthy number of mainly male hobbyists looking to display their birds.  

It was once very popular, but it seems like everywhere else in the developed world, young people are more interested in being online or commercially-driven activities like shopping and movies. Bird singing corners are becoming harder to find though some strongholds remain especially around Ang Mo Kio it seems. Every morning, bird enthusiasts still gather over a cup of breakfast kopi (local coffee). I was a little surprised to be told peaceful doves, so common in the NT, are prized for their singing ability and can cost more than S$1,500. Another popular bird kept for its song is the red-whiskered bulbul. 

In the evening, before leaving for the Mustafa Centre and dinner in Farrer Park with Bev, we got the news that Mum has been offered a room in Barradine, her first choice of aged care facility. Col took her back there for a personal tour on Tuesday so she got to see her room and the plan is for her to move in by Nov 12. We are all very happy as her place is also basically empty now and settlement is Nov 2. She also got to her Stitches group in the afternoon and was out with the Burnt out Babes on Monday, so she is not missing out on anything while she awaits the transition.

We went to Coney Island (also known as Pulau Serangoon) on Tuesday morning with Heather and Sally. It lies just 100m off the north-eastern coast near Punggol with Pulau Ubin further out. It was opened to the public on October 10th. 

Our interest is that it hosts a wide variety of habitats, including coastal forests, grasslands, mangroves, and Casuarina woodlands and is known as a stop for migratory birds. The different habitats in the park allow for a high diversity in bird species, which should make it an ideal location for bird watching. Apparently there is a chance to see the nationally endangered spotted wood owl. On that walk we saw Baya Weaver nests, the pied fantail, Oriental Magpie-robin, a flock of parakeets, a lone tiger shrike and a number of kingfishers and woodpeckers among others. Eric got great shots of the collared kingfisher, tiger shrike, weaver nest and brahminy kite below.

The island was purchased in the 1930's by the brothers who developed Tiger Balm and Haw Par Villa and they built a beach villa here but then the war came to town. Sometime after WWII an Indian businessman, Ghulam Mahmood, purchased the place with the intention of turning it into a resort like the one in Brooklyn, however his plans failed too, and the place was once again left idle, some locals visited for boating and fishing. With recent reclamation works, the island has almost doubled in size and the URA's Master Plan reveals that a part of the island (about half) is going to be developed for residential purposes while the other half will be left as an eco bird watching and fauna/flora sanctuary. The area on the map to the right below that looks like a big sandy beach, isn't. It indicates the area set aside for residential waterfront development. I hope the migratory birds, like the blue-throated bee-eater, understand how generous the authorities are being. The villa stands in a mangrove area and is only accessible on a guided walk conducted by NParks now as the building is structurally unsound.

Taking a break near the East Exit we watch this enormous load of reclamation material (see pic below) being dragged to another site. That's Pulau Ubin in the hazy background. 

The 2.4 km pathway on the island is part of the park connector network and it is hoped they will make a connection to the one through Pasir Ris Park. We tried to negotiate our way but ended up calling a taxi! We were all getting too hot and tired and had walked too far on sealed road for my knees. We had lunch at Pasir Ris Lake and then went home for a swim. 

In the evening we had a lovely evening with friends at the Kazbar in Capital Square near Telok Ayer MRT. We have eaten here before, but outside on the street. Mindful of the haze we ate indoors this time and were very comfortable at the mosaic tiled table surrounded by enormous sofas with low tables, pleasant mood lighting and a very snazzy looking bar. We shared the Cold Mezze platter then each had a main. Everyone agreed the food was delicious though some might have eaten a little too much. . 

Banyan Trees

Last week Eric took another photo of a majestic Banyan Tree. A search of the internet for Banyan Tree brings up a host of sites inviting you to enjoy the therapeutic touch of a professional therapist to iron out muscular tension and improve blood circulation at a day spa. But I was looking for the plant genus. For all the majestic splendor that the Banyan Tree casts, its formation is in fact the result of strangulation of a host tree by the strangler Fig species. It starts its life as an epiphyte (a plant growing on another plant) when its seed germinates in the crevice of a host tree, deposited by animals who eat the fig flowers or fruit. 

After germination, these figs anchor themselves to the canopy of the tree before sending down their aerial roots that eventually create an anchor in the ground, competing with the host tree for nutrients and eventually strangling it to death. The formation of these roots creates the familiar and unique interweaving pattern that is specific to each individual tree. Older banyan trees establish aerial prop roots that grow into thick woody trunks which can become indistinguishable from the main trunk. This can mean that old trees can spread out laterally, with these prop roots to cover a very wide area. Their longevity and spreading nature gives rise to many well known myths in both Malaysia and India. India is home to the world's biggest Banyan in the Botanic Gardens near Kolkata.  It was the widest tree in the world in terms of the area of the canopy and is estimated to be about 1200 to 1250 years old. It became diseased after it was struck by lightning, so in 1925 the middle of the tree was excised to keep the remainder healthy; this has left it as a clonal colony, rather than a single tree. A 330 metre long road was built around its circumference, but the tree continues to spread beyond it. We have some big ones in our Botanic Gardens here too which we went to see on Friday.

As well as its unique beauty, the Banyan is a principle rainforest species that is an important food source to many animals including bats, birds and mammals who depend on it for survival, especially during lean times in the forest. The mesh of roots growing around the support tree eventually kills the host tree which eventually rots away so that the banyan becomes a "columnar tree" with a hollow central core. In the forest these hollows provide shelter for animals but they also make for great imaginative tree-houses for kids.

It is not surprising though, that the cultivation of Banyan Trees in Singapore is generally frowned upon for infrastructure reasons. Even though they provide an abundance of shade, their numerous roots cause frequent cracks in the ground, while the large number of flowers, fruits and subsequent animal droppings often requires the regular attention of cleaners. As a result, you generally only get to appreciate the natural wonders of a Banyan Tree in large scale public areas, nature reserves or parks in Singapore. It's their unique form that intrigues me, but at the same time it's a good thing we had the one growing in our backyard in Tiwi removed by Luke and Co. back in 2013.

 

Sleeping Dragons

On Friday we ventured out for a walk as the PSI was registering in the moderate range, below the unhealthy level. Sometimes it is hard to accept the published data results because it doesn't feel a lot different, however you just have to trust them. We walked through to the river in Hougang where they have extended the park connector and then back towards home for an early lunch of roti and teh tarek at Prata King. 
It remained reasonably clear across the weekend and on Monday I walked the Southern Ridges trail. Eric stayed home. as he caught another nasty cold, probably from others on staff who then took time off. That meant he felt obliged to go to work on Saturday and Sunday even though he should have stayed home. They are struggling to find enough relief staff at the moment.  Luckily it was testing week so he didn't need to do a lot of talking. 

Our walking group was made up of just the old stalwarts but that's fine. Bev is back from a trip to Aust for her mother's funeral and I hadn't seen Jo for several weeks because, like me, she hasn't been walking in the outdoors. You can understand why when you look at the image below. Those are the towers of Reflections on Keppel, a residential complex we see from Henderson Waves. The one on the left was this week, the one on the right we took from almost the same spot when the Crisps were with us last year. 

We spent more time than usual in Hort Park this time, a one-stop gardening resource centre that brings together gardening-related recreational, educational and research activities in a park setting. They have a number of themed gardens within the park. The children's garden now features a dragon's head in the classic design many of their parents would remember. We were particularly impressed with the kitchen and recycling garden where, among other things, we found beautiful birdcages used as mini gardens. The urban gardening galleria runs workshops and has a cafe which we all found just perfectly placed among interesting furniture and gardening bric a brac for a cool drink. 

Have you heard of Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD)? I didn't know there was a name for it, though I have read about the effects of overprotective parents who have real fears of exposing their children to the great outdoors. It is rife here in Singapore. The urban garden workshops held here aim to help urbanites reconnect with nature in a fun, creative and manageable way, regardless of age. According to them, as the world moves rapidly into urbanisation, all of us suffer from NDD to varying degrees. I don't know, my fingernails have never looked so good. 

Eric had spent quite a bit of time on the Ireland photobook while I was away and in the afternoon cooked up a storm in the kitchen. The restful morning has been good. By Tuesday morning he was keen to escape the 4 walls so we caught a train across to Boon Lay, way out west, and found our way to the Dragon Kilns on bus 172 and a short walk.  They are an ancient Chinese invention consisting of a long firing chamber built on a hill slope with various stoke holes on the side, dragon kilns operate on the simple principle that hot air rises and so efficiently maximize the heat produced within the kiln. When the entire kiln is fired up it flames, smokes, hisses and bellows, hence the name “dragon kiln”. Chinese immigrants brought the dragon kiln technology to Singapore in the early 1900s. Although there were more dragon kilns in Singapore in the 1940s to '70s, only 2 remain today. Together they are now known as the Jalan Bahar Clay Studios. Thow Kwang Dragon Kiln, built in 1944, is 27m long. The Guan Huat Dragon Kiln is only as old as me, being built in 1958 and is much longer at 43m long. Below you can see the firebox of Thow Kwang at the front of the left picture, its chimney far at the back. The picture at the bottom right shows the main chamber. 

The dragon kiln is made up of a front firing chamber (the firebox), the main chamber where ceramic pieces are fired (containing anywhere from 3000 – 5000 pieces), and a chimney at the tail end where smoke and hot air are released. There are stoke holes along the length of the chamber to feed wood and to observe the fire.
They are no longer commercially viable, replaced by newer and less labour-intensive electrical kilns, but they were restored in 2001 after being recognized for their historical value. Today both sites operate as commercial operations offering pottery lessons, studio rental and a plethora of ceramic items for sale. The dragon kilns are very infrequently fired up, just on special occasions, and even then only a section of the kiln is fired. Hence the name of the post, sleeping dragons. And below is just a small selection of the wares for sale. It is probably a good thing I have to pay to ship them home or I might have gone silly!

There is also an open studio which caters to professional as well as hobbyist potters. You can rent space as well as the pottery equipment and participate in workshops too. I am going to enquire about a one day workshop and see if any off my workmates might join me. After all, this is a good way of getting your hands dirty and reconnecting with nature. No NDD for us. 

We returned to Jurong Point at Boon Lay for lunch at Boleh Malaysia. Jurong Point is the mall where the Jurong Branch of MAE is located and Eric has eaten here before. Malaysia Boleh is set up like a food court hosting our favourite Malaysian street food all under one roof. We both enjoyed a plate of char kway teoh which didn't disappoint. 

Then we figured, since we were travelling on the green line, we might try to find a little piece of history in Whitchurch Road. We alighted at Dover and caught bus 14 to Wessex Estate. Nestled in lush greenery off Portsdown Road, Wessex is a housing estate built in the traditional colonial black and white style of the 1940s. It was once home to the British military forces and the original Temasek Club (Military Club).

Opened by a Mr and Mrs Lim in 1953, Colbar (short for Colonial Bar) was a popular restaurant along Jalan Hang Jebat which catered for the British troops who resided in Wessex Estate. In 2003, the Colbar restaurant was closed to make way for a flyover linking two of the main highways in Singapore. Being so popular, it had become a local institution, and a petition to save Colbar surprisingly succeeded, so the previous building was carefully dismantled and many of its parts were used to reconstruct the new restaurant at Whitchurch Road 300m away so that it resembled the old bar. 
It felt like stepping back in time entering the standalone building surrounded by lovely tall, shady trees, a retreat from modern Singapore. No need for air-con here, Mrs Lim offered to 'on the fan' for us on the veranda. Looking at the pictures on the walls that record its history, I was astonished to see Mrs Lim doesn't seem to have aged at all in the last decades, despite working daily for over 63 years in this business. They serve traditional English beers and ciders along with a food menu that hasn't changed much either by the look of things. The Western offerings include prawn cocktail, Ox liver chips and peas, Chicken Merry Land. We just had a refreshing drink then caught a bus from across the road back to Holland Village and the mrt home. The original building can be seen below top left, its roof tiles, doors and fans etc were used in the new construction top right. Eric enjoyed his London Pride under the fan and a segment of the traditional fare served on the menu.

What began as an escape from the confines of home ended up being quite and excursion. 

Bali Escape

The haze is depressing. We had been considering a trip to Panti Forest Reserve in Johor over the weekend. We were planning to go birding with Heather but that would be just as filthy as here. Need to escape! So on Thursday we booked a weekend getaway in Bali where it is reported to be clear. Bali lies south of the fires on Sumatra and the prevailing winds are north east at this time of the year. We found a villa at a good price in Nusa Dua and then invited the Pinks from the Jurong Branch to join us too. Turns out June is also escaping to the same island but different region. We will all meet up at the airport after work on Sunday night and be back just before lunch on Wednesday. 

As soon as we had booked our moods lifted even though we feel trapped inside. Eric has rearranged all his recipes and cooked some delicious meals and I have continued scanning pictures and digitizing the diary entries of our trip to Europe in Dec 85/Jan 86.

After work on Sunday we went directly to Changi and flew to Denpasar. 5 of us are staying at Villa Horizon in Nusa Dua and June is on her way to Ibud. Our driver Janie met us and we were soon arriving at the villa only 15 mins later. To our pleasant surprise it is huge. First impressions are very good with a lovely pool, very adequate kitchen and comfortable airy bedrooms. In no time at all we were tucking into our duty free and congratulating ourselves on what a good decision this was. Having made a good start on the duty free went then all slept well. How nice to have the place open and fresh air, we can even see the stars.

In the morning we awoke to blue skies and all had a dip in the pool. Of course then we needed to fill our hungry bellies so we had Janie drive us downtown for breakfast. On the way home we called into Hardy's Supermarket for a few groceries. It was time for another swim then. Didn't take us long to realise we should buy wine locally next time, duty free not better prices and no limit of wine choices.  We are staying in a neighbourhood surrounded by lovely homes, many of them for rent. The streets around us are quiet except when someone takes their dog for a walk and that upsets all the other dogs.
After lunch with a bottle of wine, Syd and Kym went for a massage and not long after we went for a walk with our binos with Heather. Well, it was too early to open another bottle of wine. We have spotted a few birds in our own garden amid the bamboo and frangipani. We also have a resident little bat roosting in the bamboo stand beside the pool. On the walk we saw a number of birds but all common sightings. An ice cream on the way home up the hill was the biggest reward.

We refreshed ourselves with a swim and snacks before Fatma put a fabulous spread of food on the table for us. She is Janie's wife and they live in a tiny little one room apartment attached to the villa. Their role involves maintenance, cleaning and security but we can book them up to be driver, cook or make bookings for us at our expense. Her English is quite good, he could do with some sessions at Morris Allen. They have a baby girl named Anzhani, who is just on 2 weeks old. We just asked her to produce a meal of traditional dishes and gave her 300,000 Rp to spend on ingredients. She produced chilli crab in coconut sauce, baked fish, sweet prawns, chicken Kang Kong and long beans and fried tofu. We finished with watermelon. The table was overflowing and it was all delicious for just $70 total, not per head. We solved all the problems at Morris Allen and had music challenges using both Eric's and Kym's iPods. Both have a very eclectic interest in music so between them they were able to match our requests.

Heather and I got a lift out to the Nusa Dua Water Treatment Plant and Bird Sanctuary on Tuesday morning. When we first got up it was raining and Eric went back to bed and couldn't be moved. It fined up before long and we had a lovely few hours at the 'lagun', as it is known here. It is on Jalan Pratama Raya, just near the roundabout that takes you on to the strip of tourist resorts and Hotels. A bit 'on the nose' as you would expect, but well worth it. We racked up over 20 different sightings including a few new ones: yellow bittern, small blue kingfisher, bar winged prinia and scarlet headed flowerpecker to name a few. Oh if only our cameraman had been there! We got back in time to join the others for a late breakfast. Below you see the endemic Crimson-headed Flowerpecker, Little Blue Kingfisher and Little Pied Cormorant.

Below clockwise from right is is an immature Black Crowned Night Heron, a Common Sandpiper (bit of a guess, not good at identifying waders) and a Purple Heron standing very tall in front of a Javan Pond Heron.

We whiled away the rest of the morning by the pool then went for lunch at Bumbu Bali, a traditional Balinese Restaurant that also runs a cooking school and supports a number of environmentally sound projects. It is located in the resort end of Nusa Dua so we wandered through to the beach to check it out. Very disappointing in comparison to Aussie beaches. Syd and Kim then left for the airport while we lingered over coffee. Janie returned to collect us and when we got back we had another swim, as you do. 

We went to Jimbaran Bay Seafood Grill for dinner. This is a famous strip of fresh seafood restaurants right on the beach where we have eaten before. 

We had to be home by 9pm for the massage I had booked. Our villa has a massage room and Lea came to us. There was some confusion with the language so instead of the half hour neck and shoulder massage, then the same for Heather followed by a further foot massage for me I ended up being worked on for well over an hour by which time Heather had lost interest and I was just happy to pay her very well for a great work over. After a nightcap we all headed to bed ready for an early start in the morning. Our flight back to Changi was uneventful except that we had to check a bag in as we had been a bit careless with the weight distribution. Bali caught us again, not the first time we have felt like we are paying for their new airport. Still, it has turned out to be a very cheap weekend away.

We were home at Cherry Hill condo by midday and had plenty of time to be at work for the 2pm meeting. Happy to report that the skies are much clearer here too, though it was bad while we were away.