Ah! Its Grey-rumped TreeSwift Fledgling at Skyville@Dawson

 

Birders flock to Margaret Drive car park to photograph cute Grey-rumped treeswift fledgling.

No wonder I can't spot anything the last time.

Mentally, I was trying to locate a traditionally bowl-shaped bird nest made of twigs or straws...

LOL!

Now I know why I've missed quite a few opportunities in my life! 

I had pre-conceived notions of what I expect or assumed opportunities "should" look like....

And opportunities were right in front of me all along!!!

I just didn't have an open mind to recognise them... (Please don't let it be cryptos!)

I didn't know treeswifts let their young ones live their lives so on a knife's edge???

Nest?

What nest???

Not afraid a gust of wind or a thunderstorm will just knock the fledgling from its perch?

Then again, if the fledgling survives to adulthood, it would be better prepared compared to those other fledglings that have been pampered or coddled all their lives... 

Snowflakes and strawberries anyone?

Skyville@Dawson Bird Watching

 

This morning, while walking back after buying breakfat at Magaret Drive Hawker Centre, I spotted a group of photographers around Skyville@Dawson.

Talk about "powderful" lenses... Some are humongous! So big! 

I can empathise with the man in front in the grey shirt, "Shit! My one smaller than others..."

Star gazers? 

No. It's broad day light. What are they looking at???

I walked in closer with my Xiaomi mobile to have a better look.

Nope. Couldn't see a thing. I must be blind. Then again, there's only so much we can do with a mobile digital zoom...

Then I realised they may think I'm trolling them with my mobile, worn-out T-shirt, slippers, and most damning of all, my "dabao" breakfast for mom in the other hand...

So I nonchalantly backed-off into the back pretending nothing happening. No eye contact, no eye contact.

After going home, I goggled and found this website eBird where I found Skyville and Alexandra Park Connector are known sites for bird spotting in Singapore.

I not into bird watching, but I'm into people watching. Wink.

P.S.   Me with my mobile is a bit like when we were bei kambings starting out in trading/investing, isn't it?

Ah! Those were innocent days indeed!

That's until we discovered we were competing with other craftsmen with their monster lenses!!!

LOL!

Not my SMOL eatery

Thanks to the heads-up a few weeks ago by Endrene the cool girl, I got to know there's one eatery sharing this SMOL moniker at Paya Lebar Quarter...

Went there this morning to check it out.

It was not planned, but after naming this blog Singapore Man of Leisure, I found out that smol is the internet slang for calling small in an affectionate way.

Cool.


I am guessing the owner of this eatery had that in mind when he named his eatery. 

Eat healthy.

Won't get fat.

Not fat, so smol lah!

LOL!

Lizard on the fence

Open field between the old Mei Chin secondary and primary school

The camera picture quality on a mobile phone 10 years ago was atrocious.

Now they are on par with most point-and-shoot idiot proof compact cameras.

Noticed this curious lizard watching the school kids playing football on my way back from breakfast at the Mei Ling street food centre.

How?

I think I better practice more picture taking. Kung fu never use will depreciate one... 

Staycation at Jen Hotel Orchard Gateway - 11 to 14 July 2016

Spending 4 days 3 nights right in the middle of Orchard Road.

Just a break.

View at breakfast looking down at Orchard Road

Pool view at the 19th floor. Looks like Hong Kong's bird cages right?  

People's Park, Raffles Place, Marina Bay Sands, and Lao Lee's place

Emerald Hill and Cairnhill - different from up here. Condos r' us?

Yes, another infinity pool. Eh? All ang mohs?

Today's view with drizzle. Only me there. Whole place to myself!

Bishan Park - Virgin Visit

Very embarrassing.

Bishan park is just opposite the Bright Hill Temple where I've spent 1.3 years taking my Buddhism studies in the evenings (yes, I dropped out of the 3 year course, that's a story for another day) - but yesterday was my first time exploring this park!?

Very typical Singaporean right?

You must also have a place where you've passed by almost everyday, but you never seem to find the time to stop and explore... No?

When 2 guys (women would have been better) "jio me" to have brunch at this Bishan park yesterday Thursday morning, I took the opportunity to arrive 40 minutes earlier to look, look, see, see, a bit.

2 dads with the people that matter most :)

  

Now that's a surprise! 2 dads playing with their children on a Thursday morning? They don't like shift work service workers... My money is on teachers having their June holidays? Could have been stay-at-home dads too... Maybe.

Don't they look nasty?

I don't know about you guys, but the first thing that popped into my twisted mind is: Rectum.
I know, I know. I have issues...

Chaise Lounge? That's so cool!

Eh? This chaise lounge like park bench is so unique! We don't have it in Queenstown. On behalf of residents of Queenstown, can we have them in our parks too? (Others have, we also want mah!)

Can you figure out what's the black surface area?

Interesting area in the park. I not sure whether the little bird squatting there in the sand patch is pooping or trying to lay an egg... Wait! Its a bird for crying out loud - not a cat or turtle. LOL! 

Well, its better than sitting at home staring at paint

I don't know whether its legal or not, but who says no fishing spots in Singapore?

Or is it a case of - we can do anything we want, just don't get caught?

Senior men of leisure gathering, or maybe its the biker gang?

Met 4 senior men of leisure talking "male chicken" in the park. When I tried to approach nearer to listen in to their conversations, they dispersed like the wind???

I quickly lifted my arm to smell my armpit. Was it me? I "bursuk"?

Nice spot to do Taichi or Sun Salutation

Calm and peaceful. I wonder got wedding couples come here to take their wedding pictures?

You shoot others; I shoot you.

螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后

Can I take the rainbow cake? Or will the ultra religious object?

All the pictures were taken with my Xiaomi phone. Not bad. Colours came out quite alright in low light conditions. No wonder prices for compact point and shoot cameras have come down by so much... Who needs them when smart phones will do?

Neat chairs! I like the distress effect.

3 bums talked from 11am to 2.30 pm.

2 men of leisure and 1 teacher on leave.

Sculpture Art At Hindoo Road

Wednesday afternoon, I went to Mustafa to do some shoe-leather research.

After which I just roamed around Little India a bit bit.

Lo and behold!

I chanced across these sculpture art pieces at Hindoo Road.

Brilliant isn't it?

I think we can do more of such activities on empty plots of land instead of those boring "No Trespassing" signs.

If I more entrepreneur, I would go sell ice-creams there!

A night time visit to Jurong Frog Farm

I went on a free tour of Jurong Frog Farm organised by Young NTUC last Friday evening.

Upon reaching Lim Chu Kang and Kranji area in the night, it struck me it's been ages since I was last out in "ulu" forested area ever since my reservist 13 year cycle ended when I hit 35...

Feeling nostalgic of those 3 days 2 nights field camps - free accommodation (you build yourself ), free food (I always barter the biscuits for chocolates), free flow of mosquitoes and red ants to leave souvenir marks on our bodies, and of course the free night time symphony of a battalion men snoring in perfect unison!     

Finally reach the Jurong Frog Farm, 45 minutes behind schedule... I gave my "poke" on the feedback form at the end of the visit. Those who care tell it like it is; those who don't just say say, "I like you; I like you 2!"

Took a back of head group shot while waiting. See the moonscape in the foreground?

I like the style of Jurong Frog Farm - no aircon. I respect the authenticity.

Many places "market" nature; but air-con everything and that's spells commercial fake!!!

There she is! The princess of Jurong Frog Farm - Chelsea Wan.

She is expecting her first child so boys, "Heads up!"

Guess where I was sitting? Definitely not in the middle or the back of the herd... 

Singaporeans are interesting. We are very "kiasu" and want to be ahead of others (remember Hello Kitty?); but when it comes to seminars, talks, or presentations, most would gladly give way and hide at the back... Strange huh?

I won't share Chelsea's story as its already widely reported in the numerous media interviews she has given. Just google if you're interested.

It's quite a privilege. It's Jurong Frog Farm's first time conducting a tour of their premises in the night! Lucky us!

Spot the guy wearing magenta polo? I took picture of him; he video taped me.

Have you ever wondered who are those people that are taking the opposite side from you when we buy/sell our investments or trading positions?

No? Never? You narcissistic you! 

Hey! Spotted a professional investing/trading frog! 

Retail investing/trading  frogs. You follow me; I follow you. Who is facing "True North?"

Interesting fact.

Only 10% of the tadpoles born in the wild will survive till adulthood. (See my Sea Turtles post)

It's the complete opposite for domesticated cousins raised in the farm; "only" 10% of the tadpoles will die. 

Which would you rather be?

To be raised in a frog farm with 90% survival rate as tadpoles; or born in the wild with only 10% chance of ever reaching adulthood?

Entrepreneurs and traders have no problem chosing as it comes almost 2nd nature. It says a lot about the debate between nature versus nurture.


Well, my math not powderful but I have the imagination to know one thing - those 90% that survive till adulthood in a frog farm have a 100% chance of ending up on the menu of restaurants. Wink.

Spring or Autumn in STI?

Do take a look at our trees next time you walk or drive by the road.

Flowers are blooming like crazy no?

It's not the same as cherry blossoms in Japan, but hey!

Still a pretty sight no?

Ah! Spring time in Singapore....

Picture taken outside Queenstown community centre

Enjoy while we can.

The flowers are wilting fast too!

With the fallen flowers on the ground, it looks like Autumn in Singapore?


So is it Spring or Autumn?

It's a bit like our STI market right?

Some see Spring; some see Autumn.




 

Maiden walk round Bedok Reservoir - Jan 2014

I decided to make a trip to walk round Bedok Reservoir yesterday.

There's so many places in Singapore that I've yet to visit and explore. A bonus of this trip is I accidentally found Temasek Polytechnic!? So it's here!

Bedok is a town where I am not familiar with. The only time I was here was when friends brought me to eat at one popular meatball noodle shop. It was at night and don't remember anything else. 

The rest of the time, I just zip through Bedok while taking the bus or MRT. Always passing through; never stopping.

Took bus 65 from Harbour Front interchange and arrived at the jetty. 

Wednesday afternoon around 1pm. Hardly anyone around. Glad the weather is not hot. Rain clouds gathering...

 

Only 2 people were fishing nearby. Here's one of them. There's one Indian couple in their 30s smooching on a park bench nearby. I think I don't disturb them. Kiss, kiss, hug, hug. 

Some young girls were jogging on the dirt track. I monkey see; monkey do. OK, they jogged; I strolled.

 

The weather was interesting. Want to rain; don't rain. A bit of a tease like the markets recently. Go up don't go up; go down don't go down...

  

Most of the properties surrounding the this man-made reservoir are private condominiums. But there were some lucky HDB blocks that overlook this reservoir. Hmm... Were they "planned", or were they built before the decision to convert this sand quarry to reservoir? Ugly view turned golden?

I like curves.

If a psychologist would to ask me what I see in this picture, I would say breasts.

Well, at least mine made more sense than people seeing breasts in a glass of ice cubes!? (It's a strange article I read many many years ago on subliminal messages)

Or maybe it's a case of we seeing what we want to see?

Maybe.

Striated Heron

Found this interesting bird near the water edge. Anyone bird watcher here? Can share with us? I think it's migratory?

See the rubbish on the foreground? 

A gentle poke to Bedok residents - you all no taking care your own backyard?

Not us lah! It's you all foreign non Bedok local residents that come and dirty our place you say?

Wait! This conversation sounds vaguely familiar...

Nice parking! Neat and in a straight line some more! Order. Discipline.

Grey sky, grey water. Where are the colours?

It puzzles me. Big open reservoir space. Why do we need cordons, barriers, demarcations?

There's also lanes for rowing like in the swimming pool. 

Hey! I see a pattern! Man-made pools and reservoirs have lanes. Natural seas and oceans have no lanes?

Ah! A refreshing gentle stroll round the reservoir. Fresh air and cool weather. Hardly any sweat at all.

Green makes me feel good. It's the colour of nature.

It's not one uniform green. There's dark green, light green, and various shades of green in between. There's whole leaves, broken leaves, and leaves with holes in them.

Did you notice it too? Nature have lots of curves; very few straight lines.

3pm plus now. Better make a move home before the buses get crowded after 5pm. It's a 1.5 hours bus ride back to Queenstown, with transfer after Harbour Front.

It's OK. Time is on my side.

And I feel good.

   

Sunbathing Naked in Singapore?

Time just blew by when I am having fun!

Found this pic of me at Marina Bay Sands last year sunbathing in the nude?

Just look at the expression of the big mama watching in disgust. You can almost hear her thoughts: "Eh hello! Put it back on you botak man! So kecil also dare to take it out..."

LOL!


Sometimes we can do with a staycation instead of travelling overseas on a vacation and coming back even more stressed and tired.

Singapore is a fine city!

A lot more to explore and experience in our own backyard you know?




 

One Day One Night at Shangri-La Sentosa

I spent yesterday at Sentosa relaxing at the Shangri-La hotel - courtesy of the kindness from my elder sibling.

Shangri-La Sentosa - somehow it reminded me of Santorini

Sometimes it's not what you know but who you know. Gifts from family are best!

 

View from the balcony of my room

A bit decadent. Worked 2 days for the first time after 19 months and immediately got a short break to "recuperate". 

Saw quite a lot of families from Hong Kong and Japan with young children playing at the pools. 

How nice! A bit of envy for the shortest flutter of the heart.

Sometimes, holidays is not about seeing lots of new places and making yourself all busy hoping from one itinerary to another.

It's about spending time together with the ones you care about. Or letting the mind be still if you are alone, like for my case.




  

Changi Beach Park

Yesterday Friday late morning, I decided on a whim to visit Changi village for Nasir Lemak lunch at the renovated hawker food centre.

On the way there, I decided to stop by Changi Chapel and Museum. Finally stopped to smell the roses instead of rushing from point A to point B.

Changi Chapel & Museum

This is my first time visiting this historic place despite passing it quite a few times in the past. It's funny that I've visit war museums of other countries, but in my own backyard, I've never made an effort to remember and honour those who have gone bravely before me.

The little notes left by visitors who were descendents of those POWs in Changi prison were most moving. And the thousands of little cranes offered by visiting Japanese students made me smile that all have not been in vain. There's hope.

I was caught by surprise the emotions that welled inside of me. The last time I felt this way was visiting Anne Frank's museum at Amsterdam.

The triumph of the human spirit is indeed uplifting.

Changi Beach Park fishing

  

After lunch, I decided to walk across to Changi Beach Park to look see look see.

Hey, not bad for a lazy Friday afternoon. Some anglers were braving the noon day sun fishing!

Changi Beach Park under canopy

It's so nice to walk under the shaded trees with a strong sea breeze blowing in my face. It reminded me of my NS army days. Take cover in the shade and koon (sleep) during field camps!

Changi Beach Park in the breeze

 

Can you feel the wind from the sway of the leaves?

Colours of Changi Beach Park

  

We don't have autumn in Singapore, and we can't compare to the the autumn coloured trees in China's Jiuzaigou, but we too have beauty in Singapore! Just have to look up ;)

Frangipani tree in Changi Beach Park

And we have nice flowering trees too ;) 

I stand corrected as I am guessing it's a Frangipani tree. I'm not a botanist.

Plane spotting at Changi Beach Park

It's not Frisco Bay, but this is where I sat watching the waves roll in. Every few minutes, there will be a plane taking off and I played the which airline is it game with myself. Time is indeed slow when I am still.

Sun tanning at Changi Beach Park

Last year when I was here, the beach wasn't as nice as today. I suspect it has since been cleaned up. Friday 2:30 pm and this ang moh jogger suddenly decided to chill out on the beach. 

Hmm. Either that's a long lunch, or he is like me having our man of leisure time ;)

I wonder how's it like during weekends? Do people come here to swim and sun tan? Next time must drop by during weekends! And bring my swim wear!

Granddad and granddaughter at Changi Beach Park

This is nice and touching. Can't see well due to the high contrast, but it's a Malay granddad teaching his granddaughter (around kindergarden age) how to fish.

I guess that's how childhood memories are formed. 

I remember tagging along with my grandma during her morning and evening walks. Time was even slower then.

It takes time to forge relationships. 


Small nuggets of "quality time" my foot! Don't believe? If your dad works all the time and mom is a housewife, who are you closer to now that you are all grown up?

If both parents work and no grandparents? You miss your maid a lot right?
 
Ah! Childhood memories...