the canoeing scene today

was at macritchie for my morning walk when i met my former balestier colleague sng thai soon. after retirement, he has been coaching canoeing and dragon boat racing. i stayed on to watch the canoeists go through their paces.

found out from him the many changes that have taken place. they now have a national coach - a bulgarian - for canoeing. he is stationed at macritchie reservoir most of the time. this year's canoeing championships will be held at the bedok reservoir. some of the colleges have engaged the services of foreign coaches. there was one from china coaching the rjc team. was told that he is already a singapore citizen.

in those days when i was involved in canoeing, there were only two classes - the t1 and t2. today, they still carry on with having the t1 and t2, which are not raced at international level. schools have introduced the k1, k2, k3 and k4, as well as the c1 and c2. k stands for kayak and c stands for canadian kayak, where the rower takes up a squat position.

even the equipment has gone high tech. paddles which used to cost about $30 in the good old days, now cost around $480. i was told the nelo single seater kayak cost more than $4000. the four-seater nelo costs around $12 000.

the training session was halted temporarily because of lightning. a siren was sounded and all the canoeists had to return to shore. they were told that they could return to the waters only after 10.10 a.m. this was the information one of the coaches got from nea.

cigarette peddling at yew tee

the cigarette peddlers are get bolder by the day. when they first started their business, they were on the side of the road where the yew tee industrial estate is. later, they moved their operation to across the road. they used the vegetation of the secondary forest as their cover. when the authorities removed their cover by clearing the shrubs and cutting down the trees, they stayed away only for a while.

each time the police ambushed and arrested them, once in september 2006 and once again in early 2007, there was no illegal activity for a day or two. but they always make a comeback. there does not seem to be any shortage of young indonesian men willing to do this illegal trade. some of these peddlers have entered our country illegally.

what must be going through their mind? who says singapore laws are strict? who says the police are very efficient? who says you cannot get away with breaking the law in singapore? with the police seemingly impotent in nabbing the peddlers, these foreigners appear to have less and less regards for our laws. they may even be encouraged to commit other petty crimes.

the police have tried getting to the root of the problem - tackling the source, going for the head of the syndicate. but fines and jail do not seem to have detered them.

how about going for the people who buy from these peddlers? they are not difficult to trace and apprehend. i have seen taxi-drivers, truck drivers and private cars drivers stopping to buy these contraband cigarettes. some buyers even exchange phone numbers with these sellers.

the secret garden of pulau ubin

if you go to pulau ubin, you should make a visit to the secret garden. i think this garden is managed and maintained by the national park board. no admission charge, unless you want a guided tour of the sensory trail.

to get to the secret garden, you have to head towards the police post on the island, which is just a 5 minute walk from the jetty. just before the post, make a left turn and then take the track on the right.

there are scarecrows here and there, among the many plants and vegetables. there are quite a number of coffee shrubs and rows and rows of jasmine flowers. there is also a big clump of pandan leaves which you should be able to smell out.

most of the plants have an information board which tells you about the origin of the plant and its many uses.

pulau ubin - an island getaway

pulau ubin is the perfect getaway for singaporeans. to get there, you have to take a ferry and once there, you are literally cut off from the mainland. however, though overseas, you are still in your own safe and secure country.

the cost of the ferry ride has increased 100% but it is still reasonable and affordable. the place is still rustic and laid back but there are changes. i think these changes are for the better.

with proper registration, the number of vehicles has been reduced noticeably. visitors are now spared the noise from revving motor bikes. bicycles are readily for hire at $2 an hour. they provide good exercise as you make your way around the island. the roads are paved and there are information and sign boards along the way.

some of the better known landmarks are still around, like the tua pek kong temple and wayang stage. the people still draw water from wells and the electricity is provided by noisy diesel generators.

you are not charged 'sentosa' kind of prices for drinks and food. the villagers see it as a way of supplementing their income and not as a chance to fleece their affluent cousins from the mainland.

pulau ubin is in good hands. the national park board is taking good care of the place.

ang mo kio town garden west

had driven and walked past this park but have not explored it until today. this is the bigger of the two parks in ang mo kio. you can park your vehicle along ave 6, just opposite the ang mo kio community library. i chose to park at ang mo kio street 12.

as the park was built on a hill, there are at least three places where there are steps to climb. the staircase with the most number of steps - 120 - is the one leading to the pergola and plaza.

as you walk towards the mayflower private housing estate, you will come to an area where some folks are practising tai-chi. just beyond this amphitheatre is the bird singing area.

a discovery is that there is also a lotus pond in this park. it is not a very large pond but it is filled with lotus plants.

one thing lacking in this park is the toilets. the nearest public toilets are at the community library, across the road from the pond.

dinner @ taman tebrau hawker centre

played golf at pulai course - second time playing there even though i am one of the pioneer members. my playing partner, kok weng, knows the two courses there better than i. he has also played there more times than i have.

after golf, had lunch at the utm university town. was not aware that there are so many makan places in this town. surprises me that this town is bigger than tun aminah.

in the evening, had dinner at taman tebrau food centre. before dinner, had xo durian at one of the itinerant stalls. it was actually a small lorry loaded with durians. the seller provided a small table and chairs, and also water for you to wash your hands after eating. the 3kg xo durian cost rm$36. nothing outstanding about the durians. have eaten tastier durians in singapore.

the food centre seems to specialise in seafood - especially ikan bakar, beggar chicken and mee hoon kueh. tried the oyster omelette ( orh luah), sambal crayfish and the vegetable which looks like lady's fingers. the medium size plate oyster omelette cost rm$8. the sambal crayfish and vegetable came up to rm$36.

returned to singapore at 7.30 p.m. there was no problem clearing either the malaysian side or the singapore side.

outward bound school - pulau ubin

my attendance at the 21-day outward bound course was sponsored by the british army. the selection and recommendation was made by the teachers' training college. during the course of the 21 days of training, we were on full-pay leave.

i cannot remember how many teachers there were in my batch or in my watch. however, i am able to recall the names of some of those who attended with me. they included dick yip kum foo, edward tan, tan kok tong, tan thor cher, steven koh and chan kar wai.

although the training was very demanding, physically and mentally, we were prepared for it after having attended the 10-day ttc training camp at pulau tekong. at obs, we undertook three types of expedition - land, canoe and sailing. solo had not been introduced then.

at the end of the course, there was a cross-country race. although i started right at the back - i was literally the last runner - i managed to work my way gradually to the front and finished second in the race. if the race had been longer, i think, i would have overtaken the front runner, chan kar wai.

outward bound school taught me many things but the most important is the revelation of my inner strengths.

at obs, we learn to persevere, to push our own perceived limitations, to strive for excellence and never to give up. we learn that we need other people, and that the strength of a team lies in the co-operation of the people. we learn to deal with success and failure and to develop compassion.

wagyu beef @ aston specialties

went down to 119 east coast with the hope of eating wagyu beef. no such luck. found out that if you wanted to eat wagyu beef at this place, you would have to order in advance. you have, first, to call up to check if such beef is available before placing your order.

when you reach the place, there is usually a queue outside. but, when you look inside, you will find that there are unoccupied seats and tables. you have to give your food order to the counter girl before you get shown to your table and seat. then, you wait for your food. the waiting time is not that long - about 20 minutes.

so, what is wagyu beef? wagyu is a breed of cattle naturally predisposed to produce beef that is densely marbled. in fact, wagyu beef surpasses usda marbling standards for prime-grade beef. often referred to as the “foie gras of beef,” wagyu has an exquisitely tender texture and incomparable, luxurious taste.

the grades that have been available at aston range from grade 5 to grade 11. the highest grade for prime grade beef is 12 and that is kobe beef. naturally, you have to pay according to the grade; the higher the grade, the more expensive is the beef. for example, 300gm of grade 5 costs about $59 and 300gm of grade 9 costs around $129.

no wagyu. so, in the end, had to settle for porterhouse steak.

marina bay golf course - venue of 6th inter-school golf tournament

this morning, i was at marina bay golf course for the first day of the 6th inter-school golf championships. arrived there before 7.30 a.m. there was a slight drizzle, so the first flights were postponed by half an hour.

marina bay golf course is owned by ntuc and it is located at tanjong rhu. if you do not live in that area or if you are not an avid golfer, you will probably not know of the existence or location of this course. when i first heard about it, i had the impression that it was in marina south. you cannot see it from the road, unless you are on benjamin sheares bridge and looking out for it.

it is one of the very few links-styled golf courses in asia. marina bay golf course (6542 m, par 72) features dramatic pot bunkers of varying sizes and depth, tremendous variety in the length of the holes and many undulations.

it is a public course. with the impending closure of the seletar base course, it can only get more crowded. i understand that they insist on verifying your golf handicap before they let you play on the course. also, because of the demand, they will try and ensure that there are four players on each flight.

the grass on the fairway looks very green and trim and it is not easy to lose your golf balls on either the fairways or the greens but you can still lose them in the water hazards.

the view is very nice. you can see the city skyline, including the singapore flyer - the giant observation wheel that is still under construction . i am sure, at night, the view is even more spectacular.

sm goh's 66th birthday lunch

sm goh celebrated his 66th birthday today at the belvedere room at orchard mandarin with his family, relatives and security men. there were six tables and his security men occupied one.

there was no birthday cake but there were birthday peaches - the traditional chinese type - for everyone. no one bought or brought presents as we had been told that the gathering was arranged so that he could get a chance to know everyone better.

it was a nine-course sit-down lunch. there were lobsters, fish, prawns and vegetables before the chicken rice was served. for dessert, we had orh ngee (mashed taro with pumpkin and gingko nuts).

lunch started at around 12.30 p.m. and did not end till nearly 3.00 p.m.

chilli plant bearing fruit (chillis)

one of the many chilli plants that i planted in pots is bearing fruit. the roots of young chilli plants are quite fragile; i lost quite a number of plants when i tried transplanting them.

but these plants are incredibly easy to look after. there are only really two things that you need to remember in order to keep them alive.

water them regularly.
keep them in a well-lit place.

check your variety for the mature pod size and then as they reach full size, the pod should feel firm and look fairly glossy, if it still feels soft to the touch it is still immature. pods can be picked early but they really need to be fully developed to develop their full flavour and heat. the best time to pick chillis for drying is just when they start to change colour. this picking will stimulate the plant to produce more flowers.

i have two varieties - the chilli padi (thai chilli) and the common chilli.

teachers and former students reunion @ treetop walk

after more than 25 emails to-ing and fro-ing, the treetop walk finally took off this morning. we were all quite on time, arriving at the meeting place before 8.00 a.m. discovered that weekend is a very popular time for people to do the treetop walk. the outer car-park was almost filled up when i reached it at the appointed time.

there were eight of us - three teachers and three former students, two with their spouses - and six cars. pastor phua had his wife for company; vice-principal lee seck yeong also got her better half to come along and human resource manager loh puay heian went solo.

when we reached the ranger's station, practically everyone was perspiring. we had to wait our turn to get onto the bridge because of the crowd this morning. (they restrict the number of people on the bridge to 30 each time.) there were at least three big groups that travelled by chartered buses to the venus drive car-park.

when we returned to our cars at venus drive, it was about 10.30 a.m. someone suggested going to casuarina's prata restaurant for breakfast. found out that the curry restaurant had taken over the first two shop-houses and renovated the place. we ate, sat and talked about the good old days till almost noon.

falling tree killed woman @ bukit batok nature park

this morning, the car park at bukit batok nature park was unusually empty. normally, it would be packed with cars but today, there were only three cars in the car park at the time when i drove past. and one of the three cars was a police car. as i was driving to lorong sesuai, i noticed a number of vehicles parked along the service road.

the place where i normally parked my car was also quite bare of vehicles. on other days, i would have to be lucky to find a space. i put it down to the rain that fell early in the morning. i did not take the usual route because the ground was damp. when i reached the service road, i knew something was amiss. there were seven cars: four police cars and three cars belonging to officers from the national park board.

if it was just fallen trees, it need not have to involve the police, and so many of them at that. anyway, i carried on with my morning walk, diverting from my usual route. i did not want to walk the small paths. the number of people at the park was a fraction of the normal crowd.

as i was finishing my walk, then i saw it. a huge tree had fallen and someone had used a white plastic sheet to cover something on the ground. i suspected then that somebody had been hit and killed by the falling tree.

this was confirmed when i heard the news on the radio. a woman in her thirties was killed and two other women were injured.

coincidentally, a few weeks back i had been talking to a contractor outside the moe dairy farm campsite. he was pointing out to me the danger posed by the raintree. according to him, these trees which normally grow very tall do not have deep roots and therefore tend to fall during a thunderstorm.

roadside mangosteen trees bearing fruit

for the first time, i saw mangosteen trees planted by the roadside in singapore bearing fruit. in malaysia, this is something quite common. the other day when i visited kong kong fishing village, i saw a number of mangosteen trees laden with fruit. but, to see it in singapore, it is akin to seeing an elephant on pulau ubin. (in march 1991, a wild elephant visited pulau ubin.)

the ripeness of the fruit is gauged by the full development of colour and slight softening. picking may be done when the mangosteens are slightly underripe but they must be fully mature (developed) or they will not ripen after picking. the mangosteens must be harvested by hand from ladders or by means of a cutting pole and not be allowed to fall.

it means one thing - these mangosteen trees must have been planted around 1997. it takes about ten years for a mangosteen tree to start bearing fruit and it can continue to fruit for about 50 years.

what a coincidence! today, i was at the bukit timah nature reserve when i saw this tall tree just outside the nature reserve centre which i was able to identify right away as a mangosteen tree. hold and behold, it was also bearing fruit! see, you could also come across elephants on pulau tekong!

yishun park @ aves 4 & 11

yishun park was once a rubber plantation. you can still find rubber trees in the park, together with a variety of tropical fruit trees. this park appears to attract quite a lot of regulars. among the many parks i have visited, in terms of usage, it is second only to bukit batok nature park.

one distinctive feature of this park is the tropical fruit sculptures and the interesting information provided on the boards.

the yishun safra outdoor sports centre extends into the park. there is this tall tree which looks inviting to climb but there is this warning sign which says "you can do so only under proper supervision from a trained personnel."

of the many fruit trees like durian, rambutan, chempedak, jack fruit, star fruit, guava and jambu air found growing in the park, only the four jambu air trees were laden with fruit.

bobbing plastic bottle at little guilin

i was at bukit batok town park (little guilin) and was fascinated by this apparently empty plastic bottle bobbing in the waters of the pond. i figured it had to be a fish or tortoise playfully pushing the bottle around.

after a while, i realised it was not what it had seemed. because whatever was pushing it, it would be uncanny for it to be so good at it that it did not miss even once. the plastic bottle was like the shadow of the one pushing it. looking more closely, i found out that it was a sucker fish (plecostomus) doing the job. and a huge fish at that, more than 30cm long.

and it was not pushing it; it was attached to the bottle by a fishing line. somebody must have used the bottle as a float. the sucker fish must have grabbed the bait on the hook which was tied to the bottle. the huge sucker fish must have caused the line to snap with the hook still lodged in its mouth.

later, in the afternoon, when i went back to check - after my driving session at cdans - the plastic bottle was nowhere to be found. either it had swum to some far corner of the pond or some angler had fished it out of the pond.

bukit batok town park (little guilin)

cannot blame those who live outside bukit batok for thinking that bukit batok nature reserve and bukit batok town park are one and the same. actually, there are a number of differences between the two.

i had the impression that bukit batok nature reserve covered a bigger area than the town park. it turned out that i was wrong. the nature park is 36 hectares while the town park is 42 hectares. however, there are more nature/walking trails at the nature park than at the town park.

in terms of usage - the number of people visiting the park and making use of its facilities, the nature park outshines the town park. during peak periods, on any day, the number of people at the nature park outnumbers that at the town park by, at least, 20 : 1.

however, there are more people angling for fish at the town park. you hardly see anyone trying to catch a fish at the pond at the nature park. it is not that there are few or no fish at the nature park. there are. i have checked it out myself.

the nearest toilets for people using the town park are at gombak sports complex whereas toilets are within the park at the nature park.

boardwalk @ lower peirce reservoir

this morning, i went to do the timber boardwalk at lower peirce. parked the car by the road side and started from the jacandra entrance. apart from the jacandra entrance, there are two other points where you can start your walk. there is the casuarina entrance - near casuarina road, where you will find a popular prata shop. you can also start your walk from the reservoir park.

although there are six trails, they are all short ones and you can cover all of them in under one hour. the trails are: hevea, cyathea, bamboo, costus, oncospermum and the lower peirce.

not many people do the boardwalk and you can enjoy the serenity and quiet of the place all by yourself. you come to the end of the trail and in front of you is the wide expanse of placid water with greenery all around. you can be soothed by the peace all around you.

a word of caution if you are doing the boardwalk when it is wet. the edges can be quite slippery because of the moss growing on them.