Rediscover Singapore - Lorong Halus Wetland

Lorong Halus was once a night soil treatment facility referring to the bucket system used during the early years being processed here before the modern sanitation system, it was also the last disposal station for our garbage which was closed in 1987. During 1970 - 1999 the area was used a garbage landfill which covered an area of about 100 football field. Today the Lorong Halus Wetland was just a fraction of the original size roughly about 18 football field which in turn serve as a bio water treatment system and it serves as our 17th reservoir by damning up the Serangoon River now it attracts locals and foreigner alike to the wetland a long deep orange bridge takes visitors over the Serangoon River toward Coney Island, Punggol and Pasir Ris.

Rediscover Singapore - Pulau Ubin

This island lies in the northeast of Singapore it was simply called Ubin but the Malay named it Pulau Ubin which literally meant Granite Island. It is one of the last rural areas which is rich in flora and fauna and wildlife and also granite quarry,  in the early 1950 and 1970 there are about 2000 inhabitants living on the island but by 2012 the last headcount was 38 inhabitants. Present-day Ubin had been preserved from urban development and appeals had been made to have the Chek Jawa to retain its biodiversity. Today Pulau Ubin had been a tourist destination including the locals, there are temple, bicycle kiosk, a wayang stage F&B and mountain biking. For transportation on the island, one could rent a bicycle or hire a van.

Rediscover Singapore - Bukit Brown Cemetery

It was officially opened in 1922 in order to serve the needs of the Chinese Community for half a century before it ceased to be operational in 1973. This is a huge plot of land a total of 211 acres which belong to the Hokkien Seh Ong Clans. Bukit Brown was named after George Henry Brown who was a shipowner, trader, and broker in 1840. The cemetery was a burial grounds for most of the prominent and well known Singaporean in the business community, the plot of the burial ground was cut into two plots for the construction of the Pan Island Expressway the other is knows as Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Then in 2013, the cemetery was placed in 2014 World Monuments Watch which records global heritage site which is at risk of being destroyed. Before that, in 2011 the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announce the construction of a road and viaduct and it would build over the cemetery and some of the graves were due for exhumation for the project.

Rediscover Singapore - The Intan

The Intan is a private-owned Peranakan Collections Museum started by Alvin Mark Yapp and can be found in my neighbourhood in Joo Chiat. Alvin is an avid collector of things that got to do with the Peranakan Culture. His antique collection took him more than 20 years.  You have to make a booking in advance to view his collection with a small token after the tour you are invited to tea and some Nyonya snacks our photography group was host by him many years ago.

Rediscover Singapore (Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay)

Know for its performing arts centre located in the downtown core got its name from the nearby Esplanade Park formerly known as Queen Elizabeth Walk popular called Ngor Chang Chiu Kar, it occupies the site of the Satay Club famous popular with the older generation and was built from reclaiming the land from the sea and now formed our Marina Reservoir and the centre was officially opened by our President the late Mr S R Nathan in 2002, consisting of Concert Hall, Recital Studio, Theatre Studio and a Library at present they are building another waterfront theatre to be named after our telco company and will be known as Singtel Waterfront Theathre with a donation of S$10 million and will be open on the second half of 2021.

The Purple Parade

The Purple Parade was first conceived in 2013 to raise awareness and campaign for the inclusion of the disabled in Singapore and also in conjunction to commemorate the International Day of Person with Disabilities which falls on the 3rd of December each year, with the support of about 40 organisation and the Central Singapore Development Council in order to promote the event a social media movement led by Miss Denise Phua with the support from the Singapore Government with several parliamentarians including our country Prime Minister. The very first event kick-off on the  30th of November 2013. Since then a total of 7 Purple Parade had been held, but his year the event was given a miss due to the Covid19 Pandemic but still, a live stream event was held and also the purchase of merchandise was also conducted for sales online and hope that by next year round we would be able to have the ball rolling again onto the street, by the colour purple was chosen because it symbolises loyalty and the square logo representing a call for equality for those with special needs in all area of society regardless of race language or religion.

Thimithi Silver Chariot Procession

The Thimithi Festival primary celebration in the run to Diwali or Deepavali means the festival of lights is the most important celebration in the Hindu calendar. Thimithi means firewalking begin in Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road and headed to Chinatown Sri Mariamman Temple which is the oldest Hindu Temple in Singapore which took place between 1am - 4am and then in the evening as the firewalking ends there the  Silver Chariot procession begins to mark the victory of  Goddess Draupadi.