yusoff nasi baryani @ geylang serai

when i mentioned to victor about my failed attempts to locate the nasi briyani stall at geylang serai, he was quick to suggest that we went and looked for it. i was to find out that he and faroz used to patronise yusoff's stall when they were teaching at willow secondary. then, the four ladies manning the stall today were still school girls. in the 70s, the stall sold a variety of food dishes and nasi briyani was available on fridays only.

according to victor, yusoff has since passed away. the daughters have taken over the running of the stall which sells chicken briyani and mutton briyani. we were first at the wet market to look for victor's former student ismail. when we enquired about yusoff's briyani, the other stall-holder volunteered the information that it was that stall managed by an all ladies team.

victor pointed out to me the difference between briyani prepared by indian muslims - of which yusoff's is one - and that by indian hindus. the muslims normally separate the rice from the chicken and the gravy whereas the hindus tend to mix the three together.

the stall opens from 10 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. it is closed on mondays. chicken briyani is priced at $3.50 and mutton briyani, at $3.00.

"this stall serves a well-spiced tender chicken in non-oily rice with slightly sourish dalcha (vegetable curry). the stall, run by four sisters, uses fresh chicken which is a lot tastier as it can absorb the flavours of the spices better." (straits times foodies club)

woodlands waterfront

ura will be building a 1.5-km long promenade and a nine-hectare park along a tranquil stretch of coastline in woodlands to improve accessibility to the area and to open up the scenic waterfront.

the promenade, in the form of boardwalk will be built over the seawall to bring visitors closer to the water's edge. a park will also be created right next to the coastal promenade. the design of the park leverages on the existing terrain and contours to create interesting spaces and views within the park.

there will be jogging and fitness trail and cycling tracks for fitness enthusiasts; playgrounds for young children; event spaces to hold outdoor community functions; picnic areas for families; and nature trails as a haven for nature lovers. (this area used to house some junk yards and workshops where i used to have my car serviced.)

an old jetty connected to the park will also be refurbished to allow for recreational activities. (there are actually two jetties there; one - the woodlands north jetty - is still in use by shell petroleum company.)

the woodlands waterfront - set for completion in 2010 - will form part of the comprehensive network of parks and park connectors in the area. it will be linked to the newly-opened admiralty park and woodlands town garden through a park connector that runs through the estate.

sweetleaf plant (stevia rebaudiana)

bought this sweetleaf plant for $5.00 from a farm in lim chu kang. the farm also sells the washed and dried leaves from the same plant.

it is claimed that the leaves and stems are ten times sweeter than sugar. the advantages are that they have almost no calories and they do no have the after-taste of artificial sweeteners.

the natural element stevioside, which is found in the leaves and stems, will enhance the flavour of any food that needs sweetening.

the chief consumer of stevia in the world is japan. there has been concern about its use in usa, europe and other countries. according to one report, it is banned in hong kong and singapore. according to the ministry of environment (s'pore), "the use of stevia in food products will be approved in singapore until its safety has been fully established and recognised by international bodies, such as jecfa."

however, as a result of further research, stevia is gaining more acceptance throughout the world.

crazy shopping in guangzhou

ida and i had different objectives in going to guangzhou. i had wanted to see for myself the developments in the third largest city in china, the life and culture of the people and may be to visit some scenic spots. ida was more focussed; she was there solely to shop.

before we left for the trip, we visited betty nah to get from her a list of the 'must visit' places for shopping and eating in guangzhou. we managed to track down all the places on the list. the only place we skipped was yangji where we were told to go for massage.

of the several places recommended, liuhua garment market and the shangxia jiu lu pedestrian street stood out.

liuhua garment market is the largest indoor garment wholesale market in guangzhou. liuhua garment market, with baima market as the centre, with thousands of shops, has become the fashion wholesale centre of guangzhou.

the wholesale centre is a crazy place. some shops are so small but stacked with goods and packed with browsers that there is hardly any space to move. we got out of the baima centre after less than an hour in it.

shangxia jiu lu ("up down nine street") pedestrian street is the first commercial pedestrian street in guangzhou. there are more than 200 stores, including restaurants and teahouses, along this street. every day, from 1.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m., shangxia jiu lu is restricted to pedestrians only.

the pedestrian street is a nice place to visit in the evening. we ate wonton noodles at one of the eateries and ida bought a few items at the night market.

impressions of guangzhou

on the surface, guangzhou appears to be a thriving, modern metropolis. there are skyscrapers all around you - though you do see a couple of abandoned projects. the metro trains, which move people efficiently, are packed and the many shopping complexes are overflowing with people. the streets are crowded with local and foreign-made cars. young and middle aged people, all seem to possess mobile phones, some are which are of the latest model. the streets and pavements are quite free of litter.

then, as you move around, you will come to realise that the changes may be too fast for the people to keep up with. the traffic is chaotic; the lines drawn on the road seem to be non-existent to most drivers. the drivers do not like to signal but enjoy sounding the horn. the zebra crossing is an 'island' where you take risks on the road. the cars slow down but they do not stop for you.

the place is clean because the sweepers are ever ready to clear the rubbish that the people indiscriminately discard. i was at this alley shopping with ida when i watched this lady shop-owner peeling an orange for her daughter. she just threw the peels on the floor. the sweeper came around and cleared them. then, she took out another orange and did the same again. the poor sweeper had to clean it up after her.

i can imagine that most of the people live in crammed conditions within the city. dark, dingy alleys lead to their homes. some of these narrow lanes also serve as market early in the morning. those who do not have breakfast at home can get food from stalls just outside the alleys. 2 yuan could get them a hearty breakfast of beancurd and some local pancake.

mandarin is the main spoken language in guangzhou. the people are somewhat coarse but they are simple and honest.

streets of hong kong

my third visit to hong kong and ida's second. we flew cathay pacific and stayed at novotel century at wan chai. spent most of our time in the wan chai-causeway bay area. took the mtr to kowloon to visit temple street, ladies street and nathan road.

had very nice claypot rice (hk$55) at one of the side streets in wan chai. over at tsim sha tsui, had yummy roast suckling pig and roast meat at the guangdong barbeque restaurant.

moving about in guangzhou

during our three days in guangzhou, we stayed at the tian lun international hotel, a 5-star hotel located a stone's throw from the guangzhou east railway station. the subway or metro as they called it in guangzhou is just across the road from our hotel. so, moving about was quite convenient.

we either took the cab or the metro train. the flag-down price for a cab is 7 yuan. out of the five cab rides that we had, the costliest was 20 yuan (equivalent to s$4). while travelling in a cab, the regulation is for the man to take the back seat, which is separated from the driver by metal bars. all cabs are able to issue a printed receipt for every ride.

i prefer taking the metro train - it's even cheaper. fare ranges from 2 yuan to 5 yuan. we never had the chance to pay 5 yuan. most of the times we paid 4 yuan for a single journey. the metro trains are as clean as our mrt trains.

instead of being issued a ticket, you get a black magnetic plastic token, the size of our twenty-cent coin. to gain access to the platform area, you tap it on the sensor at the ticket barrier. at the exit, you insert the token into a slot and thereafter it is retained. for regular commuters, there is the stored value card.

trains are usually very crowded, especially during morning and evening peak hours. just like in hong kong or anywhere else in the world, you have to be fast if you want to 'grab' an empty seat. however, we did not encounter any shoving or pushing when we were boarding the trains.

hong kong to guangzhou

guangzhou (canton) is about 174km from hong kong. there is a direct inter-city train service - travelling time less than two hours - from hung hum in kowloon to guangzhou east. the one-way train fare is hk$190. the train we took made a short stop at dongguan.

for singaporeans, you have immigration formalities to clear before boarding the train. this means you need to have your passport, though no visa is needed. you are advised to be at the station about 45 minutes before departure time. the boarding gate is closed 10 minutes before departure time. each passenger is allowed baggage up to 20kg.

on the way, you will go through the shenzhen station. in fact, for the first part of the journey, the train goes on the same track. (an alternative is to take the mtr from shim sha tsui east station to shenzhen; from shenzhen, switch to another train that goes to guangzhou.)

the train is quite clean and comfortable. you get a complimentary bottle of watson's mineral water. food is also available on the train. they take your order and deliver the food to you.

announcements on the train are made in three languages - cantonese, mandarin and english.

cycling at west coast park

the uniquely climbing bougainvilleas at west coast park



with my 'new found' wheels, i was at west coast park to take advantage of the wide path and very light traffic. in fact, it was more like having the whole place to myself. started cycling from park 3 towards the dog run in park 1. between park 3 and park 2, there is a ramp where you need the momentum to help you ride over the crest.


on my way back, bumped into wong from ghim moh sec. he retired three years ago, at age 57, and is now the holder of the purple concession card, which is being withheld from me until the end of this year. in singapore, you have to be 60 before you can enjoy a 67-cent bus ride from terminal to terminal during off-peak hours.


if you are at west coast park, you should park their vehicle at either car parks 2 or 3, not 1 because 1 is a paying car-park where you need to display coupons before 5 p.m. on a weekday.


talked to wong about friends and colleagues who have retired. seems like i am one of the poorest among my retired friends. most of them have accumulated at least one million bucks at the time of their retirement. the one million being the total of their lump sum, cpf savings and other savings. some of my 'jalan-jalan kakis' have not even touched their cpf money up to now.

wong had gone back to be an adjunct teacher after his official retirement. after six months, he asked himself, "why am i toiling, when i am supposed to be a retiree?" he quit and stopped work for good.

my foldable dahon bike



i bought this foldable bike more than fifteen years ago for about $500. for the last eight years it had been lying idle in the storeroom, with both of its tyres deflated. when i took it to bikehaus to get it fixed, the mechanic commented that everything about it was old (owner, included).

when i first bought it, i used to leave it in the boot of the car. we would go to pasir ris park or east coast park on weekends and took turns to ride on it. on some saturday mornings, i would ride the bike from my old place at towner road to monk's hill secondary at winstedt road.

the dahon cannot be considered a high performance bike as claimed by the manufacturer in its manual. it is a typical cheap utility bike. it is more expensive than others of that grade because of its folding mechanism. its utility and desirability depend on its ability to fold.

if you have not ridden the bike before, it is advisable to try it out in a safe area to get a feel of the bike. i would rate the steering and balance of the model that i have as not very good. you have to have your hands on the handle all the time to maintain stability.

it is also not very suitable for long distance riding because the saddle is small and rather hard.

vehicle bogged down in mud

in my mind's eye i sometimes try to capture the picture of the kampong that i grew up in. the road leading into the kampong started off as a dirt track. after a heavy downpour, it would be water-logged in certain places and became a trap for vehicles, especially lorries. the wheels could get stuck in the soft earth. it usually required a lot of help and effort to free the lorry that had sunk into the bog.

in those kampong days, you did not ask, "why should i help?". it was something that came naturally. when you saw someone in a sticky situation, you just went forth and did your bit. it is not like today's scene where almost everyone is a spectator when someone else is in trouble or in a spot.

if there was another vehicle around and not caught in the same situation, help could be in the form of using the free vehicle to tow the stuck one out of the rut. to ensure that the stuck vehicle did not sink deeper into the quadmire, planks and stones would be placed at the wheel or wheels to provide the needed traction.

an added measure would be to get all those around to put their 'shoulders to the wheel' and in one coordinated effort, pushed the vehicle out of the soft mud. usually all the helpers would get spattered by the flying mud as the wheel/s spinned.

everyone would cheer when the vehicle was safe on firm ground. a gesture of appreciation - a word of thanks - was sufficient for these people who had been drained of their strength and had their clothes or bodies spattered by the mud. they just felt happy that they had helped someone who had come to grief in their kampong.

dairy farm nature park

a new nature park is in the process of being developed. the new dairy farm nature reserve will cover the diary farm hut, the dairy farm quarry and the singapore quarry. the dairy farm quarry has been filled up but there is still a pond fronting the singapore quarry, which is located at the edge of the bukit timah nature reserve.

according to a 2005 report, the creation of this buffer is to relieve congestion at the bukit timah nature reserve. the 63 ha reserve will feature new hiking and mountain biking trails. rock climbing activities at the diary farm site may be regulated once national park board takes over the place.

there is a plan to build a floating pontoon and a lookout shelter at the singapore quarry. this area was a gambier plantation in the 1830s and a dairy farm in the 1930s. the expected date of completion of the dairy farm nature reserve is december 2008.

i have explored this area on my own even before they started work on its development. the dairy farm quarry area is well visited by cyclists, rock climbers and residents from the nearby dairy farm estate. but beyond that and away from the bike trail, it is largely unexplored. there is an abandoned nursery over at the dairy farm quarry side.

over at the singapore quarry side, you also hardly meet any hikers if you venture there. at the edge of it, there is a fence around the perimeter of the quarry.

mahang or ant plant

another interesting plant found in our nature reserves and parks is the mahang or ant plant. we first came across this plant at lower peirce reservoir but since learning about it, i have started to notice them at macritchie reservoir, bukit batok nature park and sungei buloh wetland.

the mahang or ant plant macaranga triloba (so called because of the three lobes which make up the leaf) is an interesting example of symbiosis: the plant provides housing for a species of ant in its hollow, swollen leaf shoots and in return the ant protects the plant from leaf-eating insects.

its stem is hollow, as the pith within disintegrates just behind the meristem (growing tip). within the hollow, ants of the species crematogaster borneensis establish their colonies. small holes along the stem can be seen where the ants enter and exit. the plant also provides small white food bodies for the ants to feed on. in return, the ants protect the plant against foreign invading insects and other small creatures. the ants also bite off the growing tips of plants that come near the macaranga plant, hence preventing vines and other plants from growing over and smothering it.

balestier hill group @ lower peirce

each time a new member joins the group for the monthly walk, it is an excuse to take a group photograph. today, the excuse is mr and mrs albert koh. we had almost given up trying to get him to be with us for the walk. he surprised us by appearing with his wife at the car park at lower peirce.

lower peirce is singapore's second impounding reservoir. originally known as the kallang river reservoir, it was renamed peirce reservoir in 1922 and finally lower peirce reservoir in 1975.

the highlight of our monthly get-together (that's what alfred called it) was held at sembawang hills food centre. some had noodles, some had fish porridge and some had curry puffs. teck seng talked enthusiatically about the marks of a marksman. he was so passionate talking about it that his wife had to get his attention by messaging him on his mobile.

after the walk and the post-walk makan, i wanted to take a drive along the quiet old upper thomson road, which would have taken me past the entrance to upper peirce, when i found my way blocked by a fallen tree. the tree chose to lie across the whole road, making both sides impassable to traffic.

entertainment in the 50s & 60s

in the 50s and 60s, entertainment facilities were far and few. we would always looked forward to the screening of documentaries by the public relations office and subsequently by the ministry of culture. this always attracted large number of villagers, both adults and children. it was a family outing for some who came prepared with their own stools and chairs and snacks.

this would be carried out in a wide open space within our kampong. a white screen would be stretched between two supports, with loud speakers placed on the lorry or secured to some lamp posts. the projector would be set up somewhere in the middle of the crowd, and when it broke down as it sometimes did, we would wait patiently but noisily for it to be restored.

the screening of these free shows were sometimes announced weeks earlier but sometimes it was like striking lottery for us kampong folks because they came unscheduled and unannounced.

although cinema tickets were priced at about 50cts, we hardly went to such places. we did, however, watched some shows in an open air cinema for which we paid 10cts to be admitted. i remember i once watched the show 'ten brothers' in mandarin at an open air cinema near the former police academy along thomson road. for that kind of price, we had wooden benches as seats to watch the show.

the pagoda shape ketapang tree

the ketapang tree

i have known this particular type of tree from my kampong days, having clear memories of this tree, which quite unlike others, shed its leaves during certain time of the year. it was a majestic tree, at least 35m tall, growing at the edge of the jewish cemetery, just next to a monsoon drain which was less than 50m from our house.

i just found out that ketapang leaves are sometimes known as indian almond leaves or huu kwang leaves. the kepatang trees are native to south east asia. the use of the leaves is the 'trade secret' why some fish breeders are so successful in breeding dicsus, bettas, angel fish, arowanas, and neons, etc, in malaysia and singapore.

the leaves, when left in the water, release organic acids like humic and tannins which lower the ph of the water, absorbs harmful chemicals and help create a soothing and calm environment for the fish.

soak one/two leaves in water for 48 hours, the ketapang leaves release a mild dye that turns the water tea-coloured. this solution, when added to the aquarium water, acts as a natural colour-enhancer and water conditioner that is most ideal for the fish. this addition is enough for up to 200l water tank per water change.

my good friend nah chuan has this idea that any dry old leaves will serve the same purpose. he keeps discus and he had tried this theory of his on his own fish.

found a number of ketapang trees at the sungei buloh wetland. if you visit qian hu at jalan lekar, you will find many ketapang trees within its compound.

grill-out! @ sunset way

had dinner yesterday at sunset way with my former colleague daniel lim from admiralty primary. he had wanted to buy me dinner at the very popular new lucky claypot located in his neighbourhood, not knowing that it was closed on wednesdays. i then suggested going to sunset way for dinner as we would be having ice-cream at daily scoop for dessert.

grill-out! is an american-style steakhouse which serves quality meat from usa and australia. dining is mainly al fresco style, not along the corridor of the hdb block but at an open area adjacent to it. when it rains, it will be a problem because there is no awning or shelter.

we opted for the black angus ribeye at s$30 (with gst and service charge, it came up to s$35 each). my friend's bench-mark for steak seems to be botak jones'. his verdict was the same as the last time when we ate at aston specialities on upper east coast road: better than botak jones.

i told him it had to be, considering the price difference. to be honest about it, it was worth the money. the steak was tender and succulent. the dish came with a complimentary starter - salad and garlic bread.

grill-out! is closed on mondays.

sungei buloh wetland reserve


i always make it known to my friends that the early birds to sungei buloh - one friend pronounced it as 'sungei bulu' - need not have to pay admission charges, even on weekends. that is, if you reach the place before 8.30 a.m. anyway, the admission charge for an adult on weekends is s$1.00. on other days, except public holidays, it is free admission.

you have to be appropriately attired and armed if you are moving around. insect repellent is a must because of the swarms of mosquitoes. if you are scared of big lizards, this is not the place to be in. during my walk this morning, i encountered five monitor lizards, one of them more than a metre long.

it is such a waste. we have such well-maintained and wonderful nature reserves in singapore and yet the people are not out there to enjoy and take advantage of it. during my entire walk, i met one other person only.

i am not much of a bird man, so i did not equip myself with a pair of binoculars. saw mainly egrets, herons and some other birds which i could not identify.

view of johor from the 18-m high
aerie at sungei buloh

sea hibiscus found at sungei buloh

a dying tune - chinese funeral band

it used to mean an extra status for the deceased - as though it mattered to the unknowing - to have a funeral band as a send-off. a funeral band is a local chinese custom which has no religious significance.

was at geylang lorong 13 when i came across this lorry which had just unloaded its passengers after an assignment. the band members were mostly old men and some middle aged women.

i have a feeling that this kind of accompaniment will disappear from the singapore scene in a generation or two from now.

thai passion fruit & white hibiscus















was at lim chu kang when i saw this fruit for the first time. found out it is thai or siam passion fruit. this fruit is double the size of the normal passion fruit. looks a bit like a huge guava. seems the seeds can be eaten together with the rest of the fruit. it can be eaten raw or cooked.





















just like the malaysian passion fruit, it grows from a vine. so, you can have it grown beside a fence or from a structure, like the one shown in the top picture.
















saw also for the first time, this white hibiscus flower. white hibiscus is considered to have medicinal properties in the indian traditional system of medicine, ayurveda.

white hibiscus is not uncommon in hawaii. the flowers last only a day. in hawaii, they bloom as white in the morning but towards afternoon, they turn pink.

poor maintenance or no maintenance?

who would want to use this 'field'? the grass is so overgrown that your football might get lost in the thicket.

bukit batok hostel at 10 de souza avenue, formerly known as bukit batok boys' home, used to be a rehabilitation centre for males older than 16 but who had been placed on probation before aged 16. i know at least one former monk's hill student who was a resident at the home.

today, it no longer serves as a home for young offenders. it is now managed by permas and the apartments are let out to members of the public. at least, there is a notice that says the place is available for rent.

next to it used to be the bukit batok primary school. until the end of 2006, it was used by chij bukit timah as its temporary premises.

claypot chicken rice


ida had been wanting to eat claypot rice since her return from melbourne. i suggested taking her to try the version at lorong 33, geylang. she said that the place was too far off, so we settled for the one in rong li eating house located at blk 328 clementi avenue 2. the stall is called new lucky claypot. it is closed on wednesdays. the operating hours are: noon to 1.30 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m.

although we had made a reservation by phone, when we reached the stall we were told that we would get our order only at 6.45 p.m. nearly all the tables in the eating house and outside it were occupied and nearly everyone seemed to be waiting for the same food - claypot chicken rice.

as the waiting was getting to us, we decided to order some filler - for our growling stomachs and the time spent waiting. we had ten sticks of pork satay from another stall in the same shop. we finished the satay and continued to wait.

finally, the $18 pot meant for three persons came at 6.50 p.m. they provided two conatiners - one of oil and the other of sweet black sauce - for you to add to the claypot rice which came with tender chicken pieces, salted fish and sausages. there was no vegetable at all.

we managed to finish about half the pot. so, we requested a box to pack the leftover to take it home.

playing with firecrackers



while the adults had their firecracker wars, we, children, had our own fun playing with sticks of firecrackers. it would not have been much fun for us to light of one whole packet of firecrackers. instead, we would play with single stick of firecrackers. there were a number of fun ways playing with firecrackers.

for us, we had the mini version of the red firecrackers. these 2.5cm firecrackers for children were usually green in colour. the circumference and diameter were correspondingly smaller than the normal ones. the sound produced by these short sticks was nowhere as thunderous as the big bangers.

in an act of sheer bravado, we would hold the stick of firecracker at arm's length with our thumb and forefinger. we would either light it ourselves or got someone else to light the fuse for us. the only harm or pain that we would experience would be a slight sting at the tips of the two fingers holding the firecracker.

one way of playing with the unexploded firecrackers that we had picked up was to let them off one at a time. sometimes, we placed the firecracker stick in a standing position on the ground, lighted it and quickly covered it with a tin can. the resulting explosion would throw the tin into the air. or we would step on the tin before it could fly off and got a muted sound.

as children we also played with more dangerous explosives like the double bangers. these are oversized firecrackers which produced two sounds, 'pong' followed by 'pak'. so, we gave it the name 'pong pak'.

although i did not sustain any injury while playing with firecrackers, i knew of some friends and neighbours who suffered injuries to their fingers and hands. once, when i went to watch a firecracker war, i had one lighted packet thrown onto my back but i was none the worse for it.

firecrackers & cny before 1972

when the letting off of fireworks was completely banned in august 1972, it seemed like a part of the festive mood was extinguished. those of us who grew up during the pre-fireworks ban era found it hard, initially, to accept chinese new year without the noise, smoke, smell and red carpet of shredded paper that wrapped the low explosives.

the chinese believed that the lighting of firecrackers scared off evil spirits and attracted the god of wealth to their doorsteps. so, to welcome the lunar new year, on the eve and to send off the new year, on the 15th day, there were firecracker wars all over the island. throughout the other fifteen days of celebration, there would be sporadic firing of crackers.

shop-owners on the same side of the street or on opposite side would try and outdo and outlast each other by firing more packets of firecrackers than their competitor. sometimes, there could be more than two or three businessmen joining in the fray, especially in the business area of north bridge road.

the firecrackers were stringed together into a long chain, sometimes a few storeys long, and then fired. at the same time or following that, packets of firecrackers would be lighted and thrown onto the road outside the shop.

when the 'firing' stopped, the spectators, especially children, would rush into the pile of shredded papers to hunt for unexploded sticks or packets of firecrackers.

the start of the chinese new year was signalled by the lighting of firecrackers at the stroke of midnight on new year's eve.

the bukit timah mrt line

the future mrt map (ver 3) shows that the bukit timah line will terminate at the present bukit panjang lrt station, next to the bus interchange. including the bukit panjang station, there are 16 stations along the route, some of which, like bugis, newton and little india, are existing stations. two of the stations along the circle line will also be along the bukit timah line. they are botanic gardens and promenade.

all the stations will be underground. the other stations are beach road, kampong java, eng neo, sixth avenue, dunearn, anak bukit, hume, hillview and chestnut.

part of the circle line is expected to be operational by 2010. the whole circle line network should be in service by 2012. the expected date for the bukit timah line to be ready is in the year 2015, about seven years from now.

looks like, come 2015, can give up the car.

challenging trial @ bt timah nature reserve


in preparation for our assault on mt kinabalu, i think i need to get my companions to take to the trials at bukit timah nature reserve on a regular basis. if we can surmount the many trials here, especially the taban loop and the rock path, then our climb up the highest mountain in south-east asia later this year should be smooth sailing.

this morning i did the taban loop, south view path, cave path and catchment path before heading for the main road. when i came to the junction of cave path and catchment path, i decided to take a right as i had followed the left in my last walk. the catchment path ends at an open area which leads to the bike trials.

as i was on the main road making my way back to the ranger's office, i stopped to check the gradient of the rock path. the steepness of the path reminds me of the path we took when we climbed bukit timah in our younger days. i remember we had to struggle, even in those youthful days, to make our way to the top of the path.

walking in nature reserves seems to be really catching on in singapore. never have i seen so many cars and so many people at bukit timah reserve in the past. i think a lot of people who have stayed overseas must have realised the pleasure and benefits of such jaunts to continue doing so in singapore.