tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66314077291607146492024-03-22T00:50:26.513+08:00Anecdotal TravellerAnecdotes of my travels in & out of Singapore.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-22744789259512141582013-09-17T21:55:00.002+08:002013-10-07T08:47:25.308+08:00Army heritage tour.<div class="MsoNormal">
It was an invitation out of the blues, from MINDEF no less!<br />
“<i>Would you be interested to visit a few old SAF camps that we are planning for
a group of history bloggers?</i>”</div>
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To say I was delighted would be an understatement, especially when they mentioned
that it would include the Changi Murals and the old Selarang Barracks.</div>
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This event was specially organised for a small group of heritage bloggers that included my old friends, Lam Chun See <i><a href="http://goodmorningyesterday.blogspot.sg/">(Good Morning Yesterday</a>)</i> and
Peter Chan, online familiars like Jerome Lim <i>(<a href="http://thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com/">The Long and Winding Road</a>)</i>, Char
Lee <i>(<a href="http://thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com/">Second Shot</a>)</i>, Mok Ly Ing <i>(bukitbrown)</i> and Andrew Him <i>(<a href="https://www.facebook.com/one.north.explorers">One NorthExplorers</a>)</i>. It also gave me the chance to meet other bloggers whom until then we had
only known virtually online.</div>
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The visit began at the SAF Selarang Camp in Changi. <br />
The Selarang complex was built in 1936 by the British forces and was then called
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Selarang Barracks</b>. The Singapore
Armed Forces took over the camp after 1971. The camp has been upgraded and
modernized to SAF’s new requirements but sadly most of the original pre-war
buildings had to be torn down as it was found unsafe or unsuitable for today
needs.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPouMqqoQRrvDRVBet5mk4fYFOAS7798r1GfCdGLgb2RAKVIaCeORw6oeA2y4GYWDgkTXlMFWaZHpX9FeHxNjPYqPBx1G2Thp1IqTnSWBR9Cv6SSy_4DpwK9vG53kBE4-pB6zJr5GwpU/s1600/Selrang+Sq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPouMqqoQRrvDRVBet5mk4fYFOAS7798r1GfCdGLgb2RAKVIaCeORw6oeA2y4GYWDgkTXlMFWaZHpX9FeHxNjPYqPBx1G2Thp1IqTnSWBR9Cv6SSy_4DpwK9vG53kBE4-pB6zJr5GwpU/s640/Selrang+Sq.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Parade Square at Selarang camp today.<br />
Inset: The British barracks surrounding the same square during the pre-SAF days.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83N6ys7KR1PBFMiGmKFdGamwahbvIsqBPG47XQ-pfguY6wI-SGqH5VoiFK2Ipmmx2S9i0boVCCFyTiLHUmn1c4ZlVzZcK4lqZyCNBkP2j2GkfLm6eGjegGnSLkef1rg3jugRKl3FUgxE/s1600/Singapore_9023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83N6ys7KR1PBFMiGmKFdGamwahbvIsqBPG47XQ-pfguY6wI-SGqH5VoiFK2Ipmmx2S9i0boVCCFyTiLHUmn1c4ZlVzZcK4lqZyCNBkP2j2GkfLm6eGjegGnSLkef1rg3jugRKl3FUgxE/s640/Singapore_9023.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selarang Barracks and the old Parade Square. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qT42bWGX6iD3cIMtV9z2JO_KYJXsN_UKRZ3Tmq1NCOM8QAiW4ym-XdbCeCGFB3SSWSUxkZVozJzx8uw-szMYx3Q97nldXngTc1r_u2SdVcqXF6ZoXV94snQDAorCbOiqTD2MWs5HQ0o/s1600/HJT2715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qT42bWGX6iD3cIMtV9z2JO_KYJXsN_UKRZ3Tmq1NCOM8QAiW4ym-XdbCeCGFB3SSWSUxkZVozJzx8uw-szMYx3Q97nldXngTc1r_u2SdVcqXF6ZoXV94snQDAorCbOiqTD2MWs5HQ0o/s640/HJT2715.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Officers Mess is the only pre-war building surviving today at Selarang Camp.</td></tr>
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During the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, Selarang
Barracks was used as a POW internment camp to house the Allied soldiers captured in WW2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its notoriety was cemented during this
period by an event known as the “Selarang Incident”</div>
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<h3>
<b><i>The Selarang Incident</i></b></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">On 30 Aug 1942, four escaped POWs were recaptured by the Japanese. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">
The Japanese camp commander, Gen Fukuei, then demanded all POWs sign a declaration that
they would not try to escape. This was in contravention of the Geneva
Convention, so all the POWs refused to sign. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">In retaliation, Gen Fukuei ordered
all 15,400 POWS, mainly from the Australian Imperial Force, to be confined within the Barracks </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">until they signed. Selarang Barracks</span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> could only house 1,200 men. Thus the majority spilled over into the Parade Square. As punishment, water
and food were strictly rationed and there were no sanitary facilities available, even in the barrack buildings.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Seeing that the Allied soldiers were
not budging by the 3<sup>rd</sup> day, Gen Fukuei had the 4 escapees publicly
executed as an example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ordered
that all the sick soldiers be brought from the hospitals and also confined to
the Parade Square. On seeing that their men were starting to die of illnesses like
dysentery, the British commanders permitted their soldiers to sign the
declaration “under duress”. Thus ending the Selarang Incident on 5th Sep 1942.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZtXbXxqWd5WA9XAH_3WggP4D3oEJMgjtqpg_PQQLQf3LYUdm_oJ7az_hMY1CHjubJItm-DQ1X4wePb8yF6Bf5bgUNGtXXuu0Il81Fb_chSd9kxQ4RNpOcdlObIu4ONp7OaeTrVY9WGc/s1600/Selarang+AWM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZtXbXxqWd5WA9XAH_3WggP4D3oEJMgjtqpg_PQQLQf3LYUdm_oJ7az_hMY1CHjubJItm-DQ1X4wePb8yF6Bf5bgUNGtXXuu0Il81Fb_chSd9kxQ4RNpOcdlObIu4ONp7OaeTrVY9WGc/s640/Selarang+AWM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3dTNgFWQ8pLpfMU8XTx-qEbef8Q9ucvY_dDauP6LHxuKXB6cW8d_qjHrmQn6SAGbE4K9Z5gYgMzh6sPZnbsbaR7MCfuvc6q9BtCKpUL4l_1DbFM3F5sESUbC3k4uM93TPs7VxqNndsg/s1600/selarang-1942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3dTNgFWQ8pLpfMU8XTx-qEbef8Q9ucvY_dDauP6LHxuKXB6cW8d_qjHrmQn6SAGbE4K9Z5gYgMzh6sPZnbsbaR7MCfuvc6q9BtCKpUL4l_1DbFM3F5sESUbC3k4uM93TPs7VxqNndsg/s640/selarang-1942.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vlv4Xo2PRiW0P-E6QJOb4bOAzOcIJH8SPm5BeMzKN9_JdG1t4kFcYhUPsLowV6mcrlUn9wsanTXg7qG3vjjPlGccjv-juUNJbYUerx2bhuPFp416Tpl6U1271C_FpqRUn9x1TaE_21s/s1600/Selarang+Latrines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vlv4Xo2PRiW0P-E6QJOb4bOAzOcIJH8SPm5BeMzKN9_JdG1t4kFcYhUPsLowV6mcrlUn9wsanTXg7qG3vjjPlGccjv-juUNJbYUerx2bhuPFp416Tpl6U1271C_FpqRUn9x1TaE_21s/s640/Selarang+Latrines.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Latrines dug into the parade square ,</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJnFHWAbG1XcKjEIWv0Q-4u8J5yxa6_Nv4tqwpOy-OJpnlZXmnAgAxRT4y3CX-_hrJpjRtp9yh6uIytWz9u5HlvJBYccd2bguSxpiCLhgu_ZWDBMMUoqHphl7Q9qQS0LEX9ZPIu9bRzg/s1600/Selarang+Incident.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJnFHWAbG1XcKjEIWv0Q-4u8J5yxa6_Nv4tqwpOy-OJpnlZXmnAgAxRT4y3CX-_hrJpjRtp9yh6uIytWz9u5HlvJBYccd2bguSxpiCLhgu_ZWDBMMUoqHphl7Q9qQS0LEX9ZPIu9bRzg/s640/Selarang+Incident.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbWg3vA3UMQs5cRVD7VJIFmkLR_m8elyvc7p8XJoPCpiTSWJQgiiHhpB98QzFUpXa8qXFc09rrXRY76e9FYen_yErHvSbYxeH97vXVxXA6mUfe_cfrPbsdU2SGrXTLVu0Nnk_B9DlgL0/s1600/selarang-parade-ground-huts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbWg3vA3UMQs5cRVD7VJIFmkLR_m8elyvc7p8XJoPCpiTSWJQgiiHhpB98QzFUpXa8qXFc09rrXRY76e9FYen_yErHvSbYxeH97vXVxXA6mUfe_cfrPbsdU2SGrXTLVu0Nnk_B9DlgL0/s640/selarang-parade-ground-huts.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo source: Australian War Museum</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJFWM2J9_s0ocApQNuZlEAm7A3J2AhRsjRYu3HvuApfnsy2r28BCUzEGTZRXNqa1pYtlSjJK_pHvFBXuqqU7RqOf-jwiY4t1387XgpEywtT4n9zukEk21wZc-pXe6YyBTH6uI3fyFZXc/s1600/HJT2735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJFWM2J9_s0ocApQNuZlEAm7A3J2AhRsjRYu3HvuApfnsy2r28BCUzEGTZRXNqa1pYtlSjJK_pHvFBXuqqU7RqOf-jwiY4t1387XgpEywtT4n9zukEk21wZc-pXe6YyBTH6uI3fyFZXc/s640/HJT2735.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Selarang Barracks Parade Square today in silent testimony to the events in 1942.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">After the war, Gen Fukuei was tried at a war crimes tribunal and was sentenced to death by
firing squad, specifically on the charge of ordering the 4 escapees executed. Ironically, he was executed on the very same spot where the four Allied soldiers were
executed at Changi Beach.</span><br />
</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVu0nfQTB0WBhsvDzysXwGyZdf6q88uC_eFQou5TGkGQL0tmd3Xsl_0xgWnN4k6-FNcGooBBF-xhAfK6Ec5EONpYdETmPH7oPTPfrXn8ZB_tZIXafU2UyYVeGSBgpL_XsDb-6FThqxQk/s1600/Gen+Fukuye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVu0nfQTB0WBhsvDzysXwGyZdf6q88uC_eFQou5TGkGQL0tmd3Xsl_0xgWnN4k6-FNcGooBBF-xhAfK6Ec5EONpYdETmPH7oPTPfrXn8ZB_tZIXafU2UyYVeGSBgpL_XsDb-6FThqxQk/s400/Gen+Fukuye.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The execution of Lt-Gen Fukuei at Changi Beach.</td></tr>
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For security reasons, we were not allowed to photograph any of the existing SAF facilities. <br />
However, I have compiled some photographs taken at Selarang Barracks where we were allowed to. <br />
The photographs are in <u><a href="http://hjtann-pixs.blogspot.sg/2013/09/a-visit-to-old-selarang-barracks.html">my album here</a></u>.</div>
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<i><br /></i></h3>
<h3>
<i>The Changi Murals</i></h3>
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For me, the highlight of the morning's tour was to the Changi Murals.<br />
The Changi Murals are a set of five painting done by an English POW, Bombardier Stanley Warren.<br />
Bdr Warren was ill with severe dysentery and was warded at the military hospital at Roberts Barracks. Roberts Barracks was another camp within the Changi military area housing captured POWs.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeF18Qh7eqKjF1KBSD-2hdZNquPwczvYDhxyWgHKggTnF4H-VV5QI9YvuqMZb6qBtuU3cwB0GjuERaDwrDmZ_3dUHfrhKUomSg0FGqs0RLwN0j37q5iM3qmjLpBJwowuIEt-rnfq5uRg/s1600/Roberts+Barracks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeF18Qh7eqKjF1KBSD-2hdZNquPwczvYDhxyWgHKggTnF4H-VV5QI9YvuqMZb6qBtuU3cwB0GjuERaDwrDmZ_3dUHfrhKUomSg0FGqs0RLwN0j37q5iM3qmjLpBJwowuIEt-rnfq5uRg/s640/Roberts+Barracks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roberts Barracks at Changi.</td></tr>
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When the hospital superintendent discovered Warren's artistic talent, he requested that the walls of the St Luke's Chapel in the Dysentery Ward be painted by Bdr Warren. Stanley<br />
Warren, despite being close to death at one stage, undertook the arduous task of painting the murals, despite lacking supplies like paints and brushes, which he managed to scrounge around to complete his task.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHPxYvPNCySdmmMFk0TNtcNdQ70Nchyphenhyphen_vamS7ZN4HwUivuDHJLU_eDVhjz9sz0Mrw2HOOn3GERpUr_ajl6edwC81ZzVDkw5gED9L1Eb4BpV3DfM_p6mDxuJ_0efgIFcuzXKfcxB2K524/s1600/HJT2787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHPxYvPNCySdmmMFk0TNtcNdQ70Nchyphenhyphen_vamS7ZN4HwUivuDHJLU_eDVhjz9sz0Mrw2HOOn3GERpUr_ajl6edwC81ZzVDkw5gED9L1Eb4BpV3DfM_p6mDxuJ_0efgIFcuzXKfcxB2K524/s640/HJT2787.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Nativity was the first mural painted by Stanley Warren and was completed in time for Christmas 1942.</td></tr>
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Five murals were completed by the time the war ended and Stanley Warren was released and returned to England. The murals were soon forgotten when the barracks were used for other military purposes. The murals were painted over with whitewash over time and one wall was even taken down to create a passageway destroying part of the hidden mural unknowingly.<br />
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Only in 1958, the significance of the murals were 're-discovered' and efforts were made to find the artist. Stanley Warren was located in London but was hesitant to return to Singapore to do a restoration due to the trauma he underwent during the war.</div>
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It was not until 1963 that he finally found courage to return to do a restoration of the five murals. He returned a further two times in 1968 and 1988 to finalise the restorations, of which only four could be completed. The final mural, which was partially damaged by the creation of a passageway, could not be done as hZtanley Warren didn't have a sketch of the original painting he titled "St Luke the physician in prison". When finally a sketch was discovered, Warren was too frail to return again to Singapore and so he did a small oil paint facsimile of the work.<br />
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<b>The original murals as discovered in 1958 before restoration.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkP0boA66fLClESlbtNVMqdwCD4ZeEMDh8vs5Y9HW2s5xdcs-Bg6ZoZZP8H1gAf62pDeDGa5mNfBUyNoZpPELlWvOzalMcagbjzNVRAj-s57lKjhx9S5ladpfdyGwL1byEURIsqhvUDGg/s1600/Crucifixion+-+Changi+Murals-1958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkP0boA66fLClESlbtNVMqdwCD4ZeEMDh8vs5Y9HW2s5xdcs-Bg6ZoZZP8H1gAf62pDeDGa5mNfBUyNoZpPELlWvOzalMcagbjzNVRAj-s57lKjhx9S5ladpfdyGwL1byEURIsqhvUDGg/s640/Crucifixion+-+Changi+Murals-1958.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6tp2UL_sHHe_l_9ly7Qb-iVA4Reb697tNJWPWS_2A3e8OoWWMl-hsXe3CvR8B6NOluWZxoymrkq5kVg2KCEzHBYzYPQJjAasFl4sySggNCJz_gzNCND46pkhMwW4zHrraMP9KUT1ess/s1600/Last+Supper+-+Changi+Murals-1958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6tp2UL_sHHe_l_9ly7Qb-iVA4Reb697tNJWPWS_2A3e8OoWWMl-hsXe3CvR8B6NOluWZxoymrkq5kVg2KCEzHBYzYPQJjAasFl4sySggNCJz_gzNCND46pkhMwW4zHrraMP9KUT1ess/s640/Last+Supper+-+Changi+Murals-1958.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The murals as discovered under the distemper in 1958 before restoration.</td></tr>
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Today the restored murals are still housed in the original Chapel of St Luke in the old Roberts Barrack. The building, known as Block 151, the last remnant of Roberts Barracks, was kept intact due to the historical significance of these murals.</div>
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However, access to it is strictly controlled and even then, viewing is normally permitted only through a partitioned glass panel. This is to avoid contamination and degradation of the murals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPnr_xmwMne4rngodPSbgv6crEFLB5UniFvn9gUga_nrUelCLZcM9GV9AvlNc7ta-FQg73Z1q4Gvc1cnFlegCb7gLi0L_ICtwn7O0rhXkzlyXSlMjPpzdwOvUa8JythM67-vgWFQPTE8/s1600/HJT2771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPnr_xmwMne4rngodPSbgv6crEFLB5UniFvn9gUga_nrUelCLZcM9GV9AvlNc7ta-FQg73Z1q4Gvc1cnFlegCb7gLi0L_ICtwn7O0rhXkzlyXSlMjPpzdwOvUa8JythM67-vgWFQPTE8/s640/HJT2771.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBbJaD20-w38CTd2s3DjhTbFnZu4XFf4JGOMLZfulmsqPZQCQZzaMCawRoyDDmObc7_WCZtZVvlu1zXUiVmpsEdDLZy6CG1QltbN1R-kuV9ahrtKc4BsxqyL5VRXR1r98ELk7YMXUjDY/s1600/HJT2838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBbJaD20-w38CTd2s3DjhTbFnZu4XFf4JGOMLZfulmsqPZQCQZzaMCawRoyDDmObc7_WCZtZVvlu1zXUiVmpsEdDLZy6CG1QltbN1R-kuV9ahrtKc4BsxqyL5VRXR1r98ELk7YMXUjDY/s640/HJT2838.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The murals restored by Stanley Warren in 1963, 1982 & 1988.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUHpmW-pviw2_useScd8KM54Z0o8REYR73ipl4ONMexgkHebuONBcppd5xs38sAkSWYBHAdQ7taXIafBXw3iEkhM9k6jrm9VYA8ZiUVWyn6l6pEjpIuKg446fz3IC4Rnm76JX-b9r-0g/s1600/HJT2808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUHpmW-pviw2_useScd8KM54Z0o8REYR73ipl4ONMexgkHebuONBcppd5xs38sAkSWYBHAdQ7taXIafBXw3iEkhM9k6jrm9VYA8ZiUVWyn6l6pEjpIuKg446fz3IC4Rnm76JX-b9r-0g/s640/HJT2808.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The oil painting of "St Luke the Physician in prison" done by Stanley Warren after a sketch was re-discovered.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTm9qqOIzrjkZYlSxs1c2sxtBNZMDSAAxXfRoWiR_qpXQdOmq78xfRTx6bFCu5w8lfVpHV8VY_GmQRpSQjxPF_jeuwxfZ3vXpvIU5u-K9D9dVIb5fwv3c10Nwgke2V4m7Ekxux7y-6R_s/s1600/HJT2863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTm9qqOIzrjkZYlSxs1c2sxtBNZMDSAAxXfRoWiR_qpXQdOmq78xfRTx6bFCu5w8lfVpHV8VY_GmQRpSQjxPF_jeuwxfZ3vXpvIU5u-K9D9dVIb5fwv3c10Nwgke2V4m7Ekxux7y-6R_s/s640/HJT2863.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blk 151 Roberts Barracks, Changi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU742Kr9KszwyilBZBQXlnpqDeIeakyE5l8PZkfQqrjiz2CLgyyHBBgW1R1_SL_AxANsvbVY1mr3jfhgw4YwQi-242dEBIxWfVHPYxkQaZIrQOyUV8rK7dF65ifUmEdkT3X_qL1UFZGpQ/s1600/HJT2784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU742Kr9KszwyilBZBQXlnpqDeIeakyE5l8PZkfQqrjiz2CLgyyHBBgW1R1_SL_AxANsvbVY1mr3jfhgw4YwQi-242dEBIxWfVHPYxkQaZIrQOyUV8rK7dF65ifUmEdkT3X_qL1UFZGpQ/s640/HJT2784.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chapel of St Luke at Roberts Barracks.</td></tr>
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I was extremely lucky to have been able to enter the Chapel itself on this visit.</div>
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For a full photo display of the visit, please see my photo blog of the <a href="http://hjtann-pixs.blogspot.sg/2013/09/the-changi-murals.html">murals here</a>.<br />
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Due to numerous requests to visit the murals, a replica of the Changi Murals was created at the new <b><i>Changi Prison Museum and Chapel</i></b> located at Changi Road North just Selarang Barracks. The Changi Museum is open to public at no charge.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowlzRnXBjI89VzKUn_4Lbv3YkDroFHw2u1LvLBEMbIS_GZNqtmbSq3ggQ8onmf6CxxhjqOBDwUa-lEadUAl8cQdHF6Y7GZVE123CdHnBdVIo18KIisgma41oCbya12TVz8Ouz0RHMahc/s1600/DSC_0471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowlzRnXBjI89VzKUn_4Lbv3YkDroFHw2u1LvLBEMbIS_GZNqtmbSq3ggQ8onmf6CxxhjqOBDwUa-lEadUAl8cQdHF6Y7GZVE123CdHnBdVIo18KIisgma41oCbya12TVz8Ouz0RHMahc/s640/DSC_0471.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Changi Prison Museum and Chapel contains a replica of the Changi Murals. </td></tr>
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<b>Old Changi Camp</b></div>
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The tour rounded off with a visit to the old Changi Camp, conducted by the Camp Chief, RSM Yip of Changi Airbase. It was very personal for me as I enlisted for NS and was based at Changi Camp as a recruit.<br />
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Seeing all the old buildings including the old Medical Centre brought a rush of memories back for me.<br />
Sadly though, most of the old pre-war buildings that were around in my time are no longer there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTvVRISJeuSEPgN0O8WsRSDfNtnRDQ-W52Uv1xnF9h4MBXTGSNCDSpfmob2CXQA6m81xNicHQrvy3vvWC3RBVgVCqx1kgFxxgASPue4kCNqU0-ieevUDBueNL_HgKuNj7_vLyR_aH42k/s1600/HJT2748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTvVRISJeuSEPgN0O8WsRSDfNtnRDQ-W52Uv1xnF9h4MBXTGSNCDSpfmob2CXQA6m81xNicHQrvy3vvWC3RBVgVCqx1kgFxxgASPue4kCNqU0-ieevUDBueNL_HgKuNj7_vLyR_aH42k/s640/HJT2748.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ME4 Yip explaining the various aspects at Changi Airbase</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwAOfNnqTbgiBnOuqe7ZWTUJxWX0cPwZpvhdBfyaDyfbsn6Xn1BUPkAPVMc_RJPdjriVdhlZyI0cfBuyDr9AocB2887X5kNuQ1RTyEF-nr-jpXGb3QqxTF6C_MSIM46T0BWTx_tPj1b0/s1600/HJT2750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwAOfNnqTbgiBnOuqe7ZWTUJxWX0cPwZpvhdBfyaDyfbsn6Xn1BUPkAPVMc_RJPdjriVdhlZyI0cfBuyDr9AocB2887X5kNuQ1RTyEF-nr-jpXGb3QqxTF6C_MSIM46T0BWTx_tPj1b0/s640/HJT2750.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Changi Airbase Heritage Hall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NIIggP71GZPZINNp75zVuAEP6qu8SONAwNp_OjcXv6zfbtg6H8GSJRlr5ekNfFoXigYs7ElfSNASXQ4wl2klI4J1SQcgGgYP2bmLobTwJo-yfbak74VUb-Nj5EbQWDG5gMl9BWZ1NcY/s1600/HJT2892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NIIggP71GZPZINNp75zVuAEP6qu8SONAwNp_OjcXv6zfbtg6H8GSJRlr5ekNfFoXigYs7ElfSNASXQ4wl2klI4J1SQcgGgYP2bmLobTwJo-yfbak74VUb-Nj5EbQWDG5gMl9BWZ1NcY/s640/HJT2892.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old Changi Road that ran to Changi Village. Tangmere Road led to Changi Camp and misery as a NS recruit. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfF3Z6axDnFcGsASFFkEDzsFX5Lm8HgVIVQEo4Zrx8kAJ2N0C-Gwp3MmimlWgyg-fxBLgEvCpWwFPvFn0kofoyOPyE5xNpOKdJ9nhcvMM-USMwoyobhtDdpZ8XJVhhin-zsYUotQ2kLXs/s1600/HJT2908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfF3Z6axDnFcGsASFFkEDzsFX5Lm8HgVIVQEo4Zrx8kAJ2N0C-Gwp3MmimlWgyg-fxBLgEvCpWwFPvFn0kofoyOPyE5xNpOKdJ9nhcvMM-USMwoyobhtDdpZ8XJVhhin-zsYUotQ2kLXs/s640/HJT2908.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building 494, an old pre-war metal sheet walled building.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzEbroBd4HzN1wGenrEawN2ZoU_77nHYDno4u6Sp0JClqBHBBcgQ9u6rJ6dBc66PMpiFwkFxQUHsU26IjdrjS6bQIJpNNBe0OFj3kYrKAtictfr8JmK8hX48smKh35jWaZGSOv_zk-gA/s1600/HJT2921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzEbroBd4HzN1wGenrEawN2ZoU_77nHYDno4u6Sp0JClqBHBBcgQ9u6rJ6dBc66PMpiFwkFxQUHsU26IjdrjS6bQIJpNNBe0OFj3kYrKAtictfr8JmK8hX48smKh35jWaZGSOv_zk-gA/s640/HJT2921.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commemorative plaque at the old Medical Centre. a reminder of its heritage.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBZIfbxPJ-yak0XfAT44SjXCux-ZF8IQHrENw_z2qcd0T1AJUWlt0Sophexc1VpPj2M6ljexhGTsa8VAi8n08fH6Tul5B75BzWNVDVCGJCaIQt3SDupujTtP7z7mYVjT-3HF-YM7V6JE/s1600/HJT2925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBZIfbxPJ-yak0XfAT44SjXCux-ZF8IQHrENw_z2qcd0T1AJUWlt0Sophexc1VpPj2M6ljexhGTsa8VAi8n08fH6Tul5B75BzWNVDVCGJCaIQt3SDupujTtP7z7mYVjT-3HF-YM7V6JE/s640/HJT2925.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tree was there when I was a recruit in 1975!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old AETI buildings at Changi Airbase where early aircraft mechanics trained.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old Changi Road, now locked within the airbase.<br />
Changi Airport Tower can be seen in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camp security. Pulau Tekong and Johor at the rear,</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.3663990186153174 103.978149153906321.2394050186153174 103.81678765390632 1.4933930186153175 104.13951065390631tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-22410817721171143442013-07-14T19:39:00.001+08:002013-09-17T19:24:32.679+08:00Fort Pasir Panjang & the Labrador Battery.Fort Pasir Panjang was one of the coastal artillery batteries that ringed the southern coast of Singapore from colonial days. Built in tandem with the forts at Pulau Blakang Mati (Sentosa) in 1878, Fort Pasir Panjang was located at Tanjong Belayar; more specifically on Labrador Hill.<br />
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Fort Pasir Panjang was decommissioned in 1912 but was revived as the Labrador Battery in 1939 due to fomenting crisis that would become World War II.<br />
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Join me on a short guided tour of old Fort Pasir Panjang. (Tips and gratuities gladly accepted!)<br />Enjoy and please do leave me some comments.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CnbgDapBL_g" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-49723917770279047512013-06-06T09:22:00.000+08:002013-06-06T20:25:52.118+08:00The ruins of Fort ConnaughtFort Connaught was built in 1878 by the British Army and was one of the four artillery batteries located on Sentosa Island, or Pulau Blankang Mati, as it was known then.<br />
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Built to defend Singapore from enemy invasion, it was completely destroyed by the British military the day before the Fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. This was to prevent the weapon from getting into the hands of the invading Japanese Army. From that day on, the fort was never ever rebuilt or re-used, and for all intent, abandoned and forgotten.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoP-bfLAzxddyJwlWp89MNuRec6vtolPat1g-k_7BN0ISyCaAgmji9q8cogG0CMgs5eOShwZt304GUMnWwBYalMLV0gpTf7RSW7T5Ca5Nk9csDCIAa1DlORDS-a2edYk9pj5wydMZyJuQ/s1600/Fort+Connaught.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoP-bfLAzxddyJwlWp89MNuRec6vtolPat1g-k_7BN0ISyCaAgmji9q8cogG0CMgs5eOShwZt304GUMnWwBYalMLV0gpTf7RSW7T5Ca5Nk9csDCIAa1DlORDS-a2edYk9pj5wydMZyJuQ/s640/Fort+Connaught.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where Fort Connaught was sited in relation to day's Sentosa Cove which is built on reclaimed land..</td></tr>
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Fort Connaught was located at the eastern tip of Sentosa on the Serapong Ridge and comprised a battery of three huge 9.2" guns capable of hitting targets up to 25 km away. It was to protect the eastern seaward approach to Singapore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrPiAjz6N64ei_UZmsQVeNloD6zZxCIYFJl7V4CUxC8oQK6D8QdRVC_t4I8CrAVWDvSvC58Ke2QzMzNnVdm4swNQcjrom4yaiDebQ5hRr6N4O2vc2sZkE2yGT4qGHsO47MZJhLwBdzZY/s1600/fort+connaught1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrPiAjz6N64ei_UZmsQVeNloD6zZxCIYFJl7V4CUxC8oQK6D8QdRVC_t4I8CrAVWDvSvC58Ke2QzMzNnVdm4swNQcjrom4yaiDebQ5hRr6N4O2vc2sZkE2yGT4qGHsO47MZJhLwBdzZY/s640/fort+connaught1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The No. 3 gun of Fort Connaught before its destruction.<br />
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During a recent visit to another nearby former military post called <u><a href="http://fujiwara-kankoo.blogspot.sg/2013/06/re-discovering-berhala-reping.html"><i><b>Berhala Reping</b></i></a></u> on Sentosa, I was offered an opportunity to see the ruins of Fort Connaught.<br />
I was aware that parts of the former fort grounds had been converted into a golf course. But I also knew that some ruins still existed, so this was an opportunity not to be missed!<br />
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Going into the forest to see the ruins is only for die-hard fanatics, or as in my case, being out in the sun for too long visiting Berhala Reping.<br />
In fact, my companion Peter Chan who came along with me, expressed incredulity when after bashing through the undergrowth, getting scratched by thorns and bitten by ants and mosquitoes the size of elephants, he said..."What! we came all this way to see this pile of rocks ???"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaA7-ZXzMAqjR_BwiRALZ9T_fX6QyEwOBaZu93DkbGWIN7O9cBVkgSJEitmJW2HmNjVzY_4LYhCBvk5s1WLe6Nrf5dV9Tk0DQwQJutbqHbxZ6djsyka4Nahb-gZZAq3pH8LBIqh1_pUI/s1600/Fort+Connaught+overview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaA7-ZXzMAqjR_BwiRALZ9T_fX6QyEwOBaZu93DkbGWIN7O9cBVkgSJEitmJW2HmNjVzY_4LYhCBvk5s1WLe6Nrf5dV9Tk0DQwQJutbqHbxZ6djsyka4Nahb-gZZAq3pH8LBIqh1_pUI/s640/Fort+Connaught+overview.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of the former 3 gun positions on the hilltop of Fort Connaught, Gun Emplacements Nos. 1 & 2 were covered over on which the half-way rest house of the Sentosa Golf Club's Tanjong Course now lies.<br />
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The only visible remnant was Gun Emplacement No 3, but this was well-locked within the forest that grew around it after being abandoned 71 years ago.<br />
Even though it lies less than a 100 metres into the forest, getting to it was difficult given that it is located on a hillside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCqtRH75GzLAXVDyh4ZoZqhyXc9YYcg50_jbu88NtXOGhlIa9FEgilsn3OpCFJ1lJ5UoT5eJqu04-B2VEcTKAOv67451nsq87je1LVDgqeHK6GkPH5tQgNw7fTpDEnKKMj_m9e2aHG9U/s1600/Connaught+No3+aerial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCqtRH75GzLAXVDyh4ZoZqhyXc9YYcg50_jbu88NtXOGhlIa9FEgilsn3OpCFJ1lJ5UoT5eJqu04-B2VEcTKAOv67451nsq87je1LVDgqeHK6GkPH5tQgNw7fTpDEnKKMj_m9e2aHG9U/s400/Connaught+No3+aerial.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial photo of the No 3 Gun Emplacement taken in 1947.</td></tr>
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These photos show what remains. There was supposed to be an observation tower further on but due to the thick undergrowth, we could go no further than the gun platform itself.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxL9PDeUAL4VV0vqxiWAseBp7ER5d1WhuOIIsalXuocS31tm4Tenasi6McviAsuc5dHWtAJIUaTQzABQocV3sLpM9qfHNSwmcL6tJFGym9PdqsZLiQVfxd_-K93anSDIbWOlRyoLix5s/s1600/HJT1424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxL9PDeUAL4VV0vqxiWAseBp7ER5d1WhuOIIsalXuocS31tm4Tenasi6McviAsuc5dHWtAJIUaTQzABQocV3sLpM9qfHNSwmcL6tJFGym9PdqsZLiQVfxd_-K93anSDIbWOlRyoLix5s/s640/HJT1424.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bashing through the thicket.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYObC7N0Xvku1Z-O3u7r-ujupTiM8T30uPoqLP9TsJKkdlp-tdgJTCTfnlj4kl5PpecbQR0AmGYBzGS4Wt8484_aZ0JCfxEPP0MDbTfqKB2EEug80bwuvRvsLfGw0AU5CDuEIXTqdJ5M/s1600/HJT1436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYObC7N0Xvku1Z-O3u7r-ujupTiM8T30uPoqLP9TsJKkdlp-tdgJTCTfnlj4kl5PpecbQR0AmGYBzGS4Wt8484_aZ0JCfxEPP0MDbTfqKB2EEug80bwuvRvsLfGw0AU5CDuEIXTqdJ5M/s640/HJT1436.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ruin wall of Gun Emplacement No. 3.<br />
Comparing to the WW2 photo above, this would be just beside the steps leading up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWD0RC983hDJ6mGktUxLRYNwF-kn6KzXfUMTNouF31w7XQbC5Qt_oAYfa3z_JOPMwaSKYJgiRN9tygFCaUWWfOt3Q7C-N74pDuzShErWvm0H7fnXTe2Ri6kCsFJRykOExDi-2ZsT4_1No/s1600/HJT1427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWD0RC983hDJ6mGktUxLRYNwF-kn6KzXfUMTNouF31w7XQbC5Qt_oAYfa3z_JOPMwaSKYJgiRN9tygFCaUWWfOt3Q7C-N74pDuzShErWvm0H7fnXTe2Ri6kCsFJRykOExDi-2ZsT4_1No/s640/HJT1427.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the top of the emplacement, beside the gun pit (on the right).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0Pbak_TSAV-_P6oPtbClkaO6ckEtNjPkrySTYgw3BFsqiAURwj28j9OvljtNjOxcye8V5cR5SzwsMLheKD63wqv7eSkyCyn-FNtrZ2vSfOJ5KvElc_2lVGnzLubWB0Zo1IpPe1q8xQI/s1600/HJT1428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0Pbak_TSAV-_P6oPtbClkaO6ckEtNjPkrySTYgw3BFsqiAURwj28j9OvljtNjOxcye8V5cR5SzwsMLheKD63wqv7eSkyCyn-FNtrZ2vSfOJ5KvElc_2lVGnzLubWB0Zo1IpPe1q8xQI/s640/HJT1428.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The magazine hatch and recesses inside the gun pit. This led to the magazine store.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizibmzsoRhvucALz-Q3wJjWyvsVtXwfTnDH2IB8ZjhyphenhyphenoCwF00FD5VJP6QuNOWc161tetnDdPHW2Vg-HdiLZ0GnDCEWgY_f5ReQ4ne0PleyjcnOuJo180ilz8WY_xSYaOjVScYCRqmtTUg/s1600/HJT1430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizibmzsoRhvucALz-Q3wJjWyvsVtXwfTnDH2IB8ZjhyphenhyphenoCwF00FD5VJP6QuNOWc161tetnDdPHW2Vg-HdiLZ0GnDCEWgY_f5ReQ4ne0PleyjcnOuJo180ilz8WY_xSYaOjVScYCRqmtTUg/s640/HJT1430.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was wondering what these were. Some sort of hinge?<br />
These were beside the stairs leading up to the turret. Then I found the answer in the old photo above</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZMfg4Q2S227jn9e9DQIW-_6lLUwmWs6ynM4XKX7No8-ZXgTRMPsTHq0WlF-uns-A6MlhbmzJCEj_4A7ZNcEfiWlYdzfwEdPTNOM0DNgwcu-oF0BWfDvjlGOlJaruLX_FcyllxmwTTV0/s1600/HJT1434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZMfg4Q2S227jn9e9DQIW-_6lLUwmWs6ynM4XKX7No8-ZXgTRMPsTHq0WlF-uns-A6MlhbmzJCEj_4A7ZNcEfiWlYdzfwEdPTNOM0DNgwcu-oF0BWfDvjlGOlJaruLX_FcyllxmwTTV0/s400/HJT1434.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter Chan, king of the hill.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GWBJFgfHEfpXeyK_Y77FhJnMINzVTKnd2Qo0kJ07Za-Cr0ah0epOAWY1Q4ZhXgVQCvpeyCMIDffo42WBU57ENC4A_vMm9W5o96qqxzCCZX4gtMWi9HXEfzG9sDDfsEz6jVMKXNyO4mA/s1600/HJT1423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GWBJFgfHEfpXeyK_Y77FhJnMINzVTKnd2Qo0kJ07Za-Cr0ah0epOAWY1Q4ZhXgVQCvpeyCMIDffo42WBU57ENC4A_vMm9W5o96qqxzCCZX4gtMWi9HXEfzG9sDDfsEz6jVMKXNyO4mA/s640/HJT1423.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golf tee built over the No.1 Gun Emplacement.<br />
The circular-shaped Tee follows the original gun emplacement shape.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from top of the former Fort Connaught.<br />
It would have looked out to sea in its days.<br />
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Related blog posts:<br />
<u><a href="http://fujiwara-kankoo.blogspot.sg/2013/06/re-discovering-berhala-reping.html">Re-discovering Berhala Reping</a></u><br />
<u><a href="http://hjtann.blogspot.sg/2013/05/ww2-heritage-sites-in-singapore.html">NHB heritage markers of WW2</a></u></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Singapore1.2470532746945078 103.84146533349611.2153037746945077 103.8011248334961 1.2788027746945079 103.8818058334961tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-46574569276465290232013-06-05T00:18:00.001+08:002013-06-28T17:11:27.710+08:00Re-discovering Berhala Reping<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Pulau Berhala Reping</b> is a place most people would not
even have heard of; much less know where it is. It was a small tiny island off the coast of Sentosa in
the Sengkir Straits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uU0F3amMIkjzYdSdPx-wo3Y304Nhl4jlyaceJxniRps_1LAcBIuNOLCIhzGl5r-vk2DIPKoVAOhrLnw-r6GMqntwe8IHmZXNns-Cs3WrIvb8OxR_TGAJuMrodTxrd-VN_pHhfYiorXA/s1600/Keppel+Harbour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uU0F3amMIkjzYdSdPx-wo3Y304Nhl4jlyaceJxniRps_1LAcBIuNOLCIhzGl5r-vk2DIPKoVAOhrLnw-r6GMqntwe8IHmZXNns-Cs3WrIvb8OxR_TGAJuMrodTxrd-VN_pHhfYiorXA/s640/Keppel+Harbour.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of Sentosa taken in 1950 when it was still Pulau Blakang Mati.<br />
Pulau Behala Reping is connected to Blakang Mati by a footbridge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In its history, there were only 2 significant things that
were ever associated with this island.</div>
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First was that it was part of the chain of coastal gun batteries that was built by the British colonials to protect the island fortress of
Singapore. One of the infamous <i>“guns that
pointed the wrong way”.*</i></div>
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The other was that it was one of the burial grounds of massacred Chinese civilians during the Japanese Occupation of World War II.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It was mainly for the second reason that I had some
recent interest in visiting Berhala Reping. </div>
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In 1995, the National Heritage Board had erected a marker
to commemorate this massacre that occurred during the <i>“Sook Ching”</i> or ethnic
cleansing operation carried out by the Japanese secret police, the <i>Kempeitai</i>,
in 1942.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I had already photographed all the other <u><a href="http://hjtann.blogspot.sg/2013/05/ww2-heritage-sites-in-singapore.html">19 heritage markers</a></u> in Singapore and the Berhala Reping marker was to be the last; for the simple
reason that access to it was somewhat restricted. </div>
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It is within an exclusive private property, the Sentosa
Golf Club, and I had to ooze every bit of charm I could call upon to secure a
visit to the site.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Luckily for me, my host Mr Sylvester Yeo, was also quite
keen to know more about Berhala Reping and was game enough to explore the
hidden former artillery battery site with me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Today, Berhala Reping is actually no longer an island. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Land was reclaimed from the sea around it and it was incorporated into the golf
course that was created there in the 1980s.</div>
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Fortuitously, the old artillery structures on
the island were untouched by the reclamation and is one of the very few <b>intact</b> remnants
of the British military legacy left in Singapore. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The British forces left in 1968 and the island was returned to the Singapore government, who at that time had no plans for it and so it was left untended and became overgrown.<br />
<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdps64xNIQYMzfrGY6xMbdu4V_3sxbuWgdbjhVq-C9wyCqguEk2YmgXgieyiGjJqjzFVTK7k6LjBd-0W6jzsiSBqV54g2Us_nn8VmR3zQpvOvqH8zLabQT3Xokqab6zGVX3Va17X_8PY/s1600/Berhala+1970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdps64xNIQYMzfrGY6xMbdu4V_3sxbuWgdbjhVq-C9wyCqguEk2YmgXgieyiGjJqjzFVTK7k6LjBd-0W6jzsiSBqV54g2Us_nn8VmR3zQpvOvqH8zLabQT3Xokqab6zGVX3Va17X_8PY/s640/Berhala+1970.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berhala Reping in the late 1970s after being 'abandoned' and neglected.<br />
Photo was taken through the military pillbox across the channel. (see picture below)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3Vq9oG0BKqYuJInqekh50jLvbkxRY2ZUU5TBQa6SRVeLHhH9AfcGKWCP-xj8MU_fn4TAnpNvMXL39T6uPUBHbjg6oGCMdjSxb8ex6t8X1QipX02h_XpVsJh3HqMIAHbP9DR7_4IWZWU/s1600/Berhala+1970s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3Vq9oG0BKqYuJInqekh50jLvbkxRY2ZUU5TBQa6SRVeLHhH9AfcGKWCP-xj8MU_fn4TAnpNvMXL39T6uPUBHbjg6oGCMdjSxb8ex6t8X1QipX02h_XpVsJh3HqMIAHbP9DR7_4IWZWU/s640/Berhala+1970s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p>In the 1980s, land around Serapong beach was reclaimed and leased to the Sentosa Golf Club, who built their Serapong golf course in the area. </o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Pulau Berhala Reping was spruced up and incorporated into the landscape of the new golf course. </o:p></div>
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<o:p>The old military structures on the former island were basically left intact and untouched. </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p>Only a couple of pillboxes were demolished in building the new course.</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbHzXO_B70ovvP6L5LxnhbndDS9ElgYMTaLCDIHTzwj5sef0ksn9Bz0MljNiGhFYU2Bb6HbvxYF1efy5hmc64fs7ZLGuJkJqw9NbKvhSwnl0kAIboBtfgyO4sTRkZkH7cc2LWoaoEC2w/s1600/Berhala+today.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbHzXO_B70ovvP6L5LxnhbndDS9ElgYMTaLCDIHTzwj5sef0ksn9Bz0MljNiGhFYU2Bb6HbvxYF1efy5hmc64fs7ZLGuJkJqw9NbKvhSwnl0kAIboBtfgyO4sTRkZkH7cc2LWoaoEC2w/s640/Berhala+today.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berhala Reping now landlocked within the Serapong Golf Course.</td></tr>
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Here are some pictures, courtesy of Sentosa Golf Club,
which shows the island and the military structures as it was just after the
reclamation and building of the golf course in the 1980s.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhHHRX8s_QFvNhXafVmBWHip5ZVytE6vQukpXmtci1ybtuUIw6S_txmkUMgFWn6FVuQf3noOPDGNtYuFyJQL2TN2sf5zDm_jWvpe_KPIR9CjHpzbA7uIj3Tkp5BBMuyztqrJO9ZNd-gI/s1600/SGC+Berhala+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhHHRX8s_QFvNhXafVmBWHip5ZVytE6vQukpXmtci1ybtuUIw6S_txmkUMgFWn6FVuQf3noOPDGNtYuFyJQL2TN2sf5zDm_jWvpe_KPIR9CjHpzbA7uIj3Tkp5BBMuyztqrJO9ZNd-gI/s640/SGC+Berhala+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1pD2AC6mBGVFwWllPIgB4CdI-7RRxJMaxJZqJ4FycqwR9xTV95kLhyphenhyphend71BvWK3b-O07vRDfQtWqvc6mPNJoxxtA08zP6tebQEelkT9G8i_oG7hrtUylYp0KY4snonSIQLVevUvbrd2k/s1600/SGC+Berhala+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1pD2AC6mBGVFwWllPIgB4CdI-7RRxJMaxJZqJ4FycqwR9xTV95kLhyphenhyphend71BvWK3b-O07vRDfQtWqvc6mPNJoxxtA08zP6tebQEelkT9G8i_oG7hrtUylYp0KY4snonSIQLVevUvbrd2k/s640/SGC+Berhala+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicATEQfpqL_ngJnCdaoGIqhNe6fguFoN4KDG56d5pop7rMfiElUNoL_9QBjJP6eKE0FIdHwF1-TWryZecoSxZrZr0L5m-htuQq0USVYuTylBUsf9p2l_GgjuQlZFU5AbY3qDb1nUuPnts/s1600/SGC+Berhala+Reping+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicATEQfpqL_ngJnCdaoGIqhNe6fguFoN4KDG56d5pop7rMfiElUNoL_9QBjJP6eKE0FIdHwF1-TWryZecoSxZrZr0L5m-htuQq0USVYuTylBUsf9p2l_GgjuQlZFU5AbY3qDb1nUuPnts/s640/SGC+Berhala+Reping+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Today, it’s a bit different after almost 30 years. The ‘jungle’ has grown and reclaimed the entire island back. In a way, this is
fortunate as it helped to preserved the ruins and kept it hidden from perhaps
some who might think of building over it! A natural mangrove swamp had also grown around the shoreline of the former island where it is thriving in the brackish waters of the newly formed Serapong lake.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Because it contains an historical relic with a unique mangrove eco-system, save none in Singapore, I do hope that the SGC will continue to preserve the island
as it is for a long time to come.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here are some pictures I took during my visit to Berhala
Reping and of the monument to the massacred victims.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVS8yQJ8Tbas0_KDF88Fh-5nE3r-TPK4092DY7JCDHtBf3LVpudi5UXj_myMUDw_xSGAWjHa8swkWMIgjbR-dEFBIdUhkhxczs2ppf5N0VioFVla_jidvzSsh_xNPO2yJWYaBD1tq_cc/s1600/HJT1304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVS8yQJ8Tbas0_KDF88Fh-5nE3r-TPK4092DY7JCDHtBf3LVpudi5UXj_myMUDw_xSGAWjHa8swkWMIgjbR-dEFBIdUhkhxczs2ppf5N0VioFVla_jidvzSsh_xNPO2yJWYaBD1tq_cc/s640/HJT1304.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The former island of Berhala Reping today beside Serapong lake<br />
<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGW4MlEg0ye82ANzAQdMLAmULYuRhJJDwJm2bA8yILNGpiG2Sz7YBZuWGF2F5I3e9ynjBFW_9vwzDQsKP8QF1c3j52Lo1oCw4g6Y_AC6q2ur2LEK1phaiIu-JpOyI0_d3ewhYCQfPnWk/s1600/HJT1314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGW4MlEg0ye82ANzAQdMLAmULYuRhJJDwJm2bA8yILNGpiG2Sz7YBZuWGF2F5I3e9ynjBFW_9vwzDQsKP8QF1c3j52Lo1oCw4g6Y_AC6q2ur2LEK1phaiIu-JpOyI0_d3ewhYCQfPnWk/s640/HJT1314.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The overgrowth has completely covered the military post.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdTgsTpBHoJXWIBnPyXPrHtkcd9QWSZk9rvOM8YQMgksskMciZmukPgT29ebOmW4kZSI3YGLdyJrnFwhSuBa3UAV_U-Z-QqzZe09wBp5ZD_ky3Qtkh5UQanMe4gP1Zsc9guKJF28MAVH4/s1600/HJT1331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdTgsTpBHoJXWIBnPyXPrHtkcd9QWSZk9rvOM8YQMgksskMciZmukPgT29ebOmW4kZSI3YGLdyJrnFwhSuBa3UAV_U-Z-QqzZe09wBp5ZD_ky3Qtkh5UQanMe4gP1Zsc9guKJF28MAVH4/s640/HJT1331.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Searchlight Post is still accesible quite easily with a bit of determination.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRBABLActqH-hxzRS16hOgFj49TCmsZEW3o2ZdsdoO32835QpL1oXTmcUGgPEq66_Ax5JUeSP_b6VnlRIzFbqVf4awtVf-m1-tUFpBlgheHiLieEL7OpI6y7mwkaT61VP61on3ZxW7UY/s1600/HJT1368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRBABLActqH-hxzRS16hOgFj49TCmsZEW3o2ZdsdoO32835QpL1oXTmcUGgPEq66_Ax5JUeSP_b6VnlRIzFbqVf4awtVf-m1-tUFpBlgheHiLieEL7OpI6y7mwkaT61VP61on3ZxW7UY/s640/HJT1368.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the No. 1 Director Observation Tower of the No 1 Gun Emplacement.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtK3nubQ30-s3Em37DiomDcO_Gcgk_EUtetTbNNVBNfFmRL6XQOEnR4EVD3WNhVFwZ_koEOgNPX2uqU9pTUVvDlZR_9Fp5pD5Sy2lrVDikT5t19shn9rsDbG8HvO7NHjui-2fNV3nVJU/s1600/HJT1303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtK3nubQ30-s3Em37DiomDcO_Gcgk_EUtetTbNNVBNfFmRL6XQOEnR4EVD3WNhVFwZ_koEOgNPX2uqU9pTUVvDlZR_9Fp5pD5Sy2lrVDikT5t19shn9rsDbG8HvO7NHjui-2fNV3nVJU/s640/HJT1303.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The concrete bridge is much shorter today due to the land reclamation.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjjQAGUhHFbVlNkCrgoV6JgCoWALpVDe8kUkfeCAdZNFmv7vwUYq9TazN-4knpSJehVz4I_4i5fqc6GgYo9963alWCWgMviTNBC4bFy5dHChRmJG_XncLYs3fP6f5XVoDHMxnKiQSL8E/s1600/HJT1384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjjQAGUhHFbVlNkCrgoV6JgCoWALpVDe8kUkfeCAdZNFmv7vwUYq9TazN-4knpSJehVz4I_4i5fqc6GgYo9963alWCWgMviTNBC4bFy5dHChRmJG_XncLYs3fP6f5XVoDHMxnKiQSL8E/s640/HJT1384.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original concrete bridge that carried the ammunition trolley track is slowly crumbling away.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaayNQ0m72z0b3ipF3n-HZX1wzddz2-jlOiFqQGI4vlwPBNFNYPukLb1JAF1b-h6_8zTDgITxNJO0tW8OenSZLTYt7GEQJVJM5T2LsEKmPURUr-BnAqy8y5_u9ioryK6vr_JYE5OLRNjE/s1600/HJT1377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaayNQ0m72z0b3ipF3n-HZX1wzddz2-jlOiFqQGI4vlwPBNFNYPukLb1JAF1b-h6_8zTDgITxNJO0tW8OenSZLTYt7GEQJVJM5T2LsEKmPURUr-BnAqy8y5_u9ioryK6vr_JYE5OLRNjE/s640/HJT1377.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The National Heritage Board marker to the massacre victims on Sentosa Island side.<br />
To know what's written on the plaque, please go to this <u><a href="http://hjtann.blogspot.sg/2013/05/ww2-heritage-sites-in-singapore.html">link</a></u>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNE2VtTojyxlcyFRoXRa7j4dsXVcEwFx9HxphHAjbwvadjco_nfgUZ-FnKX-2xYDVrm6XMVM4k-iCpSZWHZsfpRNwkS-vp1BvxBJC6_f4UO8TBWqiGc3LNymqcepF4Q9o2WrQL_rK0GEE/s1600/HJT1387.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNE2VtTojyxlcyFRoXRa7j4dsXVcEwFx9HxphHAjbwvadjco_nfgUZ-FnKX-2xYDVrm6XMVM4k-iCpSZWHZsfpRNwkS-vp1BvxBJC6_f4UO8TBWqiGc3LNymqcepF4Q9o2WrQL_rK0GEE/s640/HJT1387.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new mangrove eco-system has formed around the shoreline.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcU6mANBtL1WI7S5zMy9TuNF8ncpt2lXBCa9T9T2FU28Bq5_nsZ4qwJUJ15e7wW073LeiKwI15nB5uDGflwqtH90kBixSN1qbU4gXo-17KYlpEQGBeI8wZ1LVx0dRYme9a0LNGLBRwuHE/s1600/HJT1388.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcU6mANBtL1WI7S5zMy9TuNF8ncpt2lXBCa9T9T2FU28Bq5_nsZ4qwJUJ15e7wW073LeiKwI15nB5uDGflwqtH90kBixSN1qbU4gXo-17KYlpEQGBeI8wZ1LVx0dRYme9a0LNGLBRwuHE/s640/HJT1388.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My host Sylvester bashing his way through the undergrowth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Historical facts about Berhala Reping</u></span></b><br />
<br />
Sentosa Island (or Pulau Blakang Mati as it was then known), was used as a military station since the late 19th century. Four major forts were built on the island essentially to protect the city and harbour from invaders.<br />
<br />
The four forts were <b>Fort Siloso</b> and <b>Fort Imbiah</b> on the western side, with <b>Fort Serapong</b> and <b>Fort Connaught</b> on the eastern side of Sentosa. These forts were manned with heavy artillery guns of various calibres capable of hitting ships as far as forty kilometres from Singapore.<br />
<br />
<b>Berhala Reping</b> was established in the 1890s basically as a shoreline forward defence shield. It's main task was to protect the entrance to Keppel Harbour. This was the Sengkir Straits and where Pulau Brani had its main refuelling coaling station as well as a tin smelting factory.<br />
<br />
As such, Berhala Reping was fitted with smaller guns at various times. By 1942, just before the Japanese invasion, the island base was equipped with two 6-pounder guns. These were small, quick to load and fire and was used mainly for shooting at small vessels approaching the shorelines.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrTKfjWeJxuYBWYlFP8zPVt0WXlQvPpVWWX_Qxz0O3YMdWtNBlr9oqYBT32BMmovrmTvB4IMuAVWla7pz2Ref18awhUNF6m1x8ojiY0qrUMQThzsj1fNzs6JPIuOF50ZozDRi362pnx0/s456/blog4260237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrTKfjWeJxuYBWYlFP8zPVt0WXlQvPpVWWX_Qxz0O3YMdWtNBlr9oqYBT32BMmovrmTvB4IMuAVWla7pz2Ref18awhUNF6m1x8ojiY0qrUMQThzsj1fNzs6JPIuOF50ZozDRi362pnx0/s640/blog4260237.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">A typical 6-pounder Hotchkiss gun that was used by the Royal Artillery. Location Sentosa Fort Silos.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
These guns were fixed into what are called Gun Emplacements of which there were two on Berhala Reping.<br />
<br />
Along with the two 6-pounders, the island was also equipped with four Searchlight Posts.<br />
These searchlights were powerful arc-light lamps which would scan the waters and sky as well for enemy movements. They were mounted on the roof top of the searchlight posts.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdg3bUJTpefcQ26wBeJh-dXlDi5Kf3SYasYzLRivCrqLTbPNVUV_5_E45FV09EpUN___32BCOfkcKfcnZvO_DualMgocXoWHI5Cbx6RB058GGaVer31OVkvOBxvXT-KXnrMQ5SRUvhyI/s1600/searchlight_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdg3bUJTpefcQ26wBeJh-dXlDi5Kf3SYasYzLRivCrqLTbPNVUV_5_E45FV09EpUN___32BCOfkcKfcnZvO_DualMgocXoWHI5Cbx6RB058GGaVer31OVkvOBxvXT-KXnrMQ5SRUvhyI/s640/searchlight_300.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These searchlights would have been positioned on the Searchlight Post rooftop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
During my recent visit, we managed to locate and enter two of the existing Searchlight Posts. We were unable to locate the other two due to the thick undergrowth or perhaps it is no longer there being destroyed during the war.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></b>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27OUyvGy8Eu-xv8fnD_2Zzqgaiza4kN4WaEEvUYq-pHngnAlupAKVGvsbpcXWMtq9wZ9wvHrI6rKiZTNDvxok2A5AqKLRx0YUiNbKr2m9oDeb0UEyd7NiEczTtCC2KETBWKgz9VvCYis/s1600/_HJT1315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27OUyvGy8Eu-xv8fnD_2Zzqgaiza4kN4WaEEvUYq-pHngnAlupAKVGvsbpcXWMtq9wZ9wvHrI6rKiZTNDvxok2A5AqKLRx0YUiNbKr2m9oDeb0UEyd7NiEczTtCC2KETBWKgz9VvCYis/s640/_HJT1315.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Searchlight Post No. 1 which is easily accesible as it is beside the golf cart track.<br />
I wonder how many golfers actually notice it?<br />
The searchlight would be mounted on the roof top.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5MeKUsx3MP9i__TZV4fvKVNG0R75k0D0pYP-WnG1FCKqkuTvTI-dKr8Xfo-2HStIAaptkM4Wbn0GzxwCB_LACS7FQLL2A-rTOla-kzZU4CcRQV5o1Zklfp2rDtlWYLu-dlHAnpbI5m4/s1600/_HJT1335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5MeKUsx3MP9i__TZV4fvKVNG0R75k0D0pYP-WnG1FCKqkuTvTI-dKr8Xfo-2HStIAaptkM4Wbn0GzxwCB_LACS7FQLL2A-rTOla-kzZU4CcRQV5o1Zklfp2rDtlWYLu-dlHAnpbI5m4/s640/_HJT1335.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside of the Searchlight Post with 2 slit windows for observation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzeZJB4tEHLOxAXMd7NyFevWMRFU2EVKDa4VQ2awIOYyBWCsbLO1Q7PkxNkVQYX3f90VKnk9LH7Oro3TZIFJtpshBNt9dDsb5-My-tSGd4RpAFH81PqotnWY3GN1K1-JgWf3Oxl0au8Y/s1600/_HJT1345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzeZJB4tEHLOxAXMd7NyFevWMRFU2EVKDa4VQ2awIOYyBWCsbLO1Q7PkxNkVQYX3f90VKnk9LH7Oro3TZIFJtpshBNt9dDsb5-My-tSGd4RpAFH81PqotnWY3GN1K1-JgWf3Oxl0au8Y/s640/_HJT1345.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The No 2 Searchlight Post which is located about 30 metres on the left from No 1 Post.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQz7cC3GnzhXLmVIIa2bggjHBwdZOw6etnSGmqifvor72U5hh-6C8-mDxQbOwCPidG4vO0ZMdk7XgXctmLPtbrmswV8BF_B5xcN98yuzM97szYr00A8pSgYwl1T1ToZ1MgocY2-FgWSKE/s1600/_HJT1355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQz7cC3GnzhXLmVIIa2bggjHBwdZOw6etnSGmqifvor72U5hh-6C8-mDxQbOwCPidG4vO0ZMdk7XgXctmLPtbrmswV8BF_B5xcN98yuzM97szYr00A8pSgYwl1T1ToZ1MgocY2-FgWSKE/s640/_HJT1355.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The No. 2 Post had 3 observation slits and was slightly larger than the No. 1 post.<br />
We found lots of graffitti but these had dates from the 70s,<br />
The walls were blackened with soot as apparently campfires were built inside once.<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Next, we tried entering the No. 1 Gun Emplacement and Tower but the emplacement was completely covered by thick undergrowth and we were not prepared for this.<br />
However, we managed to penetrate through towards the No.2 Gun Emplacement and behold...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBulE496oRUMCqRFytRS5ddOZkv9NzB78-A6IwgEXrzdoMocRBo7NyvgwOih_Fe4MsfH_zHiOdKnp8LHgx2TdGnth82suLMBZP_d0Runcd7ZzqrJstSvbqXLfLtn4yJvxojVPjk77Ow2w/s1600/_HJT1410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBulE496oRUMCqRFytRS5ddOZkv9NzB78-A6IwgEXrzdoMocRBo7NyvgwOih_Fe4MsfH_zHiOdKnp8LHgx2TdGnth82suLMBZP_d0Runcd7ZzqrJstSvbqXLfLtn4yJvxojVPjk77Ow2w/s640/_HJT1410.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gun Emplacement No 2 on the hilltop with its Tower and ancillary structures intact.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf6aO8v4JtqSBnLXucuPLDoNMX40GK7eUFb2pHZFyNNFTIIVpbu6nW6i-Uji2y9QklAFTRx_n_RA4RkF0_mD8N0R1ADvy5mp4cuq3yctH3NCS1gNCbY7j9JvCpZHPnDTxq0SI8eN7R_4/s1600/_HJT1389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf6aO8v4JtqSBnLXucuPLDoNMX40GK7eUFb2pHZFyNNFTIIVpbu6nW6i-Uji2y9QklAFTRx_n_RA4RkF0_mD8N0R1ADvy5mp4cuq3yctH3NCS1gNCbY7j9JvCpZHPnDTxq0SI8eN7R_4/s640/_HJT1389.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirePAlCL26e10Peb6qWgqGhZUk85V_40mOMb1a3PLlww0FnfzwyFrfsjrk4l7mHNb3EfwJbWEChJAzugQ44ghDs9fqdVa9M6AMWI5RU1Nvp4BMg0fieBDN4nL-jJRuF-sVK1aSySnISrQ/s1600/_HJT1400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirePAlCL26e10Peb6qWgqGhZUk85V_40mOMb1a3PLlww0FnfzwyFrfsjrk4l7mHNb3EfwJbWEChJAzugQ44ghDs9fqdVa9M6AMWI5RU1Nvp4BMg0fieBDN4nL-jJRuF-sVK1aSySnISrQ/s640/_HJT1400.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Gun Emplacement Tower<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybq2q1k4dtlb3hUFVv32RgYgVLyRJMIdp2fecF92FNV4HijMmk3nRD5_NNjGZ8v_8ZuUQByevETwBvPdcOBVux4Qff9yGuBZfsgW5p6gQEeWXeI41ssuIFMM7ulUVJxZHh1s-DphiVvI/s1600/HJT1407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybq2q1k4dtlb3hUFVv32RgYgVLyRJMIdp2fecF92FNV4HijMmk3nRD5_NNjGZ8v_8ZuUQByevETwBvPdcOBVux4Qff9yGuBZfsgW5p6gQEeWXeI41ssuIFMM7ulUVJxZHh1s-DphiVvI/s640/HJT1407.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gun Emplacement corridor leading to the ammunition store and hatch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMlqBH_NBkIb5OCczcPf2WDa60EI286hOH82hInafetG0TAthJObIXQGrywS2T2XX9IT2wOUI738utJ6xd9Y_EIVxtaxbt2j6FXQU_EFJjJ39sYU2JIU5zv2Dh56DsuNjsbQ1qgS1pvU/s1600/_HJT1408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMlqBH_NBkIb5OCczcPf2WDa60EI286hOH82hInafetG0TAthJObIXQGrywS2T2XX9IT2wOUI738utJ6xd9Y_EIVxtaxbt2j6FXQU_EFJjJ39sYU2JIU5zv2Dh56DsuNjsbQ1qgS1pvU/s640/_HJT1408.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The circular feature (centre pit) is the actual Gun Emplacement where the 6-pounder cannon would be mounted, pointing out to sea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AdWE7uWpfrVnvjztV5_zYpeZpkz_xOR1qmE3w_rLMLqDER3D2T9uThD8QUVsfVLmJ26JvgA5eRkbyvgHhNrEcxOciF0jpN4Jsh3E5Vj5TpQJWhTs4n-nsSEm9XrvfTDkeaYXgsgUpqU/s1600/_HJT1411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AdWE7uWpfrVnvjztV5_zYpeZpkz_xOR1qmE3w_rLMLqDER3D2T9uThD8QUVsfVLmJ26JvgA5eRkbyvgHhNrEcxOciF0jpN4Jsh3E5Vj5TpQJWhTs4n-nsSEm9XrvfTDkeaYXgsgUpqU/s640/_HJT1411.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the bottom of the hill, we found a sealed tunnel entrance. <br />
From the rails leading in from the concrete bridge, presumably this is the tunnel to the underground ammunition store. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Overall, I can say that the condition of the ruins are still in pretty good shape, although they were partially demolished on orders just before the surrender on 14th Feb 1942. The Berhala Reping relics deserve to be preserved as part of our historical heritage.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Here are two trivial items as told to me by Sylvester about the golf hole beside Berhala Reping.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGL95-dK7X19OLccxX09wkiFfLmSG-HgwKg6VJZuBww0Sb1VbP78PJM6BmTZXmDCW-h6oz-lAC7Pd_p5CuFiBLGANvPwH80MnNuJrT2K-Gpq7AtppRFe3193IEPG-aWnPdt-_itSwSik/s1600/HJT1365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGL95-dK7X19OLccxX09wkiFfLmSG-HgwKg6VJZuBww0Sb1VbP78PJM6BmTZXmDCW-h6oz-lAC7Pd_p5CuFiBLGANvPwH80MnNuJrT2K-Gpq7AtppRFe3193IEPG-aWnPdt-_itSwSik/s640/HJT1365.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a replica of the Dragon's Tooth of Tanjong Belayar (Longyamen).<br />
It is at the head of a dragon which is laid out along the fairway beside Berhala Reping.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKpFUqtFwZrTgct9Xqk6hyphenhyphenlbvo1xaTG8L8M6Vt_mTSLA6AcjWSKhty-ZoqTst8_CFoyV3FhJgkHIGaXOydbQaCQiqaWcYHUT2Thdg-h0IADdT-OgvYU7OqS69sGPqt3QsJkMjohQ4kjY/s1600/HJT1372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKpFUqtFwZrTgct9Xqk6hyphenhyphenlbvo1xaTG8L8M6Vt_mTSLA6AcjWSKhty-ZoqTst8_CFoyV3FhJgkHIGaXOydbQaCQiqaWcYHUT2Thdg-h0IADdT-OgvYU7OqS69sGPqt3QsJkMjohQ4kjY/s640/HJT1372.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Club's resident pet Heron who lives at the lake beside Berhala Reping.<br />
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Following our visit to Berhala Reping, my host Sylvester asked if I would like to see the ruins of Fort Connaught?<br />
Would I ??? There's no way that I would miss another golden opportunity like this despite the fact that the ruins are deep within the forest at Mount Serapong!<br />
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<br />
But that will be covered in another article....soon.... (<u><a href="http://fujiwara-kankoo.blogspot.sg/2013/06/the-ruins-of-fort-connaught.html">here it it</a>)</u><br />
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<br />
Note:<br />
* In that we do not dishonour the valiant soldiers who actually manned the guns, the phrase <i>"the guns that pointed the wrong way"</i> is a myth. The coastal artillery guns were capable of traversing 360 degrees, though not all of them, and they were used to fire onto the invading Japanese forces contrary to some popular misconceptions.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">By the way, if anyone is really interested in detailed information about Berhala Reping or the military forts at Sentosa, please visit the acknowledged Master of Siloso, Peter Stubbs' website at this <a href="http://www.fortsiloso.com/">link here</a>.</span><br />
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Related posts:<br />
<a href="http://fujiwara-kankoo.blogspot.sg/2013/06/the-ruins-of-fort-connaught.html">The ruins of Fort Connaught</a><br />
<u><a href="http://hjtann.blogspot.sg/2013/05/ww2-heritage-sites-in-singapore.html">NHB WW2 Heritage markers around Singapore</a></u><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-25191385344472032142012-03-17T23:19:00.001+08:002012-03-19T21:21:02.694+08:00Celestial BeautiesIf you have been looking up at the skies these past week you can't miss the 2 bright stars at night.<br />
It's not uncommon to sight planets with the naked eye but conjunction of planets rarely happen so close to each other.<br />
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Venus and Jupiter are visible in the night skies now and will be around till the end of the month.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the picture for a detailed view.</td></tr>
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<br />
Not being astrologically inclined, I read about it some time ago in National Geographic but had all but forgotten till last Thursday night when I was down at Marina Bay to shoot the iLight exhibits. It had rained each evening all week but there was a break last Thursday. I was lucky to shoot the stars.<br />
<br />
The planets can be clearly seen looking towards the North. The brighter of the 2 stars is Venus on the right and Jupiter is the dimmer one on the left. (Photo top right corner)<br />
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If you live on top of a high rise, you may also see Mercury towards the bottom right of the pair if you have a clear view of the horizon.<br />
If you are really keen, note that besides Venus and Jupiter, the crescent moon will also appear beside the 2 bright stars on 25th & 26th March.<br />
If you miss this opportunity, you may have to wait till 2015 for it to happen again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Marina Bay, Singapore 0189851.2802674 103.85627031.2643929 103.83652930000001 1.2961419 103.8760113tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-77395263807417567322012-01-11T21:56:00.000+08:002012-01-11T21:56:55.634+08:00Shopping Streets (IV) - Orchard Road, SingaporeI was flabbergasted when I read the headlines "Poll: Orchard is world's top shopping strip" (Straits Times, 10 Jan 2012). It came out top in cleanliness, top in quality retail staff and friendliness.<br />
<br />
My first thoughts were <i>No Way!</i> Better than Ginza, better than The Stroget, better than London?<br />
Then I thought, yes why not? After all the survey was done by the french Presence group. I work in market research for a local media company and we know Presence. They are renowned for their mystery shopping as, for example, AC Nielson is for TV ratings. So there's no reason for me to doubt the results.<br />
It was just a typical case of not accepting the prophet in your own country.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ION at Orchard Road, Singapore.</td></tr>
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I must admit it was a surprise but Orchard Road has, especially the past few years, seen some spectacular malls coming online. I must admit too that perhaps I was a bit jaded initially.<br />
I have always sung praises about the Japanese stores and the way they attend to your needs. Singapore's store staff have a long way to go before coming near the Japanese levels. But according to this survey they are better? At least according to their international group of mystery shoppers.<br />
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I'll do a more detail write up on the shopping along Orchard Road at a later date. Promise.<br />
Now that Orchard Road is at the top, it deserves more from me at least, being my home base.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Orchard Rd, Singapore1.3016604 103.83815791.2857859 103.8184169 1.3175349 103.8578989tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-30436942733198837732011-12-17T22:23:00.000+08:002011-12-18T00:11:02.166+08:00Shopping Streets III - JapanWhen you are in Japan, there's always one thing that you will notice that's different from any other country you visit. The way their local shops are set up in a cooperative known as a shopping street. I've mentioned about the shopping streets in Kyoto previously - Kiyomizuzaka and Sannenzaka.<br />
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In any city, you will find shopping streets like Oxford Street in London, Rodeo Drive in LA or Orchard Road in Singapore. These are major thoroughfare with malls and brand name shops along the street usually on both sides. More often they will be known locally as Main Street or High Street shops.<br />
<br />
But in Japan, the shopping streets are distinctly different and have a unique flavor all of its own. The shopping streets tend to comprise small shops banded together rather than having malls or brand name shops.<br />
Famous shopping streets in Tokyo would be Takeshitadori in Harajuku, Nakamise Street at Asakusa, Ameyokocho at Ueno or Sunshine 60 Street at Ikebukuro. These are unlike 'Main Streets' like the Ginza, Shibuya or Shinjuku which are dominated by major departmental stores.<br />
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In these 'neighborhood' shopping streets, you will find that shops are usually of no particular type. You will typically find restaurants next to clothing stores, cafes next to market stalls, shoe shops beside pharmacies. These shops are mainly owner occupied and most work under an informal association arrangement and you will find that many streets are covered with a roof over the street.<br />
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Typically, these streets are 100m to 200m long and going through these streets are a must if you visit Japan. The shopping streets usually do not have vehicular traffic so you can safely browse along the streets most of which have their wares all laid outside to attract customers.<br />
The atmosphere and friendliness of the shopkeepers are completely different from those of the major departmental stores on 'Main Street' shops.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Japan, Tokyo, Suginami, Izumi, 1丁目23−1435.675147436084671 139.65820312532.385001436084671 134.604492125 38.965293436084671 144.711914125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-85735978483642843812011-12-16T00:15:00.004+08:002011-12-16T07:30:24.413+08:00Jurong East Interchange, SingaporeThe Jurong East Interchange was built in the 1980s to cater to commuters working in the Jurong Industrial area. The interchange will operate its last day today, 16 December 2011.<br />
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The Jurong East Interchange will be demolished to make way for the planned Jurong East Integrated Transport Hub. This will be developed over the next 10 years in line with the other developments in the area like the Jurong Hospital & Medical Centre and the malls being built there now.<br />
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A temporary bus interchange was built beside the Jurong East MRT Station and will serve commuters till the new Jurong East Transport Hub is completed.<br />
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Once the old bus interchange is demolished, another of Singapore's heritage is dust.<br />
With that in mind, I was at the interchange yesterday to capture some of its last moments.<br />
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You can see the photos of the old & new temporary interchanges on <a href="http://hjtann-pixs.blogspot.com/2011/12/jurong-east-interchange-2011.html">my photo blog here.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0155 Jurong East Street 13, Singapore 6096491.3333452139746036 103.74132156372071.3254082139746035 103.7314510637207 1.3412822139746037 103.75119206372071tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-5619379305619419462011-11-26T13:30:00.016+08:002017-11-17T09:10:40.771+08:00Passing of an era - The Hillview Railway BridgeSo it has finally come to pass. The day that I thought I would never see the light of.<br />
After more than 80 years, the Malaysian railway line has been dismantled and with it the freeing up of the bottleneck at Hillview Road.<br />
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I wrote a blog back in Nov 2010 about this bottleneck just after Singapore and Malaysia came to an agreement to remove the KTM railway line from Singapore. <a href="http://fujiwara-kankoo.blogspot.com/2010/11/diplomacy-untangles-bottlenecks.html">(Link here)</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The traffic bottleneck at Hillview Road.</td></tr>
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Yesterday, while online with another ex-resident of the now demolished Princess Elizabeth Estate, SK Yum, I learnt that the railway bridge pictured above was dismantled that very day we were chatting. So I missed the opportunity to document a historic moment when the bridge was taken down.</div>
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The bottleneck will soon be a thing of the past, much to the joy of all the residents of Hillview and Bukit Batok, as well as for motorists who use that stretch.</div>
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I am not sure when the bridge was built but when my parents moved into Princess Elizabeth Estate in 1953, it was already there. So it must be at least 60 years. (postscript: it was built in 1923)</div>
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Back in 1953, when Princess Elizabeth Estate was built, the road was the only access from Upper Bukit Timah Road to the estate. It remained the only access road in, until the early 1970s when Hillview Avenue was extended and connected to Jurong Road at the other end.<br />
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The road was originally called Princess Elizabeth Estate Drive.<br />
As the Hillview area developed, it was renamed Hillview Avenue.<br />
But as Hillview Avenue extended and branched off with more developments, that short stretch from the Hillview Circus to Upper Bukit Timah Road was hived off and renamed Hillview Road.</div>
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Here are some photos I took today, a day after the dismantling. </div>
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Soon this will also just be a part of people's memory, when they remember that there used to be a bridge at Hillview Road.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ECLop71BblIm7VjXedtZUhUiUga8gFzOKfBsNgOhNv3T5vhwokhKDUU-qtLeyG-Bg2ddNr9mjIuaIRuirLnE0qA7lNXXAWG9q6bQY_oJ6zST8d-lHI-2ZiG8y8aDcG44ovIG6emu7Yw/s1600/P7041225_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ECLop71BblIm7VjXedtZUhUiUga8gFzOKfBsNgOhNv3T5vhwokhKDUU-qtLeyG-Bg2ddNr9mjIuaIRuirLnE0qA7lNXXAWG9q6bQY_oJ6zST8d-lHI-2ZiG8y8aDcG44ovIG6emu7Yw/s640/P7041225_2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hillview Bridge with the railway line on top.<br />
This was taken in July during the 'open' period for visitors after the train services ended.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMArdN_mmUjR-_Lzzj-Af7OsLLSHa0e7MHlmJtbg3Gn0X4OC-HoQn8wsuC6-pdy4JyEXo7nkpWbFJXh1QmVmM2DYv2dJQamcePCVuhjkLP-0oPPsDmerzi5YnJUghGtl6ID18DMzKq3k/s1600/PB264770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMArdN_mmUjR-_Lzzj-Af7OsLLSHa0e7MHlmJtbg3Gn0X4OC-HoQn8wsuC6-pdy4JyEXo7nkpWbFJXh1QmVmM2DYv2dJQamcePCVuhjkLP-0oPPsDmerzi5YnJUghGtl6ID18DMzKq3k/s640/PB264770.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hillview Road with the bridge dismantled. 26 Nov 2011.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGcF1Deaiv9109BCD1hVP4-Zdb0-F8wuRa1thDqKG5i0ZJ8OolF6GQT9khMKmwyiFdn8bDbm2JdiLuAwEfIX3Zwr3NkWpOKo6DFgsp91bAk1glEVyeD2UPSle1Dira1UYs4-avr0qpb8/s1600/PB264775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGcF1Deaiv9109BCD1hVP4-Zdb0-F8wuRa1thDqKG5i0ZJ8OolF6GQT9khMKmwyiFdn8bDbm2JdiLuAwEfIX3Zwr3NkWpOKo6DFgsp91bAk1glEVyeD2UPSle1Dira1UYs4-avr0qpb8/s640/PB264775.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The concrete beam still across is a height warning and collision barrier. Soon to be dismantled as well. </td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350
" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X9mrFRw-Qzo?rel=0&hd=1" width="640"></iframe><br />
Watch in high definition. Select 720p ---------------------------------------------------^<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzU9IsdzqdzBF9G0HovYcQ-_fYGjmrNeyy4eGciTnLuPYfemkSsoXkuKRIdsjCU0YGmtMaKvs0ROX1JibwYQseJjX4SOLx7IY_jtxSp5sPEq7JHF123ezZJnwjw3a8lnBaGKTUmv6WhEA/s1600/PC125045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzU9IsdzqdzBF9G0HovYcQ-_fYGjmrNeyy4eGciTnLuPYfemkSsoXkuKRIdsjCU0YGmtMaKvs0ROX1JibwYQseJjX4SOLx7IY_jtxSp5sPEq7JHF123ezZJnwjw3a8lnBaGKTUmv6WhEA/s640/PC125045.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The collision barrier has been removed. Photo taken on 12 Dec 2011.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJGou_XWAhMFyTmRanJ6RCUUo6C7ljRl-_80YjsjOV5IwXVZ4kXj-HZji61W-IQGr4TvK6IL37I36_BKIdOLY9JBaOvsmZUCIDffV2wyEM9DIq393MUbO6YifOP7e8-AWErpYF_F43qA/s1600/PC125048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJGou_XWAhMFyTmRanJ6RCUUo6C7ljRl-_80YjsjOV5IwXVZ4kXj-HZji61W-IQGr4TvK6IL37I36_BKIdOLY9JBaOvsmZUCIDffV2wyEM9DIq393MUbO6YifOP7e8-AWErpYF_F43qA/s640/PC125048.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdsAo6ZVe09Jf6Jg2U1PfmxktBNDxjwuPlNJ1LJaikU2iBZiEC0AmalA5sEBwI9X0Uw5wadyuq05Zfyhfhb8PncUSDnBbE_YmVfn4mvi-8dUVuZ1lswnGX1a-jA5JTnP6UL_FsEGRRNU/s1600/PC125043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdsAo6ZVe09Jf6Jg2U1PfmxktBNDxjwuPlNJ1LJaikU2iBZiEC0AmalA5sEBwI9X0Uw5wadyuq05Zfyhfhb8PncUSDnBbE_YmVfn4mvi-8dUVuZ1lswnGX1a-jA5JTnP6UL_FsEGRRNU/s640/PC125043.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All that's remaining is the height warning gantry, which ironically has become the obstruction itself!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Related links:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://hjtann-pixs.blogspot.com/2011/07/ktm-railway-line.html">KTM Railway photo blog.</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://fujiwara-kankoo.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-line.html">The end of the Line.</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://fujiwara-kankoo.blogspot.com/2010/11/diplomacy-untangles-bottlenecks.html">Diplomacy untangles bottlenecks.</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-47133354481507276862011-11-23T20:05:00.002+08:002011-11-23T20:07:18.863+08:00Orchard Road SingaporeI was down at Orchard Road yesterday to shoot a video for my annual Christmas greeting card.<br />
Despite being a Tuesday, it seemed more crowded than usual.<br />
That was when I thought of Shibuya in Tokyo and so did a short video on the crossing at Cairnhill Road.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/InCH1UmNTEI?rel=0&hd=1" width="560"></iframe>.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-73435422536843339432011-10-16T13:17:00.004+08:002011-10-19T10:46:11.251+08:00Free tickets to JapanIn view of the tremendous decline in foreign visitors to Japan following the triple disaster of March 11, 2011, the Japan Tourism Agency, a government agency, announced a 1.1b Yen budget to give out 10,000 FREE airline passages to Japan. <i><a href="https://img.skitch.com/20111015-p6uxj6r96istkbyrwesqq6txp5.jpg">(Announcement here)</a> *</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirGIBC_6XYxgsfa8GgXpob_bitZaBZkkDlLjKLoBKGjjjSqmzJEl6fTmTee8kGDNYltC1FOXP-I9gX_K1LCMZqBLtHgngBR6D17FhMhjagEst9IUrhBze6v3BOlSdRfCBFBmkKQRSKIc/s1600/Zojoji_Tokyo+Tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirGIBC_6XYxgsfa8GgXpob_bitZaBZkkDlLjKLoBKGjjjSqmzJEl6fTmTee8kGDNYltC1FOXP-I9gX_K1LCMZqBLtHgngBR6D17FhMhjagEst9IUrhBze6v3BOlSdRfCBFBmkKQRSKIc/s400/Zojoji_Tokyo+Tower.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Lucky travellers will be required to apply on the Internet by taking an 'examination' and also to provide a planned travel itinerary for scrutiny. They are also expected to use social media to disseminate stories of their visit while on their stay in Japan, especially on the safety aspects.<br />
<br />
However, please note that the plan is still under government consideration and will not be in effect until April 2012. You can watch out for future announcements on the JNTO website.<br />
<br />
I expect that many scammers and fraudsters will take advantage of this and will entice gullible people to part with their hard earned money.<br />
<b>So beware of any non-official advertisements about the free tickets.</b><br />
<br />
* <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">the announcement was reported by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbum but is in Japanese. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> You can use Google translation if you don't read japanese.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-14279701366805995032011-10-15T23:46:00.009+08:002011-10-27T10:51:02.720+08:00Visiting Punggol after 30 years.Punggol is a region in the north east of Singapore.<br />
It is slated to be the model for Singapore's 21st century towns.<br />
The masterplan calls for riverside residences, '<i>ala Sydney Harbour style</i>, waterfront housing and lifestyle.<br />
A model of sustainable eco friendly suburban living.<br />
<br />
I have not been to Punggol (<i>sometimes spelt Ponggol</i>) for more than a generation!<br />
To me, Ponggol recall memories only of the pungent pig farms at Buangkok.<br />
You used to be able to tell you have arrived at Ponggol simply with your nose.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxtIMgOtTO5nEK-YZn2gGETkvFSyYep3LHwBauh-nQhZ89SmHJThTpkrfd_1cpGSdgeub1JPBFjbrKuUVMfDwWlqpX8zKXGCJHCxNj2yKGYrlYnKm97UrtHDvKh9-WnHeZAmk0FcgS_4/s1600/pigs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxtIMgOtTO5nEK-YZn2gGETkvFSyYep3LHwBauh-nQhZ89SmHJThTpkrfd_1cpGSdgeub1JPBFjbrKuUVMfDwWlqpX8zKXGCJHCxNj2yKGYrlYnKm97UrtHDvKh9-WnHeZAmk0FcgS_4/s320/pigs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>One other thing I remembered was the small roadside shop, near the bus terminal at the end of Punggol Road, that would eventually grow to be the famous Ponggol Seafood Restaurant today.<br />
<br />
Punggol was so remote in my days that nobody went there unless you lived there or had a really pressing reason to be there. The last time I was there was at an invitation from Fr John Khoo, a diocesan Catholic priest, to visit his family home and to drop by the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary located there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMVGfxiiDCkAAtKl3DN9QysC8B5tX8iyLDnMCjz9VSrxFkP3m66r26e3rRmb4GzvbBJWSj88XD-C9mcpXX_1_uXjoP8r4d_6BUZLBWjodUn0-LSEWSFGnCjCrLTvdI80WMcaKSlGNinA/s1600/SFX+seminary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMVGfxiiDCkAAtKl3DN9QysC8B5tX8iyLDnMCjz9VSrxFkP3m66r26e3rRmb4GzvbBJWSj88XD-C9mcpXX_1_uXjoP8r4d_6BUZLBWjodUn0-LSEWSFGnCjCrLTvdI80WMcaKSlGNinA/s400/SFX+seminary.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>On hindsight, I think he probably had a devious reason to take me there.<br />
Who knows, if it wasn't for the smell of the pigs <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(I really mean the animals, not the seminarians),</span></i> I might have become a man of the cloth today?<br />
Anyway, that was 30 years ago, and that's how long I have not been to that area since!<br />
<br />
Punggol today, of course, has developed along with the tremendous growth all over Singapore.<br />
Pig and poultry farms are no longer found and the area is now a sprawling sub-urban HDB estate.<br />
The biggest thing to happen there recently is the plan to redevelop the entire region into a new waterfront lifestyle town.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0PDPuDL_5KdVB-iWjhhq_0PQ0E2i1DqJagu9QZ7dJ_q8SHINhW-NW3lDQEXhf_YXuOU0pfbkyCNAriRyS6Jp1EGuiHnqH1BvtxP7npFaHOO7nUjB11lv10_boq-Obrom1zxeEb8H8MY/s1600/punggolgraphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0PDPuDL_5KdVB-iWjhhq_0PQ0E2i1DqJagu9QZ7dJ_q8SHINhW-NW3lDQEXhf_YXuOU0pfbkyCNAriRyS6Jp1EGuiHnqH1BvtxP7npFaHOO7nUjB11lv10_boq-Obrom1zxeEb8H8MY/s640/punggolgraphic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Now that there's a direct connection from Bukit Batok to Punggol by MRT train, I thought I'd pay a visit after all these years and and see what the excitement is all about.<br />
<br />
These are the pictures I took at Punggol today. There's still a long way to go.<br />
Click the link here.<br />
<a href="http://hjtann-pixs.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-waterway-ponggol.html">My Waterway@Punggol</a><br />
<br />
Related links:<br />
<a href="http://hjtann.blogspot.com/2011/10/venice-of-punggol-oh-please-lah.html">Venice of Punggol?</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-57411429844731116072011-10-12T18:59:00.011+08:002011-12-28T20:51:59.891+08:00Crowded Tokyo trains worse than Singapore's MRT?<div style="text-align: left;">
Whenever you see complaints about our crowded MRT trains, some readers will always bring out examples of other city trains, especially Tokyo commuter trains. For example in these videos...</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E7kor5nHtZQ?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(Youtube video by TheFatFinger)</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/b0A9-oUoMug?rel=0" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(Youtube video by d0b33)</span></div>
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I have worked in Tokyo previously and I have been on those rush hour trains and truthfully, they are not as 'bad' as they are made out to be.<br />
<br />
Yes, it is very crowded (Tokyo has 12.7m population) and it's true that people are packed like sardines into the trains as in the above video, but that only happens at the peak of the morning rush.<br />
<br />
However, there is a cultural difference in Japan.<br />
The overcrowding is accepted as a way of life in Tokyo.<br />
During rush hour, you are packed into the train but everyone understands the situation.<br />
Everyone knows the need for each other to commute to work or to get to school on time.<br />
<br />
If you are in a <i>rush hour train</i>, you<b> expect</b> to be squashed cheek by jowl.<br />
You will be shoved from all sides till everyone settles into their own comfort zone.<br />
You know there is no room for any movement except to stand constricted till you get to your destination.<br />
<br />
However, Japanese etiquette makes the journey tolerable.<br />
The Japanese typically avoid any action that will make others uncomfortable.<br />
Nobody uses a mobile phone on the train.<br />
Nobody takes out their ipad or newspaper to read.<br />
Nobody chats in the train.<br />
The Japanese are fastidious about cleanliness, so there is absolutely no odor of any sort.<br />
And if you are carrying a briefcase or backpack, you stow it in the overhead rack to make room for others to stand more comfortably.<br />
And, they stand in orderly lines waiting to board the train.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoiBMHYpU_x_ePbiCdoDvTuMK5NFMbWiMY10pSDkDdfViRN1sILv8820YgXiycUvdYktvdTKFktloS_YqRXNUrk0u2kotDLborTl9KSsezMaCr0IIbuPNoHz6KiXtu4uwzmn10pF8ubA/s1600/a3dc9bae22774b02_crowded-commuter-train.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoiBMHYpU_x_ePbiCdoDvTuMK5NFMbWiMY10pSDkDdfViRN1sILv8820YgXiycUvdYktvdTKFktloS_YqRXNUrk0u2kotDLborTl9KSsezMaCr0IIbuPNoHz6KiXtu4uwzmn10pF8ubA/s400/a3dc9bae22774b02_crowded-commuter-train.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What happens when you reach your destination and you are in the middle of the car?<br />
No worries, just one word<i><b> 'sumimasen', </b></i> and everyone near the door will get out to let you through, automatically!<br />
<br />
Whenever, I take my friends on a tour of Tokyo, I make sure that they get this unique experience of taking a morning commuter train. They have all survived and I have yet to loose a friend on the train system. In fact, they are happy to come away with this unique experience.<br />
I only tell them,<i> if you are near the door</i>, <i><b>get off! </b></i> let people out or you'll be stampeded!<br />
<br />
The level of tolerance is vastly different from Singapore.<br />
<div>
Although, our MRT system has been running more than 20 years, education on train etiquette was never ever emphasized. Bad habits have taken root and is now very hard to eradicate, so there is no comparison at all.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMkC9BmTKY5iQTieIeQzIGkhP39BFsv8BYaJiVYDp6Gly_TyEukAdngEhNP_J_8r220pFbOTCA1FBh4-FpZ0xT1ZkboN-KLO_cw6ICIfZ63G4EdgxoRlCy9NRm6R5Gfnq8mnMR7iQxCc/s1600/CIMG0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMkC9BmTKY5iQTieIeQzIGkhP39BFsv8BYaJiVYDp6Gly_TyEukAdngEhNP_J_8r220pFbOTCA1FBh4-FpZ0xT1ZkboN-KLO_cw6ICIfZ63G4EdgxoRlCy9NRm6R5Gfnq8mnMR7iQxCc/s400/CIMG0030.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grab poles & handles are available even near the door areas.<br />
During rush hour, some seats are folded up to make more space for standing.<br />
Bulky bags are stowed on the overhead racks.</td></tr>
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Related links:</div>
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<a href="http://hjtann.blogspot.com/2011/10/surviving-train-crush.html">Surviving the train crush</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-29433722831649460722011-09-30T21:39:00.002+08:002011-09-30T21:53:49.792+08:00Singapore Changi Airport - Time Lapse videoHere's the video I promised you shot from the Changi Airport Terminal 1 Viewing Mall.<br />
It was taken this afternoon from 12 noon till 2.00pm but the video is compressed into a time lapsed movie of 2 & 1/2 minute duration. Taken with my Olympus EPL1 camera.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4ELti5WPsAA?rel=0&hd=1" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Watch in HD for better quality. Select 480 or 720p. ----------------------here <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Wingdings 2'; font-size: large;">^</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-74917831113738990462011-09-26T22:37:00.002+08:002011-09-27T08:09:37.722+08:00Diorama of Singapore lifeThe pace of life in Singapore is simply too hectic.<br />
Everyone seems to be in a headlong rush towards total burnout.<br />
<br />
Here's a video I shot today on our pace of life.<br />
We don't seem to have the time to stop and smell the flowers 'cos we're always rushing off somewhere!<br />
Unfortunately, today, of all days that I was available to do the shoot, the sky just had to be overcast the entire day. <br />
<br />
Do sent me your comments below. Enjoy.<br />
The video is in full HD. Select 720p and you'll get better quality.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A2xMYRwEwPA?rel=0&hd=1" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-86233898829675803952011-09-21T20:18:00.008+08:002011-09-22T19:10:46.076+08:00Viewing Gallery at Changi Airport T1 is openI had a pleasant surprise today when I dropped by Changi Airport Terminal 1.<br />
<br />
If you are a plane spotter, you will know that Changi Airport terminals T2 and T3 are very <i><b>unfriendly</b></i> for plane spotters. The viewing gallery is placed within the upper levels overlooking the <b><i>inside</i></b> of the lower level (the transit hall) before looking out unto the apron, through the panels on the lower level.<br />
<br />
They designed the public viewing area almost 30 meters away from the outer glass panel. This makes it near impossible to see the aircrafts on the apron. Probably in view of security.<br />
<br />
I knew that renovations had been going on at the older Terminal 1, <i>at least it was the last time I visited</i>. When I was there today, I popped by to see if the public viewing area was just as bad as T2 and T3.<br />
<br />
Surprise #1. Renovations were completed. <br />
I later learned that it was completed months ago.<br />
<br />
Surprise #2 . The viewing gallery at T1 extends right to the apron wall ! <i>Yes!</i><br />
This means an <b>unobstructed</b> view of the aircrafts on the tarmac.<br />
<br />
Albeit, you can only see the central apron between T1 & T2, but that's a vast improvement over the miserable viewing conditions at T2 and T3.<br />
My guess is that glass technology has improved so much to allow this new freedom?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUI8VFFFm1JZ3xE6DHf5RyNxDxkR0Nw_E332u-ydhITzAsbezP9Um05YqtJ8XKMJUd_E9dTG_vC-C4BSBXA3BnTWVPk6TyWr5mq3LJwZdJ_oK5m3ID2NiH4JnBXJpmpdV8bbfz2Zhztg/s1600/EP9213100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUI8VFFFm1JZ3xE6DHf5RyNxDxkR0Nw_E332u-ydhITzAsbezP9Um05YqtJ8XKMJUd_E9dTG_vC-C4BSBXA3BnTWVPk6TyWr5mq3LJwZdJ_oK5m3ID2NiH4JnBXJpmpdV8bbfz2Zhztg/s400/EP9213100.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The viewing gallery, now called the <b>Viewing Mall</b>, has a front about 50 meters long which affords a very wide view over the central apron.<br />
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Curiously, the<b><i> floor </i></b> just beside the glass front is transparent.<br />
You might get an initial fright if you step onto the glass panel and then look down at your feet to see the floor 20 meters below! The picture above shows people standing on the glass floor panel.<br />
<br />
When I was there this afternoon, there was a private party going on to welcome the Finnair "Angry Birds" plane which had flew non-stop all the way from Helsinki. It arrived about the time I was there (<i>but not on my account</i>). That's the Finnair plane in the background in the picture above.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSADRUjWxvK1WD3uhCVhzze1cvmzltvyf7zIwz3hGy9jLh6KS5wGE3Q42_sjucRWdloOBAHP79MOQ-Dys2fAl7oZk6FhCg9vG7M_a_Kv3jHb5nx7wOaqTYIqAzvOTei4wX-HfI_ZH0Aw4/s1600/EP9213095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSADRUjWxvK1WD3uhCVhzze1cvmzltvyf7zIwz3hGy9jLh6KS5wGE3Q42_sjucRWdloOBAHP79MOQ-Dys2fAl7oZk6FhCg9vG7M_a_Kv3jHb5nx7wOaqTYIqAzvOTei4wX-HfI_ZH0Aw4/s400/EP9213095.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Finnair party which I was not invited to. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'll be back one of these days to do a video of the aircrafts on the tarmac. Stay tuned.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-3554455168136798582011-07-09T00:19:00.012+08:002013-01-06T07:08:24.807+08:00Singapore Quarry ParkThe Singapore Quarry Park is part of the new <a href="http://hjtann.blogspot.com/2009/09/alfred-russel-wallace-again.html">Dairy Farm Nature Park</a>.<br />
It is however located at the farthest southern end of the 63ha park.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeaR1lFhOlz1sZND11YWXGs7YsHODP_xOrqkRvoU1lm8Si1UgkEEP7yJD4p6tuTaOGcjP4fQyptnfi7tncCCQ7osMrT6gc-Owad5_Z-VrXk8kcHozW-CLaAVgV9aBx_lIgGZURwcSRug/s1600/Sgp+Quarry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeaR1lFhOlz1sZND11YWXGs7YsHODP_xOrqkRvoU1lm8Si1UgkEEP7yJD4p6tuTaOGcjP4fQyptnfi7tncCCQ7osMrT6gc-Owad5_Z-VrXk8kcHozW-CLaAVgV9aBx_lIgGZURwcSRug/s640/Sgp+Quarry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Click the picture for a detailed view.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Though the track is paved and is a gentle walk from the park entrance, the Quarry is about 3km from the park entrance, or about 1.5km from the nearer Car Park A at the junction of Upper Bukit Timah and Dairy Farm Roads.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-G1k7YDKW7rlGnuSXzJAQK2i6PzwI65ofRW6XyWDNGnyEKlSXrIzeQrCOY2Xcm4D3PxdIk1q-nqB0UIQVNf5R2MRez_IDD1g-QlyT0ty_YlHP5Llru53HK5196qX0B3rkxbC13-F21IM/s1600/Map2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-G1k7YDKW7rlGnuSXzJAQK2i6PzwI65ofRW6XyWDNGnyEKlSXrIzeQrCOY2Xcm4D3PxdIk1q-nqB0UIQVNf5R2MRez_IDD1g-QlyT0ty_YlHP5Llru53HK5196qX0B3rkxbC13-F21IM/s640/Map2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Click on the map for detailed view.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I used to live at Fuyong Estate located between Dairy Farm and the Singapore Quarry.<br />
This was at the time when the quarry was still in operation.<br />
I can remember the daily 12 noon siren followed by the dynamite blasts.<br />
Blasting took place once a day and the reverberations could be felt almost a kilometer away.<br />
<br />
The quarry is now defunct. It was closed in the late 1980s when quarrying activities were moved offshore and allowed only on Pulau Ubin. The old quarry was recently converted to a nature park and wildlife reserve.<br />
Ever since the Singapore Quarry Park was opened to the public, it has become a nature lovers and photographers mecca. Rare bird species like the Little Grebe can now be found, along with monitor lizards and dragonflies.<br />
<br />
Here's a short video clip I made today of my visit to the Singapore Quarry Park.<br />
It has a tip on a shortcut to the Singapore Quarry if you don't want to trek the 3km route!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SH5lSbIHpL0?rel=0&hd=1" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Chia Eng Say Road, Singapore1.35668497552048 103.769904807983381.33224497552048 103.75160930798339 1.38112497552048 103.78820030798337tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-65618569786526902872011-07-05T00:20:00.016+08:002011-07-10T12:57:57.933+08:00The end of the Line.After more than 50 years, the Malaysian KTM railway line and the land it sits on were finally surrendered back to Singapore on 1st July 2011. The railway tracks will soon be dismantled while the government ponders over the fate of the strip of land that runs from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands.<br />
<br />
With the exception of the Tanjong Pagar Station, which is now gazetted as a national monument, the rest of the infrastructure will disappear by the end of this month. These include the bottleneck bridges at Hillview, Hindhede and Sunset Way which I previously wrote about. <i><a href="http://fujiwara-kankoo.blogspot.com/2010/11/diplomacy-untangles-bottlenecks.html"> (click here for that blog)</a></i><br />
<br />
Today I visited the truss bridge at Upper Bukit Timah and wandered along the tracks up to Hillview for a last look. Not surprisingly, so many others were also there to capture that last piece of memorabilia before it's all gone.<br />
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That bridge near the Rail Mall holds a bit more memories for me than any other part of the railway line. For about 10 years between the 70s & 80s, I lived at Fuyong Estate which is located just beside that bridge. (<i>Rail Mall is part of Fuyong Estate, <a href="http://hjtann.blogspot.com/2011/07/in-those-days.html">here in this blog</a>).</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JSNXbMUyVH5I-tD5Cz47URT6xKnOlDF2bAhGZFz9uccZKyXu_7-AnkjEVZ3YD59NS3CVnCFjnbRCXdcNVIpyyNMUV28dpjBbDjSZUJKAC_aAaN0oKKh8D8tJWEaRRxeu8Vc9PqXoDWk/s1600/EP7041168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JSNXbMUyVH5I-tD5Cz47URT6xKnOlDF2bAhGZFz9uccZKyXu_7-AnkjEVZ3YD59NS3CVnCFjnbRCXdcNVIpyyNMUV28dpjBbDjSZUJKAC_aAaN0oKKh8D8tJWEaRRxeu8Vc9PqXoDWk/s400/EP7041168.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The truss bridge over Upper Bukit Timah Road. <br />
Fuyong Estate is located just on the left of the photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwq46cJKZLZ04NMLMJ1fx8PxuaX4e45vDQSaRZ2xTRsHmREMQI4EwWYn2pRQLMnNrs4ZBe2m66k6sQLSzffXcfh0rD3CFTw8N8mZRRwJEcFZvBfLHejpZs8gFbCxOi6PmNb33swsY5bs/s1600/EP7041278_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwq46cJKZLZ04NMLMJ1fx8PxuaX4e45vDQSaRZ2xTRsHmREMQI4EwWYn2pRQLMnNrs4ZBe2m66k6sQLSzffXcfh0rD3CFTw8N8mZRRwJEcFZvBfLHejpZs8gFbCxOi6PmNb33swsY5bs/s400/EP7041278_2.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The railway line is open to visitors till the end of July.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">More pictures of the railway can be found on my <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://hjtann-pixs.blogspot.com/2011/07/ktm-railway-line.html">photo blog here</a>.</i></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RW0y8BlXqp0?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Postscript (9 July 2011)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhww5VC3t0q3PiZ9SSwbtRHqJgf0Ktoze-QPQjK5D8T7M0V8bxViXC-YhW1XdpNJ5LRc1qtxZFjCSC1OsNFApmA7IqM9hvE_0-04ss4elzIpA2gACk19Uc93fvx7va4MVQBNHO886-tseo/s1600/old+steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhww5VC3t0q3PiZ9SSwbtRHqJgf0Ktoze-QPQjK5D8T7M0V8bxViXC-YhW1XdpNJ5LRc1qtxZFjCSC1OsNFApmA7IqM9hvE_0-04ss4elzIpA2gACk19Uc93fvx7va4MVQBNHO886-tseo/s400/old+steps.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8A8GVFYLirFNKdqHvWyCLe-sG_W6sZ7YkKEOxryCQQScIVxg2Tn6vWtRORvOAc2EF1LhP4qdIhnrRDI-30XjzPDLD0XlmHKB2r_KOFuRQRSkyIBF1jTATgyq2zb792IBuqLgLbdjgBo/s1600/steps+to+KTM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8A8GVFYLirFNKdqHvWyCLe-sG_W6sZ7YkKEOxryCQQScIVxg2Tn6vWtRORvOAc2EF1LhP4qdIhnrRDI-30XjzPDLD0XlmHKB2r_KOFuRQRSkyIBF1jTATgyq2zb792IBuqLgLbdjgBo/s400/steps+to+KTM.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Access to the tracks from Chia Eng Say Road (top photo) was a bit bit treacherous on the day I visited, but within the week, someone had graciously carved out a temporary flight of steps (above). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So now it'll be easier for anyone who want to look at the railway one last time.<br />
After July, it will be out-of-bounds to the public.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Upper Bukit Timah, Singapore1.3575859449464698 103.767630294738751.3331459449464698 103.74933479473876 1.3820259449464698 103.78592579473874tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-22614539542232004032011-06-23T15:53:00.005+08:002011-06-28T23:53:29.063+08:00Aim at the flyOkay, I promise this will be the last of my toilet blogs!<br />
(I know when I gotta go, I gotta go.)<br />
<br />
I was at the new Terminal 3 at Changi Airport last week when I took a leak at the toilet near the Basement 3 Food Court.<br />
Inside the mens' urinal, there is a fly near the drain hole. Not a real fly but one that imprinted onto the urinal! The obvious thing a man will do is to pee at the fly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVrJwzRtkKFUJ3nY7gXXt_05AWtdDiHyd6pph81gFV-vpI6G6VqqvcKqGa_drKQYwE-EDY2nRWV35_CZrRQwIfhmPslshZ9bhjNaBqa7Tk3zqCLj3Et8riDsmhtG41gmDoqRwvIKp8jI/s1600/P6281164+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVrJwzRtkKFUJ3nY7gXXt_05AWtdDiHyd6pph81gFV-vpI6G6VqqvcKqGa_drKQYwE-EDY2nRWV35_CZrRQwIfhmPslshZ9bhjNaBqa7Tk3zqCLj3Et8riDsmhtG41gmDoqRwvIKp8jI/s400/P6281164+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div>This simple but brilliant brainwave was created back in 1999 by the staff at Amsterdam Schipol Airport who proved that the little fly improved cleanliness on the floor by 85%.<br />
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Now maybe the authorities will have to reword their infamous warning to <i>Fine $500 for not flushing or Shooting the fly</i>!<br />
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I was told that a similar problem arises in the ladies with some who 'hover' instead of sitting.<br />
Wonder if anyone can come up with another brainwave for the ladies?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-91336600709586259372011-06-17T15:06:00.006+08:002011-06-23T10:15:48.385+08:00Crappy street food in TaiwanIn Taiwan, there’s only one thing that stands out for me and that’s their street food.<br />
And when you talk street food, there’s only one place - Shihlin District in downtown Taipei.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On my last trip a few years back, I was brought to my favorite outdoor eating place, but my Taiwanese friends wanted to introduce something different. They brought me to a new concept theme restaurant located there called Modern Toilet.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yes, you heard right. It’s a restaurant based on a crappy toilet theme.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The décor includes porcelain toilet bowls for seats, sinks for tables, showerheads, shower curtains and other sanitary devices that you normally classify as unmentionables.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before you get visions of unhygienic or unsanitary or funny smells associated with street food, the theme restaurant is quite pleasant. Food is served on crockery that’s shaped like commodes, urinals and the serviettes are plain toilet rolls, of course.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The menu is divided into 2 sections called Go Poo Poo & Go Pee Pee for food and drinks, and the dessert is ice cream shaped like dog poo served in a squat toilet bowl. The food I remembered was pretty okay though some looked pretty stomach churning. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn’t take any photos at the time but I managed to find some and extracted them from the web. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">copyright belong to the owners</i>)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQbd0nc0fbTyfdJyZ6VtIUerSy8Ghd3kCYKy6GyAQFiV5_LO-1F36Wf6uM5AJlSqqtgln6niPzaCvq-6ekL9rSQQO_o4mYkPIDpRdTPzzV6iFwrWIlynvjRE8p-4sHXWLek3bld668Mo/s1600/decor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQbd0nc0fbTyfdJyZ6VtIUerSy8Ghd3kCYKy6GyAQFiV5_LO-1F36Wf6uM5AJlSqqtgln6niPzaCvq-6ekL9rSQQO_o4mYkPIDpRdTPzzV6iFwrWIlynvjRE8p-4sHXWLek3bld668Mo/s400/decor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern Toilet Restaurant Taiwan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehjaTE_sk-ZShGvy6SNs9ZkflPmH2uf5eEQ7RZ9bHUPAO4MubIY8DZVbzamg1SAvaAc2i09FH04wTC7ivLo6dp-i9_WPUw0Zd6AHwYO9vb9ynmOJHByvJ-X4yuZCCy56rS-5gYy6EsYY/s1600/toilet+seat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehjaTE_sk-ZShGvy6SNs9ZkflPmH2uf5eEQ7RZ9bHUPAO4MubIY8DZVbzamg1SAvaAc2i09FH04wTC7ivLo6dp-i9_WPUw0Zd6AHwYO9vb9ynmOJHByvJ-X4yuZCCy56rS-5gYy6EsYY/s400/toilet+seat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You don't need to pull down your pants to sit</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUrH2MiVOX3w4_o5oS26AwJMJVVG4G2n1zSrPS9YqqeeTWj4yhrVVoosiRLWzLURXSyVzK-QwE2NWWIOs4UNerII9Bm7yMlspdCZE0sTsC9RoPYS3BvxgNqSzAaCJTHotCzyh5k3MjqY/s1600/modern+toilet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUrH2MiVOX3w4_o5oS26AwJMJVVG4G2n1zSrPS9YqqeeTWj4yhrVVoosiRLWzLURXSyVzK-QwE2NWWIOs4UNerII9Bm7yMlspdCZE0sTsC9RoPYS3BvxgNqSzAaCJTHotCzyh5k3MjqY/s400/modern+toilet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food is served in bowls shaped like 'bowls' of course. <br />
Drinks in urinals. The poo shape is a cover for the soup bowl.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMI7DnTt4FqIrePmGdPl17B4GcNrsaTiG3N06oOMG9OSmAGhTXy31KGM8qJcmD3RZdGP27U4A4ieJ5hN8-62M0okLm3JPEzIfMNbbxZkYO6oTJb51PI5RPe6YQbsp6TZLL8GKThCzu8M/s1600/MT+ice+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMI7DnTt4FqIrePmGdPl17B4GcNrsaTiG3N06oOMG9OSmAGhTXy31KGM8qJcmD3RZdGP27U4A4ieJ5hN8-62M0okLm3JPEzIfMNbbxZkYO6oTJb51PI5RPe6YQbsp6TZLL8GKThCzu8M/s320/MT+ice+cream.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice cream in squat toilets! yummy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaXj9onXa-oTSQmgll7czbiHUaRc0-854uokMI3AaiclcP_rc652-ks7M55Ewj_96rJWOh32PJ60oQnZkJ5Jvrgo_Jvdf8RoFJCkLMTTufLaurLAgvwSGf93pGQSWpwB3O3_hsWiZaYw/s1600/scarry+food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaXj9onXa-oTSQmgll7czbiHUaRc0-854uokMI3AaiclcP_rc652-ks7M55Ewj_96rJWOh32PJ60oQnZkJ5Jvrgo_Jvdf8RoFJCkLMTTufLaurLAgvwSGf93pGQSWpwB3O3_hsWiZaYw/s320/scarry+food.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now, this really looks scary! Gives a whole new meaning to curry.</td></tr>
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</div>I hear that they are quite successful now and going regional with their franchise.<br />
Besides Taiwan, they can now be found in Hong Kong, Thailand and even Japan.<br />
<br />
Flushed with success and their idea didn't go down the drain, I guess.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-76360157674212671282011-06-15T15:27:00.003+08:002011-06-15T22:17:09.221+08:00Asian ToiletsI was browsing through my old travel photos and came across one I took at Narita Airport in Tokyo. This was of an Asian squat toilet at the modern Terminal 2.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfdgjTELkitfSSe5PBWFsvRDIQ5irE39wrA6YJDuiaDr9BW_Bdb5w8vueIIoBWpRyNQ4_tpmrsWNSpG_AcV95h43_eBC6csK5dpo_x7NoGj39624SY59TLCBMDwQGsgLe2R3eNN_jqeY/s1600/japanes+toilet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfdgjTELkitfSSe5PBWFsvRDIQ5irE39wrA6YJDuiaDr9BW_Bdb5w8vueIIoBWpRyNQ4_tpmrsWNSpG_AcV95h43_eBC6csK5dpo_x7NoGj39624SY59TLCBMDwQGsgLe2R3eNN_jqeY/s320/japanes+toilet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For an occidental person, esp European or American, this must be a unique sight. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Being used to having a seat, it must be extremely uncomfortable even at the thought of squatting to do your business.</div><br />
And strangely, even if it's just a 'hole' in the ground, there are different manners of using a squat toilet!<br />
The Japanese squat facing the back, i.e. towards the raised portion.<br />
Whereas in other S.E.Asian countries, they face the front.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Not that this matter anyway and it doesn't make any difference to your bowel movement. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It's just a matter of the country's toilet etiquette.</div>The Japanese toilet flush has 2 options, 'large' and 'small', referring to the amount of water needed to flush away urine or solid matter.<br />
<br />
As an Asian, these squat toilets are very familiar to me but more often now, especially in Singapore, these kind of toilets have given way to the pedestal type.<br />
In fact, in my home we only use the pedestal type and I've been living here for the past 26 years.<br />
So even I hardly ever use a squat toilet anymore. If ever I had to use a public convenience, I would still choose a pedestal over the squat.<br />
It's tough on the knees!<br />
<br />
Strangely in Japan, while the public conveniences all have squat toilets, their homes and most of all hotels have the latest, modern and most high-tech type of pedestal toilets.<br />
<br />
Compared to American or European type where it's simply a functional bowl, the Japanese pedestal toilet come fully equipped with seat warmers, auto flush, auto bidets, spray jets. The latest models even have deodorizers and music to mask body function noises.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlIDQnt_8EN0HJKje1Qsw5dYzhf-Kuvut2aLLnydRnAXSH5PL2DCYKohcmeh7M-cGoGPgL_DCO2DVbaDXh2JmAWoLF2YRenD-1i0xJMZObvGw_TGnyNKeL9ES9Ji_YpZtiEhapKD2B0c/s1600/auto+toilet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlIDQnt_8EN0HJKje1Qsw5dYzhf-Kuvut2aLLnydRnAXSH5PL2DCYKohcmeh7M-cGoGPgL_DCO2DVbaDXh2JmAWoLF2YRenD-1i0xJMZObvGw_TGnyNKeL9ES9Ji_YpZtiEhapKD2B0c/s320/auto+toilet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
By the way, if ever you are in Japan, please note that the public toilets do not provide toilet paper.<br />
It's called a '<i>toi-re</i>' or more politely if you are asking, <i>ote-arai</i>, meaning hand-washing room.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-46240544576822918942011-06-15T00:54:00.000+08:002011-06-15T00:54:14.567+08:00Here's one safety video you will pay attention toThe airline safety video usually begins the moment the aircraft is pushed back from the terminal.<br />
Most airlines have a similar video or live demonstration of the safety procedures and features.<br />
<br />
However, some passengers, usually frequent flyers, seem to take the instructions for granted and don't watch or listen to the instructions.<br />
<br />
Here's how Air New Zealand came up with a video to ensure that passengers will want to watch.<br />
Cute play on the words "Nothing to hide, bare essentials and take a second look"<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7-Mq9HAE62Y" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-945930360111878662011-06-12T16:57:00.012+08:002011-06-17T15:18:05.257+08:00St Mary Singapore & St Mary TokyoNo matter how hard you try to prevent it, there are times when your mind drifts instead of being focused on the event that's actually taking place at the moment.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It happened to me this morning while I was attending Mass at St Mary.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I put it down to certain factors for this happening. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">One was that the air conditioning wasn't working properly while the humidity was increasing with almost a thousand faithful in the congregation. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The other was the less than inspired delivery of the homily by the priest. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>(mea culpa, no offense meant)</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">While Franciscan Friar Joe spoke of how the early apostles were inspired during Pentecost, my mind drifted towards the ceiling of the church. There the architect had designed a skylight in the form of a crucifix which lets sunlight into the church.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktEoapOlXnpKWNF6zrkEBKT-aybHWZgiZaRrEkLpPvU2ZTuyWyw4H7VXNrHWJF8JOgx5tV1UVxbImJ9umazogDEw-tbflbNqWwcC9_rXtl1HHz0Y9swX8q91lNx751RjIQsChd7mWC44/s1600/St+Mary+BB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktEoapOlXnpKWNF6zrkEBKT-aybHWZgiZaRrEkLpPvU2ZTuyWyw4H7VXNrHWJF8JOgx5tV1UVxbImJ9umazogDEw-tbflbNqWwcC9_rXtl1HHz0Y9swX8q91lNx751RjIQsChd7mWC44/s400/St+Mary+BB.jpg" width="331" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skylight at St Mary of the Angels, Singapore</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While looking at it, I was reminded of another church which has a similar concept. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">St Mary Cathedral in Tokyo is located at Ikebukuro, within walking distance from the Sunshine City Prince Hotel where I usually stay during my visits to Tokyo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Designed by the great Japanese architect <b><i>Kenzo Tange</i></b>, St Mary Cathedral is a beautiful edifice in a cruciform design whose walls soar up to a skylight that lets in natural light to illuminate the interior. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When you enter the cathedral, your eyes are magnetised and drawn to look automatically from the stained glass panels behind the altar towards the skylight at the ceiling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It never fails to happen with anyone when they first enter the building.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am sure that this was purposely done by the architect for dramatic effect.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrG6WP9l9hyrKmnfQeXEcXV1y_U3mwer8Q-p99tPrQsetQ7iHHqWcKk3WxTxmFXAB-8OnACPhYulA7zI-ug4LVUwHZ1MFcMRuWiou4DTT-F-LhmV1OCTYgee2ReMgA3izASwJZb-vE5NY/s1600/St+Mary+Tokyo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrG6WP9l9hyrKmnfQeXEcXV1y_U3mwer8Q-p99tPrQsetQ7iHHqWcKk3WxTxmFXAB-8OnACPhYulA7zI-ug4LVUwHZ1MFcMRuWiou4DTT-F-LhmV1OCTYgee2ReMgA3izASwJZb-vE5NY/s400/St+Mary+Tokyo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">St Mary Cathedral, Ikebukuro, Tokyo</span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD0Iu2xUzXlnDEuI-oSmAKmfpYNJTFgz2zfRg0n9XeXsmFh1wDjWe1um6cA-w3d70599g4A7hEZlQqrIai8PClgtEQcNADwh8fYhpVS1_n3X826L5vwk8aYZQhJvJOWEys8CXYMSnp7c/s1600/St+Mary+Tokyo+Int.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD0Iu2xUzXlnDEuI-oSmAKmfpYNJTFgz2zfRg0n9XeXsmFh1wDjWe1um6cA-w3d70599g4A7hEZlQqrIai8PClgtEQcNADwh8fYhpVS1_n3X826L5vwk8aYZQhJvJOWEys8CXYMSnp7c/s400/St+Mary+Tokyo+Int.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
From idle musings about St Mary Cathedral, my mind further drifted to think of some other buildings that I remembered seeing in Tokyo that were all designed by Kenzo Tange.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">These are all famous icons not only of Tokyo but of Japan. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Some of the great buildings designed by Kenzo Tange are:-</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg4K9KP_e1SjAxMGZL-3Oz3tas7SE1y84XJEunH6kJlqEP11ryDhvsfkatkKwO3sSWt0fWkeRTIE_2k20GwnreDCFyvr-TShQHC76s9_5JjoHnos0kSztQBP9GpD-f0FlkgdTZP5cFe8/s1600/FujiTV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg4K9KP_e1SjAxMGZL-3Oz3tas7SE1y84XJEunH6kJlqEP11ryDhvsfkatkKwO3sSWt0fWkeRTIE_2k20GwnreDCFyvr-TShQHC76s9_5JjoHnos0kSztQBP9GpD-f0FlkgdTZP5cFe8/s400/FujiTV.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fuji TV Building at Odaiba, Tokyo Bay.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUcT2ZjKbxugMpJYA1IwcQ5YJxOyx0H-78YuEeg4ETUHZMt8LiRYKFbpfvqBj6oxp8CUZoC7DaXHmzBtk02e0z3W82rF8OG_nha5jfd-EuAbVF1tD8Eiq38Ug_djMbNi4_L3Argk_YvU/s1600/Tokyo+Govt+Office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUcT2ZjKbxugMpJYA1IwcQ5YJxOyx0H-78YuEeg4ETUHZMt8LiRYKFbpfvqBj6oxp8CUZoC7DaXHmzBtk02e0z3W82rF8OG_nha5jfd-EuAbVF1tD8Eiq38Ug_djMbNi4_L3Argk_YvU/s400/Tokyo+Govt+Office.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgE-hSZRkIfflbP55LZkA_rdJY21KsqFSsLEJzZ8z__KcfAP-Xv2M7ZiMx9SPXR0ee3s4j0Fas-Skxyw4EdQGOIZEQA92AApDCECsp0cI9BPxdV0iNZd4QH7RX_6MUtKtBnOqe_gT5no/s1600/tokyo+olympic+stadium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgE-hSZRkIfflbP55LZkA_rdJY21KsqFSsLEJzZ8z__KcfAP-Xv2M7ZiMx9SPXR0ee3s4j0Fas-Skxyw4EdQGOIZEQA92AApDCECsp0cI9BPxdV0iNZd4QH7RX_6MUtKtBnOqe_gT5no/s400/tokyo+olympic+stadium.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tokyo Olympic Stadium and Gymnasium at Yoyogi Park</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvELMbt5XH_FLl2YZTpAGzVPlCHTODLo5PPZFmK4SU_e9B9Iz5dJYeH-AInipTSZq_GlJAkmNf7ggh9j3bOolPdrVCCXfMoJgMjyRsqI4DXn_GkCySiSQCl0-b3QdIGUVnynzvY89zTK0/s1600/Shinjuku+office+towers+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvELMbt5XH_FLl2YZTpAGzVPlCHTODLo5PPZFmK4SU_e9B9Iz5dJYeH-AInipTSZq_GlJAkmNf7ggh9j3bOolPdrVCCXfMoJgMjyRsqI4DXn_GkCySiSQCl0-b3QdIGUVnynzvY89zTK0/s400/Shinjuku+office+towers+3.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Cocoon Building at Shinjuku</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGMrm-bDT6Eg3GgHSCHklu5upJZuFZTxmdDLr7LqyMNrpfpU1-ONDZ9EzgYINm7clXVAINUDqML2Q5ehnv2f9xpNPBRmLk6NSB3QhqWyy3_MWDoAefNRrBjhJa5TZbjbT4aaheerXSog/s1600/P7020171e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGMrm-bDT6Eg3GgHSCHklu5upJZuFZTxmdDLr7LqyMNrpfpU1-ONDZ9EzgYINm7clXVAINUDqML2Q5ehnv2f9xpNPBRmLk6NSB3QhqWyy3_MWDoAefNRrBjhJa5TZbjbT4aaheerXSog/s400/P7020171e.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Kenzo Tange also designed the UOB Bank building in Singapore.<br />
<i>Who's that statue at the front? Never mind him, he's just a white man.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Isn't it strange that how in just a minute or two, your mind can stray from the missal to illuminated crosses to cathedrals in Tokyo to Olympic buildings and banks and then back again?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What? Oh, "Let us pray"?</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
By the way, it might interest you to know that Kenzo Tange died in 2005 and is buried at St Mary Cathedral. It's really worth your while to see this place if you are ever in Tokyo. Better than the usual tourist traps and it's free.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-7482388121137459852011-03-06T22:09:00.008+08:002011-06-16T08:58:53.361+08:00Tokyo DisneylandMy first visit to Tokyo Disneyland was way back in 2002. Since then, I have been back there a total of 6 times, actually 4 times to Disneyland and twice to the adjacent Tokyo Disneysea. I was reminiscing and browsing some old photos when I came across this....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNZBbGj_-jkBUI3JERqm05pXF3KQuaruW2VN1ZNoams3mRDbchha02ruGlv69qNWZfzUt0D4RUGjTixBo_4PmaRW27bU9NFRy_dUPjMWbpqwM0-JdtBpaVVSbNoz1n9vK0NO4edHu1ok/s1600/C68+Disney+Railroad_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNZBbGj_-jkBUI3JERqm05pXF3KQuaruW2VN1ZNoams3mRDbchha02ruGlv69qNWZfzUt0D4RUGjTixBo_4PmaRW27bU9NFRy_dUPjMWbpqwM0-JdtBpaVVSbNoz1n9vK0NO4edHu1ok/s400/C68+Disney+Railroad_small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Pretty mundane, if you think about it, but what struck me were the lines of baby prams and strollers. You have to be there to see this really unique Japanese trait. Somebody parks their stroller in the open space, and pretty soon, everyone follows in neat order. Row after row, like in a car parking lot, except that there are no lines or markings on the floor.<br />
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It simply just happens. You notice this happening at all the attractions, rows and rows of neatly parked baby carriages. And these disappear soon after the ride finishes only to be replaced again in short order by the next group of visitors. Amazing! Such discipline.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Here are some photos of Disneyland taken during my last visit in 2008.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4dGJHQta9vhNxEJXcSr2YO5-97Tpa4L_XPdDbsTDIFdpYaWawU3hQ39rL4aXTcaYf2icY1h3O3-AJB-EhYAaqVWbqo4A9qC0eCHF6HpZ69kLfGiEcNXyroECXSEJF2HTT-bGizpkazw/s1600/C47+Disneyland_40%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4dGJHQta9vhNxEJXcSr2YO5-97Tpa4L_XPdDbsTDIFdpYaWawU3hQ39rL4aXTcaYf2icY1h3O3-AJB-EhYAaqVWbqo4A9qC0eCHF6HpZ69kLfGiEcNXyroECXSEJF2HTT-bGizpkazw/s400/C47+Disneyland_40%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to TDL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQwtkHtob6pwp-jqW7sBsHetHsLq9EpjtA3QX2HEMVD3v_4xAjJSCp9z4nRKBDbEgn0hE5VtxmU_x-XcD87fAVc8PizvwEII8K_cULyUOj44o_OBINa6cDA0SVuf0H7qA7Hc0fsI8s2U/s1600/C52+Disney+Tomorrowland_40%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQwtkHtob6pwp-jqW7sBsHetHsLq9EpjtA3QX2HEMVD3v_4xAjJSCp9z4nRKBDbEgn0hE5VtxmU_x-XcD87fAVc8PizvwEII8K_cULyUOj44o_OBINa6cDA0SVuf0H7qA7Hc0fsI8s2U/s400/C52+Disney+Tomorrowland_40%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomorrowland, futuristic pavillons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoqkSOzHQm_Cx9sdbaZSWRds2tCfYg-f1glbZ5h_j_RBZ8y9w4sAssYXxrPPqYgGlLtmkKNkyWFl_iVDeG8hKl8gX8n9SqpaCi7DfScSVIzCs7IXfE9vO8eW1TyZBEx6jHKQgEzLeCHo/s1600/C54+Space+Mountain_40%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoqkSOzHQm_Cx9sdbaZSWRds2tCfYg-f1glbZ5h_j_RBZ8y9w4sAssYXxrPPqYgGlLtmkKNkyWFl_iVDeG8hKl8gX8n9SqpaCi7DfScSVIzCs7IXfE9vO8eW1TyZBEx6jHKQgEzLeCHo/s400/C54+Space+Mountain_40%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Space Mountain, indoor roller coaster through the dark universe, scarry!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkopSBSJnfQHnve2pUx9lUQtId9kt4Ip9fr9nMcJpNgrCMY5qdpGmCI-caTSqMFwARA9THQ87iTXgsQOjYa177R0_WwhDxm_kMAqCd7gekgJKCRvg9Il4C1zjLyRhA9uoibIyUbNz4mao/s1600/C62+Cinderella+castle+town_40%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkopSBSJnfQHnve2pUx9lUQtId9kt4Ip9fr9nMcJpNgrCMY5qdpGmCI-caTSqMFwARA9THQ87iTXgsQOjYa177R0_WwhDxm_kMAqCd7gekgJKCRvg9Il4C1zjLyRhA9uoibIyUbNz4mao/s400/C62+Cinderella+castle+town_40%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinderella's Castle gift shop, ha ha.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVK8eLTpx8XtZRsey66-IeeLTLYXKdO0vfUzSrZTFK2QUW6lfHmP6M3X_O-cCRSgi3JN7kjPNiItjnYiFplgbMmFG0EBsRTEGxX2r6jRECMndOyM0YovTKIfiqIo1ATVttUes_Jq5Vic/s1600/C63+Cinderella%2527s+Castle_40%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVK8eLTpx8XtZRsey66-IeeLTLYXKdO0vfUzSrZTFK2QUW6lfHmP6M3X_O-cCRSgi3JN7kjPNiItjnYiFplgbMmFG0EBsRTEGxX2r6jRECMndOyM0YovTKIfiqIo1ATVttUes_Jq5Vic/s400/C63+Cinderella%2527s+Castle_40%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinderella's Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqNCjtYabcAGStgv4CsI_RKA58IqYQp855mOmmzr6nF2MiB4rB410AqKEvjknTB5xPGSIhuIDalTqFCfwET-QFccyySJryUogEr6_CeMPOPxIAPp6iWH114yjwq-dJTy55APZv32sZwk/s1600/C66+Castle+from+the+Treehouse_40%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqNCjtYabcAGStgv4CsI_RKA58IqYQp855mOmmzr6nF2MiB4rB410AqKEvjknTB5xPGSIhuIDalTqFCfwET-QFccyySJryUogEr6_CeMPOPxIAPp6iWH114yjwq-dJTy55APZv32sZwk/s400/C66+Castle+from+the+Treehouse_40%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinderella's abode seen from Adventureland tree tops</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPLZi42TghlHq5vjFBk4UATM9Zv5H60sT9Q3K10y8utnWum29ODTFJfZNuAHRtAWiKewnPwJp8tCMzsTgF9VGsmQH2aL689UfOhyphenhyphend8-7hfZcGBdxy0o6q33l_jhW1DSfidA7vEqdgaJs/s1600/C70+River+boats_40%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPLZi42TghlHq5vjFBk4UATM9Zv5H60sT9Q3K10y8utnWum29ODTFJfZNuAHRtAWiKewnPwJp8tCMzsTgF9VGsmQH2aL689UfOhyphenhyphend8-7hfZcGBdxy0o6q33l_jhW1DSfidA7vEqdgaJs/s400/C70+River+boats_40%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River ride, do your own rowing!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yTrvW4BeS2kNfF_Soq2DeK-IfPuV1pc_O8KjULp0gqoNMDbSTLHJqIBobLLsdh8G31FC6p64Ukjb7aK8QMQCdJX95a44muUNJZww_E3S-dlnPlDpk2J0ZcnYx1NxQw3rnFAGWrjWSQw/s1600/C55+Toon+Town+musicians_40%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yTrvW4BeS2kNfF_Soq2DeK-IfPuV1pc_O8KjULp0gqoNMDbSTLHJqIBobLLsdh8G31FC6p64Ukjb7aK8QMQCdJX95a44muUNJZww_E3S-dlnPlDpk2J0ZcnYx1NxQw3rnFAGWrjWSQw/s400/C55+Toon+Town+musicians_40%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musicians</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3qCKU7rKrhHU43uKzuth7b_F8H6ssTpvYI3Z-9dvWAVZzv0UrJUcbDClusZwd48DF5NoTiSN-lvRxpuTF4lBm-9KkXQlCECNHBg3hLEcleQJILloF57jcqPnx1MLMcN1wqj8oL-elws/s1600/C75+Disney+Musicians_40%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3qCKU7rKrhHU43uKzuth7b_F8H6ssTpvYI3Z-9dvWAVZzv0UrJUcbDClusZwd48DF5NoTiSN-lvRxpuTF4lBm-9KkXQlCECNHBg3hLEcleQJILloF57jcqPnx1MLMcN1wqj8oL-elws/s400/C75+Disney+Musicians_40%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marching Band</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh05WaLnf-yv8MnhIN7C_tKD0GmwITjErlcPm5H67qENdR2w1ijgsc3Ypgz-YUCV-GkPwxt0Uv7HaMdx56HrpouRdPVmvw3dP76i5Sk9K7mQoimKMbyUfBRCW2B3wz8vN2pz06cpeu7I4/s1600/C80+Souvenir+store_40%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh05WaLnf-yv8MnhIN7C_tKD0GmwITjErlcPm5H67qENdR2w1ijgsc3Ypgz-YUCV-GkPwxt0Uv7HaMdx56HrpouRdPVmvw3dP76i5Sk9K7mQoimKMbyUfBRCW2B3wz8vN2pz06cpeu7I4/s400/C80+Souvenir+store_40%2525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gift Shop<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631407729160714649.post-77542888160161256162010-11-20T10:44:00.006+08:002011-06-26T19:22:26.051+08:00Diplomacy untangle bottlenecksThe prime ministers of Singapore and Malaysia had recently resolved the decades old impasse over the KTM railway running across the island of Singapore. This rail line <i>(including 33 feet of land on both sides of the track)</i> literally splits Singapore in half from north to south. From the Causeway at Woodlands right into the heart of Singapore to the station at Tanjong Pagar. The land that the rail sits on belongs to Malaysia, being 'given' by the past colonial government.<br />
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This resulted in the most usual immigration clearance found no where else in the world.<br />
By going through the Malaysian immigration point at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, you legally 'enter' Malaysia without even leaving Singapore . <i>What's more, technically you can 'leave' Singapore and 're-enter' by simply getting off the train at Woodlands without ever leaving the country. What a headache for immigration authorities! Haha.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QehYEuDUvIflom6lyP_yPn9VNUbpwD4lUPEmyDqYC0CBbx6eHZa4liKN8K6ZA10g8rVqeO9JL47T-To2XCXceSNgxjiD102_3YGfmPwUqjx2fMLFni0pRWrWke0fJylTuIShWybA5OY/s1600/Hillview+Ave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QehYEuDUvIflom6lyP_yPn9VNUbpwD4lUPEmyDqYC0CBbx6eHZa4liKN8K6ZA10g8rVqeO9JL47T-To2XCXceSNgxjiD102_3YGfmPwUqjx2fMLFni0pRWrWke0fJylTuIShWybA5OY/s400/Hillview+Ave.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Hillview Road passing under the RTM railway track</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My own personal interest on the event being that, <i>finally after decades,</i> I soon won't be stuck at the bottleneck that is Hillview Road. Hillview Road passes<i> under</i> the KTM railway track but as the land belongs to Malaysia, the road has never been widened ever since it was built. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Over the years the underpass evolved into a major choke point. The 2-lane road, fine as it was when built in the 1950s, became a constriction to the growing development in the area. Hopefully, this will be resolved in July 2011, when the Malaysians return the land to Singapore.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I guess the same goes for 2 other bottlenecks caused by the KTM railway line that I know of. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One is at Sunset Way at Clementi and the other at Hindhede Road near Bukit Timah Hill. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQ0w0k6LE0C-wrW2eoX_AzSCzbC8NJkSrlPtSAdAgUGQvLz54Hy5HUntXyiNJPShXvZk5hqvmwKQnGLdcsvzoL1bEVNdgsSq0sSQo6FlTQ1qVtAyPilkYfvaJpyCmeaO8IKfeWE6C4j4/s1600/Sunset+Way.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQ0w0k6LE0C-wrW2eoX_AzSCzbC8NJkSrlPtSAdAgUGQvLz54Hy5HUntXyiNJPShXvZk5hqvmwKQnGLdcsvzoL1bEVNdgsSq0sSQo6FlTQ1qVtAyPilkYfvaJpyCmeaO8IKfeWE6C4j4/s400/Sunset+Way.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Road constriction at Sunset Way, Clementi.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMiQH_AgSdnr2-jOMTyslNXqdb4LJ1h5w2_JECMuecWEdYnzmqfuqYDUqRSBjD2C5MN8PlmgoAu4oI39nzy7R0ENGYoCk-shJWB7On-QwTdWwPdWSTkSa2T8Jspi7ubLbnZxhZ_JLwqA/s1600/Hindhede+Rd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMiQH_AgSdnr2-jOMTyslNXqdb4LJ1h5w2_JECMuecWEdYnzmqfuqYDUqRSBjD2C5MN8PlmgoAu4oI39nzy7R0ENGYoCk-shJWB7On-QwTdWwPdWSTkSa2T8Jspi7ubLbnZxhZ_JLwqA/s400/Hindhede+Rd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Bottleneck at its worst at Hindhede Road, 1 lane passable only.</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0