Eat and Prosper

What an apt name for a restaurant! :) What do you think they serve here?

Scroll down for answer :)







- Dyah on mobile blogging

A visit to Eldercare Centre

Its tea break time

A couple of months ago I accompanied Primary 6 children from the school that my son is attending to an Eldercare Centre. I was in my capacity as a parent volunteer. I myself have never been to an eldercare before, so I was as excited as these kids! 

As the nation is ageing, Singapore government put a lot of attention in making sure that their golden citizens is ageing comfortably and gracefully. Taking care of the health matter is important, however paying attention to the welfare and mental health of the senior citizens is equally crucial. 

The daily schedule

An eldercare centre like the one we visited that day helps take care of the mental health of senior citizens. Everyday, a number of senior citizens arrive at this centre to socialize and mingle with other seniors. Some of them are sent by their family members and some of them were fetched by the centre's shuttle van. Soe of them are in good health and very talkative, some are in wheelchairs and very reserved. Some of them have good memory, some have started to show forgetfulness.

An elderly lady is being fetched to go to an eldercare centre.

Prior to coming to an eldercare centre like this one, the elderly need to be registered and pay monthly fee to enjoy the facility. The fee for such centre varies, depending on the condition of the elderly, the facilities and perhaps special treatments they need to get. However as a guideline the monthly fee is roughly around $700 per month for Singapore citizen and PRs, excluding transportation (if needed). You can click this for more info. Some elder care centres (like the one we visited) do accept foreigners but most of them only accept citizens and PRs.

Serving food and drinks to the elderly

So what do these kids usually do during their visit to the eldercare centre? They usually would set up performances to entertain the elderly. Singing, dancing, doing magic or games involving the elderly are so much fun :) 

This is also the time for the students to learn to communicate with people of very different age. From what i observed, these kids very much wanted to talk and share their world with the elderly folks in this centre, which was good of course. However, I reminded them to also make effort to find out more about the elderly and listen to their stories. Well, it is human nature that people want to be heard. The same case as these elderly. So on that day, I asked these kids to exercise their listening skills.  :)

Playing a card game! Who was the winner? :)

So how do i feel after our visit? The visit really humbled me. It serves as a good reminder that we all are going to be in their shoes one day. It made me miss my mom! Yes, my mom is at home safely but I suddenly had the urge to go home and hug her! The visit also made me want to show to my mother how much I love and care for her. I promise myself that i will spend more time with her, whether it is simply having breakfast together or go jalan-jalan with her. 

Ultimately, what the elderly need in their golden years is to spend precious time with their loved ones. Eldercare centres help the elderly go through the day with supervision but nothing can substitute the happiness of being surrounded by their own family. 
So....love thy family love thy mommy and daddy :)

SGMemory Chinatown Photowalk

Recently i went on a photowalk combing Chinatown Singapore. The photowalk was a project which is organized by National Library of Singapore and SGIG and InstaSG, the Instagram communities in Singapore. There were around 20 instagrammers joining the photowalk which was guided by Aik Beng Chia, a well-known streetphotographer from Singapore. The theme of the project is My Home My Library. In fact anyone can contribute their pictures with this theme through Instagram, and hash-tagged the pictures #sgmemory. Pictures should depict things that evoke memories about Singapore, be it about things, food, buildings, people, childhood games, well...it is about anything, actually.

So here is my contribution, (among others that is not labelled under the above subject) for this project. If you wish to see the pictures instead of slide, click this please. Enjoy! 

Povision shops - Wet Markets - Void Decks etc

I found an interesting link from National Heritage Board Singapore when a nephew asked me about wet markets in Singapore. Gotta read it :)

Click this for the link.

Punggol Promenade

Punggol memang di ulu, tapi seru. 
Estate terbaru di Singapura ini masih memiliki banyak tanah kosong (walau mungkin sebentar lagi akan jadi pemandangan langka), masih banyak proyek sedang dibangun.




Park Connector Network-nya adalah surga bagi para peminat olahraga lari dan bersepeda. Park Connector ini menghubungkan Estate Hougang, Sengkang dan Punggol. Sepanjang Park Connector tentu ada tempat beristirahat, tempat berolahraga (fitness corner), tempat berpiknik atau berteduh jika matahari sedang terik. Yang tidak banyak adalah tukang jualan makanan asongan hehehe!



Di Park Connector ini ada tiga taman pengikat, yaitu Punggol Promenade, Punggol Waterway dan Punggol Point. Dari Punggol Promenade kita bisa menyeberang jembatan (jalan kaki) ke Lorong Halus Wetland (lihat gambar di bawah). Dari Punggol Point kita bisa melihat kapal laut yang lalu lalang di pantai timur laut Singapura. 

Di Punggol Jetty / Punggol POint

Jembatan merah di kejauhan membawa kita ke Lorong Halus Wetland

Yang mau sekadar jalan-jalan sore menanti matahari tenggelam pun...bisa turut menikmati taman ini.






Park Connector ini panjang ya, kurang lebih 5 kilometer. Jika anda mau mencoba track ini, jangan lupa membawa bekal minum, dan makanan kecil mungkin? Terutama jika ada anak kecil. :-) Di Punggol Promenade ada beberapa restoran tapi restoran-restoran ini baru buka mulai sore hari. 

Ohya hampir lupa, di sini ada tempat penyewaan sepeda juga, per jam 10 dolar (minimum 2 jam). Info selebihnya bisa cek ini. 



Penggemar fotografi senang jalan-jalan ke sini. Masih banyak burung dan hijau-hijau yang bisa dijadikan obyek foto menarik.

Jadi tunggu apa lagi? Hayok kita ke sini dan jalan-jalan menikmati alam yang masih hijau. Murah, meriah dan senang :-)

Ini peta lokasinya.

Istirahat dulu ...(Punggol Promenade)

Splash! (Punggol Jetty)

Pemandangan di Punggol Jetty

Foto-foto di atas diedit dan diupload di Flickr dan Instagram. Klik linknya jika ingin lihat foto-foto lain ya. 

Untuk yang ingin dapat info paling lengkap tentang Park Connector di daerah Timur Laut, klik link ini ya. 

Terakhir, ini ada video pendek (dari youtube) tentang Punggol Jetty atau Punggol Point Park. Selamat menikmati :-)  

Life is (not) bed of roses - 1

One afternoon at City Square Mall.
It was pouring outside and we were dead tired after shopping for my son's school needs. Looking at my fragile mom who was shivering because of cold and torturing AirCon of the mall and to my son who had started to chant his mantra "I want taxi...i want taxi...." I finally gave up. I decided to follow the mantra, to take a cab home. The boy of course was all smile immediately. 

Went to the taxi stand, the on-duty taxi attendant helped us get a taxi quite fast, which was surprising because usually it is always difficult to get a cab on rainy days.

Anyways...the auntie taxi driver actually was on her way to shift-changing point but she was kind enough to transport us first before making her way to her final destination of that day.

So...we were inside the taxi. Being a curious me, i started asking questions about this auntie driver.

Ms Jane is 48 years old, married with two teenage children. Husband is working, but not as a taxi driver. Sorry forgot to ask about him. Jane and her family live in Yishun.

She works half shift daily, about 11-12 hour starting from 5am and then handover the taxi to her partner to work the other half shift, usually at around 5pm. Prior to handing over the taxi, she must wash and clean the taxi first, thats what she said. 

She said she has got no official day-offs, well indeed it is up to her to manage her time but she tried to spend time with family on Saturdays.

Jane and her partner rent their taxi from a taxi company for $105/day. 
From later check i found out that rental of taxi is between $64/day (Honda) - $116/day (for a Mercedes taxi). Hers is a Hyundai.

Daily cost according to her:
Petrol is around $38/ day
Rental (split half-half with her partner) $52
So she needs to get at least $100/ day to cover the cost of rental and petrol.

Random questions:
Me: So do you get more passengers during festive season like Christmas and New Year?
J: Nope, not on the day itself. In fact, New Year day is the worst day to drive a taxi if you drive in morning shift as most people will still be zzzzz-ing after partying late the night before.

Note to myself: True.
  
Me: Do you ever get lost? (The taxi has got no GPS system)
J: No, not really. I trained myself to always observe landmarks, point of reference etc 

Note to myself: Ehm...yeah, obviously. Something i dont do well when i drive, too dependant on the GPS system.

Me: Is it tiring to work as taxi driver?
J: yes, sometimes. I am married with kids, so at home I still have to do my house chores. That is what usually makes me tired :-)  

Note to myself: Eh...we have some similarities in this area :P

Before we knew it...we had reached our place. The interesting conversation had to end. We exchanged goodbyes. Thank you for the ride and the sharing. Although it was a light and merry conversation, I know you live a tough life. I was glad that my little boy was there to listen to our chat. I do hope he learned a thing or two about the life of a taxi driver in Singapore.

Take care Jane, may you be blessed with good health  and hopefully...we will meet again in the future :-)

For:
 +mita a.rachman +kingaqila@gmail.com  +dyah peni tunjung sari 

When you have time....

to go jalan-jalan...i would suggest you to go to Little India.
Dont forget to bring your camera...or cameraphone, like me :-)

My favourite place to shoot street photography...is Little India. There is always so much things to explore and find and capture!

I've been going to Little India for as long as I can remember, for the food, for the fresh produce, for the cultural happenings (I joined the Thaipusam procession couple of years ago) and...for the abundance subjects to shoot with my camera errr...phone. 

Klick the word Little India above, it will bring you to the map of the area. From Little India MRT, just go along Serangoon Road, go into Norris Rd, Upper Dickson Rd, Dunlop Rd, Veerasamy Rd, Chitty Rd, Kampong Kapor Rd...well, basically every lanes and road in this area. 

You will find this beautiful church Kampong Kapoor Church around Kampong Kapoor and Chitty Road. The parish Rev. Wong invited me to see the inside of the church, including their piped organ. It is beautiful! Will upload the pictures on separate post :-)

You will also find this beautiful Abdul Gaffoor mosque in Dunlop Street. It is hidden among rows of shophouses, so you will only see it when you are already very near to the mosque. Do visit this gem...it is beautifully preserved! 

My sister, aunt, mom and I finally found this gem!

Back Alley. Do you notice the designated parking lot for motorcycle here? :-)

Laundry day today :-)

Something has never changed

Back alley...from the otherside.

Hello Granny :-)

"Hello...this is me"

The Gardens in the City

Don't get dizzy seeing this! :-D

Cloud Forest



Singapore's latest and the most amazing attraction to date is The Gardens by The Bay. It is a huge complex (101 hectares) consisting of two temperature-controlled domes, giant trees, a lake and several themed gardens. Click this to check the map.

The garden was officially opened on 29 June 2012, and has been attracting many many many people, both tourists and locals to check out the place. 

I spent an afternoon at this magnificent garden with family, and it was not enough. I think i have to go there again...to explore the place in details but in the meantime, here are moments that i could immortalize from the trip :-) I only managed to go inside the two domes, flower dome and cloud forest. 

The flower dome replicate cool-dry climate of the Mediterranean regions such as South Africa, California, Spain and Italy. Cacti and beautiful flowers fill this dome. Flower lovers...you will be in awe!!!

The cloud forest showcases plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000-metres sea level.
The moment you enter the dome, you will be welcomed by a tall indoor waterfall!!! Slightly wet attire during the tour was no problem at all for me hehe. 




They all look tiny!!!




Dont leave this complex too early, do stay till sunset for there will be light performance at the Super Trees! The trees will be lighted beautifully....and the view was simply amazing!



The Charges:

For Local Resident:
Adult $12 for one conservatory or $20 for two conservatories.
Senior Citizen (>60 years old) $8 (one conservatory) or $15 (two conservatories)
Child (3-12 years old) $8 or $12

Standard Rate:

Adult and senior citizen $28 for two conservatories
Child $15

OCBC Skyway (the skybridge linking two super trees) $5

Annual Pass
Family Pass (2 adults + 3 children) $180
Individual Adult Pass $68
Senior Citizen Pass $60

How to get there? Just click this to get the info  :-)

Mid-Autumn Festival

It's the time of the year again...to enjoy mooncake while admiring the full moon, hoping to catch a glimpse of lady Chang Er on the moon :-)

Do you want to know the story of lady Chang Er? Click this, however, it is in Indonesian. Will post the English version soon :-)


- Posted from my iPhone

Hang Dry!

It is another sunny day in Singapore!

We do have bamboo poles sticking out of our kitchen window to hang our laundry dry. But if the amount of laundry exceeds the poles capability, we just gotta find a way to hang them dry, don't we?

To use the corridor parapet as a place to hang dry the laundry is quite a common sight especially in older estate, like this. This picture was taken in Everton estate, Outram Park. The tall building at the back is the Pinnacle at Duxton Hill, a 50 storey apartement done by Housing and Development Board (HDB) Singapore. 

Oh gee...(slightly) off the grid

Oh gee...(slightly) off the grid , a photo by Aqila and his gang on Flickr.

Another photo from recent hang out around the Esplanade to Fullerton.

This photo was taken at the Anderson Bridge. Did not realise that this bridge is quite a popular destination among tourists.

More stories about the bridge coming up after this post.

Relax...it's Friday!

Relax...it's Friday! :-), a photo by Aqila and his gang on Flickr.

I got double class-cancellation today. I shouldve felt upset...but i was not. I am kinda tired this week running around doing so many errands and duties... so i welcome my early weekend!

Yaaay....!

This picture was taken a couple of days ago, from the Anderson Bridge. I thought the image is perfect for a relaxing Friday.

Singapore River Cruise is one attraction that you should try when you visit Singapore. The cruise lasts around 40-60 minutes, plying the quays with two different routes that you may chose. Details of the cruise can be found here. 

Have a great weekend all!

Tau Suan

"Tau Suan - Mung Bean soup dessert. Yummy 😊 

Loose hinges

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"Loose hinges. "

Playing with perspective :-) 

This is a picture of Pan Pacific Hotel in Marina Square.

It is interesting to understand the limitation of a cameraphone (mine is an iPhone4) and get something creative out of it :-)

Lucky Number

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"Lucky number. Its Friday everyone! "
(taken at 222 Queen Street)

Was walking along Queen Street towards the direction of Bras Basah MRT station when I came across to this shophouse. Pretty isn't it? 

Deaf Society Flashmob

Documenting this flashmob held in Orchard on 20 May 2012. I have never seen a flashmob before haha!

Its goal was to raise awareness of the use of sign language.

Here are the pictures...it wouldve been better if i get myself more familiar with the dance move, so i could snap at right moments. Oh well...maybe nextime :-)





















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone