An Old Track, My New Trail…

How often do you get to walk along an abandoned railway tracks? I bumped on this old and abandoned railway track at Clementi which became my new trail today - to explore the old Jurong Line.

I have noticed a section of the old Jurong line at the bridge over Sungei Ulu Pandan before and kept wondering why there wasn't any train running along the railway tracks. I wasn't even aware that the railway tracks on those bridges were part of the Jurong line. Then I learnt that the old Jurong line was officially closed on the year 1993.

After crosssing the Sunset Way bridge, a short walk along the track brought us to our final destination - the bridge on the River Ulu Pandan.

Some places are just too memorable to be forgotten even they are covered with tall grasses...

Sunset @ Changi Beach...

If you can't bear to wave goodbye to your beloved at the airport, you can always do it here without them seeing your tears...

暂时的分开也是一种幸福。。。祝福您！


Look at these treasures on the beaches...

a HOME on campus...

This $30 million Shaw Foundation Alumni House is open to all former students of NUS and has a business centre for them. It also houses the NUS Alumni Office and several NUS offices like the NUS International Relations Office.

The sprawling National University of Singapore (NUS) Alumni Complex sits in the heart of the Kent Ridge campus. Nestled between the NUS Faculty of Arts & Social Science and its business school, it took more than 2 years and $62 million to build. The complex itself has 2 different buildings - the NUS Society's (NUSS) new Kent Ridge Guild House and the NUS Shaw Foundation Alumni House. Supposedly to reflect the vision of providing NUS graduates with 'a home on campus' and fostering a sense of belonging to the University.


above left: exterior of NUS Alumni Complex
above right: Alumni service centre


above: the facilities in the Alumni service centre

Enchanting Serangoon

Big changes are happening in Little India.

More than just Mustafa and foreign workers, it is now an enclave of arts spaces, boutique condominiums and hip eateries. Yes, along the side streets off the main thoroughfare of Serangoon Road, there is still the whiff of curry powder and the blare of Hindu music. But new entrants adding a comtemporary urban flavour have been popping up among the row of terrace shophouses. And such is the changing vibe with more new buildings coming up, inlcuding an 11-storey shopping mall and a hotel. Also adding vibrancy to Little India are niche art galleries, small musuems and hip eateries. Before we lost the original charm of Little India, let's stroll the streets for some old familar sites...

1. Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (141 Serangoon Road)
Built as early as 1855 by Bengali labourers, this magnificent temple was constructed for the worship of Goddess Kali, the consort of Lord Shiva. Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is thought to be the first temple in Singapore to venerate her. The goddess is often portrayed as having many pairs of arms and hands, each hand carrying weapons of destruction used to fight evil on earth.


Temple doors are covered with tiny bells. Devotees ask God to grant their requests by ringing the bells before entering. Inside, the ceiling is rimmed with statues of the many Hindu Gods while the main shrine housed a jet black statue of Goddess Kali, flanked by her sons Ganesha and Murugam.


2. Drinkz Connection (116 Race Course Road)
This drink wholesaler has been for 10 years, supplying to mini-marts, restaurants and workers dormitories. It opens to the public and prices are 10% cheaper than elsewhere.


3. Museum of Shanghai Toys (MoST) (83 Rowell Road)
This museum houses several thousand tin toys made in Shanghai during the 1910s to 1970s.



4. POST Museum (107 Rowell Road)
This comtemporary art space occupying two shop houses was opened 2 years ago.

5. Hindoo Road Shophouses

This road has 18 stated owned shophouses, some of which are rented to creative ventures including art gallery 'Your Mother Art Gallery' at No. 91 (picture on the right side).

6. Second-hand shops (32 to 39 Upper Weld Road)

These sell used electronic goods such as computers, friges and audio equipments.

7. Haniffa (118 Dunlop Street)

What started as a textile shop has grown to become a department store carrying a wide range of household item, toiletries and even gold & jewellery.

8. Coffee shop (40 Clive Street)

This is believed to be the only single story corner coffee shop in Singapore. More than 30 years old, it was popular amonf the retirees and taxi drivers.

9. Prince of Wales (101 Dunlop Street)

This hostel popular with backpackers also houses a pub and a beer garden.

10. Little India Arts Belts (Kerbau Road)

In 2001, the National Arts Council acquired a row of shophouses as part of its scheme to provide affordable spaces to srt groups and artists. Those housed here include Bhaskar's Arts Academy and Sri Warrisan Som Said.

Above left: Sri Warrisan Som Said

Above right: Bhaskar's Arts Gallery