Covid-19

As I write this blog, Singapore is in the midst of battling the Covid-19 Corona Virus. It has been a tough battle and over the last two and a half months, the government has ratcheted up the control measures progressively to address the unfolding threat. I hope to share my observations and personal reflections about life in Singapore during this pandemic.

The Simple Truth

There are many messages about the virus out there (internet). This is my favourite because it cuts to the chase. This is the message behind the social distancing, work from home initiative, only leave your house for essential items/services and social responsibility.

When the virus was first discovered, little was known about it. Our country was in Dorscon Yellow, which simply means that it was then deemed to be akin to H1N1and/or was being contained. As more was known about the virus and cases increased, we shifted to Dorscon Orange. Medical evidence suggested that it transmits easily and could affect people in different ways. Some have very mild symptoms while others had to be treated in the ICU of hospitals. The elderly, those with chronic sickness and those with low immunity were deemed to be at high risk. Interestingly, young children did not seem to exhibit very severe symptoms. The belief then was the virus is transmitted through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Based on available medical knowledge, there was no need to put on a mask in public places. However, we were told to observe social distancing. As a precaution, each household was issued with 4 masks and told to put it on only when we are unwell and seeking treatment. Being socially responsible was the mantra of the day. Needless to say, masks were in short supply and unscrupulous vendors/individuals were selling a box of 50 masks for $50 or more! I understand that the normal price was about $12 to $15. The government came down hard on these individuals and rightly so.

On 7 February, based on the evolving situation, we switched into Dorscon Orange. This led to a run on the supermarkets. Hoards of worried people rushed to supermarkets and cleaned out the daily essentials - toilet paper, rice, instant noodles, cooking oil, canned food, vegetables, fruits, etc. The authorities came out to assure the public that we had a sufficient stockpile of daily essentials and appealed to everyone not to build their personal stockpile. It was quite interesting. There was an "auntie" who videoed her stockpile of daily essentials and posted it on social media! The situation has since improved but there seems to be a shortage of eggs. I was at the supermarket on the morning of 18 April and this is what the shelf for eggs looked like. This was 5:30 am and thankfully, we managed to buy the eggs we needed. 

Eggs!

The buzzword of the day at the onset of Dorscon Orange was "Business Continuity Plan". We dutifully wrote our BCP and even practiced it with alternate teams. Some of us quickly realised that working from home is not as attractive as it sounded. Personally, it felt like under "house arrest". As with all things, I finally got used to it. One of the key things I found useful in working form home is the importance of daily routines. Without this, the line between work life and personal life gets very blurred.

The Covid-19 situation continued to be challenging. We went through various phases. Initially, there were many imported cases - visitors as well as returning residents. There was a travel advisory to defer all non-essential travel overseas. Despite this, some people still went for holidays simply because they had already paid for the holiday - air tickets, tours, hotel accommodation. Clearly, the severity of the virus had not sunk in. Several returned with Covid-19 as a souvenir! The who came back from overseas had to serve a 14-day Stay Home Notice (SHN). This is legally enforceable and the individual is not allowed to leave the house during this period. Despite this, there was someone who decided to have his Bak Kut Teh despite being served an SHN. He was prosecuted. 

In early April it became mandatory for employers to allow non-essential staff to work from home. This became law on 7 April and all businesses had to allow their non-essential staff to work from home. Approval had to be sought from the authority in cases where staff are needed to perform  essential functions in the office. All schools started Home Based Learning and this will be in effect till 4 May 2020. Also, social gatherings were prohibited.

On 14 April, it became mandatory for everyone who is outside to don a mask.  There were stories about safe distancing ambassadors being abused by the public. At the time of writing this blog, the battlefront is Foreign Workers housed in dormitories. We have seen record high numbers in new Covid-19 cases. I am hopeful that in the coming week, the numbers will start to decline.

It is a sobering time. The tourism sector has nose-dived. Singapore Airlines, once the best and most profitable airline has been paralysed. The F&B sector has tanked, small businesses are in a bad place, freelancers have been hit badly. Even taxis and private hire car businesses have taken a severe beating. The government has drawn on its reserves to bring some relief to individuals and businesses. At this time, we are thankful to our forefathers for their financial prudence.

Our daily living has changed significantly. The photographs below give a glimpse of what it is like.

Playgrounds are closed

No Dining In

Single Entrance to Wet Markets To Enable Crowd Control

I never expected to witness a pandemic of this scale. It has literally brought the world to its knees. However, I think some good learning has come from this unfortunate episode. Hopefully we remember these lessons and not slip into complacency when this is over. The lessons are being  socially responsible, washing our hands with soap and water regularly and putting on a mask when unwell so that we do not infect others. Like they say, "The worst of times bring out the best in people." There have been angels out there who provide free hand sanitisers, taxi drivers who drove healthcare workers to their place of work when others shunned them, kind souls delivering food to those in need including our foreign workers. The list goes on.

Our creature comforts have not been ignored. Just this weekend, Andre Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera was streamed on Youtube. There have been several online concerts too.

On reflection, I wonder if someone is teaching us a lesson - If you don't look after yourself, nobody can. I pray that we get out of this situation soon.

Changi Village

Changi Point Jetty

Changi Village is a place which evokes a sense of nostalgia in me. As a child, I remember spending school holidays in the area. My parents were civil servants and would rent one of the beach front chalets for a week. There were 2 lots of bungalows - one along Telok Paku Road and the other along Netheravon Road. Those along Telok Paku Road were elevated black and white coloured buildings. I assume they were orginally built for British army officers during the colonial era. The bungalows along Netheravon Road were more modern looking.

The week-long breaks at these rented chalets were filled with adventure. My cousins would join us and we would spend the week fishing, swimming, rowing a sampan, climbing trees (occasionally falling from trees). This was the 1970s. It was a simpler time without the distraction of computer games and social media. Recreation was mainly outdoors and we played hard. We would dare one another to swim out to the sailing boats anchored about 40m from the shore. There was "No Fear". The theory was that if you can swim and tread water, you can swim as far out as you wish. If you cannot swim, you used a float, which was the inner tube of a car tyre! Nobody was left out. We learned very quickly that there was something called water current and it is a force you do not mess around with. Thankfully, no harm came to us....just frayed nerves :)

In the evenings, the boisterous boys would sleep in the same room and there could be up to 6 teenagers. We shared jokes, riddles and of course, ghost stories! This kept us up late into the night and I am sure there were strange noises from under the wooden floor at night. I later realised that the young teenage mind is a fertile ground for vivid and wild imagination. We literally frightened ourselves by our own thoughts and unfounded fears.

As I grew into my late teenage years, I was part of the canoe club and used to frequent Changi for our weekly canoe adventures. We would take bus number 2 to the bus terminus and walk to the canoe club. The canoes were made of fibre glass and whenever we did a capsize drill and had to mount the canoe, we would get pricked by the fibre glass thread. It was a really unpleasant sensation.

Later on, in my first job with the airline, my office was a stone's throw away and we would frequent the hawkers' centre during lunch. There was a little pub called Charlie's Corner. This guy had a great selection of beers and pub food like fish and chips, chicken wings, etc. It was a popular hangout joint with airline folks.

Changi Point Jetty is where you would catch a bumboat to Pulau Ubin. The fare was a couple of dollars and the boat would leave when there was a decent crowd. For the die-hard mountain bike enthusiast, you can bring your own bicycle there. No extra charge for the bicycle :)

Bumboat to Pulau Ubin

The area is also great for photography. I caught some of these photos during sunrise. The photographs below do not do this place justice. I just head back to get more flattering shots of this piece of nostalgia.

Sunrise over Changi Creek

Changi Creek

Morning Puff

Cat with an Attitude

I'm Back!

It's been 4 years since my last blog. I cannot remember why I stopped but am glad I managed to remember my log-in. I traced my photo collection to see where I left off and hope to continue this photo blog on a more regular basis. As I rummaged through my photo collection, I came across photographs I took of Kallang Airport and thought deserved mention.

Kallang Airport

This art-deco styled airport was officially opened in 1937 and ceased operations in 1955. The aircraft which used to land frequently was the Douglas DC-3. I understand that the current Old Aiport Road was the runway.

Today, this building stands beside Nicoll Highway as a reminder of a time gone by. It does not look run down but lays unused. I always thought that it would make a great entertainment or exhibition venue. It would also make a fine looking office. Such a pity to see it sit there as a white elephant.
One thing I am thankful for is they did not tear it down. I hope it is gazetted as heritage building.

Reminder of a time gone by

Front entrance of the airport

Gardens By the Bay

I am not a big fan of gardens and for this reason, I never went out of my way to visit Gardens by the Bay. The reason I visited was a friend who told me about the light show and the many wonderful photographs online. I had to see it to believe it.

The event is called "Garden Rhapsody Asian Edition". It is awesome. It is on every evening at 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm till 22 February 2016. If I had to find an adjective to describe this, it is "mesmerising". I am no wordsmith, nor will I pretend to be, so enjoy the photographs.

Little lights outline the Supertrees

The light up begins...

The lights and music transform the giant man-made trees to a magical wonderland

I was expecting Peter Pan to appear....that's how amazing this place is

Like a city of the future....where's the Jetsons?

Why can't we live in townships which look like this?

It was a magical evening and as I made my way out of this magic wonderland, I glanced back and saw this image. There was a sense of mystery around it. I was expecting to see Batman's light signal in the sky. Hahaha...that's my imagination running wild. I love this photo.

A lone supertree watches over the Marina Bay Sands

Bishan Golf Driving Range

Bishan Golf Driving Range

This blog serves as a remembrance to a landmark in my life - the Bishan Golf Driving Range. It's lease ended in December 2015. It will make way for a school. I do not feel a strong emotional attachment over this but felt that it deserved some air time in my blog because it has given me a gift - the love for golf. It is also a landmark nestled between the Ang Mo Kio and Sin Ming area. Why it was called Bishan Golf Driving Range is a mystery to me.

It has been there for a long time. I am sure tens of thousands, if not more have visited the range. It is the home to several golf pros who offer golf lessons. I first visited this range in 1988 with my Dad but I never took golf seriously till 2007.

My son and I took our formal golf lessons there. We have since "graduated" to the golf course but come back frequently to practice and look for our golf pro who continues to give us useful pointers to improve our game. We have become friends because of this game.

Our golf pro is an example of someone who is passionate about sharing the joy of golf . He not only teaches beginners but also organises regular golf games with the more proficient golfers. My guess is that many of these golfers were his students.

There is really not much to say, so I have decided to post some photographs I took before the range was demolished.

Another night shot

Dark clouds looming over the range

Japan in Autumn

Hello Kitty !

We visited Japan in early November 2015. We decided on this trip about four months before. That's unusual considering our track record. There was plenty of time to plan this adventure and the initial plan included an itinerary covering Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and possibly Kobe over 9 days. We researched the Japan Rail (JR) Pass, which gives unlimited travel throughout Japan.....exciting stuff.

Soon, reality set in. I could not see myself lugging a 30kg suitcase around railway stations nor drag this through subways and malls. We then decided to be more pragmatic, which is to station ourselves in Osaka and make day trips to the surrounding areas by train. Turned out that this is not a bad thing to do if you are the type of traveller who enjoys the free-and-easy holiday rather than one packed with as many things as possible in as short a time as possible.

The weather was very pleasant during the time we were there. This is a view from our hotel room. The temperature was a pleasant 18 to 20 degrees Celsius most of the time.

View from our hotel room

We did the usual tourist stuff with the sightseeing. If you love temples, shrines and parks, they are aplenty. We were quite selective with the places we visited as we wanted to take things easy. These are some of the highlights from the sightseeing we did.

Osaka Castle in background

There is a time capsule which was buried in 1970 and will only be opened after 5,000 years! I hope someone has set this in his calendar.

A flock of birds!

I was fortunate to have captured this flock of birds in flight. I always dreamed of a shot like this but never had the opportunity.

Osaka Castle amid the autumn foliage

I was hoping that autumn would be in "full bloom" but looks like we were still little early. Still, there was a hint of autumn foliage.

Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto (Golden Pavilion)

Kinkaku-ji is one of the most busy attractions all year round. It is so busy that they advise the best time to visit is either early in the morning or after they are closed!

Moss covered ground in autumn

We also headed to an area called Pontocho, which has rustic looking little backstreets and we were told that if we were lucky, we could catch some geishas in traditional costumes.

I guess this qualifies as rustic looking

Hmmm....I don't think they are geishas

One evening, we headed to Dotonbori. It is a popular night-spot in Osaka with restaurants and night-life.

The Glico Pocky Man!

This is the iconic Glico Pocky Man. It is amazing how an LED display like this can become so famous.

We had a wonderful dinner at a little restaurant called Kobegyu Steak Ken.  It is not easy to find but the service is second to none. They serve great Kobe beef Teppanyaki style. It is not cheap but well worth the experience. Service is highly personalised and the couple which run the restaurant never have more than 8 or 9 guests to ensure the quality of service.

This is the unassuming entrance to the restaurant!

Instant photo at the end of the meal :)

Chef Ken was most personable. At the end of our dinner, he walked us to the lift (restaurant located on the second floor). When the lift door opened on the ground floor, he was already there to bid us goodbye! That's service!

Our tourist pursuits brought us to a few more interesting places.

Universal Studios Osaka

Still Halloween at Universal Studios

The Japanese love Minions!

Reflection of Hogwarts Castle

Spiderman!

The Parade

The Japanese came all decked out to spend their day at Universal Studios. Many dressed to a theme. Some photos to illustrate this.

Cool outfits

More interesting outfits

We visited Todai-ji Temple in Nara. It is a Buddhist temple which was first built in 728 AD.

Todai-ji

Todai-ji houses a large statue of Buddha

Nice gate !

There are deer roaming freely around the temple grounds. According to the brochures, the deer are gentle and polite. One brochure I read even mentioned that they will bow to you when you feed them. Don't believe that! I had my butt nipped several times when I was trying to get away from them. They look adorable though.

Bambi!

Autumn colours

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is worth a visit. It is much better than the SEA Aquarium we have back home. I find the fish here more lively and interactive.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

These are some of the better photographs I managed to capture.

A playful dolphin

Whale Shark

Beautiful Jellyfish

Penguins having a tiff

Next to Kaiyakun is Tempozan Ferris Wheel. It is worth a ride and gives you a great overview of the Osaka Bay area.

Tempozan Ferris Wheel

Osaka Tower is located in an area called Shinsekai. It is in the older part of Osaka and known to be the seedier part of town. We avoided any possible risk by visiting in the day :)

Osaka Tower from Shinsekai

Osaka is also known as the kitchen of Japan. You never go hungry! Choices are abundant. You can have a meal for as little as 300 yen or 3,000 Yen. The choice is yours :) There are many small shops where you buy your meal at a vending machine, take a seat and your meal is delivered. Singapore can learn from this model given the current shortage of serving staff.

Buy your meals here

We stumbled on a little Italian restaurant in Nara which uses a wood-fired oven to bake pizza. Of course it had to be a Quattro Formaggi ..... Yummy!

Pizza!

We got around by train and I must say that I love the train system in Osaka. It is well organised and works! Is is comfortable and very affordable. A train ride from Kansai International Airport into the city (Nankai) costs about 1,300 Yen (about SGD13) and takes about 45 minutes. The trains are also very comfortable. The seats are bigger and have more leg room than theEconomy Class seat with a major airline :)

Nice train

The culture in Japan continues to fascinate me. The people are so polite, compared to the rest of Asia. Most Japanese speak some English, so getting around is never a problem. Even when they do not, they are very helpful. On our first day in Osaka, we asked an elderly gentleman for directions to the subway and he walked me all the way to the information counter instead of merely saying he does not speak English. I love Japan!