Adventures of a Park Connector Uncle

My Trusty Steed - Iron Eagle

I used to ride my road bike on weekends. Having been on the wrong end of several close shaves, I have given up being a roadie. I decided to explore the Park Connectors and love it. Before I started my adventures, I had to raise my "Iron Eagle" from the annals of neglect. I have had it since 2002 or so. She served me well till 2010 when I was seduced by the thrill of speed on a road bike. With a bit of elbow grease and new tyres, she was set to go.

On 6 July 2013, I decided to torment the Park Connectors from Ang Mo Kio to Punggol. It was quite an adventure. The following photos document the trail I took. The first landmark was the Sengkang Fire Station.

Sengkang Fire Station

I am sure it is equipped with the best facilities and equipment. As I stood there looking at the fire station, I cannot help but sense that there was something missing. After about a minute, I found what I was looking for - character and excitement. It looked rather clinical. Till this day, when I look at the "old-style" fire stations like the one at Hill Street, I feel a certain rush. The older fire stations looked more dramatic and always ready for action. This building did not give me that. Maybe it is because there is no look-out tower.

As I was about to continue my adventure, I saw this pigeon perched on a railing, barely 2 metres from where I was standing. He appeared to be sharing my view, and maybe my thoughts too :)

Mr Pigeon

As I cycled through the Punggol Park Connector, I was greeted by awesome views. I will let the photos do the talking.

So peaceful and serene 

These look like giant bonsais

Is this a pretty view or what?

I soon arrived at Lorong Halus Wetlands and decided to explore it a bit. I saw a pond with water lilies. Somehow, water lilies seem to evoke a sense of calm. I find them almost magical.

Water Lily Pond

Seems to have a magical glow

Looks magical

Family of 3

Busy Bees at Work

Beacon of Light

Twins

As I cycled through Punggol Waterway, I cannot help but envy the lucky folks who have bought their homes here. It reminded me of Venice.

Singapore's National Bird - The Crane at Work :)

Imagine this in your backyard

Complete with water feature

As I neared the end of my adventure, I came across a "kampong". What a magical sight. This was along Lorong Buangkok. Sadly, I am sure its days are numbered in the name of progress. If they have to make way for development, I hope the new buildings show more character than a modern day fire station.

There are still kampongs in Singapore?

It was an awesome ride. According to my iPhone App called "Map My Ride", I covered 28.35 km and burned 1,109 calories on my ride today. Now I can tuck into my Mee Rebus without feeling guilty :)

Reflection...noitcelfeR

Awesome Reflection as rendered by a Nikon D700

In case you are wondering what the second word in the subject header means, it is "Reflection"spelt backwards. Hmmm.....that did not go very well. The human mind is a funny thing. It can sometimes spot minute details in a split second but other times, it stares us in the face and we still don't get it.

Such was my experience some weeks back when I trekked to Punggol end at 5:30 am to photograph the sunrise. It was pitch dark when I arrived at the beach and armed with my tactical torchlight, I could barely make my way along the rock strewn beach. I set up my camera and sat, perched on a rock waiting for mother nature to turn on the lights :) Yup, she turned it on alright, but there was no oomph. The sky lit up gradually, as with every morning for the last I don't know how many thousand years. That morning, there was no pizazz. The lights came on and there was no drama of daylight erupting into life. I took more than 100 shots in the hope that I would catch something. Alas, this was not to be.

OK, if you want to see the best photo of the lot, it would probably be this:

Not worth Printing ... don't waste paper

Sad eh? Only one barely usable photo from the pile. I would not even print it on paper as I feel it is a waste of photo paper :p

Dejected that I had voluntarily deprived myself of sleep that morning, I decided to cut my losses and reward myself with a well deserved Dosa Masala. On my way to the car park, I chanced upon one of the most beautiful reflections I have seen for a long time. (That's the photo at the top of the page.) My son has a better rendition of it because he used an ND (Neutral Density) filter (see below). I thought it looked great. I have never been a big fan of filters, thinking that most things can be fixed post production. I am a convert now :)

Reflection with ND filter as rendered by a Nikon D800

What was my reflection of this Reflection? I was reminded of two quotes:
 "Life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." - Forrest Gump
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." - Dale Carnegie
I have since come up with my own:
"While you are making lemonade, don't forget to smell the roses."

Remember, life is what we make of our journey on earth and not about the destination. Have a good life, everyone :)