Post Great Race

My working week ended with dinner at Bliss in Ang Mo Kio with a reasonable sized group from nearby MAE branches. We were mistaken for a Humanist group, apparently made up of agnostics, atheists etc who were having a gathering at the same restaurant.
On Monday morning the usual group met at Bishan for a walk to Stadium. The stadium was a hive of activity as workers were preparing it for the South East Asian Games which start on June 5th. There are 11 countries participating in 36 sports. The organizing committee is obviously trying to whip up enthusiasm in this generally non-sporting nation, with lots of red banners flying from HDB flats, posters exhorting people to wear red for Singapore and decorations on the MRT. Obviously not too many of the runners in the photo are eligible to run for Singapore...or any one else for that matter!

Singapore loves rules, even at sporting events.

After forgetting on Friday that I was supposed to be meeting up with my cousin Lyn and her son David, I managed to catch up with them for dinner on Monday night, with Robert and Maria. We had drinks in Telok Ayer passing some very interesting sculptures on the way...ideas for next years Great Race organisers! 

We ate at  Lau Pa Sat or Telok Ayer Market which has long dominated the local landscape with its striking presence. A true Singapore landmark, it was gazetted as a national monument in 1973.

Situated in the heart of the financial district, the market’s distinctive octagonal shape and ornamental columns were first conceived by British architect George Coleman. When the market had to be moved from its original waterfront location and rebuilt in 1894, Municipal Engineer of Singapore and Scotsman James MacRitchie retained its essential shape, but added a graceful clock tower and a new cast-iron supporting structure. The frames were cast in Glasgow before being shipped to and assembled in Singapore.Today, after several facelifts and restorations (its most recent was in June 2014), what you see is still in line with MacRitchie’s original vision. It is a marvel to observe how the soaring arches, fretted eaves and slender Victorian columns topped with intricate filigree work – wrought from the most solid iron – have achieved an airy, delicate lace-like effect.The market has long been converted into a hawker centre offering the best of local cuisine. 

Lau Pa Sat Hawkers Centre

The rest of the week went by catching up on domestics that had been overlooked for the last few weeks, returning to the swimming pool and getting this blog up-to-date.
On Friday I joined with June,Libby and Eric for a walk around Bukit Brown Cemetery, also known to the local community as Kopi Sua or Coffee Hill. It was a public Chinese cemetery that had been established in the early 20th Century. It was the biggest Chinese graveyard outside China.

 In the 1970s, the cemetery faced the threat of being cleared for redevelopment, but it was eventually granted reprieve. Now, the cemetery is home to many bird species and wild life, and has as such become popular again–this time, with nature lovers. Unfortunately a large number of the graves have been removed to make way for a 4-lane road which is under construction. Some of the graves are amazing, there are many beautiful shady trees and despite the heavy machinery we still managed to see a number of birds, some for the first time.

banded woodpecker, pink-necked green pigeon