Gardens by the Bay : Singapore's newest crown jewels

Gardens by the Bay consists of three distinctive waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central, spanning a total of 101 hectares. They are set in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown Marina Bay, encircling the Marina Reservoir like a green necklace. The Gardens will complement the array of attractions around Marina Bay.

Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government that further transforms Singapore from a ‘Garden City’ to a ‘City in a Garden’, in which the city is woven into a green and floral tapestry. This aims to raise the quality of life in Singapore with a more holistic and all-encompassing programme that enhances greenery and flora in the city. First announced to the public by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the National Day Rally in August 2005, Gardens by the Bay will become Singapore’s premier urban outdoor recreation space, and a national icon.

An international competition for the design of the master plan was held in January 2006 to elicit the best designs for the Gardens. This attracted more than 70 entries submitted by 170 firms from 24 countries, from which two firms – Grant Associates and Gustafson Porter – were eventually awarded the master plan design for the Bay South and Bay East Gardens respectively.

The Gardens are being developed in phases. Bay South is currently being constructed and is slated to be completed by end 2011. Bay East has been developed as an interim park in support of the Youth Olympic Games 2010, and is scheduled to open to the public in late 2011 or early 2012. The full master plan implementation of Bay East and the development of Bay Central are part of the next phase of development.

- from Wikipedia

The Marina Bay enclave has been one of the most dynamic areas in Singapore for the past decade. It has seen the rise of iconic structures such as the Marina Bay Sands and Integrated Resort, the Singapore Flyer, the Helix Bridge and the Marina Barrage. Developments around the area haven't skipped a beat and we are witness to another world-class, eco-friendly initiative - the Gardens by the Bay.

This photo was taken from the Marina Barrage overlooking the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the Singapore CBD skyline:

This one was taken near the Singapore Flyer showing the Flower Dome:

Straits Mosque, Malacca (Masjid Selat Melaka)

The Straits Mosque, Malacca (Masjid Selat Melaka) is one of the better known contemporary attractions in the historic town of Malacca. Lying off the reclaimed isle of Pulau Melaka, this imposing structure looks like it was lifted out of a fairy tale book. Viewed from afar, the mosque appears to float on water. The fusion of colours the mosque with the blue waters and the cloudy yet fiery skies (especially during sunsets) make this place every photographer's dream.

I had the chance to visit this place and take some photos with my colleagues. Here are some of my shots of the place:







PS: I haven't been updating this blog for God-knows-so long; but that will change. Updates may not come as frequent as before, but surely I'll be posting some of my (mis)adventures from time to time.

Flaming Flower

Flaming Flower
Originally uploaded by Badz Manaois

I was trying to upload this photo to my Flickr account when I decided to play around with the filters that come with my GIMP installation. Under the Filters menu, I chose Render --> Nature --> Flame. I tweaked the default settings for this filter and came up with this surreal result. The rendering itself close to 10 minutes; this should be relatively faster on a more powerful computer. The photo somewhat retained its original vivid colors and the soft bokeh. I'm still trying to figure out how to do post processing of my shots; I'll try some infrared stuff later.

Aiza Seguerra @ Singapore Mosaic Music Festival 2009

The 5th annual Mosaic Music Festival in Singapore kicked off last week and will end tomorrow (22 March). This event features a hotchpotch of bands, artists and musicians of different musical genre from across the world. The Esplanade has played host to this modern day Woodstock (sans the booze and drugs) where the musicians play both indoors and outdoors.

I, together with my wife and kids, had the opportunity to watch Aiza Seguerra perform tonight at the festival outside of the Esplanade. The total performer that she is, she was able to captivate the predominantly Filipino crowd with her OPM-laden set. She was a real gem to watch, a dervish with her six-string. Despite the heavy rain before the show and the slight drizzle when it started, the crowd overflowed even to the stairs leading to the Esplanade itself. She closed her set (her first of the night, I wasn't able to watch the last set though) with a tribute to the King of Pinoy Rap, Francis M, who passed away recently. Her rendetion of FrancisM's Kaleidoscope World literally brought the house down.

Here are some of the pictures I had taken including one showing my kids during the meet-and-greet session with Aiza.

Stage with the Singapore Integrated Resort as the backdrop:

Aiza weaves her magic onstage:

Aiza with Amberdawn and Raidon:

Macro Madness - Part 1

Okay, a lot of things has kept me busy the past days; I just might blog about some of these activities when time permits. But I did find some time to fiddle with my camera for a few shots. I've always been fascinated with macros, and I did try my hand on shooting some which I would like to share in this post.

Macro Angel (shot taken from my room):



Lilies (Singapore Botanical Gardens):





Photography has been therapeutic for me; it keeps me relaxed and focused. One need not have the best of the camera bodies nor the finest piece of glass. Even an entry-level P&S can capture vivid pictures. So for those looking for some relaxing and fun activity, try photography. =)

White Tigers Maul Zoo Cleaner to Death

Last Thursday, white tigers attacked and killed a Malaysian working as a cleaner in the Singapore Zoo after the man jumped into their enclosure. It was reported in the papers that the man, apparently showing signs of distress and uneasiness, leapt into the moat of the white tiger exhibit and was attacked. The attack happened in full view of a number of people who tried to distract the tigers away from the man by throwing rocks at them. Keepers and other zoo workers managed to pull the man away when the tigers went back to their den obviously distracted by the raucous crowd. The man, however, died on the way to the hospital.



An endangered species, white tigers are mostly found in the wild in South Asia, predominantly in India. A full grown white tiger could weigh over 100 kg and 8 feet from nose to tail. Their distinctive color is actually due to a genetic condition that strips their fur of the orange pigment, leaving the animal with snow white fur, black stripes and blue eyes.

The zoo has temporarily closed the tiger exhibit.

Siloso Beach Sentosa (Singapore)

Considered as one of the better beaches in Singapore, Siloso Beach lies on the west portion of the southern coast of the island resort of Sentosa. The stretch of beach is home to a number of dining and shopping outlets. However, Siloso beach is better known for the outdoor activities that the beach-going patrons usually engage with such as beach volleyball, canoeing, skim boarding, mountain biking and rollerblading.

Each time my family goes to Sentosa, a Siloso beach stopover is always part of the itinerary. The kids love to frolic by the beach, building sand castles, scouring for sea shells, the usual kidstuff. Me, I just relax and enjoy the scenery. With my wife beside me, of course.

My Bak Kut Teh Discovery

I was walking by the Serangoon Bus Interchange last week when I caught sight of this one coffeeshop where all the patrons appear to be eating the same stuff. The ever curious me (and my grumbling stomach), proceeded to check the place out, albeit, a cursory glance at the stall where the dish was being ordered. Upon closer scrutiny, the dish turned out to be the celebrated Bak Kut Teh.




I ordered one from the auntie manning the stall and asked for extra chili and sauce. It was a tough call since I was really trying to watch my diet and consuming this sinful dish would require me to sweat out (through jogging or basketball) tons of calories. But seeing the satisfied look of the shop's patrons across the table I was seated settled it. Basketball over the weekend for me.

The verdict, it's a must-try dish. The soup base had a not-too-strong peppery aroma and the mix of the herbs and the pork ribs blend to a taste-bud gratifying tang. The meat, soft and tender, seemed to melt in the mouth. Heavenly.

If you are anywhere near the interchange, head north towards the, iirc, 688 coffeeshop. You won't miss the spot, you'll see tables with steaming hot bak kut tehs.

Here's a short and sharp recipe of this wonderful yet easy-to-prepare dish:

Ingredients
1 Spice packet containing:

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 tablespoon white peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon dried hawthorn berries
• 2 whole star anises

500 grams meaty pork ribs

2 whole heads of garlic, unpeeled

2 tablespoon black soya sauce

6-7 cups of water

1 tablespoon salt

Put the pork ribs, spice packet (put the spices in a cloth) and the garlic in a pot. Add water, cover and bring to the boil. Remove the meat scum as it rises. Add soya sauce and salt. Reduce heat and cook until ribs are tender. Serve with white rice and sliced red chilli in dark soya sauce on the side.

Penang's Batu Ferringhi Beach Sunset

Penang Island is part of the second smallest state in Malaysia (after Perlis) Pulau Pinang (Penang). It is the fourth largest island in Malaysia, with an area of 295 square kilometers, and is home to an estimated 680,000 people.

The famed Penang Bridge, one of the longest bridges in Asia and a national landmark, connects the island with mainland Peninsular Malaysia by. The bridge begins at Gelugor on the island and ends in Perai on the mainland. The mainland portion of the Penang state is known as Seberang Perai (formerly known as Province Wellesley), and together with Penang Island and other smaller islands, form the state of Penang.

One of the better beaches in Penang is Batu Ferringhi, off the northern tip of the island. Lining the coastal road are a number of commercial establishments and hotels. The pasar malam, or night market, around this area is famous for the diverse assortment of goods plied.

But one striking scenery that has remained etched in my memory is the sunset by the beach. The contrast between the orange hued sky and the azure water backdrops makes the scene a photographer magnet. The photo I posted here was taken during one of my trips to this magnificent place.

 

Shooting Digitals - Series 2

Tokyo is a very expensive city. I remember ordering ramen from a guy selling with his pushcart by the roadside, thinking that the guy should be selling cheap, and ended up paying over 20 Singa-bucks! That's a week's lunch allowance, with kopi change to spare! Anyways, one of the more prominent landmarks in Tokyo, Japan is the Tokyo Tower. Here's a brief excerpt from Wikipedia regarding this landmark:

Tokyo Tower (東京タワー, Tōkyō-tawā?) is a communications tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At exactly 332.6 meters (1,091 ft), this orange and white lattice tower is the tallest self-supporting steel structure in the world, the tallest artificial structure in Japan and is the 20th tallest tower in the world. Built in 1958, this Eiffel Tower-like structure supports an antenna that broadcasts television and radio signals for important Japanese media outlets such as NHK, TBS and Fuji TV. In recent years, the tower has also been instrumental in furthering Japan's push to switch from an analog signal to digital signal.

In addition to being a television and radio communications tower, Tokyo Tower doubles as a major Tokyo tourist site. Over 2.5 million people annually visit the tower's recreational Foot Town and two observations decks. Foot Town is a 4-story building located directly under the tower that houses several museums, restaurants and shops. Departing from here, guests can also visit the two observation decks. The 2-story Main Observatory is located at 150 meters (492 ft), while the smaller Special Observatory reaches a height of 250 meters (820 ft). (source: Wikipedia)

The second photo was taken from my room's minibar at the Holiday Inn Pudong (Shanghai). I was fascinated by the mix of colors in the menagerie of items, err, sinful and otherwise.



The last picture in this series was taken from a street in Taipei in which most of the food stalls has, for their specialty, stinky tofu on the menu. If you are wondering how "smelly" stinky tofu is, it scores high in my stink-o-meter. This is a stuff made for Fear Factor max edition. Below is a short write-up from Wikipedia on stinky tofu:



Stinky tofu is a form of fermented tofu, which, as the name suggests, has a strong odor. It is a popular snack in East and Southeast Asia, particularly Taiwan, Indonesia, and China, where it is usually found at night markets or roadside stands, or as a side dish in lunch bars.

It is perhaps interesting to note that the words "stinky tofu" is a direct translation of the Mandarin term chou doufu. However, the Mandarin word chou does not have the same negative connotation as the English word "stinky". Chou therefore serves mainly as a factual descriptor and not a judgment on the virtues of the odor. Occasionally chou is translated as "fragrant", but this too imposes a "pleasant" or "flowery" judgment on the term, which does not accurately represent the food either. (source: Wikipedia)

Shooting Digitals

Photography was a hobby of mine which has seen major downtime the past year. I used to bring my digital camera wherever I go, wary that any moment, the "shot of a lifetime" could materialize within view. Sort of, my ticket to being a Nat-Geo wildlife photographer.

But I was rather slow on the trigger. And I sometimes mix up my ISOs and aperture settings, resulting in a Salvador Dali-ish photo. That, or a shot that would make Picasso proud. My macro shots are, well, macaronic and hard to describe.

Why do I wax lyrical about photography so suddenly? Well, my hard drive crashed yesterday, and til now, I have yet to make a full recovery of its contents. It is still accessible, thank goodness, but it was a scare of epic proportions. My family's photos, my travel journal (lucky me for having been to a few interesting places), food pics, and others are stored in this drive. I've made a mental note to get a new hard disk over the weeken and start archiving all my important stuff.

Sample three of the photos I've taken (from my backup) here in Singapore, one of which shows the CBD skyline during the day and one showing it's night view.

 

Here's another one taken during the eve of Hari Raya in Geylang Serai:

Hilarious Pics Series: Funny Sign

Can you spot something peculiar about this sign? My wife and I bumped into this one weekend on our way to the grocery. I nearly doubled up laughing; my wife had to whack me with a Manny Pacquiao-like right-cross as the lady manning (no pun, really) the shop was giving me the "i'm gonna ktfo this fella" stare. 

Toy Collections

Both my kids are fond of collecting toys of all sorts.

My son is currently obsessed with completing his Bionicle collection. I was even prodded to buy him the Bionicle Heroes XBox 360 game after he made marked improvements in his reading and spelling skills; the truth is, I was not keen of buying this game (I was thinking of getting GTA 4 but my wife wouldn't buy the "this-game-is-gonna-improve-his-language-skills" ruse rationale I was trying to pull off convince her with). I digress; I'll create a separate post specifically for this Bionicle collection.

My daughter has a roomful of toys; an assortment of Barbies, stuff toys, keychains and other trinkets, and more. What a relief she is not into toys anymore. At the moment, she is very much into manga and sketching; worth another blog post, I might say. Oh, and she is deep into her assessment exams review; so the less the distractions, the better for her.


Some examples of their toy collections are shown. We plan to buy a glass cabinet or special enclosure for these and the other collections. I want my space (on my hanging cabinet, my computer desk, my store room) back; for my own collections, of course. I need room for my Maxim, FHM, EGM, etc collections. Not.