my G@Rdening frenzY

PRINCESS SANDY

2012-02-08T23:09:00.000+08:00

These photos were not taken after her frightful night at the fireworks. So she wasn't screaming in fear and resting to recover from the incident.

They were in fact taken on 23 Jan 12. She doesn't like to look at the camera because of the flashlight and was taking a nap on the sofa with her favourite piglet.

BAY EAST - FIREWORKS

2012-02-08T22:54:00.001+08:00

After the fireworks the night before, there was a larger crowd on the night of 4 Feb 12, who came in anticipation of the spectacular fireworks. This has become a popular place for the crowds to gather to see the fireworks fired into the sky in the Marina area. I was told that there was a huge traffic jam along the roads leading to the gardens and the entire car park was full during the 2012 New Year's countdown.

Almost eighty car parks lots were parked with cars by 10 pm, and along the Skyline Promenade were already gathered with more than a hundred people. I brought Sandy along because she had never seen fireworks in the sky before and I felt it would be an eye-opener for her.

So when the fireworks started and lit up the night sky at around 10:29 pm, I was thinking of Katy Perry's "Fireworks". I started taking the photos and videos and was so immersed in the moment that I didn't realize Sandy was no longer at my feet. She probably clamoured my legs with her claws in reaction to the crackling sound but I didn't sense it at all. Fortunately, a group of Muslims kids in the vicinity screamed because they suddenly found Sandy huddling and cowering in fear at the center of their group and I dashed over to cradle and rock her in my arms. I wouldn't know how to find her in this dark night if I really lost her in the gardens. Fortunately, it didn't happen. So Sandy girl, there would be no more fireworks for you.

The last of the fireworks ended around 10:33 pm and the crowds started to disperse. I too left soon after.

ISTANA PARK

2012-02-08T22:29:00.000+08:00

I have not been here for some time now. It had been almost 8 years since I started the floriculture display of annuals at this bed in front of the reflective pool.

The recent display using Celosia cultivar, Cosmos cultivar and Gomphrena globosa is so refreshing.

At the other end of the park, the Dendrobium secundum and either the Rhycostylis, Rhycorides or Aerides (common name: Foxtail Orchid) I tried out on the Filicium decipiens and coconut palm are still around although they were not in flower. I have not seen them in bloom there but I am quite sure they would have done so sometime even though I do not know if anyone has ever noticed or appreciated them. Other orchids, such as the Oncidium on the Angsana tree, were either dead or were presumably removed from the tree branches after pruning.

ORCHARD ROAD

2012-02-08T22:05:00.000+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

This is part of the NParks and NSS's butterfly trail that leads from the Singapore Botanic Gardens to Fort Canning Park. Planted at this area beside the Penang Road is one of my favourite foliage plants, the Pseuderanthemum 'Golden'.

I walked past the plants and suddenly felt an impulse to check out for caterpillars. I was lucky because barely a metre away, I saw something on the underside of one of the leaves. When I flipped the leaf over, I saw this beautiful 5 cm long caterpillar of the Autumn Leaf butterfly. In the past before I learnt about butterflies and their breeding, I might freak out if I saw this, but now I am totally comfortable to even hold it in my palm. With a smile across my face, I turned back the leaf and left the small creature to continue feasting on the leaf after taking these photos.

BAY EAST

2012-02-07T22:15:00.000+08:00

I love the Bidens alba planted along the Skyline Promenade. In fact, it looks better than in the photos. As for the Barleria cristata, it finally flowered after they stopped pruning the shrub and the purple and blue flowers are so lovely.

The sky gradually turned dark and I switched my Nikon camera to the night mode to take the night photos. Under this mode, the whole city skyline and garden looked brighter than it actually was.

OF FLORA & FAUNA

2012-02-07T21:58:00.001+08:00

I posted about the Petrea volubilis before and there I was, standing in front of a clump of Petrea arborea climbers. Like the former, the P. arborea with slightly different textured leaves have light purple flowers but somehow it wasn't as striking to me as the one planted in HortPark and Bay East.

The Ardisia pyramidalis is also not commonly planted out yet but I am sure in time to come, it would gain popularity for its beautiful panicle of pink flowers.

Incidentally, I spotted the Chocolate Pansy or Chocolate Soldier perched on a tree trunk and took its photos. Unlike the one I posted before with broken wings, this one had its wings intact and one could see the orange polka dots.

Add caption

PSEUDOBOMBAX ELLIPTICUM

2012-02-07T21:34:00.003+08:00

The Pseudobombax came into bloom recently and the long red stamens were an instant draw. I definitely noticed it.

SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDENS

2012-02-07T21:23:00.001+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

I was there for the talk recently and saw the CNY decor about 2 weeks ago. The dragon looked so forlorn with its body and limbs all tied up. By now, it should already be free and I should probably stay far away from it since it is my foe.

I think it was after the rain and the garden looked so refreshingly.

CHRONICLE

2012-02-05T23:05:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, it really pays not to know anything about a movie before watching it. I have not seen the poster or read anything about it, so when I watched it, I really had absolutely no idea what to expect.

Starring a cast of unknowns to me made the anticipation even more trying. When I saw a number of kids in the cinema before the movie started, I was kind of worried that it is a kiddy show. But it was all worth it. In fact, I find the storyline very original and I would say I enjoyed the movie very much.

At a party, a pair of cousins Andrew and Matt and another fellow student Steve discovered a hole in the ground and their lives changed completely after they entered it. The trio gradually developed superhuman abilities and they were able to move things through telekinesis as well as defy gravity to fly high up the sky in the clouds. With such super powers, I was thinking that this is a story about how these kids would someday become superheroes but I was so wrong. From playing pranks on others, it became a case of one wielding the powers for personal gain.

Andrew, the most troubled teen amongst them, had a dying mother and suffered abuse at the hands of his alcoholic and jobless father. Things took a turn for the worst and he completely lost it. Steve was killed in the process and Andrew turned on everyone and everything that was in his way. The only person capable of stopping him was his kind and loving cousin Matt. I will not give the ending away but I must say it was all for the best for it to end this way.

JACK AND JILL

2012-02-05T22:25:00.001+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

The weather has cleared up since a week ago. Anyway, I watched this movie recently out of boredom and frankly, it was quite bad. This is the typical Adam Sandler kind of movie but this one really made fun of women, or more specifically the less than pretty or refined ones. Need I say more?

EPIPHYTES

2012-01-27T23:29:00.000+08:00

I attended a talk this afternoon on the subject epiphytes and was inspired to blog about it. The speaker Harry E. Luther, Asst Director (Research) of the Gardens by the Bay and author of the book Native Bromeliads of Florida shared with the audience the vast diversity of epiphytes in the tropics. In simple terms, an epiphyte refers to a plant that grows on another plant for physical support, which is in contrast to parasitic plants that grow likewise but rely on their host plants for nutrition. Some examples of epiphytes include many orchids, some ferns, bromeliads, gesneriads, Hoya and so on.

I am amazed by his wealth of knowledge and experience and was in awe of the beautiful photos he took over the years and showed on the screen for our viewing. It came as no surprise that he featured a lot of bromeliads, known as broms in short, especially since he is a well-known authority on this plant group in the botanical community. Midway through the talk, I realized I didn't take any notes and decided to record some pointers for my own noting. They are briefly as follows:

Hemi-epiphyte - I mentioned this term before in some of my posts and refers to plants e.g. strangling figs, that begin its life as an epiphyte by growing on another plant such as a tree and which eventually sends its roots down to the ground and grow into a self-supporting plant on its own.
Tank bromeliad - This refers to the group of bromeliads e.g. Neoregelia species, with broad leaf bases that overlap each other in a rosette to form a central reservoir, sometimes referred to as an urn or a cup, that functions as a receptacle that collects water, leaf-litter, decaying animals etc. These broms are often excellent biodiversity multipliers.
Bodiversity multiplier - This is the first time I heard this term. The tank broms are regarded as such because their central reservoir of water is an ecosystem on its own and supports a multitude of living organisms up the food chain and web, from the microscopic bacteria and protozoan to the worms, insects, crustaceans, frogs, birds, snakes and so on.
Pteridophyte - This refers to a specific group of vascular plants that do not produce flowers or seeds. These plants are very specialized and reproduce themselves via spores. Ferns and mosses belong to this group. Some common examples of pteridophytic epiphytes include the Bird Nest Fern, Stag Horn Fern.
Broms with large inflorescence of warm coloured flowers - The pollinators of these broms with red and orange-coloured flowers are usually small birds e.g. hummingbirds, sunbirds, which are attracted by the showy colours to visit the flowers for their nectar.
Aeschynanthus is from the Old World and Columnea is from the New World - I have always wonder how we can distinguish between the two easily and today I was rewarded as an attentive listener! It is the first time that I realized that they come from two different worlds. The latter is bird pollinated and its flowers are two-lipped as in typical hummingbird or sunbird pollinated flowers.
Medinilla magnifica - I was reminded of this beautiful epiphyte that is often planted as a ground shrub instead. I first saw photos of it as an epiphyte in the book Tropical Garden Plants and wanted to try planting it on tree forks for years but never got to actually do it. I feel very tempted to try it now.
Broms evolution - Broms are finely attuned to its habitat, which strongly influences its morphological evolution into many different forms e.g. narrow leaves, broad leaves.

Photo taken from websitehttp://mounttotumas.com/wordpress/?p=172

STERCULIA CORDATA

2012-01-27T21:46:00.002+08:00

I took these photos just 5 days ago. It is that time of the year again when this tree sheds its beautiful crown of leaves when the weather cycle changes to one that marks a drier spell. I bet it must have been a nightmare for the cleaners to sweep away the leaves. Let us see how long it takes before the new leaves emerge again.

WEEDS & GARDEN PLANTS

2012-01-27T20:40:00.001+08:00

I always admire such weeds, such as Ficus, growing in crevices of walls and so on for their resilience and ability to overcome the harsh adversities of the site.

I also remembering salvaging some of these Ficus weeds and growing them in pots in my attempt to train them as bonsai plants. Well, that was all in the past.

On the other hand, my resident neighbours must have grown these medicinal and culinary herbs and plants, such as Plectranthus amboinicus, Pomegranate, Chili, in the neighbourhood garden. Frankly, I don't fancy edible garden plants because they are usually very boring to look at with its bland green leaves. That explains why I am still very weak in this area. The only such plant I appreciate is the Vinca rosea I posted earlier.

FOUNTAIN

2012-01-27T20:29:00.000+08:00

This is the kind of fountain I wanted to install at the garden's Visitor Centre. They are simple yet provide some sound and movement to the landscape, which would otherwise be bland and still.

SUNTEC CITY

2012-01-27T20:18:00.001+08:00

I lost steam and interest taking photos of Chinese New Year decor. Anyway, when I was at Suntec City recently, I saw this spider web design and took these few shots although I wasn't particularly amused.

VINCA ROSEA

2012-01-27T20:06:00.000+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

I took these photos a few days ago to show how well this Vinca rosea (synonym: Catharanthus roseus) species with pink flowers and a dark pink eye is growing in the ground. It appears to be more hardy compared to its cultivars which do not seemed to be able to adapt very well to our soils especially when they are too clayey.

This is the species I wanted to plant at the Hub.

BROWNIE

2012-01-22T23:42:00.004+08:00

Let me present Brownie here. Like Sandy, he is a chihuahua but he has more of an apple head than a deer head. Just compare with Sandy and the difference would be more obvious.

PLANT SALES

2012-01-22T23:32:00.001+08:00

It is that time of the year again where there are abundant pots of Citrus plants on sale for the Chinese New Year season. This was taken at Chinatown.

MIRABILIS JALAPA

2012-01-22T23:22:00.000+08:00

I think I mentioned about this huge bush before. Just last week and this morning, I collected more than 50 seeds from this clump of shrubs. They were a mix or yellow and peach coloured flowers but they were few. I bet no one really pays attention to them except me. Given sufficient flowering inducing fertilizers, I am sure there would be more flowers on the plants, much like the ones I used to have along my common corridor.

This is life, I guess. Sometimes we can be everywhere but we can still be unnoticed or ignored. It takes someone with a different perspective to admire or appreciate us. So here I am, and as long as I am still around, this plant will never be relegated to the slums.

GREAT HERON

2012-01-22T18:04:00.000+08:00

I almost missed this resident Great Heron perched on the bank of the garden. It is a majestic bird and I am really fortunate to be able to witness it here ever so often, whether as a solitary fixture in the landscape or in flight.

JPOT JUMBO

2012-01-22T17:54:00.002+08:00

It was the first time I was there at this Harbourfront outlet even though we wanted to check it out some time ago. This is the food spread for 2 persons with 2 different soup bases - tong yum and bak kut teh.

For the kind of money we paid, the variety and serving is not enough to fill our stomachs to the full, unlike the Chong Qing hotpot at Suntec City.

DUCK

2012-01-22T16:15:00.000+08:00

I was so excited when I saw this flock of birds, known as the Lesser Tree Duck or Lesser Whistling Duck because of its characteristic whistling call, at the Singapore Botanic Gardens' ecolake. I have not come across them for a while now and recently, we were talking about attracting them to the garden and creating the niches for it.

This is definitely one interesting project that I am taking on in recent time and it would definitely give me a huge sense of achievement if I am able to bring them in to the garden and make them feel right at home.

When I least expected to see them, I had to see a flock of at least 15-20 of them on a beautiful sunny morning. So there they were, basking under the sun on the lawn or swimming in the water, foraging for food or just simply paddling. Seeing some of them preening each other was so heart warming. I was also fortunate enough to witness a few of them flying and landing in the water right in front of me.

We may not have the Mandarin Duck here but this native bird is just as mesmerizing with its interesting brownish plumage.

PSEUDOBOMBAX

2012-01-22T14:56:00.000+08:00

I saw this tree at the ecolake of the Singapore Botanic Gardens and was drawn by its prominent red new leaf flushes. Upon closer observation, I thought it looked familiar. Is this what I think it is, I asked myself.

I couldn't find any plant label on the tree but suspected this is the Pseudobombax ellipticum that I planted recently at the Hub.

CHOCOLATE

2012-01-22T14:34:00.001+08:00

I was in the van and suddenly I noticed this butterfly perched on the top of the cushion seat. It looked kind of strange to me, especially since it was motionless and its colour was a mix of two shades of brown.

It reminded me somewhat of a Chocolate Pansy or Chocolate Soldier. After taking several photos, it dawned on me that the right side of its wings was damaged. Only half its right wings remained and I was actually staring at part of the upperside of its left wings, hence the odd colouration. This probably explained why it wasn't flying.

Anyway, I placed my finger there and coaxed it to climb onto the finger before transferring it onto a tree branch outside the office. I doubt it would survive long since it was incapable of normal flight but at least it beats dying in a van.

SELEGIE

2012-01-21T20:58:00.002+08:00

This is an old block of flats at Selegie where my classmate and a relative used to stay. After some upgrading a few years ago, the facade definitely looked more presentable.

I passed by the area recently and took these photos of the gardening by the residents of the block. Most of them are making full use of the opening in the railings to grow plants. Anyway, I do think that people who stay in older residences are often more attuned towards growing plants. I absolutely adore the Plumbago capensis or auriculata with blue flowers. Mine is growing through a gap in the corridor wall and hope it would soon look like this.

JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND

2012-01-21T20:31:00.000+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

The story continues from the 2008 movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth" starring Josh Hutcherson and his uncle Brendan Fraser. 4 years later, Josh is back but Brendan is no longer part of this movie. Instead, his stepfather Dwayne Johnson and Vanessa Hudgens joined him in his pursuit of the mysterious island.

I enjoyed the first movie but somehow felt bored with this second one, which seemed to be made for the kids. Everything happened so timely and a lot of stuff seemed very unrealistic e.g. Josh escaped being eaten by a giant lizard, Josh and Dwayne swam 100 feet into the ocean to find the submarine, the submarine arrived in the nick of time. It is like something bad is happening but you know for a certainty that nothing bad will really happen to them because something magical or unimaginable will occur to save them. The ending is also very predictable and happened exactly the way I expected it to as if I was the scriptwriter. At one point, I think I fell asleep.

Anyway, watch out for Josh Hutcherson in the upcoming "The Hunger Games" movie, which I am really looking forward to watching.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

2012-01-15T23:40:00.000+08:00

Based on the title, poster and actors, it is unlikely I would ever suggest watching and even sitting through this two and a half hours suspense-thriller movie. In fact, I have not even read the best-selling trilogy which was adapted into the movie. I was told that the original Swedish movie is better but it came as no surprise to me because which original movie is always better than a remake of it?

So, it is good that I went to watch this movie without an inkling of the storyline. Starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara as the two lead characters, it wasn't apparent at the start how the two seemingly different characters would eventually come together.

It started off with Mickael, played by Daniel Craig, a political magazine publisher, who lost a libel suit against a billionaire and was hired by a retired CEO Henrik Vanger played by Christopher Plummer to write a memoir of him before he dies. Henrik wants Mickael to secretly investigate the disappearance of his then 16 years old niece Harriet in the year 1966 so that there is closure to the mystery that shrouded his family for years.

The investigation led to the meeting of the two to solve the mystery and found the psychopathic serial killer. Daniel Craig's character was rather wimpy and none of his James Bond's character strengths came through here. Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander was the young bisexual social outcast with a brilliant, analytical mind and excellent investigative skills who didn't fit into society's norms in every sense of the word. She adds tattoos to her body to numb the pain that she feels and slowly feels acceptance from the older Mickael.There are a few scenes of their explicit love-making and some violence involving rape and revenge too, which probably earned this a R21 rating here. Her elaborate schemes to thwart the billionaire which caused his eventual death, her pre-meditated revenge on her rapist and her saving of the almost castrated and killed Mickael were a testament of how intelligent and frightening she can be if she sets her mind to doing something.

Initially, I was bewildered by the title of the movie and questioned it. Slowly, it became clear that this movie is not about Harriet or Mickael or any other characters. It is all about Lisbeth and how all these other characters helped us understand her mental psyche and why she did what she did. It ended with her realizing that she was alone once again and it was only her wishful thinking that she could be with Mickael when she saw him leaving for somewhere with his wife in tow after the investigation finally concluded.

So there you go, I enjoyed this unusual non-block buster movie even though it was so damned long.

FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (龙门飞甲)

2012-01-15T22:55:00.000+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

There was a 1992 movie "新龙门客栈" directed by Tsui Hark and starring Lin Ching Hsia, Maggie Cheung, Donnie Yen and so on. This 2011 version is also directed by the same famous director of wuxia movies.

Starring a new cast comprising Jet Li, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Mavis Fan, Gui Lun Mei, it tells a tale set in the Ming Dynasty, where the corrupted East and West Chambers' imperial eunuchs and a group of self-righteous heroes pit against each other, culminating in the battle at the famous Dragon Gate Inn in the desert.

I have always love Zhou Xun and Chen Kun's movies and I was pleasantly surprised to find the latter playing dual roles - one as the cold, crafty and sinister chief eunuch of the East Chamber who was bent of exterminating the rebels and separately as a mischievous treasure hunter who ganged up with other hunters to attempt to steal the imperial treasure buried in a palace that would only be exposed once in every sixty years in the desert for just a matter of hours. However, the excellent acting by Maggie Cheung as the mistress of the Dragon Gate Inn was the best and most unforgettable portrayal thus far and could not be surpassed even by the talented Zhou Xun.

The movie started off well and showed the mark of Tsui Hark although there was a lot of CGI effects this time round compared to the earlier movies. It also reminded me initially of the other famous wuxia movie "东方不败" which I so loved. However, the last scene involving the battle in the eye of the sandstorm was a bit absurd to me. Nevertheless, it is still one of the better wuxia movies of late even though it is not the best.

BUDDLEIA DAVIDII & AUTUMN LEAF

2012-01-12T00:00:00.001+08:00

When I saw a few Autumn Leaf butterflies on the flowers of the Buddleia davidii this afternoon, I was so excited that I told myself I must definitely post about it. Overseas, it was well documented that this flowering plant, which is commonly known as Butterfly Bush or Summer Lilac, is fragrant and is a butterfly nectar plant.

However, I planted this in HortPark but so far, I don't think I have seen it being visited by a butterfly, that is, until today! Anyway, this amazingly beautiful shrub that was propagated by my friend managed to grow so well here. I confirm that the butterflies were visiting it for its nectar because after moving too near to them, they sort of flew off but settled back on the flowers again. And the Autumn Leaf butterflies are a new sighting for me at Bay East. Fortunately, I planted out a lot of its host plants, which means I would likely see its caterpillars soon. It just makes my day!

BAUHINIA KOCKIANA

2012-01-11T23:30:00.000+08:00

I am showing this series of photos to highlight an issue I mentioned before. I commented before that the Bauhinia kockiana (Family: Fabaceae / Leguminosae) should not be planted in troughs like these, which are similar to those on pedestrian overhead bridges and flyovers and so on, with very little soil volume.

In my opinion, it is a mistake to begin with. Just look at the pale green leaves with very obvious interveinal chlorosis. It would look good initially but over time, the fast growing, heavy feeder climber would take up all the nitrogen, iron etc from the soil, resulting in such nutrient deficiency symptoms. It would take lots of fertilizers and regular fertilizing to correct this problem and maintain a healthy looking plant with profuse flowering. Whether it is worth it or not is up to the individual.

By the way, some of the leaf tips are black and this is likely symptomatic of fertilizer burn and / or insufficient water. I know it sounds like a paradox but the fertilizer burn may occur if the quantity of fertilizers, especially inorganic types, used is too excessive and there is inadequate water given to the climber after the fertilizing. For a plant to absorb the ionic nutrients effectively, water is needed to transport them up the plant tissues.

ALSTONIA SCHOLARIS

2012-01-11T22:38:00.001+08:00

The Alstonia trees are flowering again! It is going to fill the air with a devilish fragrance like last year. Oh yes, I think it flowered in January a year ago too.

PHILODENDRON SUBGENUS MECONOSTIGMA

2012-01-11T22:23:00.001+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

This is a photo of a Philodendron (Family: Araceae). And just today, I read of a Philodendron subgenus Meconostigma. To find out more about this subgenus, I think the book "Aroids: Plants of the Arum Family" by Deni Bown can shed some light on it since there seems to be little information on the web on this subgenus.

THE DARKEST HOUR

2012-01-10T23:05:00.000+08:00

I have been waiting anxiously to watch this movie and I finally caught it even though I do know this is not made to be blockbuster or sleeper hit. I think I was right when I saw the cinema rather empty of people. Starring a cast of unknowns, at least to me, it centers around an alien invasion.

Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella and Rachel Taylor are two pairs of long time friends who met in Moscow whilst on holiday separately and encountered invisible aliens. What is disturbing is how these electrically charged aliens sent out current-like talons to capture the humans and pulverized them in a split second.

While trying to reach the US submarine, dispatched to rescue survivors, to return to their homeland, Emile and Olivia lost their two closest friends to the aliens and helplessly watched them being reduced to nothing right under their very noses. I think the film tried to show the huge loss and thus shock they experienced when they lost their closed ones, but it stopped short of that. Indeed, if one is in those shoes, it is rather unbelievable and traumatic to lose a loved one under those circumstances.

Anyway, while it seems like a small cast and perhaps low budget movie, I kind of enjoyed the movie. If one watches it without much expectations, then I guess it wouldn't be a huge disappointment.

313 SOMERSET

2012-01-10T22:40:00.000+08:00

I don't get the theme at 313 Somerset. Who is she and what exactly is she doing?

HORTPARK

2012-01-10T22:33:00.001+08:00

I was at the recent Gardens Bazaar at HortPark. The Plant Story has taken over the former space occupied by Far East Flora, and is selling lots of terrariums of various sizes in the store. I like this unusually shaped container and bird theme. Perhaps there can be a "Finding Nemo" theme featuring underwater fishes?

By the way, I noticed HortPark is now growing one of my favourite terrestrial orchids Arundina graminifolia (common name: Bamboo Orchid) in the water of the Water Garden. This shows that it is actually possible to grow some terrestrial plants in water, just like what Khoo Teck Puat Hospital is doing in their pond.

LANDSCAPE

2012-01-10T22:25:00.003+08:00

Alright, this is not a landscape contained within glass, like a terrarium or conservatory. This is a landscape viewed through the glass by patients waiting for their respective turns to see the specialists at the lobby of the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC).

I don't know about others but I think such a landscape would unknowingly help the anxious patients feel slightly better and less nervous? But rather than looking away from the landscape, it could be more effective if the seats were facing it?

ALSTONIA SCHOLARIS

2012-01-10T22:14:00.002+08:00

The Alstonia scholaris trees are flowering all over the island again recently. No wonder I smelt a certain fragrance in the air.

PLANT SALES

2012-01-10T21:56:00.000+08:00

These are some of the plants on sale at bazaars all over the place for the upcoming Chinese New Year. For those who are familiar with local plant nurseries, they would recognize this Hua Hng Trading Co Pte Ltd at Bah Soon Pah Road.

SCADOXUS MULTIFLORUS

2012-01-10T21:43:00.000+08:00

I always remember the name Haemanthus multiflorus (Family: Amaryllidaceae) rather than Scadoxus multiflorus. Somehow this Blood Lily looks so much bigger than the ones I have seen or grown. Even the inflorescence stalk and flowers are bigger than usual.

MUSHROOMS

2012-01-10T21:36:00.001+08:00

I love mushrooms, not just admiring them but eating them too! I started eating this brand of spicy mushrooms months ago and have been hooked on it since.

CHRISTMAS

2012-01-10T21:33:00.000+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

This Christmas was just over and the decor was immediately replaced with Chinese New Year decor. But who can blame them since the latter is less than a month away.

In fact, this year, the sellers would miss out on a huge cut of business since the period for promoting CNY sales is shorter than before.

By the way, this Christmas tree was taken at Orchard Cineleisure.

胡夏 - 那些年, 九把刀電影

2012-01-03T22:41:00.000+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

When I watched the movie "那些年我们一起追的女孩" (You are the Apple of My Eye) recently, I fell in love with this theme song, especially the chorus part, but completely forgot all about it until I accidentally heard it just now. So I reminded myself that I must post this up before it slips from my memory again.

DUMPLING NOODLE

2012-01-02T01:52:00.000+08:00

I don't like the angle of my photo, but anyway I am showing off this plate of tasty organic dumpling noodle served by a restaurant at the B1 level at Central.

SEIYU AT BUGIS

2012-01-02T01:46:00.001+08:00

This is the silver Christmas decor at Seiyu Bugis, which is of a windmill. Hmm, it reminds me of something else too.

SUNTEC CITY

2012-01-02T01:45:00.000+08:00

I was at Suntec City recently for the porridge buffet on 23 Dec 11 and there was a sighting of a very beautiful silver reindeer with very extensive antlers across at Marina Square!

WEEDS

2012-01-02T01:30:00.003+08:00

I am very sure the Periwinkle weeds growing in the crevice of the manhole cover and drain kerb germinated from the seeds of my parent plant up on my floor.

CENTRAL

2012-01-02T01:26:00.001+08:00

This is the Christmas decor at Central. It's cool!

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS

2012-01-02T01:22:00.000+08:00

Let me introduce them. The 3 chipmunks are Alvin (in red), Simon (green) and Theodore (blue) who were at Cathay cinema to promote their new movie! Yay!

MARINE PARADE

2012-01-02T01:18:00.000+08:00

I have not been to Parkway Parade for years on now. I used to go there almost every weekend when I was staying nearby a decade ago. The hawker centre across the shopping centre still looks the same and there are still the same stalls around.

GUAN YIN TEMPLE

2012-01-02T01:11:00.000+08:00

This was taken on 13 Dec 11 and the temple near Middle Road / Bencoolen Street packs in the most devotees during every 1st and 15th of the lunar calendar who come here to pray for blessings, good luck and so on.

SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDENS

2012-01-02T01:03:00.001+08:00

This was the Christmas decor at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Ah, it is always a pleasure to see the reindeer during the Christmas season.

PUNGGOL WATERWAY

2012-01-02T00:59:00.000+08:00

This is the night view of the recently opened Punggol Waterway by URA that is connected to the Serangoon Park Connector under NParks. A part of it is linked to the bridge leading to the Lorong Halus Wetland.

The design seems to draw inspiration from the Pennisetum, which is planted extensively throughout the linear connector, which came through in the form of the LED cool coloured changing lights along the waterfront and the pedestrian bridge. The public toilet along the way has an interesting design too.

I only managed to walk along the stretch that joins to the Punggol Promenade and stopped for a meal at Popeye but did not explore the rest of the area because it was too quiet and only a few people were around. The site must look very different in the day and I don't know when I will drop by this area again.

CHRISTMAS AT ORCHARD

2012-01-02T00:36:00.002+08:00

These displays show more Christmas decor at Orchard Road. Gold seemed to be the in colour for this stretch of the road.

JAPANESE CURRY

2012-01-02T00:23:00.003+08:00

Japanese curry eateries are in recently and I have been to two recently. The first photo is taken at Nex and the lower two are at 313 Somerset.

LEE HWA JEWELLERY

2012-01-02T00:13:00.002+08:00

It was like through the looking glass and seeing a magical world beyond. It's simple but amazing.

CHRISTMAS AT ORCHARD

2012-01-01T23:58:00.001+08:00

This was the Christmas light-up at Orchard Road and these photos were taken exactly one month ago.

FOURSKIN

2012-01-01T23:51:00.003+08:00

Some stores have such creative names. Fourskin? Who would have thought a shop would be named after this. Anyway, this is the smaller outlet at Heeren and there is another larger outlet at Marina Square.

I like the colourful stuff e.g. bags, they bring in and a bag I am currently using is from here.

PIGEON

2012-01-01T23:33:00.001+08:00

I hate it that I cannot send it my post through my iPhone anymore because I reached the photo limit. I didn't know about this limitation until recently when I encountered problems posting entries using my phone.

Anyway, two nights ago, I saw this pigeon lying on the grass and footpath verge with a few feathers around it. Apparently, it was dead and its eyes were wide opened.

How did it die? Was it poisoned? I guess I would never know. Rest in peace, my little feathered friend.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS

2012-01-01T23:21:00.000+08:00

I didn't watch the first Sherlock Holmes at the movies because I don't like Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law although I vaguely remember watching it on TV, I think. In fact, I have never like both actors.

Anyway, I went to watch the above recently and it was exactly what I expected it to be. Directed by Guy Ritchie, this recent series on the famous detective gave it a completely different twist from the books. Whilst the Sherlock Holmes I read about and remember is a prim, proper and decent detective from Scotland Yard, this one here is an unorthodox, flippant, outrageous and I would say, mad, detective with the ability to Sherlock Holmes is alive, he would flip in his grave, figuratively speaking.

Then again, this is also the success formula for these two action-packed movies, I think. I must admit Robert Downey Jr. played this character very well. His intelligence, sense of humour and humanity is without a doubt what make this character very charismatic and well-received. And when there is Sherlock Holmes, there will always be the more down to earth Dr Watson, played by Jude Law, who really played second fiddle in the two movies. Rachel McAdams had a small part to play and was killed off within minutes into the show.

Like the first movie, the movie was quite long at more than two hours but one would not be too pre-occupied with it because of the fast pace. I may not dislike this movie but then again, it would never make it to my list of favourite movies either.

SARAWAK (KUCHING) PART 5

2012-01-01T21:11:00.000+08:00

Their roads look similar to those in West Malaysia. On the way, I saw a small creek and stopped by to look out for any interesting plants and animals. There were quite a number of freshwater fishes.

On the trip, I saw clusters of Acanthaceae like plants. Finally, we made a stop and upon close inspection, they were actually Clerodendrum myricoides shrubs, albeit with lighter coloured flowers.

At the orchid farm, there was a huge Ceiba pentandra that was in flower. The cotton was everywhere on the ground. In the nursery, they did not have much uncommon plants and in fact, most of them can be found in Singapore. I gathered that what are unusual are those native plants that they protect and grow in their botanical gardens and nature reserves. These plants are protected from being released for commercial propagation and sales.

Near the end of the trip, we went to buy their native products, such as the famous pepper seeds. That was where I saw the Pepper plant on display outside their shop. In the store, they had a team of workers who worked along an assembly line, to pick out the dirt from bird nests that were later repackaged for sales.

SARAWAK (KUCHING) PART 4

2012-01-01T18:09:00.001+08:00

Today's weather - stormy

I wanted to complete the posts on the Sarawak trip before the end of the year but I guess it was not meant to be.

Anyway, we visited the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre and saw a lot of interesting plants e.g. Mesua borneensis (synonym: Kayea borneensis). There were quite a number of fascinating creatures too, such as the yellow centipede. The mosses and Lycopodium growing on the trees and ground were so beautiful.

At the centre, it was Orang Utan feeding time and many tourists actually went there to see the activity. However, the apes remained elusive and just when most people were leaving, a family of them came out, grabbing the food that was tied to the trees to lure them out. We were warned not to get too near to them because there were past vicious attacks on visitors before. So I stood at a distance to capture their photos.

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS

2011-12-31T17:24:00.001+08:00

I don't know if I am going to watch this movie but I certainly watched the cartoon series when I was younger and I just love the way they talked. So, naturally I love the songs they sing too, but anyway I have attached below some video clips of some recent beautiful songs from Lady Gaga and Katy Perry below from the new movie.

SARAWAK (KUCHING) PART 3

2011-12-29T01:32:00.000+08:00

Traditionally, the men have the Tongkat Ali (scientific name: Eurycoma longifolia) to boost their libido whilst the women have the Kacip Fatimah (scientific name: Labisia pumila). Known as the childbirth medicine, it is often used to ease delivery, tighten the reproductive system after birth, regulate menstrual cycle and so on.

I am not sure of the identity of the palm but it certainly has lovely white and red fruits. It was a surprise to see the Congea tomentosa at this nursery area and the flowers looked like sprays of orchids from a certain view. There was also this rare Sanchezia with red bracts that I came across. Unfortunately, it is not available for sale.

Along the journey, we crossed a river and saw a few beautiful trees in the distance. One was a Ficus with spectacularly coloured figs. Too bad, I wasn't able to reach it too. We reached a nursery and I was astonished to find lots of bonsai-shaped topiaries for sale. The owner is from China and indeed I saw a number of plants that originate from China e.g. Loropetalum chinense, Nandina domestica. We left soon after when the approaching dark clouds beckoned us to leave.

SARAWAK (KUCHING) PART 2

2011-12-29T00:24:00.000+08:00

At another area, we saw stands of the uncommon Licuala mattanensis cv. Mapu. Its variegated leaves and slow growth makes it one of the more sought after and expensive palms.

The following day, we visited the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre. They have some of the most beautiful and unusual plants around, such as the Poikilospermum microstachys (Family: Cecropiaceae), Saurauia sp. (Family: Actinidiaceae), Piper porphyrophyllum (Family: Piperaceae), Phaius tankervilliae (Family: Orchidaceae), Cyrtandra vaginata (Family: Gesneriaceae), Musa borneensis (Family: Musaceae), Globba atrosanguinea (Family: Zingiberaceae), Cyrtandra splendens, Homalomena humilis (Family: Araceae), Commelina diffusa (Family: Commelinaceae) and so on. They are simply so amazing!

And it is not a surprise that we had the local kolo mee for lunch! What better place to taste this noodle than at its local origin.

SARAWAK (KUCHING) PART 1

2011-12-28T23:32:00.003+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

This is a much delayed post. Like I mentioned in the post on the Phaius I purchased at the WOC, I realized that I forgot to post anything on the Sarawak (Kuching) trip I went in early March this year. So here goes.

The flight took off around 8:43 am and we reached the Sarawak airport at around 10:36 am. The first thing I saw was the Old Town White Coffee outlet and it reminded me of Mark Lee.

The roadscape reminded me of West Malaysia's landscape. The hotel we stayed in was so posh and I think it was the best hotel I ever stayed in thus far. From the room, I could see the Sarawak river.

We set off soon after and along the way, saw lots of Nepenthes species (Pitcher Plants) growing in its natural habitat along the road. They were all so beautiful and came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The inflorescences of separate male and female flowers were also prominently on display. I particularly like the compact N. ampullaria type of rosette pitchers.

NEW YEAR'S EVE

2011-12-25T23:02:00.000+08:00

Today's weather - sunny

This movie has a strong star-studded cast including (not in alphabetical or appearance order) Halle Berry, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Katherine Heigl, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hilary Swank, Josh Duhamel, Robert De Niro, Lea Michele, Zac Efron, Alyssa Milano and Ryan Seacrest, amongst others.

I love this feel good, light-hearted, romantic comedy following last year's "Valentine's Day", which I sorely missed,which is rolled out at this time of the year to capitalize on the festive occasion of Christmas and New Year's Day. Basically, it kind of trails the events for these characters as time approaches the ball drop countdown event at New York City's Times Square. I guess the message is regardless of how bad the past, or rather current, year is, we should forego the unpleasant events and things that we cannot change but should instead appreciate the good things that happened and look forward for a better upcoming year. We all live in hope.

I particularly like the public speech, shown below, made by Hilary Swank's character Claire Morgan, Vice-President of Times Squares Alliance, when there was a technical glitch during the ball drop event. How splendid and awe-inspiring!

"It's suspended there to remind us before we pop the champagne and celebrate the new year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by. To remember both our triumphs and our missteps, our promises made and broken. The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures or closed ourselves down for fear of getting hurt coz that is what new year is all about - getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about what if and start embracing what would be. So when that ball drops at midnight and it will drop, let's remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other. And not just tonight but all year long."

HORTPARK PART 4

2011-12-24T22:02:00.000+08:00

I didn't have the time to walk through the entire park and so only took snippets of some of the theme gardens.

At the Home Garden, I was extremely pleased to see the slow growing and weird looking Trevesia palmata (common name: Snowflake Tree, Snowflake Aralia; Family: Araliaceae) in bloom. This is a plant I first learnt about in HortPark and have never seen the flowers until now. Although the flowers were not completely opened, it was still an honour to see the actual plant blooming right before my eyes. I was also glad to see the naturalized Impatiens walleriana adding some colour to the green background.

Christmas is just 2 hours away, and what better way to celebrate this festive occasion with a pair of snowy reindeers and red-leaved Poinsettias right in front of the HortPark signage at the main entrance of Hyderabad Road.

As I made my way to Alexandra Road, I noticed most of Floral Walk was relandscaped to give it a new look. So long HortPark and Merry Christmas to all and sundry!

HORTPARK PART 3

2011-12-24T21:45:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite gardens in HortPark has always been the Lifestyle Corner. The design and decor have changed drastically since the park was opened and there are lots of ideas for the public to take home for gardening at home.

The barcode design at the Courtyards is also updated with a new look, which is presumably less maintenance intensive.

HORTPARK PART 2

2011-12-24T21:34:00.000+08:00

This first photo shows the site formerly known as Arbor Garden. The shelter is still around but everything is different now and I have no idea what this new garden is called.

Towards the Butterfly Garden, the extended branches of the sprawling Holmskioldia sanguinea have almost covered the small canal. There was a squirrel that was hiding amongst the branches of the tree next to the enclosure.

The Native Garden has matured over the months and all the plants look so established. The outdoor freshwater aquarium is still there and there are a number of uncommon freshwater fishes in the tank. The Community-in-Bloom (CIB) Garden is now planted with lots of Pandanus plants. One of the latest gardens created, the Garden of Seasons, is looking good although some of the trees were no longer there. I particularly love the variegated Ardisia and Cheilocostus speciosus.

Beside the Silver Garden, I am so happy to see the variegated Beaumontia jerdoniana to be growing so well with numerous sprawling new shoots. It is a pity the plant has not started climbing up the Pterocarpus macrocarpus. The Silver Garden is also undergoing some landscape changes.