CHANGI CITY POINT

Today's weather - sunny

I was here at this shopping centre  on 1st May Labour's Day again. This time, I was struck by the strings of transparent decorative pieces. I did not study them closely but the first impression I had was an entire school of transparent jellyfish. They looked so simple yet they were captivating beautiful to me.


In addition, on the way to the MRT, I saw these rotating flower-like metallic wind vanes which reminded me of these new generation rotating decorative lanterns which I saw before on sale at Chinatown and Vivocity. I thought it was a brilliant idea to convert such artistic ornaments into showpieces incorporated in the landscape.

CHANGI CITY POINT

I visited this new shopping centre beside the Expo MRT station and was attracted to the long-legged flamingos situated at the entrance. The shopping centre is actually bigger than I expected and there were a surprising number of people at that time.


The garden in the center looks so manicure but the trees are still young.

CHANGI BEACH PARK

The park looks so different today compared to 3 decades ago. My memory of the place was visiting the beach with my parents and siblings and staying under the shade of those wooden cabins. Other than that, I cannot remember anything about it.

I read somewhere that the beach is popular for sea-burial or rather scattering the dead's cremated ashes into the sea. Other than that, urns of ashes were sometimes found left behind at the bases of the big, mature trees in the park.

Look at the beautiful landscape with Ketapang trees on this side of the park leading to the Changi Jetty. I remember the park was redeveloped by URA a few years ago and a new board walk was built along the coast of the park. So far, I have not been on the trail though. On the other side of the park across the footbridge were coastal trees and palms such as the Casuarina or Common Ru, Sea Hibiscus, Coconut Palm etc.

CHANGI VILLAGE

This is the landscape of the mall near the hawker centre. On both sides are planted with Alstonia scholaris and Xanthostemon chrysanthus trees.

And somewhere planted up a small garden plot below one of the Alstonia trees. Just look at the Lime Plants, white- and pink-flower Periwinkle and some other herb and spice plants. There was a layer of white inorganic mulch which turned out to be seashells, presumably collected from the beaches of the Changi Beach Park in the vicinity. At one of the Xanthostemon trees were hung pots and pots of Dendrobium orchids, which were not for sale.

Then I walked past the Changi bus terminal, which had been around for decades now, on my way to the Changi ferry terminal and Changi Beach Park.

CHANGI VILLAGE - FOOD

I have not been here at the Changi Village hawker centre for a while now although I was here thrice in these 2 years, I think. But before that, I had not visited this place for at least a decade, I gathered.

When I was in the army, I had to book in to my camp at the end of the one of the roads everyday and I would drop by this stall, rain or shine without fail, for their wanton noodles and soup wantons and a neighbouring stall for their coconut drink on a daily basis. Since leaving the army, I only came by the few times for the food and the coconut drink.

But this time round, I had no luck. The stall was closed, and it seemed for good because the signage no longer featured the wanton noodles etc. I guessed the elderly couple retired after so many years of being hawkers.

So I ordered fish ball noodles instead and took away several flavours of pancakes, like what I did the last couple of times. I have a soft spot for the authentic peanut pancakes, and not the types with peanut paste in shopping malls etc.