West Coast Plaza
Ginza Plaza my kampung shopping mall is gone. Once famous for its many massage parlours and hair saloons, the new mall had been renovated and reopened recently….
Feng shui must have played a part as there is a lot of water scape and curvilinear line at the front entrance. Renamed West Coast Plaza, residents at the sleepy West Coast finally have a place to hang out.
Staples F&B outlets like NewYork2, Starbuck, Sushi Tei, Sakae Sushi now filled the new mall. The uncle must had felt disoriented with these new changes. Well, call this development…
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The shops spread over 3 storey with a central atrium and may be it is a sign of time, not all lots were taken and there was no crowd during the soft opening.
As with all urban mall, family with kids in tow from the neighbourhood was a common sight…
At lots that were not taken, the landlord put up giant posters of famous places to cover up the vacancy. Not a bad idea since a lot of shoppers stopped to take photograph in front of these giant posters.
With catchment from the nearby newly built condo, the taste of West Coasters (hahah…) had upgraded. No wonder upmarket “Cold Storage” took over from old “Shop & Save”.
The neighbourhood aunty and uncle reccing the new environment. But alas, the take up rate of shop lots had been slow as can be seen from the green and red hoarding at the background.
Forgot to mention, there were a lot of spectacle shops in the old mall. Only a handfull is left with some moved over to the HDB shop lots at West Coast market.
This is a new and very welcome addition in West Coast Plaza – money changer!! These guys give good rate and they even deal in Durham. Anyone working in the Emirates can come here to do your money changing.
Development has finally come to the sleepy West Coast. I miss the old shops of the old especially one massage parlour (Xiao Xie) who had relocated to Beauty World but this is life is Singapore. You can expect at least one major changes in your environment every five years.
Marina Barrage
The Pentaxians shooting target for November…. Marina Barrage. Suppose to meet at 4 pm last weekend but was late and so manage to capture a few dusky shots hehehe….
After new water, sea water and now lil dot is converting the Marina Bay into a fresh water reservoir. The Marina Barrage is the gateway that control the water level flowing in/out of the bay. Instead of just a grey static structure, the government is sprucing up the structure with a gallery and some artistic sculptures. Obviously, all these efforts are in anticipation of the influx of the tourist dollars. Come 2010 with the opening of the Garden by the Bay, this concrete structure and the whole Marina South will come to live. This will be my first trip but i will be back. There is just too much to see and shoot here.
#01 Sunset
#02 Pondering the Future
My “Robinson Crusoe” holiday
If you spend most of your life living in an island, you grew to accept the sea as the boundary of your existence. You dont want to go beyond the limit of your beach. You learn to love the beach and everythings that has been written about it…..the wave, sand, sound, smell, sunset, slow walk, nudist etc. ok, maybe except the nudist cos there are none on our beach.
So, it is shameless to say that i spent the last Deepavali holiday in a beach hotel at the fringe of this little island west coast – Sentosa Island. I managed to convince my wife that it was worth our while to visit Sentosa before the integrated resort claim it as a “must-go” crowded & noisy & expensive touristy place. I dont hate tourists but it is just awful seeing all your serene “backyard” turning into one hot tourist spot after another!!
We chose Siloso Beach Resort, it was half finished hotel with no facility except a very nice set-in-nature swimming pool. I have no other choice cos it was the only one with room available below $300++. Ya, i am not only a lazy, but cheapo bugger too. Located within 30 minute drive from my home, Siloso Beach Resort is the perfect destination for the “robinson crusoe” in me. And it come with a nice bonus too, ample empty carpark lots.
The rooms are all sea-facing and the room doors open to face the pool and the lush forest. Nothing to cheer about cos the seaview is nearly non-existence due to the low level (highest floor is 7th storey) and the number of high trees in front of the hotel. Anyway, we were there not for the view and it didnt matter. Really! WE just need a comfortable to do our biz.
If the beach is not your cup of tea, the pool is a good alternative. Nice pool but no semi-naked blonde around though. I was disappointed, just a little bit. Guess the action was at the beach.
We went to watch the “song of the sea” – a dance & song & laser performance. One of those touristy performance that was forgetable that you only go to “kill” time. Silly me wasnt it? You went for a holiday and “kill” time by watching a silly show like this. BTW, the stage is on the left and in the background is our oil refinery complex. The performance had not started yet.
This is my favourite moment. Dinner at the beach bar watching the sunset. The food was lousy and pricey. But we didnt care. It felt so good to just sit there with wifey and watching the sun set in the horizon. Hadnt done this for a long time with wifey, we felt like dating again. We will be back!!
The beach was crowded but not overwhelming. Still no semi-naked blonde in sight. Maybe it was Deepavali and the action was at little India in Serangoon road. My disappointment was complete. Wifey was just so happy to still have the space to walk around with our bare feet on the beach. When she is happy, i am happy too. I am a man easily contented and my disappointment was very soon forgotten.
Sunset at Sentosa… my kodak moment! For one living in an island, i see very little of the beach. This must change. Wifey and i actually feel happpy to be here. This feeling, we want to cherish and perpetuate. If i can have a belated resolution for 2008, this is IT. My relationship with the beach will change. I will see more of you, Beach. Promise!
Watch Show “Tempus” 2007
For one who has not been wearing a watch for the last ten years, i find it strange to actually spend an afternoon yesterday at the “Tempus 2007”, the watch show going on at City Hall Convention Hall at Raffles City. Well, Tempus 2007 is not a “normal” watch show, it is for those who have deep pocket & know their watches. I am neither but free wine and the sight of expensive toys usually will sway me off the trajectory of my mundane life.
Pardon my ignorance, isn’t a watch show is just like a car show with the attendance beautiful models, celebrities & expensive setting? Dawn Yang, the celebrity/blogger was there.
I showed my ignorance when i asked my friend who invited me to the show why there was no ROLEX booth. His reply, “same reason as why you wont find a Toyota Camry in a Ferrari show”. Well, it seems that ROLEX with their relentless marketing, high production rate and low R&D had fallen of the list of high end watch. If Toyota Camry cost about $3,000 in the watch world, i cant wait to see the Ferrari-equivalent!!
Tempus 2007 is definitely an eye opener for me and you can learned a few things too if you are thick-skinned enough to ask those suited “Hour Glass” sale rep manning the booths. According to the rep, a “Richard Mille” watch starts at $64,000 and a Urwerk starts at $90,000. Richard Mille watch is special cos it uses cutting edge material like fibreglass and Urwerk watch is made by “engineers” as compared to craftman.
For less than $10,000 you can have a piece of Francois Junod – a genius in making robotic figurine that can do functions like writing and drawing. Of all the pieces on display, i was marveled at a master piece of a man and a woman in a very compromising position engaging in an activity that is best kept in the bedroom.
I found that the representatives of the major watch brands were more interested to talk to you about the craftmanship and watch making than to actually do a sale. You would learn stuff like the anti-gravity device called “turbillion” that they put into their watches. With this device in, a watch can easily go up another $50,000 above the same model without it. I also learned another word called “complication”. A complication is like a special feature the craftman put into their watch. Turbillion is a complication.
This visit is really educational. At least now i know if i were to splash some hard-earned cash on a high-end watch, i would not go for the production-line Rolex.
Jalan2 at Vivocity
From VivoCity website….
With over 1 million square feet of lettable floor space attracting a diverse mix of over 300 retailers (Takashimaya only has 150 retailers big and small), large event spaces, including an outdoor amphitheatre, a 20,000sf open plaza and a 300m harbour front boardwalk, VivoCityis set to become Singapore’s largest and most diverse retail and lifestyle destination when it opens to the public in October 2006. Designed by world-renowned architect Toyo Ito, VivoCity will be the centre-piece of Singapore’s newest lifestyle hub at the HarbourFront, which also includes Sentosa, Mt Faber, the Singapore Cruise Centre and the St James Power Station.”… and only 15 min by poot2 car from burung pipit’s nest!
A new record for me…. i spent 7 hours yesterday at this humongous shopping complex touted as the lastest lifestyle destination in lil dot!
My verdict…
- i love the linear layout that spans over 3 storeys. easy to find and recce for such a huge building
- breathtaking view… sentosa island and the sea greet you at the rear elevation of the building
- good makan choice for a romantic dinner! most of the restaurants are sea facing
- wide passageway, good for the ladies as less chance of sexual harrassment…
- near to St James Power Station, the lastest & largest minum place in town
- light rail (not in operation yet) linking it to Sentosa Island. Can’t imagine how happening when the integrated resort open later
- good photography location with the sea, sentosa island and bright lights of Vivocity & St James Power Station
Went there after lunch yesterday and this should list as one of the most satisfying shopping trip i had had with Yang Berhormat. Consider that 50% of the shops are not opened yet, the variety that greeted us was not bad at all.
those few that opened yesterday – wardrobe, ybsi (new chain), espirit, charles & keith, pull and bear…..
YB was happy that she manage to find a few items that she really like and within our budget. The fashion shops are mostly mid range and in the popular brand range. To her delight, NAF2, which was not in lil dot, has an outlet here (unfortunately it was not opened during our visit).
Most of the makan places were not opened yet and Sushi Tei had a 1.5 hours queue. We had our tea and dinner at Food Junction at Harbour Front (nearby building) which is connected to Vivocity at the 2nd storey.
Personally i like what i saw at “Pull and Bear”. The sub-culture tees from russia will let you see the country like you never see it before… hip & chic. The denim casual pants are both comfy and appealing… both must have for this Xmas.
We would have wrapped up our evening with a show at the 15-hall cineplex if not for the yet-to-be watched rented video at home that we must return by today. Well, that experience got to wait…
Post note:
Vivocity will be fully open on 1 Dec 2006 (according to papers) and it is linked directly to the 2nd link by the Ayer Rajah Expressway. It is at the end of Ayer Rajah Expressway and about half hour drive from 2nd link without traffic jam. MRT link: Harbour Front MRT
Jalan2 at Bishan Park
Bishan Park… a green lung situated between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, Upper Thomson Road, Kallang River and Marymount Road. Bishan Park is popular with dog lovers and it is common to find dog shows there during the weekends. Was there last weekend for a walk and some photo session with my Canon S3 new toy.
Bishan Park has many mature trees that produce a very cooling and soothing canopy for city kangaroos in this part of little dot…
Besides dog shows, the park is also a popular haunt for youngsters and cyclists. There was no dog show on during my visit, only people running around with their dogs. Lucky one proud owner ( a sweet young girl with flowing long hair) allowed me to take this pic of her lovely dog. I find that it is not difficult to strike up a conversation with dog owners, especially if you offer to take a pic of their pets.
Human beings are not the only one who love this little oasis…
meet mr monty python… a two-foot python with a full tummy resting at the road side. It probably had had a very heavy lunch and i had arosed it from its afternoon siesta.
There was a colony of monkey in the park and they were running from tree to tree. After much effort, i got this shot of mother monkey calling out for its kid. Cocka advised me during our last meet to show some skin in my blog if i want higher traffic, but so far no live model willing to pose for me. No fish, prawn also can lah! Hope the above help! 🙂
The lily pond… a tranquil and peaceful corner of the park. I am sure the many shelters like the one in the background provide the perfect place for a quiet moment for couples in the evening. In fact, i saw a couple doing a PDA (public display of affection) but they saw me first so no tabloid pic here… maybe next time
Boat ride but only for the maintenance guy
Lotus flower in full bloom
Lotus seed
Jalan-jalan on a friday evening
Friday evening, went pak toh with SO at our regular haunt at Jurong Point which is very near our place of work.
Dinner, we ate at Pizza Place…a small cozy corner just opposite Crystal Jade Lah Mein. Was at CJ last week, we waited half an hour for a 15 min meal. What to do, suddenly had this craving for their onion oil Lah Mein.
SO went shopping for bag, was browsing at this shop selling NODA's bags. For a fashion-challenged guy like me, i couldn't help but noticed that these Japan-imported bags are very chic looking and come in reasonable price range of $50 to $80. We didn't buy any as SO couldn't find anyone that she really like. If you ask me, i would have bought the white colour one on the top left hand corner ($60). I like it funky look.
Hahaha just for comparison, if i were to buy a bag, i would probably look for one of these above… men or issit just ME that is boring and colourless?
Hush Puppies…offering 70 percent discount and we bought some stuff for SO's nieces. I still can't figure how you size kids' wears. SO's nieces varies from 5 to 10 years old. But the clothes she bought for them look like more or less the same size to me.
I advertised in both Yellow Pages and Green Book (above). After seeing the above pic…I better cancell my Green Book advertisement next year since now i know what people do with it!
I discovered a national conspiracy at Jurong Point basement…people are siphoning Singapore currency out of the country by remitting their SGD$$ overseas…
…and the scary thing is, it is legal… and there are queues of people everywhere doing it!
Even our Singapore Post is doing it…albeit as an agent! Post Office opening until 8 pm…unheard of when it was a gahmen agency…well, privatisation has its benefit!
Da Vinci Code…the biggest conspiracy of all! In this movie, there are mutants everywhere you turned. i see mutant Magneto masquerading as a holy grail searcher, Sir Leigh Teabring; Dr Octopuss (Spiderman 2) moonlighting as Bishop Aringarosa when he is not wreaking havoc as a multi-tentacle menace and Ron Howard, leaving his Happy Days behind, is venturing into Doom Day with this dark and controversial movie.
Burung Pipit 
