Monday 23 July 2012

Hot Hot Day in Little India, Singapore

It was a hot hot day today. I wanted to cool off with a kopi-c peng (iced coffee with evaporated milk) when I spotted this old spot along Dunlop Street with its beautiful contrast of dark and light. I hope I did it justice...
Dunlop Street is in Little India, a one-way road connecting Jalan Besar to Serangoon Road. Named after Colonel Samuel Dunlop, the most significant landmark along this street is the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque.

History
The street was probably named after Colonel Samuel Dunlop who served in Singapore as the Inspector-General of Police of the Straits Settlements in 1875 and as a member of the Municipal Commission in 1887. It is also probable that this street was named after A.E. Dunlop, Secretary of the Race Course Committee of the Serangoon area. Before the 1870s, this street was known as Rangasamy Road. This street is a part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's conservation area of Little India.

Key features

The street is mostly lined with modest two-storey shophouses, selling anything from textiles to terracotta pots. They are good examples of terrace shophouse architecture. A few decorative houses are also present. The last charcoal shop in Little India was located on this street. The eateries on the bylanes of this street serving a wide variety, continue to be frequented by tourists and locals.  Abdul Gaffoor Mosque, one of Singapore's oldest mosques, was originally built in 1881. The old mosque was demolished and a new mosque with architecture in Saracenic and Roman themes was erected at the same site in 1910.

Renovated in 2001, the mosque used to serve the religious needs of South Indian Muslims, mostly the Tamils.  Abdul Gaffoor, a trustee of the mosque in the late 1880s, was instrumental in constructing shophouses along Dunlop Street to financially assist in the mosque's maintenance. It was gazetted as a national monument in 1979.

Another endearing landmark that used to be on the street was the P. Govindasamy Pillai (PGP) building.  Pillai was a wealthy Indian businessman who also donated generously for the good of his fellow Indian community in Singapore.  By late 1998, the PGP store had closed, much to the sadness of many Indians in Singapore who remembered the man, his store and kind deeds fondly.  Other buildings situated on this street are the Madras Hotel and Jothi's Building.

Thursday 19 July 2012

Reflecting... (at MacRitchie Reservoir in the evening after an afternoon shower)

End of a long day. Trying to collect my thoughts and planning a few next steps...

There is something very comfortable about staring at a seemingly endless body of water. It's very mesmerising. Very therapeutic.

Saturday 14 July 2012

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore.

In the Flower Dome
Bottle Trees
Left: Olive Tree, Right: Canary Islands Dates
Verandah Bistro at Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay (Chinese: 滨海湾花园) consists of three distinct waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central, set in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown Marina Bay, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir.

Spanning 101 hectares, Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government to transform Singapore from a ‘Garden City’ to a ‘City in a Garden’. The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing 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 is intended to become Singapore’s premier urban outdoor recreation space, and a national icon.

An international competition for the design of the master plan, held in January 2006, attracted more than 70 entries submitted by 170 firms from 24 countries. 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 was completed and opened to the public on 29 June 2012.[1]Bay East has been developed as an interim park in support of the Youth Olympic Games 2010, and is opened to the public since November 2011, allowing an alternate access to the Marina Barrage. The full master plan implementation of Bay East and the development of Bay Central are part of the next phase of development.


A day in Chinatown

Smith Street

Lai Chuen Yuen

Mosque Street



Friday 13 July 2012

Cedele is literally only a "see deli"

Dinner at Cedele.
Cedele by The Bakery Depot was founded by Ms Yeap Cheng Guat in July 1997. After spending many years in the multi-nationals, Ms Yeap decided to put her baking passion to test.

Makanism has been there twice. Both times, the experience has been less than satisfactory and shall not be returning again.