The Teenage Textbook The Teenage Workbook

 

Such a delight it was to see both books sitting side by side on the shelf of the Singapore Collections in a regional library that I had to (sadly) put back two books from the shortlisted pile in favor of them two.

Because whilst it can be possible to see either book on the shelf at any one point in time, much harder is it to see both books together on the shelf at the same time.

And whilst you can (technically) read either the Textbook or the Workbook on its own, this is one series that I've found best to be read together.

I like to think that it was written to be that way.

See, I've read The Textbook on its own. I've also read The Workbook on its own. But none of those times have left an impression on me as deep as this time when I read The Textbook first, then followed up by the Workbook immediately after.

For the first time in a long while I remember the names of the characters, I remember the name of the junior college, and I remember the name of the principal and the notable teachers.

There was the average-everything dude named Chung Kai, the studious one with the files and notes named Mui Ee (whom had a crush on the playboy Eurasian in the same school), the voluptuous sexy one named Sissy Song (whom everyone thought was a flirt and easy to conquer but who turned out otherwise), the dandy rich one named Loo Kok Sean (who lisped and whom everyone called Sean) and finally the good looking, clean-cut, desirable one named Daniel (something) who turned out to be the younger brother of a teacher in Paya Lebar Junior College named Miss Boon, and who in turn was dating an expatriate fellow teacher named Mir. Mills. Not forgetting, of course, the very strict Principal named E. (something) (something) Subramaniam and whom, in the course of reading the Workbook, would discover a little more about his wife, his family life, and his first name.

There's a lot about Mui Ee, her mother, her aunt, her flat, her neighborhood, and her room. There's also a lot about her mother being traditional and racially biased when it comes to her daughter's boyfriend, and being even more traditional when it comes to her daughter not having a boyfriend whilst she's still in school.

There's also quite a bit about Chung Kai and his father and his family, as much as there is about Daniel, his lovely home, his mother, her friends, and his kitchen which he cooks in. Then there's Sean and the fast car he drives and the parties he goes to, and finally there's Sissy and a tiny little bit about her room, and the magazines in her room.

Altogether the series is a heartwarming, simple, almost-autobiographical one, and for someone who had a year of college during the very time frame that this story is set within- we're talking the 90's- very touching, and very nostalgic even it is to be able to read it once again, in 2020.

At least, through the pages of this story, the teenagers of yesteryear won't forget what Far East Plaza at Scotts Road used to be.

the turn to Tanah Merah

Thankful for the blue skies at East Coast Park on the day that I biked here, and thankful that, despite the intervening years, this place is still here.

With all the developments and construction that take place in our little country, one has come to expect that strategic  spots like these face the possibility of being fenced off, re-developed, and thereby inaccessible to the general public.

And so I'm glad that not only is this place still here, the route getting tp it is much more park-like (prettier lamps and smoother tar)and now boasts the additional structure of a separate-gender washroom and sink.

Great for anyone who needs to use it urgently.

You see, this is like a stopover point, or a rendevouz point- for beyond this spot to the left is the route that will take you through Tanah Merah Besar and the Changi Coastal Road all the way to Changi Beach, Changi Village and Changi Point.

It is a long route- the TMCR (as it is commonly called) and there are nearly no shelters nor vending machines nor rest stops along the entire way. At least not until you're at Changi Beach, but that is a long way ahead.

So this spot here is of pivotal importance to any cyclist familiar with the route either way to and fro- I am one of them- and most, if not all, would have at some time made a stop just to catch a breather, take in the scenery, or inhale the scent of a salty-sea breeze.

No, it's not imagination- the atmosphere really does feel a little different somewhat on this side of town.

It has been a long while, rather, it has felt like a long while since I've swung by here. But this day marks a debut- and like how some things in life are timeless and do wait- may I say that in the very near future I hope I'll have a day to ride Daffy all the way from one end of East Coast Park to Changi Village, cutting through the TMCR, the Changi Beach Park, past the Changi Exhibition Center, and stopping at this lovely scenic spot here.

Tech and the Elderly

Miss Brown has never been familiar with technology. To her, computers, laptops, MP3 players, touchscreen phones and the like are meant for baby boomers and younger, not for someone as senior as her.

It doesn't matter how far technology has come. It doesn't matter how convenient and practical and functional technology has made our lives. Neither does it matter whether said technology has turned lifestyles into the new norm.

She was, and is, fine with her small alphanumeric mobile phone.

However, a few weeks ago, Miss Brown found herself on a video call with her caregiver and son. They'd come regularly- every week, if not, every couple of weeks or so- but they hadn't swung by for some time, and although Miss Brown found it a little puzzling, it seemed that none of her neighbors had visitors anyway.  

The nurses explained to her that visitors would not be able to come for a while, and they'd make it such that they could still call and talk to her and see her on the phone.

At first Miss Brown didn't understand, and then one Sunday afternoon the staff nurse got her out of her bed and had her seated on the pink gerry chair. A mobile phone was set up- its screen facing her- and then the nurse pressed a few buttons on the screen.  
 A while later a face appeared, and then suddenly the screen changed. Two faces- one of her caregiver, and the other of her son- replaced the previous picture, but unlike that one, this one on the screen was moving. It was like watching a very small television but the ones on the screen were people she knew. It was a little confusing. How did their faces appear so quickly on screen, and how was it that she could see them waving cheerfully at her? Where did they pop up from?

Not just that, her own face was on an even smaller screen at the bottom right corner! So she was looking at herself and looking at the two of them at the same time? For a moment Miss Brown didn't know where to look. She heard her caregiver's voice. She heard her son's voice. So they were on screen? They were filming themselves? She was being filmed?

During the entire phone call Miss Brown flicked her eyes repeatedly from the large screen to the small to the large to the small and then back to the large again. It was hard to tell where she was supposed to look! It was so new! So very, very new! Then she tried concentrating, but the more she concentrated, the more they thought she was confused and suddenly three people were all talking at the same time. The nurse behind gesticulated for her to look at the large screen and wave. Her caregiver waved eagerly at her and somewhere hidden behind the large screen was her son whom she could recognize with his new hair.

It was hard to recognize them when they were on screen like this, Miss Brown thought, and then she heard her son ask her a question that was remarkably familiar to her. She recognized that question. It was something he always- without fail- asked of her whenever he came, and he always demanded an answer from her.

So yeah, funny as this technology was, funny as it was having to stare weirdly at the front of the phone, that was her son, and her caregiver on the other side of the screen after all.

DDD in the Time of CB

  

You know, I'd like to think that it is for Very Good Reason that the outlets of Don Don Donki islandwide continue to remain open during the Circuit Breaker period.

It isn't only because they are essential- even though they are- with their supply of fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, fresh milk, fresh seafood, fresh meats and ready-prepped meals.

It also isn't only because they have the essentials one needs for self preservation, self-respect, and self care (toiletries and lotions and toys and nail polish and ice cream and floor cleaner)

But it is because they have two things that other supermarkets don't.

They have the brightest, happiest-looking shelving system I've never seen elsewhere .

And they have a jingle that plays nonstop and so rings nonstop in your head.

You might think it unimportant- who cares about colors and maze-like shelves and bright colored postcards written with marker? You might also think it unnecessary- after all the guidelines are such that you're supposed to just go in, grab what you want, and go.

But it is precisely because we're supposed to be at home as much as possible and not come out except for essentials that these colorful shelves, bright colors, and handwritten placards become important.

I've said it before, but any opportunity to cheer up oneself and gear up for the day is a welcome one. It is in a time like this that we need colors, we need lively music and we need entertainment in skilful, yet functional visuals.

Okay, maybe they are meant to encourage you to buy (and buy) but we cannot deny that a happy sight creates a happy heart. 

This is a place that helps you kill time, lets you (at good times) wander aimlessly amongst the shelves even if you're in some sort of daze, and welcomes you to be curious about their products, their variety, and their merchandise.

The colors here are wonderful, bright and cheery. At first look they seem disorganized, but look closer and you will realize that within the supposed chaos lies a system that matches item for item, color for color, purpose for purpose, and DDD cuts no difference between a child's love for gummy sweets, or an adult's love for them.

Near the shelves of the instant noodles are the shelves for sticks of (very serious looking) coffee and tea. Near the shelves of sweetened coffee and fructose laden fruit juices are the bottles of unsweetened green, and lavender flower tea.

There is really something for everyone.

No one stops you if you decide to check out the stacks of Calbee's healthy  cereals. No one looks at you funny when you stand confused in front of the shelf filled with (so many kinds!) of instant ramen and wonder which flavor you should buy. And no one gives a hoot when you hover between the displays of fragrant shampoos and lotions trying to decide which scent will boost your mood better in the bathroom of your home.
 
I should know.

Before CB started, there was this one day where I felt kind of pensive and kind of emo and kind of low, but because I had a bit of time to kill, I took a gander into the outlet at Orchard Central.

Don't ask me what happened, but somewhere whilst wandering between the displays of airflown salmon, rolls of sushi, and meats for Yakiniku, somewhere between dazedly gazing at the shelves of biscuits and potato chips and instant noodles and bottled tea, my mood lifted.

Significantly.

That feeling of oddity was gone. That emo emo vibe was gone. I found myself singing along unconsciously to the "Donki! Donki!" part of the jingle. And I felt so lively that I marched back home armed with one platter of Omurice (the egg omelet over rice dish) and one platter of Teriyaki chicken.  

Even though I had been planning to dine on Nissin's Kyushu White Instant Noodle.

Strolling Sights: broadcast, buildings And beams

 

 



There are some places on this earth that you know that you'll swing by once, and then, in all probability, will not go back there again.

 

It isn't because the place doesn't interest you. (You wouldn't have been there in the first place) It isn't because the place leaves you with nasty memories. And it isn't because the place disappointed you.

 

But you know you won't go back there again because you've seen the best of the place, you've seen more than what the place usually offers, and you want to keep it that way.

 

This place here at Andrew Road is one of the most exclusive places on the island. It isn't a large place by international standards- we're talking the lots of Universal and Paramount and Shaw- but the influence it wields over four million people spanning three generations?

 

WHOA.

 

Ask any local if they can name the lead couple from 80s drama Awakenings and chances are they'll have the answer a minute or less. Ask any millennial who the lead actress was from that kampung primary school show in the 90s and they'll tell you straightaway. No need to think one. Of course of us can forget the hottest actress in 1995 (Fann Wong) nor can we forget the drama that involved lots and lots of paper cranes, and which had a good number of us making paper cranes. There was the season of the "army, the navy, and the air force". There was the season of the wuxia. Then there was the season of the nine-layer kueh and the kopitiam.

 

From here, news domestic and international got broadcasted to four million people, plus the people up north in JB and down south in Batam. From here expert opinions, interviews, documentaries, variety shows and sitcoms got broadcasted to every living room that had an antenna and a television. It wasn't just the TV. It was also the radio. For it was from here that radio stations played music, did live shows, and ran news updates over the frequencies and the airwaves.

 

Caldecott's pool of artistes are (for most of them) household names, and even if you don't know who they are or which show they were in, well, it's not difficult to discover.

 

Very, very few of us fail to remember what we've watched, and what we've seen. Doesn't matter whether we like it or not, doesn't matter whether we find it cheesy or not- we just will know it.

 

They've been here at Andrew Road for what must have been a very long time, and an inspiration I would say they have been to many a person.

 

Myself included.

 

At 15 I wanted to be at Caldecott Hill.

 

At 15 I thought I had made it as far as I would, and could, to be here at Caldecott Hill.

 

What I didn't know then was that it would take me more than twenty years before I would embark on a journey to come back here again.

 

Twenty years is a long time.

 

What was TCS then is now Mediacorp. What was at Andrew Road then is now at Stars Avenue somewhere in the vicinity of Rochester and Portsdown.

 

And so it was to a vacant, empty, (abandoned) Caldecott Hill that I came. The fences were up. The gates were shut, locked, secured. There was no one in the buildings, no one at the walkway, no car at the car park, no Mediacorp bus going in and out, nothing. The whole place was quiet, and silent. Not a soul moved through the property. Not a soul moved in and out of the gates. There were no groups of fans waiting at the front entrance holding placards waiting for their favorite stars to appear. There were no vehicles waiting for drop off or pick up at the main entrance. There were no taxis.

 

The whole place looked like it had once returned to what it used to be.

 

But I liked it.

 

I had gone there with an open mind. And because there was nothing in the head of what I intended to see, the place gave me a perspective I never expected to have. 

 

Let's just say that I saw the place as I had never seen it before. Let's just say that I heard the silence of the place speak in a way that it wouldn't have spoken before. And let's just say that I didn't think this place we call Caldecott Hill held such mesmerizing beauty when seen in the light of an early evening sun.

from the pool of Courtyard Novena

 



 

 A central location this hotel indeed has, when, from the rooftop pool, you get an uninterrupted view as marvellous as this on all three sides.

I didn't know what to expect when I took the lift up, and so it came as a surprise when from here in a single spot on one side, I could see Newton Road curve its way down towards the skyscrapers of Orchard Road, River Valley and beyond, I could see the pretty residential houses bordered by Chancery Lane, Newton and Dunearn Road, and further on, I could see the vast green of the Central Catchment Area all the way up to Bukit Timah Hill peeking out over the horizon.

From here I could see westwards all the way along the stretch of Bukit Timah Road towards Clementi. I could see southwards past the skyscrapers of Orchard towards the River Valley district behind and the Tanjong Pagar district further back still. And I could see, on the other side, the buildings that lay eastwards towards Downtown (in the distance) and, further still, Kallang.

This was a semicircular view.

I loved it.

I loved how it made me realize just how a person's perspective could change when evolving from a micro view to that of a macro. I loved how I never knew just how the island looked from a place this central at a spot as elevated as this. And more importantly, I loved how this view was now open to just about anyone and everyone who might desire it at any one point in time- without any barriers, social, educational or otherwise. 

This view might have been lovelier seen in the dusky light of the setting sun, but beautiful it was on this bright, sunny late morning, nonetheless.

Who would have thought that from a birds' eye as this, one would be able to see how the edge of these lovely homes gave way to the dark green foilage of the Police Academy leading to more green foilage seemingly in the middle of nowhere that would eventually lead to the trees surrounding Lornie, MacRitchie, Seletar and Mandai?

And who would have thought that for many years a view similar to this could lead one to have an overwhelming sense of awe at the influence such a view produced?

Yes, it is a cynical perspective, but one I'd believe, to be very true.

For it is at a spot as this that you realize just how many people there are living on this tiny little island, you realize just how many individual lives there are that exist on our arable land, and you realize just how these lives, unknown yet unique, from distinctly separate circles can actually be connected in a complicated, yet directed, Venn sort of way. 

Hello, Michael (Hotel)

 

 

Coming back to Hotel Michael for a staycay this time had me seeing the place through different eyes as compared to the last.

 

It wasn't because the place had changed. 

 

It was because I had changed. 

 

TO be clear, it wasn't I who had changed, but it were that the circumstances in my life had changed. 

 

Where at one time I was here for a work trip and had to rush through paperwork in one single night to be on time for an early morning submission the next day, this time there was no such deadline obligation and I had the freedom of mind to go out onto the balcony and admire the view.

 

Where at one time my colleague had to wake up early just to go down to the (then) Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf just to do the necessary online submissions before the start of day, this time there was complimentary wifi in the room for one's use.

 

Better yet, best in fact, the purpose for those wee hour submissions was concluded, done with, and over.

 

It was a very liberating feeling to be coming back here this time.

 

For once I could really, really look at the scenery.

 

For once I could really, really appreciate the room without having to think about utilizing the space (papers!!!).

 

And for once I could really, really lounge on the comfortable bed and watch my ongoing drama with a bag of snacks (the edamame ones from Daiso!) by my side.

 

A wonderful thing it was, then, that the room was the same as it had been like the very first time. Her furniture, honey-hued and covered with maple wood, was as wide and bold as I remembered it to be. Her bathroom- with wide basin, her distinctive round-shaped shower area and her shiny blue mosaic tiles- was the same. And in the corner of the room stood the circular-shaped mini bar area with coffee and sachets of TWG tea.

 

The view from the room that I had this time was different from the first, or even earlier times.

 

Often it was that I would get either the view that overlooked the large fountain below (and from which I got to see the 930pm show) or the view that overlooked parts of the theme park and the rails of the Sentosa Express.  

 

This time I got a view of the roller coaster (which was still running, by the way), little sections of Artillery Avenue down below, and parts of the newly opened Barracks Hotel opposite.

 

It was charming to be able to see the fun vibes of Universal Studios Singapore on my left juxtaposed with the historical vibes of the island's military past on my right, and after dusk fell, I spent a good amount of time on the balcony quietly contemplating the significance of those lights switched on in the hotel across the road. 

 

We sometimes forget that there were electric lamps in those days, and from the mainland across the water, the orange glow from those lamps would have been clearly seen.

 

That's the wonderful thing about the State of Fun. On one hand, there are the touristy, beachy, sand and sea vibes of Sentosa. On the other hand, there are also icons from the times when the island was still Pulau Blakang Mati.

 

I guess there are some parts of a place's history that cannot, and will not go away.

 

It was a most comfortable snooze I had that night- at 230am (dramas reign!)- on a snuggly mattress topped with bedsheets cool to the touch, and fluffy, huggable double pillows. 

 

What time the next morning I woke up, I don't know, but there was buffet  breakfast over at  the Hard Rock Hotel side, and this morning meal was something I was exceptionally thankful for- it being that breakfast in the standard room package was not something I previously had. :)

 

We can love supper. We can love afternoon tea. But don't underestimate the effect that a breakfast buffet counter full of variety can have on the soul. If the sight of scrambled eggs, salads, toast, sausages, bacon, baked beans, congee, fried noodles, pancakes, waffles fruit and more does not bolster you up for a great day ahead, very little else can.

the Silence of CB

Eight days more or less it has been since the authorities implemented a nationwide circuit-breaker in the country, implementing measures over nearly every industry and every sector as has not been seen in the small city-state for a long, long time.

 

All at once, workplaces are shut, schools are closed, restaurants are open only for takeaway and delivery, and malls are silent. This is a season of social distancing where everyone is strongly encouraged to be at home as much as possible, and where we remind ourselves (plus each other) to isolate ourselves from others as much as we can. Masks are to be worn at the markets and the supermarkets and on public transport. We are to go out only when we need essential services, like going to buy dinner or ingredients or to the bank or whatever it is that you really, really need to do.

 

By the end of this season we will all be very, very familiar with the phrases- Stay At Home, Home Based Learning, Work From Home, Lockdown and Circuit Breaker- but that's how the world is- for this season- and that's how I think it has to be.

 

Notwithstanding the fact, though, that if we have to go out, we can go out, if needs be for whatever essential jobs or stuff that needs to be done.

 

And because it so happened that I was needing to be in town the other day for something essential, I took a couple of pictures near the City Hall- Clarke Quay area.

 

No particular reason why; just for the memories.

 

Because if there is one thing we have to know, it is that this city-state of ours doesn't seem to have been structured for the element of space, or for the element of quiet. I'm not the youngest person here, and as far as I can remember, we have never been as quiet as this. To be honest I don't think it can be described as 'quiet' but instead, maybe it should be called as 'silent'.

 

There is an emptiness in the roads, the parking lots and the waterways. I cannot remember when it was that the alley behind Peninsula Plaza was devoid of vans and lorries for the guys to make their deliveries. I cannot remember when it was that no car passed by outside the Central Fire Station or the colorful windows of the MCCY. Neither can I ever remember the cafe at Excelsior empty of patrons drinking, eating, or otherwise. I don't even think there was a time when I could see the ripples upon the surface waters of the Singapore River.

 

But now I can.

 

And in a very odd way, encouraging a sight it is, because whilst we may be all stuck at home, whilst our travel plans may have gone haywire, and whilst we may have our movements restricted and halted and controlled, there are some elements of the Earth which cannot be halted nor stopped nor controlled.

 

And as long as we remain peaceful, at ease and comfortable within ourselves, the energy will flow once again.  

from Courtyard Marriott

A blue tinted world it truly is when one gazes out the windows of the Courtyard by Marriott at Novena.

 

Why one's view is meant to be this way regardless whichever side you face, I don't know. It might be due to the glare of our hot tropical sun, it might be due to the UV rays beaming down to our equatorial position, it might be due to just about any other reason, scientific or not at all.

 

What is clear, though, is that this property has been (like many of their properties are) strategically planned.

 

For not only is it the first, and only, Courtyard by Marriott in Singapore, it sits conveniently on Thomson Road in a north-south direction right next to Novena Medical City- the medical hub that holds the medical suites of Mt. Elizabeth Novena, government-run Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the NCID. and every other department that falls within the designation of the wide TTSH arena. 

 

It is also within close vicinity of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Community Youth and Sports, and the SLF Building. 

Now, whilst all this may not mean much to the international guests who check in at the hotel, it does mean plenty to a local like me.

 

Because all this footfall (three ministries and a hospital, would you imagine!) means that the MRT is literally downstairs, there are enough buses to go around, I've got plenty of surroundings to explore, and best of all, I've got three malls within a circle of 10 minutes for me to go.

 

I didn't go to all three malls during the short time that I was there.

 

I only went to two.

And both were more than enough for me.

One mall had Daiso, Don Don Donki, Itacho, Jollibee and Popeye's; the other had Cold Storage, Hans, Fat Papa's, Cedele and lots of cute little joints for takeaway.

 

It was enough for the functional shopper. 
 

I spent a good amount of time weaving through the shelves of Don Don Donki. I looked at the tote bags and pouches and stationery on the comfortable shelves of Daiso. I had a healthy serving of salmon with soy sauce and roasted salmon belly at Itacho. And I had a less healthy serving of burgers and fries at Fat Papa's.

 

To say that I came here solely for the sake of having a staycay would not be a lie, what with me being a fan of Courtyard by Marriott, having had been one since LA, San Diego, Bangkok and Seoul.

 

To say that I came here for a specific purpose with a specific meaning would also not be a lie. Because the day I saw this building on its way up was the day I told myself (by faith) the s*** would be over and I would come here have a stay. 

 

Guess what, the s*** is over.  

 

So it is a symbolic gesture that on the first afternoon, I decided to lunch on an egg and ham mayo bun (bought from downstairs!) with a glass of milk at the multi-use round glass table, overlooking this blue tinted view.

 

It is a symbolic gesture that I embraced the fun side of me and spent fifteen minutes opening and closing the wooden sliding doors which doubled up as a divider between room and bath.

 

And it is a significant reminder that through the windows of this heavily tinted glass, I caught a clear, unblocked view of the mountains in the country up north, far, and beyond.