If there is one thing about this bus ride from Lavender Road to Haig Road that strikes out at me, it is that the pictures turned out looking exceptionally beautiful.
I am not exaggerating.
It is not every day that the MRT tracks between Lavender MRT and Kallang MRT look this pensive and charming.
Not to mention the industrial buildings on Kallang Road just before.
At another hour, these buildings right next to the MRT tracks would have seemed cold, functional, hard. Today, however, cast in the evening glow, they seemed softer, romanticized, even hopeful. These buildings no longer housed businesses and offices for 'just another day at work'. Instead they housed people who brought with them their personalities, their lives, their hopes, regrets, and dreams,
These buildings weren't just structures anymore.
They were bathed with energies.
It is fascinating to see how different elements of a place, both natural and man-made, can come together in harmonious effect.
At another time, also at another hour, or in another frame of mind, I might not have noticed how the calm green waters of the Kallang River complemented the soft grey concrete structures of the MRT tracks, but the sun's glow this evening told me so.
She made me look.
She made me stop and take in the soft, healing, slow energies of her gentle farewell.
Is it no wonder that people say that they sometimes stop and linger along the banks of this particular river?
That the sight of the evening sun, the soft rippling surface of the river, the sounds of traffic, and the chug of the MRT train above their heads make them realize that life can be more than the habits and patterns of day to day.
We don't think about it sometimes.
But scenes like these make us do.
Today the bus continued its way down Kallang Road towards Sims Avenue, then Sims Way.
Coming up was the landmark of the Shell Petrol Station.
Don't underestimate this petrol station.
We might not think about it now, but at one time it stood between four distinctive directions, marking what we would today recognize as Guiilemard Road, Mountbatten Road, Mattar Road and Kallang Road. Seeing this petrol station meant that you were going out of one zone and entering another. It meant you were heading out for a job, a purpose, a task, or vice versa.
Today the bus stopped long enough at the Sims Way junction with Geylang Road long enough for me to grab a picture.
Normally I don't pay attention to Sims Way- it feels like a through road that connects the Central South of the island to the zone locals call the Eastern part of Singapore, but the road actually lines Lorong 4 Geylang where from the bus, you can see the houses, hotels, temples and apartments that mark this entire length of road.
The bus made a left into Guillemard Road after, pausing long enough for me to grab a picture of Lorong 8 Geylang.
If you're wondering why it's significant, well, I don't quite know, but one doesn't always associate the 'hood of Geylang with the quieter road of Guillemard, much less the outlet of a well known dumpling shop at the corner.
I'm not sure whether it is still there, but there used to be one called Daun Pandan dumpling (or something of the name) right there at the corner- and I used to wonder why.
One thing I must admit about Gullemard, I know very little about this road.
I don't know the history of it, I don't know much of what it is and where it connects to, but it is one thoroughfare that actually connects you from the northeast (and central) side of the country southwards and eastwards to the Kallang side.
Closer to the ground, all I know is that it is a combination of residential and commercial. There are a number of walk-up apartments, low condominiums, shop houses, more apartments, and a row of retail that includes cafes and restaurants.
One of the landmarks this side of the road that always captures my eye is the Tanjong Rhu Pau shop.
Snug at the junction of Lorong 14 and Guillemard Road, it's often open till the late hours, and although I have never had the opportunity to buy from them, I should think they'd have a great offering of char siew paus, red bean paus, meat paus, siew mais, Chinese buns, flour kuehs, and all the fried stuff that help curb the hunger of a taxi driver, lorry driver, or someone who is dashing from Point A to B.
I'm guessing there must be a reason why many of our dim sum and pau shops seem to have their outlets at road junctions.
Swee Choon at Jalan Besar is one, Tiong Bahru at Outram is one, so is this one Tanjong Rhu at Guillemard.
Nearing the end of this road, the bus went across Geylang River then stopped at the bus stop right outside a condominium.
Here the road curved, and we were right at the junction close to where Guillemard Road, Geylang Road and Paya Lebar Road on the opposite side.
There's not much to write about this junction.
But there is Grandlink Shopping Center.
You can't miss it- it stands huge this side of the road. But it looks best in the evenings where it comes brightly alive with the Thai restaurant's alfresco dining creating a strong, colorful riverside dining vibe.
Here the bus went ahead onto a short stretch of Paya Lebar Road, turned right onto Sims Avenue (again) and then made a further right into Tanjong Katong Road.
I don't have that many pictures this part of the bus journey.
It was getting dark, so there are just these.
They're not in running order, but there is a picture of the now-closed Tanjong Katong Complex, there is a picture of the PLQ offices (I don't know if it is the SMRT one or the Bayer one), and then, further on, after Geylang Road, two final pictures of the petrol stations close to Dunman Road.