Scenic Shots From GIGA

There's probably not much I'm going to write about this set of pictures I recently found from one of my mobile phones. 

But it's a good idea to plonk it all down and let's see where we can go with it. 

If you're wondering why all these pictures feature the sea, well, yes, that's because I tend to be someone who breathes easier when she's close by the sea. 

They've all been taken at different places, different times, however. 

Like the first one which, by the way, wasn't even snapped from the mainland but island Pulau Ubin opposite. We'd gone there on some sort of an excursion, I think, and whilst I can't remember just where we visited that day, I know I took this picture not too long before we boarded the ferry back home. 

I haven't been back to Pulau Ubin in a very, very long while. 

Heck, I haven't even been to eastern part of the island in a very long while.

I don't know if the coconut tree is still there near the Changi Jetty.

I also don't know if this jetty seen here from the boardwalk is still there. 

It's always been idyllic a place as I remember it, and Changi Point- this curved area of the diamond-shaped island is the only place I know where both sunrise and sunsets are magically beautiful. 

I hope I'll get to go soon. 

I've got a bus going there after all. 

It's a little more difficult for some of the other places seen in this collection though. 

There's one that sits right at one end of East Coast Park just before the airport turn, looking out towards Tanah Merah Besar and the open sea. 

There's one that's of the Johor Straits which I took during Covid season and shared with a homebound friend. 

And then there's one of the sea off Labrador Park I took couple of years ago. 

What's special is that all these places are so memorable. 

Cycling to Tanah Merah Besar is something I do when I'm alone but want to clear my head at the same time. It's literally a straight, safe path on East Coast Park and you don't have to worry about traffic or anything of the sort save for the occasional kid running across the path to grab the wayward ball. 

It's a little harder for the other two. 

Cycling up to Woodlands for the view of the Johor Straits is hard, coming back down is even a wee bit more difficult, and I don't think I've ever been able to do that in the last two years thereabouts. 

Then there's Labrador Park, which, technically, isn't as difficult as cycling to Woodlands but given how it's located, can feel like a bit of in-between at times. It would be good and fine if I did cycle to Jurong East via the West Coast Highway, but I haven't got the capacity to, even though I think I should. 

There're other pictures, of course. 

All of which, by the way, are of the east side. 

There's one of Tanah Merah Besar, not looking out towards the open sea like the previous picture, but towards the opposite coast that marks the Tanah Merah curve and which is presently a huge construction site for Terminal 5. 

The other pictures here, I believe, are of the waters along Changi Coastal Road right near where the Aerospace building is. 

Coming here to the Aerospace building is a journey of its own. 

It's not the nearest to East Coast Park, mind, so by the time you got here, you'd have cycled through a fair bit of route, complete with bright sun overhead and humidity levels high enough to justify a fair bit of self motivational talk as your legs cycled on.

But then there comes a reward.

This view.

One of the nicest, if not the calmest views this side of the country on this particular coastal road.

I know there're many who say Changi Beach Park has her own serenity. 

But here, on this stretch right at the Aerospace Building behind, lies a serenity different from the other.

I don't know what it is.

Maybe it's the relatively untouched natural scenery.

Maybe it's the close proximity of the water to the shoreline.

It might be the low hanging ball of sun as she descends beneath the horizon.

Or it might be the gentle roll of the waters as she swishes up to the stone breakwater.

I've not come here much. 

But there's never been a time when I don't stop and put Daffy down to gaze beyond the curved shoreline of the Singapore mainland.

Never too has there been a time where I looked inland more than I looked beyond the waters and the islands I know are just opposite. 

You forget about the land when you're at this place. 

You forget what's behind you when you stand at this spot and look out.

Call me sensitive, but even seeing these pictures now, there seems to be a longing at this place that lingers.

A pensiveness I can't describe. 

I hope she stays. 

It's not a resentment or an anger or a frustration.

It's simply the peace of the one who remains, who still never gives up hope, and knows that beyond the islands of Tekong and the land of Malaysia, there is the South China Sea, and all the other seas connected to lands they may not may not one day be able to see. 

Daffy's Errands

It'd been a bit of a while since I last brought Daffy out on an errand. 

But this evening I was feeling bum, there was something needed be done, and although I could have walked for ten minutes thereabouts, it seemed happier a task if I rode Daffy there.

So into a little shiny square shaped bag went a couple of things and I slung it onto her handlebar. 

Pedaling there- with a slight wind blowing into my face- got me to the place in no time, and almost right away that errand was done. 

I didn't feel like going back straight, however, especially since I was feeling a little peckish and a little hungry, so from the shops I got a small packet of pistachios, and settled down at the void deck seats munching away. 

I thought I might go back right after, but at the same time it felt like a bit of waste going back so soon, so up onto Daffy I hopped, and rode her all the way down along the canal towards Kembangan MRT before making a left.

Here I could decide- should I turn back along Jalan Kembangan and go back, or should I continue my way forward towards Frankel Avenue and Siglap Road?

I decided to go Frankel. 

Not because there were shops along that stretch I wanted to go, but because I'd never seen Frankel Avenue at night before and was curious to know just how the broad-road residential estate looked like in the night. 

There were few cars, thank God, and soon enough I found myself at the junction of Frankel and Siglap. 

Here I decided to make a right- it was time to go home- and so went down East Coast Road, passing by Christ Methodist Church, and St. Patrick's School all the way until I got to the junction heading into Telok Kurau and made another right.

Telok Kurau- the main road- is one of the more interesting ones where one end starts at East Coast Road, and the other at Changi Road. There're a couple of shops- indie ones, mom and pop ones- along the stretch, including a drinking pub, and a corner coffee shop which has since been renovated. Then there's Parkway East Hospital on the same stretch, and then finally you come out to what I call the Kim San Leng coffee shop. 

Here it was a short ride along Lorong Sarina before heading towards the enclave home. 

I guess this short ride stimulated me quite a bit, because couple of days later I decided heading out on a longer one. 

It was one of those days where I didn't feel like simply staying at home, so decided it better to get out and stretch. 

There were a couple of places I thought I wanted to go.

So I considered cycling up Lengkong Empat towards Jalan Senang and Chai Chee. 

Then I considered cycling down the PCN towards East Coast Park which seemed like a great idea except that I had no destination in mind and Changi Airport was not a place that evening I wanted to go. 

So I decided to head towards the expressway. 

From where we were, Daffy and I turned out onto Jalan Eunos.

Then onwards under the expressway we went, going along Eunos Link until we got to the junction near Kaki Bukit Avenue 1 and Ubi Avenue 2.

I considered turning into Kaki Bukit- I really did- but then again it was dark, I wasn't sure where the end of the route would bring me (Bedok North Road) and I thought it wiser to cycle to places where at least I knew where I was. 

Night time is not the time to be exploring places on your own especially if it is your very first time. 

Ubi seemed more lively- I thought- so a left I made and into Ubi Avenue 2. 

To my surprise however, most of the workshops and SME-style factories had their lights out and were shuttered for the day. Even the smattering of coffee shops on the first floor of these JTC-style flatted factories were closed.

No matter, I simply went ahead all the way until I got to Paya Lebar Road. 

From there I went straight ahead again, this time heading onto Circuit Link, then crossing three lanes (rather dangerously) into Circuit Road. 

Here I made a sort of loop, rolling first into Pipit Road, then Circuit Road then Merpati Road. 

Let's just say I passed by a good number of housing board flats, then the well known Circuit Road Hawker Center, then Merpati Road (where the 60s flats I visited only a couple of months ago are no longer around). 

I could have tried to continue along Merpati Road, but it's now one-way, and so I made a left onto Mattar Road and did this bend until I got to the junction of Aljunied Road. 

From here I went ahead towards Geylang, passing by St. Margaret's Primary School on one side, Nexus International School on the other, then past Aljunied MRT. 

Here I turned onto Sims Avenue and rode all the way down going first past rows of shop houses, then private condominiums, then PLQ Shopping Mall, housing board flats, the big field outside Eunos MRT, and finally Sims Avenue East where I stopped for a while at one of the benches and breathed. 

Daffy on the TMCR

Such a long time it had been since we cycled this side of East Coast Park towards Jurassic Mile and beyond, so we decided it a good idea to head along that direction today. 

The weather was unseasonably warm, to my surprise, but the winds this afternoon weren't too bad, and I made to the part we call Tanah Merah Canal in good time. 

Would've been nice, of course, to have a bit of what I call wind chill, but hey, that's the way it is when you're out here by the beach and the coconut trees, and glad was I already that the weather wasn't unbearably humid. 

From the exit where we turned out via Siglap- we made a left and before long we were at the area I call Jumbo Seafood where from your alfresco table you can gaze over the surface of the sea to the shimmering lights of the ships at anchor. 

The East Coast Lagoon Hawker Center followed not too long after, then the Bedok Jetty, which as much as I like to turn in whenever I can, decided to just go on ahead today because we were going to Changi Village and there might not be enough time. 

The scenery after Bedok Jetty reminds me of forests (somewhere) but I don't know where. 

They make for great memories and great pictures if you're someone who likes greenery in the form of grass, shrubs and tall sturdy trees. 

Somewhere along the way you'll pass by a country club of sorts, then a sailing and watersports club, then the junction that leads you either to Jurassic Mile and Changi Airport (straight ahead), or Changi Village on the right side. 

It was to the right that we turned this particular afternoon. 

And thus began one of the longest routes this side of the island on what cyclists call the Tanah Merah Coastal Route or TMCR. 

It's a good 20km, which, depending on your capability and stamina, might not be considered long, but if there's one thing this TMCR is, it's that she's dull. 

There's hardly a landmark to be seen, I tell you, except for (if I'm not wrong), the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, the Changi Naval Base, the purple-painted dormitory blocks of migrant workers, lots and lots and lots of trees, some structures on the opposite of the road (from what I think might be an engineering firm or Changi Airport, I don't know), and then, after what is probably the most tedious stretch, this.

I can't remember whether there was anything of significance before this.

Probably not.

But maybe by that time I was too pooped- just simply trying to pedal one foot after the other- and so didn't notice. 

It's scenic, this place behind the Changi Exhibition Center on Aviation Park Road, and more often than not, I wish I had the energy, and time, to stop, sit on the benches and breathe in the view. 

Sad to say, however, I'm usually sweaty, tired and super hungry by then, so it's just a couple pictures of the calm, peaceful scene, and onwards I go.

Does the TMCR end there?

Technically, yes, even though there's still a bit of a route to go until you reach Changi Village. 

But the ride doesn't get as bored by that time because, well, there's so much more to see.

Not just the newly built boardwalk that leads you around a curve, but not far off is Changi Beach Park where the pavilions are, where one passes the SAF Ferry Terminal to Pulau Tekong, and after that, the livelier side of the Park where anglers fish, families picnic, kids ride bicycles, scooting around on scooters, and hornbills take flight to the trees. 

Daffy @ Marina Square

It was one of those afternoons where we decided it better to go for a short ride rather than a long one. 

From where we are, a short, comfortable ride can only mean two destinations: Either we head westwards towards the Marina Barrage, or we head eastwards towards Changi Airport. 

It's either one or the other. 

I had wanted to go to Changi Airport (don't ask me why) but my companion decided that the other direction was easier, more scenic, and maybe more food that we could have for dinner before making our way back.

So towards the Marina Barrage we went. 

Not before making a pit stop at the shop near the Marine Parade Polyclinic behind Parkway Parade to pump air into our tires first, though. 

(Don't laugh at this non-descript shop- it might not have much of a branding but it's very popular with the family-type cyclists in the neighborhood and the uncles on their market bikes as well)

I have no pictures of the scenery along the ride. 

Today my attention had been very much focused on keeping the handlebars of Daffy straight, trying to gauge the space between Daffy and the other cyclists, and making sure the ground was clear that I wouldn't fall or anything of the sort. 

Of course, I've also grown pretty familiar with the scenery- even that of the Marina Bay Reservoir and Barrage- and so I don't really stop to take touristy style pictures anymore. 

That doesn't mean that the route isn't scenic, nor beautiful.

It is.

Whether you're on the PCN going towards Fort Road with all the trees lining the shore, whether you're on the bridge crossing over towards the Barrage side, whether you're at the park with the gorgeous view of the bay, the Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay, or MBS in front of you, the view is beautiful.  

At another time I might have stopped to admire the scenery in front of me.

But not today. 

Today I headed straight along one side of the reservoir's shore, crossed the bridge that overlooks the open sea on the other side, and into the barrage area itself. 

Again at another time I might have turned left towards the breakwater where the view's one of the loveliest this side of town (it reminds me of Labrador Park).

But today we went down Gardens by the Bay, up the Helix Bridge and towards Marina Square where we parked our bikes at one of the banisters and headed inside for a meal. 

Waters off Marina Barrage

These pictures of Marina Barrage exist because it was one of those days where we wanted to go for a bike ride but didn't want to go on the road, nor did we want to go far.

It is a blessing to be a stone's throw away from East Coast Park, especially now when the park has extended beyond 12km long and stretches from (almost) Changi Airport Terminal 4 to MBFC on the other side. 

I don't usually tend to go the entire stretch- it's either MBFC or the airport for me- and likewise today too we decided we'd head westwards towards the MBFC area as well.

It's not a difficult ride- rather scenic in fact- and you just go along your way along the PCN until you come to the (traditional) end of East Coast Park that most of us call the Fort Road Exit. 

A bridge leads pedestrians and cyclists up and across, and after a couple of turns you find yourself on one side of the yet-to-be-developed Marina Bay side. 

It's a quiet spot, this area, and most cyclists tend not to stop there.

Instead, onwards we go, passing our way through rows of trees and shrubs on either side. 

Along the waters one comes to next, beginning from the spot under Benjamin Sheares Bridge and then all along until one gets to the Marina Barrage Bridge. 

The view from the top of this bridge is charming by day and by night, but it is the view that comes after the bridge that appeals to me. 

Maybe because the breakwater reminds me of (another) favorite place near Siloso Beach on Sentosa Island. 

Maybe because there's something hopeful about seeing the ships all anchored out there in the horizon whilst the Coast Guard Patrol and the smaller boats slice their way through.

I've come to this spot three times now. 

The first time I came was over a year ago when on a solo bike ride I decided to turn my way left instead of right as I normally do. 

After that there was another time where I brought a friend to whom this place I introduced to him for the very first time. 

Both times were very bright, very hot, and very sunny days. 

Unlike this third time that I was here. 

I shan't say that the day was cloudy and gloomy- I actually prefer cool, grey days to hot, grey cloud-cover ones. 

But I didn't quite see what I wanted to see.

And I didn't quite feel what I wanted to feel.

Maybe I wasn't ready.

Or maybe the time wasn't yet come. 

I don't know. 

I know I felt a little disappointed leaving the place somewhat empty handed and devoid inside. 

But I might have been looking in the wrong place.

And, like I've said, I might have been there at the wrong time.

Honestly I don't know if I'll ever get any answers, but I trust I will. 

After all, as they say, no matter how much time has passed, it's always wise to have a tilt of one's head, along with a small, quiet smile. 

Wilkie Edge to Marina Barrage

Daffy and I have, in recent days, been attempting a new route to get to and from Wilkie Edge and the East Coast. 

Where previously we took the route from Old Airport Road, Geylang Road, Victoria Street and Middle Road, now we did a slightly more circuitous turn where we first continued down Old Airport Road into Stadium Boulevard.

From there we made our way across the stadium area until the exit to Nicoll Highway on the other side.

Up onto Nicoll Highway we went down towards Suntec City, but, instead of going straight ahead, a left into LTA's Nicoll Highway MRT station lift we went, up to the overhead bridge, pushing Daffy, until we took the lift back down to Java Road. 

Through the lunchtime crowd from Concourse we meandered at the traffic light, down Jalan Sultan we went, then a small part of Syed Alwi Road past Masjid Malabar Mosque, then via the Rochor River until we came to the junction opposite Hotel 81 Mayo acros towards Sim Lim Square and Rochor Canal Road. 

We made a left into Short Street after, went all the way straight until close to Tensquare across from Wilkie Edge where I decided it wiser to push Daffy a roundabout way via traffic lights instead of dashing across a very busy Selegie Road. 

It wasn't too bad a route. 

I'll just use Prinsep Street next time. 

Coming back from Wilkie Edge too Daffy and I took a different route. 

Instead of going back via Victoria Street, we decided to go a longer but more relaxed route. 

From Sophia Road, we went past Peace Center, Parklane, GRID and SOTA, before making a left towards Rendevous Hotel. 

So there was a bit of a traffic here- what with buses and cars and trundling their way down towards Suntec and the ECP- but it was manageable and right on we went, passing by the Singapore Art Museum, the Carlton Hotel, Raffles Hotel, South Beach and Millennia Walk. 

From here we made a right, went up the Helix Bridge and went onwards via the Marina Barrage into the park and then onto Tanjong Rhu Road. 

It's less hectic this route, I have to say, and definitely isn't much of a hassle when Meyer Road comes right after, Tanjong Katong Road comes after, and I'm back onto Dunman Road. 

Best part, the night scene of the SG skyline is incredibly beautiful too. 

On the TMCR (again) with Daffy

We haven't biked this side of East Coast Park in the last couple of months.  

The last time we did, we went to the new connector behind the Aviation Park. 

This time too, we did the same thing. 

It was a good ride we had that day. 

The weather was fine- overcast, cloudy but full of winds- and there weren't many people on the connector in East Coast Park.

Tell the truth, I was a little surprised- what with school holidays having just begun, what with weekends being traditionally crowded at the beach- I had been expecting the connector to be packed with people out on their bikes enjoying their day of fun.

But no, the crowds weren't there.

If it were quiet around Marine Cove, the camping grounds and the East Coast Lagoon Food Center, the eastern part of the park- near the country club- was quieter still. 

We parked out bikes near the Tanah Merah Canal. 

This is a regular pit stop for me when cycling to Changi Village.

I always like to take a breather here for the toilet, and the view.

The tides were particularly low today compared to the many other times that I'd been here. 

I don't think I'd ever seen tides this low as what I saw today. 

Then again, I probably don't come often enough to this part of the park either.

The Coastal Park Connector (as TMCR is now known) was, thankfully, the same like it had always been. 

It's a long route, almost 17km to Changi Beach Park on a straight path. 

So it's easier to see it in terms of the landmarks that lie along the route.

The first key turn you passed by was the road into Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. 

After that came the dormitory quarters for the construction workers involved in the project of the Surbana-something line.

The Changi Naval Base comes shortly after.

And then after that is a very, very long way. 

This section is probably the longest stretch on the entire route.

It's the part where exhaustion begins to hit and you start looking at Strava or Google Maps or the markings on the ground to figure out just how far away you still are. 

It didn't use to be so bad. 

But now they've boarded up the entire stretch and you can't see anything of a great sea view or even the hill (on an island on the opposite of the water) nor stop to take pictures and selfies anymore. 

There just isn't anything left to see. 

I think you can still see the hill in the distance, but I'm not so sure. 

On a cool day (like today) the ride doesn't feel so bad. 

On a scorching hot day, it's otherwise. 

I guess that's where the connector brings you a real respite..

There are some views that will remind you of elsewhere, or of home

This connector is one of them.

One of the most beautiful things about this place is the sunset. 

It's glorious. 

It's peaceful. 

It's nothing like we see in the city- ever. 

It's genuinely beautiful.

Sometimes I think I should stop here for a while and just appreciate the beauty that's all around me. 

But I tend to be tired and thirsty and hungry by then, and so I carry on- past the stretch of green and beach that is Changi Beach Park, past the SAF Ferry Terminal, the picnickers, the fishermen, the families, and the kite-flyers. 

Daffy @ Wilkie Edge

Amongst some of the places which Daffy and I have recently been to, Wilkie Edge is one of them.

For those of us who haven't any inkling what or where Wilkie Edge is, well, it's a property on the junction of Wilkie Road and Selegie Road.

It's not a mall in the sense that we call a mall- in fact it's probably better known as Citadines Mount Sophia, or the building where Kaplan Singapore is. 

The school is probably the longest tenant in this property together with Starbucks. 

Everyone else has already left. 

Like the hotepot place that served really nice seafood and really nice soups but closed down sometime ago. 

And like the Hanis cafe which, in fact, had been there since very early times, but decided (post-Covid) that they too should go, and left sometime in the course of this year. 

That being said, some of them have been there quite a long time, like the Korean food place at the entrance, the kebab place right next to the Korean food place, and the nail parlor that sits on the opposite side. 

I'm glad the boba tea place is still there. 

They're quiet- like many of the tenants in this place- but they have their fans and they have their crowd. 

I hope they stay. 

Sometimes one needs an alternative to the coffees of Starbucks in the form of iced milk tea 0% sugar.

It's nice to be able to ride Daffy here. 

Except that maybe next time I'll take a more convenient route to this place rather than than the straightforward but traffic-heavy one.

Apparently there are two ways to get here- so next time I'll make sure to try Old Airport Road, Stadium Boulevvard, Nicoll Highway, Java Road, Jln Sultan, then Rochor Canal Road (all along the Rochor river), Short Street and finally Selegie Road. 

I think it will be less hectic than chugging along Geylang Road, Kallang Road, Victoria Street and Middle Road. 

Colors Daffy Saw to Changi V

You know, I'm genuinely surprised that it has taken me three times to try writing this blog. 

Either my mind isn't thinking, or something just isn't right. 

Because, to be honest, I'm really not trying to say anything bombastic other than attempting to show these couple of pictures I snapped with Chonkycam on a Saturday afternoon ride. 

There's a part of me that (in 2023) wants to be contemplative. 

Yet there's a part of me that says it isn't yet the right time. 

So, even as I dwell in the memory, let me just say that this bike ride brought me a whole lot of new sights I never expected, and never thought I would see. 

Like, is it possible that this stretch behind Changi Exhibition Center and Aerospace Park be this lovely shade of lilac-lavender hue?

For the record, I didn't filter the picture.

I only enhanced it- and not with Photoshop to boot. 

That's just how it is.

Isn't it amazing what real, unadulterated, timeless nature can bring to you?

It's not something you can run away from or even turn away. 

Because, how do you turn away from the sense of peace that she brings you? 

How do you move your feet away from the (momentary) sense of hope that she drops in you? 

It's not possible.

That being said, I might not have felt so much had I not seen the resemblance with some of the Youtube videos I had been watching. 

But I saw it.

And the feeling lingers still with me. 

There're other things about this ride that I would love to speak about.

Like how the water levels at Tanah Merah Canal after East Coast Park were so low I could see the sandy seabed of the canal exposed directly to the sky. 

Or how after having reached Changi Village Hawker Center we snagged a good seat and had a great meal of barbecued chicken wings, satay, and fried kuay teow.

But it is this beautiful, charming, mesmerising scenery that lingers with me, and I hope to always reminisce, and always remember. 

Daffy to Suntec

We first attempted this 'digital nomad' ride a couple of weeks ago. 

And since we hadn't quite figured where or what the best place was, we decided to begin with Suntec City, which, if we go by bus is a straightforward route. 

By bike, however, there're a couple of routes one can take if you're cycling from the East Coast Road side (as we were)

My friend suggested we consider the PCN route.

But as much as it was safer and more scenic, I didn't feel like going the entire round of the Marina Barrage just to get to Suntec City, so I declined. 

The first time we biked to Suntec City we got a little lost after turning into Kallang Airport Way as we forgot to turn out and so ended up in Kallang Riverside Park with no inkling how to get out..

Somehow we got back onto the main road then went along Kallang Road towards Victoria Street before turning into Jalan  Sultan and Beach Road, then turning back out towards Suntec itself. 

The next time we biked to Suntec City, we decided to go via National Stadium- which, in any case, was an excellent decision.

The route- which you take going straight from Old Airport Road- is cleaner, devoid of heavy traffic and you get a slightly scenic view of the water. There're a couple of circuses you have to turn, of course, but it's generally smooth and (to my surprise)  I didn't find it hard to turn out onto Nicoll Highway.

I'd originally imagind it to be a very difficult one. 

But traffic on that late weekday morning was light, and I didn't have much of an issue keeping to the last lane all the way past Nicoll Highway MRT station until the first turn into the Suntec City car park.

It's one thing to cycle for leisure.

It's another thing, however, to cycle as a digital nomad.

There're many things to consider- like where do you park the bike, how much of a cleaning/makeup kit do you need to bring- and then there's all your work barang barang with you. 

Shoutout to the MUJI backpack which I used a while back (and which I almost, but didn't throw away). 

There's ample space, the support's great and whilst it does keep the perspiration on your back the same way any backpack will, it does not linger on the fabric, thus making it very easy to clean. 

The only beef I have with cycling to Suntec (so far) is the trouble of the return journey. 

Because whilst it's possible to go on Nicoll Highway in broad daylight with little traffic, it's not possible to do the same thing on the return route where all the bottlenecked evening traffic begins from the Concourse and where every other vehicle is speeding back eastwards on the highway.

The first time we went back via the Beach Road route. 

The second time we decided to go via the park that's behind the Flyer. 

But chances are, we'll take the Beach Road route in future. 

It's a little dumb to take the latter route where- if you're going via Kallang Road towards Geylang, you have to exit onto Crawford Street right next to Beach Road anyway.

Heng Long Teochew Porridge @ Kovan

You know, it really surprises me just how that even though I used to stay less than three kilometers away from Heng Long Teochew Porridge at Kovan, I'd never once had a meal here.

I don't know why. 

Maybe because The Parents considered themselves (both) to be of another dialect or something. 

Whatever it might have been, we hardly came here, and as a Family, we certainly didn't eat here.

It's a little bit of a pity. 

Because not only is the food pretty good, better yet, there's the atmosphere. 

I might not know how it was like having a meal here in the 80s or 90s, but eating a bowl of porridge here now,, on this particular evening brings me back almost immediately to those days when Wing Tai meant the factory along this side of Tampines Road, and Lim Ah Pin Post Office was still on Lim Ah Pin Road. 

The building's still there- I know, because I used to go buy stamps every year during Christmas time- but it's now become an art studio- and the village-style post office has long been gone.

That's not the only change that has taken place in this area. 

The chicken rice/ duck rice stall that used to stand at the corner coffee shop near the petrol station has also long gone. 

As the Wing Tai factory that has since been torn down to make way for a high rise condominium.

I won't be surprised if more and more changes happen within this space. 

Which is why a meal like this is a very good thing. 

It's not just nostalgia.

It's tradition and familiarity wrapped within dishes of warm food that feed a hungry stomach, an over-stimulated soul, and a slightly tired mind.

Many tell me that a bowl of steaming hot porridge (moi) works wonders.

But it wasn't just the porridge that calmed me and made me feel satisfied.

There were also the very well-prepared dishes, out of which there were all-time favorites of mine.

It's not that I don't eat steamed pork.

I do. 

It's something I have grown up with. 

But I think I am used to mine with buried salted egg more than buried salted fish and this one had small little strongly-flavored slices of salted fish carefully hidden inside.

In the same way it's not that I don't like or don't eat sesame chicken.

I do. 

My grandmother used to make it as a dinner dish.

But these days I'm partial to them- because I'm scared of the tiny little bones that somehow always pop up in my mouth whenever I'm happily chatting away.

But I love a good sweet and sour pork

Especially when they're huge chonks like these, are crispy, and which are sweet but not over-cloyingly so. 

Amongst my favorites was the steamed egg.

Bouncy boing boing with a lot of eggy egg taste, it reminded me of the steamed egg dish in tiffin that my grandparents used to make from time to time whenever they prepared dinner.

Then there was the brinjal.

Which, interestingly, I didn't use to like, but in recent years I have come to appreciate, and enjoy. 

Coming here to Upper Serangoon Road for Teochew porridge brought back a host of memories which I thought I'd forgotten but I clearly haven't had. 

Maybe I'm not very familiar with the eateries and the shops that line this stretch, or the well known confectionary selling old-school cream cakes and pastries or even Yong's Teochew Kueh (which has another outlet on East Coast Road) 

But I remember Simon Road Market.

I remember stopping by one of the shops- nearer to the Kovan side- to order boxes of breakfast foods and cakes for fellow youth at a Christian group camp.

And I remember the chicken rice/duck rice stall, because I happened to be on that very feeder bus where the bus driver made a quick pit stop to dabao before dashing back up to continue the journey past the junior college towards the swimming pool.