The loving day in the heart of weekend – Changi Point

If I ever have one thing to complain about weekend, it’s how it’s gone in a blaze of light as fast as we realize everytime it arrives. Sunday noon, suddenly I’m taunted that the eerie howl of monday has once again been able to be heard. Weekend is once again almost over.

This weekend was a bit more extravagant than usual though as it came with the loving day, Valentine day, celebrated across the world mostly by couples, families, and even those hunting for love. “Will you be my Valentine?” cards could be seen sold here and there. Some nice-couple competitions are being hold trying to find the most romantic/compatible couple forcing couple on getting to “Guess what the air-drawn pictures are!”, “How long can you withstand your couple’s weight on your arms?”. PRC Chinese flower girls were ramming on the road citing the chinese words I could hardly comprehend as “Do you wanna buy these beautiful flowers?” If I were some naughty men, I would be tempted to say, “You are also beautiful, can I buy one for you?” But as I could always remember, I have another hand ready to pinch on my arms if I ever to engage in any move, so I’d refrain *ahem*.

As grandious as it’s celebrated here that I can only have my eyes see nothing but ladies encircling their arms on their gentlemen, giggling at the beautiful flowers just offered by their lovers, while the men also hold parcels from their dear ladies, inside those trains, buses, I remember that the V-day celebration in Indonesia always got challenged by some extreme Islam practitioners which are *thoughtless*. Irrational logic “Why do we need to celebrate loving day. Everyday according to God is loving day,” just doesn’t sell enough. “If we celebrate mother’s day, does it mean we only love and loved by mom on mother’s day?”, a good point offered by Richard yesterday. It’s so hillarious that I can puke. Perhaps the next thing I know, they may start banning Sundays as it’s God’s days, or even ban kids from playing Lego. It’s good though that many Moslems in Indonesia are well educated and far from radical thoughts, then there will always still be voices of disapproval of any new breed of narrow thoughts thrown again to the mass.

I’ve been putting effort into nothing since out of slumber but practicing dancing of my fingertips on the top of my lettery board, chit-chatting with my pals and commenting back the appearing sentences on my facebook galleries. I was quite happy then the yesterday’s Valentine celebration went quite well. As late as it may be, but as rememberable as it is, Happy Valentine Day! Pictures attached here are the place, we went yesterday (thanks to Cyndy for letting me know such place), Changi Boardwalk at Changi Point: a very nice place to enjoy the sunset, beaches, salty water, old boats and live the life slower, apart from the hocus pocus of the city. Cheers!

Port to Ubin: the flower is not from me anyway

Timer is ticking!

Sunset: Thanks to the unknown scout passing by to help taking this picture!

The boardwalk

Even birds celebrate Valentine

Gallery can be visited here: http://picasaweb.google.com/eternally4ever/ChangiBoardwalk14Feb2009

The 1st Daylight of New Year

I finally woke up like nearly 12 PM in the noon after a bunch of series of falling-again-as-soon-as-I’m-awake. Then finally sober, I found myself in front of my notebook with little sunlight flowed mildly into my room. I browsed a bit, scrolled down the status of my long friend list in Yahoo messenger comprising mostly of happy new year greetings or idle sign. I mumbled in my own status of saying Happy New Year, please take care of me as well this year – in Japanese. I also got a few other new year greetings through IMs and SMSes, and suddenly a messaged popped up from a friend saying another friend’s dad passed away early this day. What a timing! I know her dad has been sick for long but at this moment of time? Utterly surprised, I came to believe again that this 2009 would be harder.

I found myself engaged in a conference with some Network-minor friends stating they would pay a visit later on the day which sadly I would not be able to go with them. I’m glad though my friends are still even this close even after a year of parting. I typed a messaged of condolences to her, but after all it’s a very typical one. It’s hard to even play with words in a moment like this. I just really hope she would be strong and soon can be very cheerful again like  she had always been.

I tried my new toy later – Picasa – which in some points are stronger than Flickr. I saw the pictures of last year’s new year eve comparing to this year new year’s eve and uploaded them into facebook and friendster.  How I was in totally different place with totally different persons, but one. I should be blessed for this, for the one is still with me even until now.

I looked at one picture of everyone in new year BBQ of 2008. I know some of the rest of my friends in the picture were having BBQ and ate like crazy until they puke, also this year. Me? I got clogged up in the crowd, sitting and standing on a very sweet spot, watching the reknowned merry-merry new year celebration of Singapore. The firework – I think – was awesome, just wish it could be longer – maybe none can compare to Beijing Olympic’s opening until now though. It’s just, when was the countdown? Did we somehow miss it?

The hype of the year end holiday is almost over. We’ll soon return to our daily routines and even possibly harsher working environments. We can brag, we can hope, we can dream anything, but in the end how we go through the new year is what determines the prequisite when we come into another year. Happy new year everyone! Dream a lot, do even more!

The crowd - Before 2009 Marina Bay Countdown

The fireworks!

The memoir!

Another one…

Something special for Hans :p

Spraying Madness of ‘White’ Tropical Xmas Eve

This X’mas eve of this year, finally I broke my own chain of attending X’mas eve mass which had before continued at least for the last five years. It somehow makes me believe that I’d been officially baptised me as a new-born demon since even before I had for long skipped weekly church.  But it doesn’t mean that this X’mas eve didn’t come with something worth to memorize.

Getting cramped while walking in the city walk, spending the time preciously on the sparkling road while watching people on their ecstatic mood of end year holiday, I’ve been so long wanting that kind of X’mas or New Year’s eve since in Indonesia, we don’t that many city walk. But finally it was how I spent the Xmas eve of this year.

People are going crazy during the X’mas eve here in Singapore. Orchard road is flooded with humans that make you hardly can walk even breath. People are shouting here and there, especially when the Singapore’s visitor Orchard viewing Bus pass through the road. Some of them are making their own group chatting on the corners. Some are very busy taking pictures with the merry and bright decoration along the road.

Orchard Road,SG, 2008 Xmas Eve

Look at the crowd!

It’s even getting crampier when it’s even closer to midnight. But the real madness began when people starts to get themselves a set of sprayer spitting I-dunno-what-sorta-white liquid on the road. They chase one another. The rule was originally anyone that owns the bottle of sprayer with him can also be sprayed. But as it’s closer to midnight, it can be just random. Anyone trying to cover himself of rainbow, bypassers, even police have to be prepared getting soaked and sprayed. Maybe this is a way for them to whiten the tropical X’mas. With such craziness though, no wonder if you could find people fighting on the street although it never became anything big since the security was totally awesome.

Spray! Spray!

Got you!

At the time I went back, just some minutes before midnight, the MRT to home was still quite empty. While on the route, people were still coming to overflow Orchard. The madness maybe will only stop several hours after midnight, if not followed by people staying up til dawn. Public transportations always get extended period during this kind of public festive.

Even it had strayed so far away from the original idea of Christmas, the X’mas Eve here was still totally joyful. This X’mas eve had really been totally different than my previous twenty-one which mostly had been more religious or family-ish. In the end, it’s Happy Christmas everyone. Hope you have a lovely moment to remember. After all, it’s Jesus’ birthday, the Him that has brought happiness to the world.

Adrian's Xmas 2008: Adrian, Meke, Mariska, Mely, Felicia, Uncle Rustam

Updated: In the afternoon of X’mas day, I attended the holy mass at Cathedral of Good Shepherd Church. At least in the end, I didn’t skip going to church this X’mas day, either.

Marina Barrage

Marina Barrage is the symbol of the future new downtown core of Singapore. The dam will maintain its functionalities as flood control system, new water reservoir, and water activities location. I had the chance to see a very interesting and educative presentation during the last week visit which showed how the dam worked and performed the natural flushing – desalination – of the salt water within the marina channel area and would increase the water catchment of Singapore to two third of the available water within two years! The presentation also gave the idea on how the dam would work to prevent flooding around the coastal area.

The Marina Barrage

The Green Rooftop; Behind: The new Downtown Core of Singapore

Facing below

Marina Barrage Miniature; Where the presentation was done. The flowing water is the fake rain.

The Bridge; The Dam

The new Downtown Core of Singapore

If such a small country can flourish this much and hold a stand as much during the current economic meltdown, why wouldn’t our country be able to? What kind of change can we bring to our country? Even Americans had elected their first black president, why should we keep on straining ourselves within the mud and being hold down in the slump? At least, with our capabilities, we should be able to do something, that is from ourselves: keep the environment clean, abide by the rules, spare the kindness. Though it’s as they say: easy to say: hard to do, at least it’s better than doing nothing. Happy weekend!

Hanoman at Bay

These pictures were taken nearly a month ago on October 19th at Marina bay side of Esplanade.

Even Hanoman was loved here in Singapore, while it’s taken as second class entertainment in its own country? The lack of government’s support?

I actually believe, Hanoman can just be classy show to watch. Although if I’m asked currently I will opt to pass. After all, I don’t speak Javanese. How about performing the shown in a more universal language and more interesting packaging? Although they may be just my excuses after all.

Thinking of it, our country as a nation or individuals may be lacking the time and space for art appreciation. The facilities are minimum, the events are rare, and if there are any, they are not well so conducted, very contradicting that we actually have superbly abundant cultural shows. One day, maybe?