My father is an easily excited man. I'm like him in that way; I'm like him in many ways. We both speak faster than we can think, we have quick tempers and when we hit upon an idea, it won't go away.
Recently, my father has been getting excited over sending out greetings to his friends and family. Over the last couple of months, he's come up with ideas for New Year salutations, Eid greetings and various other holiday missives. Generally, these involve commissioning me or my brother, HS, to take pictures that he has been dreaming about and turning them into e-cards, complete with copyright tags. (Above is one such example - this year's Chinese New Year picture that I took in Chinatown.)
The tasks are usually relatively difficult and involve lots of careful coordination or running sharply through heavy traffic, which means that they may descend into arguments. Not all of them turn out as planned. I'll never forget the time we lined up in the garden like robots in new clothes for the family Eid portrait. Our symmetry couldn't quite meet my father's exacting standards and the resulting image was a photoshopped composite that included a putty-coloured elbow that HS had to edit onto my arm.
Because like me, my father doesn't like doing things without any preparation, each project involves one or two recces beforehand, preferably in daylight. Like Sherlock Holmes, he leaps and points and darts and barks while I snap away frantically, trying to cement his vision. These recces require energy, but they're a good way to see parts of Singapore that I've never really had the time to look at - I can't tell you how many times I've wished I had my camera with me.
Today, my father spontaneously decided that we were going to look for the spot from which to replicate a picture that he had seen of the Gardens by the Bay domes. We drove over to the other side of the gardens called Gardens by the Bay East - a sprawling, largely empty garden that is open to the public for things like picnics and dogwalking. Because it's so much more plain than its flashy cousin, Gardens East is fairly empty and peaceful.
I liked it very much and of course, will jump at any excuse to practise some photography.
The grass was still a little waterlogged from recent rain and as I squelched across in my steaming black jeans and flipflops with my little Longchamp handbag, my father suggested that I wear gumboots when we take the actual photo at night.
I'm probably biased, but I think that our skyline is pretty damn cool. Government, you're doing something right.
The park has a small stream running through it, fringed with weeping willows and what look like lillies. It is such a quiet, picturesque spot and it is a shame more people haven't discovered it yet.
When we'd taken enough pictures, we started to drive out of the park and then noticed a staircase that leads right onto the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. Now, a consultation with Wikipedia (the final authority on truth) tells us that the Benjamin Sheares Bridge is the longest and tallest bridge in Singapore. I'm all for good views but dayum that staircase is six flights long. Also, it was 2:15pm and if you live here, you know what the sun is like at 2:15pm.
Right under the highway there is a tree graveyard of sorts where dead trees are lined up in a paddock before, I imagine, they're turned to mulch. Who knew?
We bumbled up the stairs and found ourselves right on the edge of the highway where all the marathon runners go. I'm severely afraid of heights and of unstable structures and being on the highway was a surreal experience. Heavy vehicles rattled and blew dust alarmingly and each time anything heavier than a van passed, the bridge bounced and buckled like it was suspended on cables.
Still, it was a pretty amazing experience. I've always wanted to walk the bridge path and eventually I hope to walk my way to the city from the start of it.
Come on, now! I know this is the reason you visit. I mean, which other blog would bring you a shot from the top of a tree? Keep coming back folks, there's plenty more where that came from.
The view was also pretty cool, particularly at the peak of the bridge where you can look across the whole bay.
If you've been lost wandering around the barrage before, you'll know that it's quite difficult to get a sense of where everything is. This was the perfect way to see where everything was.
And look at all that space! I'd recommend you get some fresh air there before all the pesky hoards start streaming in.
So I'd say it was a pretty successful recce, and it's probably a matter of days before we head back at night to get the proper shot. I'm excited to see the gardens at night and even to spend some there in the day, albeit in proper footwear.
And preferably not jeans.
The tasks are usually relatively difficult and involve lots of careful coordination or running sharply through heavy traffic, which means that they may descend into arguments. Not all of them turn out as planned. I'll never forget the time we lined up in the garden like robots in new clothes for the family Eid portrait. Our symmetry couldn't quite meet my father's exacting standards and the resulting image was a photoshopped composite that included a putty-coloured elbow that HS had to edit onto my arm.
Because like me, my father doesn't like doing things without any preparation, each project involves one or two recces beforehand, preferably in daylight. Like Sherlock Holmes, he leaps and points and darts and barks while I snap away frantically, trying to cement his vision. These recces require energy, but they're a good way to see parts of Singapore that I've never really had the time to look at - I can't tell you how many times I've wished I had my camera with me.
Today, my father spontaneously decided that we were going to look for the spot from which to replicate a picture that he had seen of the Gardens by the Bay domes. We drove over to the other side of the gardens called Gardens by the Bay East - a sprawling, largely empty garden that is open to the public for things like picnics and dogwalking. Because it's so much more plain than its flashy cousin, Gardens East is fairly empty and peaceful.
I liked it very much and of course, will jump at any excuse to practise some photography.
The grass was still a little waterlogged from recent rain and as I squelched across in my steaming black jeans and flipflops with my little Longchamp handbag, my father suggested that I wear gumboots when we take the actual photo at night.
I'm probably biased, but I think that our skyline is pretty damn cool. Government, you're doing something right.
The park has a small stream running through it, fringed with weeping willows and what look like lillies. It is such a quiet, picturesque spot and it is a shame more people haven't discovered it yet.
When we'd taken enough pictures, we started to drive out of the park and then noticed a staircase that leads right onto the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. Now, a consultation with Wikipedia (the final authority on truth) tells us that the Benjamin Sheares Bridge is the longest and tallest bridge in Singapore. I'm all for good views but dayum that staircase is six flights long. Also, it was 2:15pm and if you live here, you know what the sun is like at 2:15pm.
Right under the highway there is a tree graveyard of sorts where dead trees are lined up in a paddock before, I imagine, they're turned to mulch. Who knew?
We bumbled up the stairs and found ourselves right on the edge of the highway where all the marathon runners go. I'm severely afraid of heights and of unstable structures and being on the highway was a surreal experience. Heavy vehicles rattled and blew dust alarmingly and each time anything heavier than a van passed, the bridge bounced and buckled like it was suspended on cables.
Still, it was a pretty amazing experience. I've always wanted to walk the bridge path and eventually I hope to walk my way to the city from the start of it.
Come on, now! I know this is the reason you visit. I mean, which other blog would bring you a shot from the top of a tree? Keep coming back folks, there's plenty more where that came from.
The view was also pretty cool, particularly at the peak of the bridge where you can look across the whole bay.
If you've been lost wandering around the barrage before, you'll know that it's quite difficult to get a sense of where everything is. This was the perfect way to see where everything was.
And look at all that space! I'd recommend you get some fresh air there before all the pesky hoards start streaming in.
So I'd say it was a pretty successful recce, and it's probably a matter of days before we head back at night to get the proper shot. I'm excited to see the gardens at night and even to spend some there in the day, albeit in proper footwear.
And preferably not jeans.
I LOVE THE SHOT WITH THE STAIRCASE AND THE TREE ON THE RIGHT
ReplyDeleteTANKS!! Eh go climb the highway and walk... quite fun!
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