Pride over Growing Trees

Trees, 树人(tree people)
One hundred years to grow ( 百年树人 )
So the saying goes.

The heart, the sweat,
That went with the Nurturing.
The values and the conviction
For the larger good, as part of the Grooming and Growing.

When the trees grow and bloom,
The nurturers glow with pride
To see the blossoming trees.

As the baton is passed,
The hope is that
The blossoming trees too would uphold the values
Of integrity
And the conviction to do things right.

As true leaders do.

water, flowers and fresh air

As the water splashed against the walls of the pond,

the sun shone.

And the flowers beamed in the warm sunlight,

glowing in their colours.

In the pond, the koi swam gracefully from end to end,

huddling together, in unity, in unison.

At the Singapore Garden Festival

Some 120,000 people have visited the Singapore Garden Festival - wow!

A Greek "goddess" at the event ...

B&W, and a dash of Colour

Who says black-and-white is passe? Not when it offers a good contrast to the dash of colour in the flower!





Seen at the Singapore Garden Festival 2008.

It was displayed with the array of beautiful photos by Mr Kwek Leng Joo. Not sure if this too was taken by him.

Designing with Plants

Guess what's this?

It's seats for the weary at the Singapore Garden Festival 2008 !

In flowerland, we immersed.

It was like tiptoeing home, after some adventure, like in the Enid Blyton story books. Returning home, walking softly through the backyard, with the stone paths and warm (but dim) lights, leaves swishing in the light night breeze.

A garden out of the fairy tales.

A white piano and cello, amidst a bed of blooming pink lilies.

One could imagine the fairies elegantly sitting nearby, listening to the music.

Then out there, in the dark forest, at times treacherous and dangerous, lived the pitcher plants.

Those inviting flowers (notice the lids on top) that trap unsuspecting insects. Maybe a tiny elf or two could even fall in, if they were not careful!

The woods were not without their gems. Finally, the Shangri-La, the fairyland of dreams. (Except it was underwater - so one would have to be able to dive!)

Is there a Shangri-la? Me wonders ...

The Garden Festival 2008 >>

*twinkle, twinkle* another place, another road

Another place, another road, the same time .... the run-up to National Day!

... in the air ...

Love - or rather, marriage - is in the air. Talk of marriage and babies, of Sweden and others, of affordable creche for working mothers, of paternity leave ... all to keep up, no, hopefully, increase this thing called TFR (total fertility rate).

And in the movie world, a famed pair finally weds. In great and unique style, giving much for the hungry media to report and their fans to swoon over.

Carina Lau and Tony Leong Chiu Wai in Bhutan

* Twinkle twinkle many lights *

Twinkle, twinkle, many lights.

Not Christmas, not new year,

but August.

August, month of our National Day.

Twinkle, twinkle , many lights.

Not Orchard Road, not Marina Square,

but the humble heartlands.

These be lights, sparkling and shining for you and me;

Lights outside the food centre cum market

at Jalan Jurong Kechil road.

clouds galore

Clouds, clouds, clouds.

Fluffy ones, white ones,

packed together, crowding the clear blue sky.

Clouds galore on an early Sunday evening.

durian snow pearl?

The durian snow pearl really sounds sumptious. Perhaps we should go try it. Snow pearl, anyone?

O for Opportunity

Among the many inspirational posters, is one on Opportunity. It showed some goats on a hill, looking out - I suppose for opportunities! And often, we hear of opportunity for business, opportunity for many many other things.

But people (and animals) are not the only ones looking for opportunity. Plants too, in their quest for survival. See this plant growing from the small crevice between tiles ...

晴空万里

NDP Theme Song 2008 (Chinese version) - 晴空万里 - sung by Joi Chua

another Friday - chirp chirp, chirp chirp

Another Friday, another night.
A late evening of laundry - the machine's spinning seemed to go on forever.
As one rushed to hang it out to dry (the laundry, not the machine),
the crickets came out to sing in high-volume unison.
Chirp chirp chirp, they went;
Incessantly, it felt like ... the chirping seemed louder and louder.
getting onto the nerves, as one rushed to finish the chore.

Chirp, chirp, chirp.

the clear blue sky

The sky was clear and blue this morning.

With the Sun's rays peeping from behind the fluffy white clouds.

The trees and plants stood upright, tall in their earnestness to greet the morning sun.

The svelte swallow flew round the trees, in a circle.

Swiftly the black swallow flew, round and round.

Perhaps in search of food, in search of fruits.

It was a clear blue sky this morning.

under the scorching Sun

As the Rain Fairy continued to weep now and then,

granting some water to the sun-burnt inhabitants below,

the plants revealed their true colours

under the scorching attention from the Sun Emperor.

Pink, fushia flowers bloomed;

even the purple bougainvilla too,

that obstinate one that refused to show its colours.

The orchid, the lucky one under the shade, has grown buds again, about ten in all.

Over the pond, a big spider built its home under the shady fern.

Perched up there, it nestled, high above the koi swimming back and forth.

Do koi eat spiders, me wonders?

Do you see the spider?

tongues

Psst ...
... did you hear the true story of the ....
Psst... did you hear ....
Psst ... psst ... psst...

The wagging of tongues,
oh so easy.
But oh so hurtful, it could be.

This could be done, that could have been achieved ...
so the tongues wag.
So easy to say with 20/20 vision - AFTER the fact.
She is leaving, because she can't stand the boss ...did you hear ...?
So easy to feed the grapevine ... but the truth is inside.
How could one hold back the fairy when her heart is in Never-Neverland?
She doesn't like him ... did you hear ...?
So easy to say, so easy to be big-hearted
when the horse is not in one's stable, having to deliver the KPIs of the stable,
while other horses swot and stretch to deliver the KPIs .

Tongues - capable of differentiating tastes, yet so insensitive to feelings.

fretful Friday

The rush home, to send off a loved one,
but held back, by discussions and meetings.
Then disappointment.
Oh, why, on the Friday?
The rush home, but faced with heavy traffic,
on the roads, on the expressways,
regardless of ERP hikes, regardless of taxi fare hikes.

Fretful Friday, oh, what a fretful Friday!

A week of tiffs -
the Rain Fairy weeped in the early mornings,
at times accompanied by roars from the Thunder Lord.
Then the Sun Emperor mediated,
and the sunlight shone through the clouds.
Then the tiff escalated at times,
with the Rain Fairy crying copiously in the afternoons,
pouring incessantly down on earth,
easing only when the Moon Brother appeared.

The moonlight shone, but with limited power;
no power to see through fakeness,
no power to shatter the falseness of some.

auf wiedersehn

Auf wiedersehn. Till we meet again.
Oft this is said. And felt.

People come and go.
Hardly missed are those unwanted, those dismissively arrogant at heart.
But sorely missed
are the good team players and leaders,
nice trustworthy people to work with, and with the passion and drive for the cause.

Shifting sands - how they shift whith each tidal wave.
Sand castles built - how fragile they are, as the foundations erode away.
Don't they know that it takes 100 years to "grow" a person?
With each wave, we have to restart, to reinforce the foundations,
bring in the right spade and pail, bring on board the right type of sand,
the right mixture of sand with water.

Would that we bring in the right ones,
for with each wrong move, we end up operating like a lump of mud,
dense and stunted, hitting at the walls of the team morale.

Shifting sands .. how they affect us.
Auf wiedersehn and auf wiedersehn, we whisper in our hearts,
to the two plots of sand carried away by the moving tides,
hoping they return when it's time,
hoping to build effective alliance wherever they may be.

the Jewel in the city

It rose above, looking even higher from the Lower Lawn.

As dusk fell, its chandiers within glimmered and shone.

It stood, upright and stately, elegant as a Grande Olde Dame.

Over in the lawn, the ground was soft and neat.

The fountain waters flowed and danced, up and down,

in tune with the music of the band,

the musical notes floating through the evening air,

to reach those standing on duty around the Grande Olde Dame.

The ballrooms and banquet halls were tastefully decked out,

elegant gold and traditional rosewood.

Guests milled around in their dignified uniforms and jackets,

with the women partners in splendid gowns and tiny bags.

A night of serious conversation and light-hearted introductions.

a quiet good-bye

Our paths crossed, briefly, occasionally.
A polite smile, a friendly greeting.
Recognising a trusted right hand,
to the leader.

Admiration for the years of hard and intense work
in keeping up the flock,
with the right mix of carrots and sticks,
with the attention to grooming the young.

A quiet good-bye and a wish to rest in peace.

SJSM

through the screen of soap suds

First the splash of water;

then the soap,

covering the windscreen.

Then the spray of water to clean the car.

All for $3 (discounted price after pumping petrol at SPC).

We were at the car wash this Sunday night. A 24-hour car wash. Two workers did the washing, while two others did the wiping dry. What hard work it must be, and cold too, at night. We saw one worker (who did the splashing of water and spraying of the car) all wet. What might have been refreshing on a hot day, must be chilling in the cold night air.

On the Wall

Lizard, lizard, on the wall,

where are you going, we ask.

Are you booking out too?

Or booking in?

Or doing extra, guarding the perimeter,

ready to raise the alarm?

Lizard, lizard, on the wall,

are you rushing to join your friends?

The one behind the picture at the landing ...

or the fat one hiding behind the rice cooker in the kitchen?

Or the one near the frig and the dustbin?

Or the one looking out for insects at the dinner light?

Lizard, lizard, on the wall.

100-year-old cakes?

Wife's cakes from Hongkong, we've heard of. But Hundred Year Cakes?
Well, there are - from Yunan. And tasty too. :P

the halls of lifelong learning

A nice modern building, customised classrooms and LTs,

airconditioned, with elevators and escalators,

hip and cool cafe, practical food court,

a modern place of learning

for that coveted degree.

Young people, there for a global education,

a tie-up between the varsity and an overseas one.

Even younger people, running around, making merry noises,

there in the creche,

having early immersion in an ambience of education.

Young or old,

learning never stops - it shouldn't.

Young or old,

the mind has to continue learning;

a lifelong pursuit it is.

Pasta and brownies @ SIM

It was a youthful and hip place, full of young with trendy hairstyles and clothes, seen often along Orchard Road.
The cafe even adapted the Marche style of charging - with the card that one can hand to the vendor to "chop", then pay at the exit. The salmon steak was comparable with those elsewhere (just that the queue was very long). There was even latte (with names like "Cybe Latte" and "Syrup Latte") and ice-cream over brownies or waffles!

We were at the SIM. Food for thought; food for the stomach too!

smart turnout; precision and discipline

Today's SAF Day. Officers at various levels turned up in smart and well-ironed uniforms. A day of honour for those who won awards - the units and the individuals.