. the pink walk, butterfly house, mid-autumn festival .

A fun-filled 03.10.2009

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Reebok Pink Ribbon Walk 2009

It was early in the morning of October 3rd, when East Coast Park turned abuzz with life. Organized by the Breast Cancer Foundation, the Reebok Pink Ribbon Walk’ 09 aims to raise awareness of the no.1 killer of women in the world – Breast Cancer.  Together, men … women … & children, all clad in pink ( well, they ran OOS of pink tops for guys so poor MK was disappointed at being the odd one out ) and ready for the run/walk ahead.

Being the lazy bum ( which I have mentioned umpteen times on my blog ) , I opted for the 5km leisure walk instead of the competitive run. Hand-in-hand, MK & I enjoyed the slow stroll, taking in the sights of couples walking their dogs, parents with their adorable children in tow ( NO, no mummy instincts lol ), “Easterners” doing their morning exercise routine – be it, jogging , cycling or skating –  & even spotted a lone Caucasian man sitting by the coast & staring into the endless sky, looking as if he was lost in his train of thoughts. A great spot in the city to people-watch.

To cap it off, it was such a marvelous sight to see all the pink participants armed with an indomitable spirit and a great sense of enthusiasm. truly, Support in a Sea of Pink.

Here’s presenting everyone’s Favourite MILO^® Truck , that’s almost synonymous with sporting events. True indeed, there’s nothing more quenching than ice-cold milo drinks to look forward to, at the end of a race. Or, a walk in our case.

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Butterfly House @ 23 Amber Road

We came across the Butterfly House @ 23 Amber Road while walking from ECP to the bus stop. In fact, I happened to read a little about the unique house when I was surfing the net for info about abandoned houses in Singapore ( closet geek ). There’s just something about big, abandoned houses that fascinates me to the core …  Probably not just houses, but forgotten places like Haw Par Villa, the defunct Tangs Dynasty&  Kampong Buangkok. It intrigues me to no end as I try to imagine their past, glory days where they stood so grand & beautiful. Fully capable of creating memories for their past owners. Now, void of any form of grandness, the current dilapidated and unkempt state that these houses are in, do not do justice to their glorious past. Instead, all that remains are nothing but ruins of their past and an eerie vibe in the air. Will this be a vicious cycle?

More about the Butterfly House :

A historical house that was built in 1912, by Regent A J Bidwell. A reason why the house remains of such great architectural interest is due to the fact that it is the only private residence ever designed by Bidwell, who is also the man behind other memorable landmarks such as the Raffles Hotel, Goodwood Park Hotel, Victoria Memorial Hall & Stamford House. Sitting on a 1,095 square meter site ( huge!), the Butterfly House was once home to the Cashin family for generations. You might now know, but the Cashin family also once owned the Matilda House, aka. the lonely white house that sits on an empty field, located opposite Soo Teck LRT. As with all uninhabited houses, the Matilda House is a popular haunt for those who seek to explore the supernatural world. In other words, h.a.u.n.t.e.d.

A remarkable architectural work of this house would be its significant butterfly wings – the crescent curve of the house. It was designed specifically to facilitate the seaside breeze, as it was then a seaside house ( refer to the pic below ) along the beach coast.

The initial plan to demolish this historical house to make way for yet another condo ( duh! ) created an uproar amongst a group of heritage lovers. After the petition launched by the HARPS, the real estate company decided to reach a compromise and retain a (small) portion of the house. It had agreed to “conserve porch and stair hall and integrate them into the facade of a new 18th storey condo”. Unfortunately, a butterfly house … it no longer will be. Its signature curved wings had to go as it is a very tight site.=(  Kind of ironic, as it is the famed wings that make the house so unique. Moreover, a look at the artist impression of the upcoming condo shows how utterly mismatched the building looks as there seems to be a lack of proper integration of the building.

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* Snippets of the Butterfly House. Credit to MK.

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Domestic Dystopia
by Ho Hui May

( Part of the SIPF’ 09  )

“In these spaces, Ho see conditions of a dystopia; erasure, neglect and decline in the interior spaces of dilapidated and unoccupied houses in Singapore. They suggest an absence, made more poignantly surreal by the races former inhabitants left behind; forsaken furniture stacked up and overturned in corners. Nails, calendars, posters, and bits of remnant decorations mark the walls. She imagines the multitude of human emotions, relationships, and memories that these houses would have contained in their past lives. She would lover her audience to experience and share similar evocations. The Katong area is rapidly changing with luxury condominiums proliferating everywhere as older buildings are demolished. Her photographs accurately juxtapose the historical and the modern, clearly demarcating the borders of the new and old, thus recreating a sense of dystopia.”

* Following 4 pics taken off the net

Back View of the House

Aerial View

Before reclamation, where the sea greeted the backyard

Proposed Integrated Condo

For further info:
http://www.irenelow.com/
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CurioCity : A Simple World through my toy camera

by bob lee
2.9.0.2 Gallery

“CurioCity showcases a slice of the beauty and daily life of these European cities seen through his toy camera.” As quoted from the photo-journalist, Bob Lee, “A simple toy camera leaves little room for technical modifications to enhance one’s images but the entire world of possibilities for creativity. This is my way of challenging myself and sharing these images with others”.

Very well-said. This photography exhibition showcases a series of everyday, street pics from 4 different but dazzling countries – UK, Spain, France & Germany. Looking at the pics, you might have thought that the pictures were taken professionally with an expensive DSLR but that wasn’t the case. Instead, all pics were shoot with nothing, other than a simple Holga camera. Simply put it, Bob lee manages to highlight how photography is a product of the art of spontaneity. Signifying that pictures are void of mistakes; that they need not be clear, vivid or precise in order to be seen as perfect. I simply admire how some photographers have this gifted ability to turn ordinary scenes from the streets to something so artistic & aesthetic. Very inspiring indeed. ♥♥

* All pics taken by Bob Lee

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Mid-Autumn Festival
Realm of Colours

Been so many years since I celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival. Recalled those times where my cousins & I would carry our childish lanterns ( those that play annoying music ) and stroll around the condo playground. Come this year, MK & I were determined to bring back the mood of celebrating mid-autumn fest. Known for its impressive lantern extravaganza & displays, the Chinese Gardens promised to be decked in a myriad of lights that’s gonna be brighter than ever. As such, the both of us wanted to be part of this celebration and also, to bask in the festive atmosphere.

However, having kick-start our long day at ECP, we thus felt lazy to have to travel all the way to the West and so, we eventually settled for the cheaper option of going down the DIY route. Bought a couple of traditional paper lanterns ( Damage: $5 ONLY ) and we were all set to go. Painted my garden with colours with the lighted lanterns. Inspired by an earlier visit to the photography exhibition, we attempted to be artistic photographers for the night as we played around with the camera functions and vibrant colours. Hey, I gotta admit that Im quite impressed by the myriad of colorful light blurs.  =)

Ended the eventful day with a romantic walk ( armed with lanterns) , around the neighborhood, under a full moon ( actually not quite, as we had mischievous Archie with us! ). Not surprisingly, my estate remained as quiet as the feather hitting the ground as there weren’t any signs of little kids trooping down the streets, with their lanterns in hand. Nevertheless, there were the rare occasions where we managed to catch glimpses of houses that had their porches decorated with lighted lanterns. Seems like not all’s forgotten. Oh, the enchanting spell of the night.

* TGIF again *