Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares (250 acres) of reclaimed land in the Central region of Singapore. It was intended to be Singapore’s premier urban outdoor recreation space, and a national icon. As such it is very popular with the tourists as well as the locals.

The garden is really impressive. If I lived nearer, I would be taking walks there every day. Today, I will show some photos of the surrounding, and photos of structures, which I find interesting.

Earth

Facets of Life

Quotes made us think. When we think, we analyse the truth contain therein, and we learn the wisdom in them. Quotes can serve as our signposts on our journey through life. They can be our teachers, guardians, and friends … always there to patiently motivate, encourage, advice, counsel, console, enlighten, educate, and at times to egg us on when we are feeling down, discouraged or disillusioned. Some of these teachers are centuries old. But their words of wisdom are still as applicable today as when they were first said, centuries ago.

There are some duties we owe even to those who have wronged us. There is, after all, a limit to retribution and punishment. - Marcus Tullius Cicero

A race horse that can run a mile a few seconds faster is worth twice as much. That little extra proves to be the greatest value. - John D Hess

You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him. - Leo Aikman

Every exit is an entrance somewhere else. - Tom Stoppard

When there is no turning back, then we should concern ourselves only with the best way of going forward. - Paulo Coelho

We grow a little every time we do not take advantage of somebody’s weakness. - Bern Williams

Wearing cheap clothes or driving an old car doesn’t make you broken. Remember, you got a family to feed, not a community to impress. - Unknown

Brute force bereft of wisdom falls to ruin by its own weight. - Horatius

A prudent person profits from personal experience, a wise one from the experience of others. - Dr. Joseph Collins

It is a great mistake for men to give up paying compliments, for when they give up saying what is charming, they give up thinking what is charming. - Oscar Wilde

The obstacles of your past can become the gateway that lead to new beginnings. - Ralph Blum

You cannot fail to parent your children at home, then expect teachers to work miracles with them in the classroom. - Unknown

Madura's Restaurant

When you are hungry in Little India, what do you do? You look for an Indian restaurant, of course. And that is exactly what my friend and I did. However, there are so many restaurants and eateries in Little India. We had a hard time deciding which to go for. In the end, we settled on Madura's.

The Madura's is not a very big restaurant. The setting is casual, and the atmosphere relaxed. There was only one other table of customers when we arrived. However, the restaurant got filled gradually and by the time we finished our meal, all tables were taken.

Since we were not very knowledgeable when it comes to Indian food, we decided to go with the 'House Specials', or the 'Chef's Recommendations', or the 'Customer Favourites'. These were what we ordered.

Butter Chicken Masala

The Indian butter chicken curry is well established in Indian restaurant menus. This one didn't disappoint either. The curry is thick, rich and creamy, and the chicken tender. Very nice.

Madura's Mutton Masala Curry

My other favourite of the Indian cuisine is the mutton curry. The meat were always so tender. So, I was keen to compare Madura's mutton Curry. They didn't disappoint. They were tender and lovely.

Tandoori Pomfret

The Tandoori Pomfret was an experience. It was nice enough. I guess I am more used to steaming my fish than fried. Something different.

Three flavours of Naan - Garlic, Cheese and Butter

The garlic naan was easy to tell, but the cheese and butter was a bit difficult to differentiate. But it didn't matter.

A Portion of their menus.

It's not often that I go to an Indian Restaurant. But I certainly enjoyed the meal at Madura's.

Wedding Lunch

I attended a Malay wedding last weekend. I am not a fan of weddings and funerals, to be honest. I tend to stay away from them. However, on this occasion, there were friends going as well. So, it was intended as a group outing.

We arrived at the venue at about a quarter past one. There was an empty table, most likely reserved by the host for us. We did request that he does so. After conveying our congratulatory regards and best wishes to the host, we settled down to observe the going-on in the room. The scene was festive, grand and celebratory with many guests, as most weddings usually are. There are many floral arrangements.

Lunch was a buffet spread of curries, and desserts. So, we helped ourselves. The curries, and rendangs were nice enough, but we were not impressed with the desserts. It was a pity because Malay desserts are some of my favourites and I was looking forward to them.

We left just as the groom was making his entrance accompanied by a drum-beating procession known as kompang. By then, the room was getting very crowded, and we thought we should let others have the table, as we have been there for a while.

The groom’s march in was intercepted by the bride’s girl gang in a hadang, or what most know as the gatecrash, where he has to go through a series of obstacles. This was explained to us by the other kind guests, when they saw the look of confusion on our faces, looking at the commotion.

After the groom cleared his obstacles and made his entrance, we went on our way.

Here are some aspects of a Malay wedding.

While making his entrance, the groom is ‘guarded’ by bunga manggar – palm-shaped decorations made from colourful tinsel on bamboo poles. They symbolises prosperity and fertility, and if placed outside of the ceremony location, it can also double up as a directional marker.

Source

The anchor point of any Malay wedding would be the wedding dais that’s almost always grandly decorated. No, that wasn’t the groom. Just a bored boy who had nothing better to do.

The highlight of the wedding is the bersanding, when the bridal couple, in their wedding finery, sit on the ‘thrones’ placed on the pelamin (dais). They are treated as king and queen for the day. During the ceremony, friends, relatives and guests offer their blessings and congratulations, and sprinkle yellow rice and flower petals – both items are symbols of fertility – on the bridal couple. And also to have their pictures taken – if they so desire.

Our group took the opportunity to take a quick snap with the host and his children. The groom hadn't arrived at this point and the hostess was busy with her duties. We didn't want to keep the other quests who were queuing to take pictures with the bride waiting.

Patience

Patience is a virtue. With patience you can overcome obstacles and difficulties. Our patience will achieve more than our force. Understand that there is a time and place for everything. Some things can’t be rush. We have to wait for their due process. When the time is right, everything will fall into place.

It is better that you find something to occupy your time, while you wait. This will take your mind off the waiting. And this, is the real secret of patience – to find something else to do while you wait.

Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy. - Saadi

A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains. - Unknown

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. - Saint Francis de Sales

How poor are they who have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees. - William Shakespeare

Patience helps us to view imperfections in others more generously to the end that we may learn to be more wise than they have been. - Neal Maxwell

The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it. - Arnold H. Glasow

Let him that hath no power of patience retire within himself, though even there he will have to put up with himself. - Baltasar Gracian

An over-taxed patience gives way to fierce anger. - Publilius Syrus

Patience is passion tamed. - Lyman Abbott

One Day At A Time

There is order in Nature, even though we might not realize it. Sunrise followed by sunset... seasons come, seasons go... one day at a time, one season at a time. A time for everything, and everything in its time. No hurry, no rush. When the time is right, everything falls into place.

Meanwhile, no matter how hard and difficult our journeys are, if we can advance one step at a time, there will come a time when we looked back, and be surprised at how how far we have come. Life has to be lived. Difficulties and unpleasantness have to be bore. We can do that if we take it one day at a time!

My Orchid Bloomed

My Orchid plant bloomed, for the second time. I have had it for three years. It first bloomed sometime in May last year. There were only four flowers in the first bloom. This year, there are twice the number of flowers. I am very happy to see it bloomed. May there be many more.

Google image identified them as Phalaenopsis, commonly known as Moth Orchids.

There was a time, when it looked like it was dying. Fortunately, it survived.

The first bloom with only four flowers.

There was another plant after this, but that didn’t bloom. I am still hoping maybe it will do so later.

I was very pleased to see a flower stalk from the latest shoot.

The first flower.

The second flower

The third flower

The sixth flower

Last but one flower

Finally, full bloom.