urban-o-mania

060_fine city

2010-08-21T17:43:00.006+08:00

Singapore hosts Youth Olympic Games (YOG) during 14-26 August 2010. Besides the venues and facilities for these young athletes, the city has prepared many other things to ensure the smooth operation of the show. One particular effort which is quite interesting and has an impact on urbanscape is the YOG lane. The five-ring logo is painted directly onto the second left-most lanes of designated routes. Drivers are required to give way to YOG vehicles. They would get S$130 fine as a reminder if found failing to do so. See what else, besides traffic signages, can be painted on the road surface at post #028 – the great singapore sale.

059_hyperfacade

2009-12-18T23:32:00.001+08:00

Hyperfacade has recently become a norm for shopping mall design in Singapore. Imagine if all buildings in singapore glow in the dark... what would happen? Can we see this small country, represented by just a dot on the world map, blinking from the space?

058_landscape of fear

2009-05-07T00:50:00.002+08:00

I accidentally found this interesting place some time ago while I was in a cab from somewhere back to my office. The walkway in the picture is no different from any others but it is made uncommon by its location. It cuts through a network of underground service lines including dangerous ones such as high voltage cables and gas pipes. Walking along this walkway probably gives you a chill down the spine like walking through a guaranteed safe path on a battlefield filled with landmines. Stepping out of it and then, boom!, you are gone.

057_HDB LUP

2009-04-25T17:02:00.002+08:00

I have earlier written about HDB (public housing by Housing & Development Board) in 009_public housing. Space planning and outlook of the flats differ from each other depending on their generations. According to HDB, “some HDB blocks built before 1990 were not provided with 100% access to lift to meet demands for privacy”. The Lift Upgrading Program (LUP) is initiated by HDB to improve such condition. It is quite interesting to see how an existing building can be adapted to fit in a new element that was not designed for. Read more about LUP at http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10208p.nsf/WPDis/Lift%20Upgrading%20ProgrammeOverview?OpenDocument

056_short flight

2009-04-23T22:33:00.001+08:00

Regulation is regulation. You don’t question or argue with regulation.

This is probably one of the shortest handrails in the world.

055_SDPC

2009-01-17T23:40:00.001+08:00

It is considered an offence to bring a pack of duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore. To differentiate, with effect from 1 January 2009, all duty-paid cigarettes sold in Singapore will be marked with the letters SDPC on every individual stick. A packet of cigarettes without the marking will cost the offender a fine of S$500. SDPC stands for, no prizes for guessing, Singapore Duty-Paid Cigarettes.

054_F1’s first night race

2008-09-27T18:06:00.003+08:00

The World’s first F1 night race will take place in Singapore on 28th September 08 (tomorrow) at 20:00 local time. Since the race begins at night, lighting is a key factor to ensure safety of drivers. The system, realised by Italian-based Valerio Maioli SpA, requires about 3000 lux to illuminate the circuit within the city’s Marina Bay area up to 4 times brighter than a typical stadium. This has resulted in a pretty interesting urban phenomenon – Illuminating City.

053_ interiorisation of urban space_04

2008-09-14T16:51:00.001+08:00

Another great example on conversion of open-air urban realm into interior space is Bugis Junction. Situated above Bugis MRT Station, the shopping mall is Singapore’s first glass-covered, air-conditioned shopping streets. Existing shophouses with their five-foot ways (read about five-foot way on post #036) are preserved and modified by the demands of capitalism. For more information, visit http://www.bugisjunction-mall.com.sg.

052_line dance

2008-08-16T23:00:00.003+08:00

According to Wikipedia, a line dance is choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time. (Refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_dance) Line dancing has a wild-wild-west image because it was danced predominantly to country-western music in its early days. To date, line dancing has become more popular with a wider range of music. There are several groups of line dancing society (or association or whatever) in Singapore. All you have to do are to browse their websites, download dance step sheets, practice a bit, check the venue for the next gathering and you are good to go. In May 2002, Singapore held a Guinness World Records as World’s Largest Country Line Dance with 11,967 line dancers. The record was broken in December of the same year by Hong Kong.

051_tunnel tv

2008-08-16T18:13:00.001+08:00

More and more of space are being utilised for commercial purpose. (See 046_commercialisation of urban space) SMRT, a train service provider in Singapore, has offered a new media called Tunnel TV during a ride between Newton and Orchard MRT stations. Tunnel TV composes of 360 LED panels mounted on the tunnel wall synchronising with the train speed to create moving images. (Read more about Tunnel TV at http://www.smrtmedia.com.sg/enews/Feb/index.htm)

050_the colonnade

2008-08-16T17:46:00.001+08:00

The late American architect Paul Rudolph designed a few buildings in Singapore. Among them is the Colonnade, one of a handful of buildings with interesting design here in Singapore. Completed in the year 1988, the 28-storey apartment block still looks contemporary, as if it was just designed by some young architects with program/data-driven design approach.

049_tower bridge

2008-08-09T22:06:00.001+08:00

This pedestrian bridge in front of the Central Fire Station appears to be overstructured comparing to any other ordinary bridges found in Singapore and elsewhere. Its excessive four-column structure is actually part of a former building that the bridge once connected to. The building was later demolished leaving a portion of its structure and foundation to support the bridge that still being used until today.

048_condensing city_02

2008-08-09T17:24:00.001+08:00

Since the surface of the rear façade of a shophouse, after excluding doors and windows, is limited. A/C condensers sometimes take precedence over existing elements on the façade regardless of their importance.

047_a/c façade

2008-08-09T16:59:00.002+08:00

Conversion of function in an old shophouse can result in a great amount of air conditioning required as we have already seen on post no.020_condensing city. Some shophouses have impressive collection of condensers covering almost the entire rear façade. Could aircon condensers play a part in architectural design if they are strategically placed on the building facade?

046_commercialisation of urban space

2008-07-27T20:52:00.001+08:00

It is most likely correct to say that the success of an advertisement in the space where it is displayed is not just up to the quantity of targeted group of potential customers but also the amount of time they spend. Public transportation is probably the best advertising medium as it well captures both qualities, i.e. a great number of users per day and a rapid turnover. As an adaptation to high competition, contemporary advertising tends to be more customised and contextual in the battle for public’s attention. More and more of public spaces are being commercialised.

045_the rise of public

2008-06-22T21:50:00.002+08:00

The Pinnacle at Duxton is the tallest public housing project by HDB (Housing & Development Board) to date. It comprises of seven 50-storey blocks linked by communal sky parks at 26th storey and roof level. The Pinnacle at Duxton was a winning scheme by ARC Studio Architecture + Urbanism and RSP Architects Planners & Engineers for a two-stage international design competition organised by URA (the Urban Redevelopment Authority, http://www.ura.gov.sg) in the year 2001 & 2002. The jury panel included, among others, Prof. Fumihiko Maki from Japan. Read more about the design concept of the Pinnacle at Duxton at http://www.ura.gov.sg/competition/results.html and http://www.arcstudio.com.sg. Other matters aside, the attempt of the organiser to realise the winning scheme is really appreciative.

044_HS

2008-06-22T19:48:00.001+08:00

Under the CD Shelter Act 1997, developers and homeowners are required to incorporate Household Shelter (HS) in the developments. The overall surface of HS including its floor, walls and ceiling has to be strengthened RC structure with extra thickness. Walls need to be set back in from the building exterior following the requirement specified in the guideline by SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force, www.scdf.gov.sg). The entrance to the HS must be installed with SCDF-approved light protective steel door. Residents are allowed to use the HS for other functions such as pantry, store, wine cellar, for example, but, however, the temporary fixtures installed inside the HS must be easily removable within 48 hours in case of emergency. No permanent installation that required hacking or drilling on the floor, walls or ceiling is allowed.

043_pearlbank apartments

2008-06-07T21:51:00.007+08:00

Pearlbank Apartments, one of a handful of unique masterpieces of modern architecture in Singapore and once the tallest apartment block in Southeast Asia, has been featured extensively in newspapers, magazines and websites since last year. It has been under threats going for en bloc sales as a result of the fast-growing economy and booming real estate market. Since the start of the incident, there have been organizations (including the Singapore Institute of Architects) and many individuals who love the building standing up to express their views and trying to stop the en bloc process. The spearhead of the individuals is Ed Poole of Poole Associates (a well-known interior design firm; http://www.poole-associates.com) who lives and works in the building. I had a chance to meet up briefly with Ed Poole in the Maldives during my work trip there and had a feeling that the guy is full of passion and energy and won’t give up until he gets what he wants. His home/office penthouse unit was featured in Wallpaper* UK and Condé Nast Traveler as an attempt to conserve the Pearlbank. Recently, I looked out of my window and saw the building had started a new paint job. This looks like a good sign. Read more about this cool building at http://www.pearlbankapartments.com.

042_fallen tree

2008-05-11T16:36:00.003+08:00

There are always two sides to a coin. While having loads of big tree provides shading and pleasant environment, it’s quite dangerous to walk under them during a strong wind or heavy rain. Last year alone there were many reports on injuries and fatalities caused by fallen branches or even the whole tree appeared on papers. Since then NParks (National Parks Board) has allocated their manpower specially on checking the condition of big trees throughout the whole of Singapore. It surely sounds like a tough and never-ending job...

041_T3

2008-05-11T14:13:00.001+08:00

In Singapore, the much-talked-about-lately T3 doesn’t refer to a film by the California Governor but rather to the Changi Airport’s new addition, Terminal 3. No prize for guessing, the design concept reflects the ‘garden city’ reputation. Natural light is abundant and vertical landscaping is applied to a massive wall as a backdrop for the terminal building. See 002_garden city on how they make T2 green.

040_too hot to handle

2008-04-27T15:43:00.001+08:00

This is one of interesting creations found in Singapore I like. When you order take-away hot beverages, they’ll give you this so it’s easier to carry and you don’t burn your own hand. Would be nice if Starbucks can adopt the idea.

039_five-foot way_02

2008-04-27T15:14:00.001+08:00

I earlier wrote about five-foot ways on the post no.036. You may think; ah… such a great idea people can walk everywhere without getting wet and burnt. It’s not really true as many of them either stop half way or don’t really get you anywhere. The alignment of five-foot ways also may not necessarily be the same, as shown on the picture. But in general it’s a very good concept for cities in tropical climate.

038_no no.4

2008-04-27T12:06:00.002+08:00

This picture was taken from a department store. The storey numbers jump from 3rd to 5th. Wait a minute. Where is the 4th storey?! Chinese people classify no.4 as unlucky number because its pronunciation is similar to the one of the word ‘dead’ in Chinese. Such belief is even stronger in Cantonese-speaking society. I once worked on a project in Hong Kong. It was very confusing when it came to numbers of storey…

037_the self-organizing economy

2008-01-20T00:06:00.000+08:00

Ephemeral models of economy obscurely develop themselves in major cities worldwide regardless of strict control. The behavior of these temporary programs such as street vendors tends to be self-opposed as they seek for the flow, to happen where a lot of people pass by, and, sometimes, flee from some other particular flow because they are illegal by nature. In Singapore such temporary transactions are only legally allowed in places with consent from the owner or landlord who will have to get approval from the responsible local authority. Check out the product display technique in the photo, very contextual as they cleverly make use of the glass wall.

* The title of this post is borrowed from a book by Paul Krugman with the same name.

036_five-foot way

2007-12-08T18:40:00.000+08:00

Five-foot ways are colonnaded walkways in front of shophouses. Sir Stamford Raffles stipulated this as part of his Town Plan of 1822 to provide shelter for pedestrians from sun and rain. It is one magical space that blurs the boundary between public and private. The ownership right belongs to the owner of the unit so various decorations and floor finishes can be found on the same stretch of the walkway. It is also an extension of what happening inside the shophouse. Coffee shops and eateries use this space as their alfresco dining area, which still allow people to walk through. It’s a nice experience eating there trying to avoid people walking right into you and also, the other way around, walking through meandering pathway crated by leftover space from dining tables.

035_coupon parking

2007-12-08T17:51:00.000+08:00

There are two types of short-term parking in Singapore, coupon parking and electronic parking system. Parking coupons can be purchased from post office, 7-eleven and some other appointed sales outlets. There are several of different denominations but the common ones are $0.50, $1.00 and $2.00. Motorists are required to display coupons at prominent location in their vehicles for checking. The tabs on each coupon will have to be torn off to indicate date and commencement time of parking. Parking rates are varied by location. Hourly charges are $1.00 per half hour in restricted zone and $0.50 per half hour outside the zone. This car in the picture was parked in restricted zone. Mathematically, it’s obvious that the owner planned to hang around for 7 hours.

034_alley cat

2007-11-24T17:58:00.000+08:00

In Singapore it’s very rare to find a stray dog. I guess because dogs sometimes can be rather harmful. If found, they will be either put to sleep or sent to SPCA (the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) for future adoption by pet lovers. On the other hand, cats have a bit more privilege. They are allowed to stroll around. There are quite a lot of stray cats, especially around Chinatown area. However, they will be sterilized in order to control the number. Next time when you see a homeless cat, try to notice. The ones with a snipped ear are already sterilized.

033_ interiorisation of urban space_03

2007-10-13T18:35:00.000+08:00

Clarke Quay is a must-see destination for tourists in Singapore. The Singapore River together with barge lighters, colonial-style shophouses and warehouses offer the area a perfect ambience for nightlife. The area has undergone a nip/tuck operation and reopened to public again in October 2006 with rookies like Hooters, Ministry of Sound, The Clinic, Kandi Bar, Fashion Bar, etc., reserving Singapore a spot on the world’s night-entertainment atlas. The architect, Will Alsop, inserted a new-roof with sophisticated shading and cooling system over the existing rows of shophouse to give the area a new visual icon. This giant umbrella has turned once-opened external streets into a sheltered and controlled environment. See a cool aerial view of the project at http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=467

032_queuing

2007-06-23T22:45:00.000+08:00

Queuing is a part of everyday life in Singapore, so as in other major cities around the world, see 004_excursion on density on this Singapore blog. Many times people even have to queue for parking space in department stores. Since the whole parking place is electronically controlled, when it is full, one car can only enter when the other car from inside getting out to avoid jamming. There will usually be a sign notifying that the parking is full but nobody cares. They just don’t mind queuing on the ramp like this.

031_yong tau foo

2007-06-23T21:16:00.000+08:00

I like Yong Tau Foo. I think it is one of the coolest foods on earth. You pick your own recipe and the variety of choices is great. The usual ingredients provided are bean curd, crabsticks, cuttlefish, fish balls, ladies fingers, chilies, bitter gourds, kangkung (water morning-glory), tomatoes, and many more. Some of these items, such as chilli, and bitter gourd, are filled with surimi (fish paste). The rule is simple, first pick the ingredients you like, usually minimum 6 items, after that select type of noodles; rice noodles, egg noodles, or bee hoon (rice vermicelli) and then you can choose either to have it dry or with soup. Yong Tau Foo is usually served with chilli sauce and brown sauce. These sauces and the soup are keys to success for a good Yong Tau Foo stall.

030_no washing car here

2007-06-23T18:13:00.001+08:00

Inside the HDB parking facility, there will be a sign warning people not to wash their car inside. Some residents must have done that before and the whole place would be flooded. Moreover I think the drainage system is designed only for rainwater. There may be no provision for wastewater with soap and grease washed off from the car. Note the use of elongated column to provide more room for parking and corner guards for protection.

029_mass production

2007-06-23T18:00:00.000+08:00

Remember what I said about majority of Singaporean living in HDB flats? (see 009_public housing, on this Singapore blog for more info.) Each HDB (or a cluster of them) comes with a parking structure. There are some standard details for designing this facility such as floor-to-floor height, the length and gradient of ramps and the look of the building, which they all look like the one in the photo. The only factors to be determined differently for each project are the capacity, location, connection to the residential blocks, for example.

028_the great Singapore sale

2007-06-23T17:24:00.000+08:00

Every year Singapore organises an event called the ‘Great Singapore Sale’, usually around May to July (mid-year sale). Numerous shops island wide participate with all kinds of special offer, some shops open until midnight. I still remember the first time I came to Singapore and I wanted to buy a computer. My friends* told me to wait for this event. It is quite a big thing in this small country. The advertisement can even be painted on the road surface during the festival. Learn more about the Great Singapore Sale at http://www.greatsingaporesale.com.

* I am grateful to these people as they picked me up from the airport, provided me accommodation and showed me around during my first few weeks in Singapore.

027_green structure 02

2007-06-23T16:38:00.000+08:00

I’ve mentioned how infrastructure such as overhead pedestrian bridge could be soften by landscape. Please refer to 008_green structure 01, on this Singapore blog. A similar trick can also be applied to something like highway impact barrier. This picture was taken from a highway leading from the Changi airport to the city centre. It is easy to imagine how much time and money the Singapore government spent on maintaining these landscape features.

026_idol

2007-05-19T14:05:00.000+08:00

An idol, as a person or a star, is someone we like (or worship). Someone who looks good from any angle even from behind. Someone who is always right in whatever shit he or she is doing. Have you ever asked yourself how far would you go for your idols? These loyal fans of a Taiwanese band, S.H.E., in the picture were waiting in the heat for their idols to show up. There is a very fine line between admiration and craze. Maturity is a common key used to distinguish the difference between these two. Well, not really actually, old folks do crazy things sometimes, too. However, teenagers have a higher tendency toward being overly obsessed with what they like. This is why nowadays TV programs with sms voting in Singapore require viewers under 18 to seek parents’ consent. I remember during my high school days I collected pictures and posters of Jennifer Connelly. Now I don’t even know where they are…

025_1/2 automatic

2007-04-15T21:53:00.000+08:00

These two escalators are found in a shopping mall. For some strange reasons, in order to get up to or down from the escalators, you need to climb the staircases. I’ve discussed this with my friends and we came up with the following.
1. There is something from the lower floor at that particular location that requires high headroom.
2. The floor-to-floor height is higher than standard minimum length of the cheapest escalator available.
3. Since this is a renovation work, probably they couldn’t hack the existing floor because of some structural reason so there was no room to put the escalator’s motor.
4. The architect thought it’s cool and had never been done before.
5. Wrong purchase of escalator.
Until today we still don’t know the reason behind this.

024_happy meal

2007-04-15T21:31:00.000+08:00

This is a good example for an influence of globalisation on local-scale economy. A Nasi Lemak stall in a hawker centre adopts the same sale technique as branded fast food chains. It is very good for foreigners who have no idea on what the heck to order. Just look at the pictures and say the number. Nasi Lemak is coconut rice having together with a few dishes, which normally are fried chicken, sunny side up, dried small fish, sausage, otak (some sort of fish cake originally from Malaysia) and more.

023_NEWater

2007-04-15T21:01:00.000+08:00

Singapore buys water from Malaysia. To go more sustainable and more independent in the future, they need to have their own water supply. Recycling is an alternative. In 1998, Singapore has set up a study on possibility of using NEWater as a source of raw water for the whole country. NEWater is used water undergone purification process until it becomes usable or even potable again. Read more about NEWater at http://www.pub.gov.sg/NEWater_files/overview/index.html

022_magical door

2007-02-11T18:00:00.000+08:00

This door in a popular department store in Orchard area is opened from and leading to nowhere. It’s just right in the middle of everybody’s way. Do not think that it’s Doraemon’s magical door that can lead you to the other mall opposite the road. Singapore is not that advanced yet. It’s actually part of emergency escape route. In case of fire, automatic shutters will close down to protect the open well. The door then becomes an access to the protected corridor and escalators will be used as mean of escape.

021_my prerogative

2007-02-11T17:25:00.000+08:00

Citizens of the Republic of Singapore are well protected by the government. This picture was taken during the haze crisis caused by forest fire in Indonesia. Singaporeans had got privilege of monitoring PSI level live on local tv channels and the issue was brought up to the United Nations instead of being resolved within Asean countries. I’m sure if this ever happened in Thailand the government will come up with some suggestions for people to adapt their lifestyle to suit the haze, and that’s it. Nevermind, we are used to pollution, anyway.

020_condensing city

2007-02-03T22:33:00.000+08:00

There are not so many places for tourists in Singapore. Boat Quay is one on the list not to be missed out. Nice restaurants serving chilled drinks and good food lining up along the Singapore River boasts to be one of the country’s best attractions. My Colombian classmate from Delft mentioned during his last visit to Singapore that when he typed in the keyword ‘market’ into Getty Images search engine, pictures of Boat Quay appeared on the first few pages. Step aside from the bustling flow of tourists to the back lanes of Boat Quay, you will find something really phenomenal, a city of air-con condensing unit. The narrow streets are filled with noise and hot air generating from those little flying boxes. These old shop houses were designed for residential or small business purposes, once converted to restaurants, discos or bars, you kinda need a good M&E engineer to keep the building looking good from every angle.

019_golden orange

2007-01-14T18:17:00.000+08:00

Chinese people love to give each other tangerines during Chinese New Year because tangerine in Cantonese sounds exactly the same as the word for ‘gold’ in the same language. So giving away tangerines means giving away gold! It’s kind of a cute symbolic tradition. During the festive season, you may find tangerines everywhere from patterns on shopping bags to even tangerine-looking rice ball in Japanese restaurants.

018_maid in singapore

2007-01-14T18:11:00.000+08:00

The majority of maids working in Singapore are from Indonesia and the Philippines. They are given an official day-off on every Sunday. Let’s imagine if you were one of them, what would you do in a very small country and you don’t have much money? How about enjoying free air-con in shopping centers checking the latest trends then meeting friends for lunch in a park? These people do not have much money but they sure have a lot of fun in their own ways. On Sundays these maids (and some male workers) transform Singapore urban landscape into their ephemeral hometowns. If you want to experience a more drastic impact of density, I recommend Hong Kong, especially the plaza underneath Lord Foster’s famous bank.

P.S. This photo is history as the park is now construction site for a big real estate development.

017_yellow line

2006-09-24T02:28:00.000+08:00

Recently Singapore has issued a new law to ban smoking in restaurants and eating places. You can only smoke in designated area, which is framed by a yellow box on the floor as shown in the picture. But I see at a lot of eating places, smoking tables are adjacent to non-smoking ones. Well, I really don’t think that the yellow box can trap the smoke in there.

016_free price

2006-09-24T02:23:00.000+08:00

Now, this is damn cool. There is no regulation on controlling the price of drinks in Singapore. Different shops sell at different prices. Local manufacturers have come up with these super cool advertisement posters. All the shop owners need to do is to take a black marker and amend the number to the price they want to sell. But something is not right here. Isn’t base number supposed to be $8.88 in order to be able to amend? I think this shop owner blacked out the number to be $0.00 so that they can keep using the same posters and can even change the price whenever they want to. No confirmation in writing…

015_exotic fruit

2006-09-24T02:19:00.000+08:00

Durian is one of the most popular fruits in Singapore. There are a lot of shops selling only durian and people go there just to sit down and eat a lot a lot of durian. There is one basic rule to learn here. Because of its distinctive smell, you can’t bring durian on public transportation. No bus, no MRT. You can only drive your own car or take a taxi. Sure the fruit is exotic, isn’t it?

014_interiorisation of urban space 02

2006-09-23T17:26:00.000+08:00

This is an entrance to Chinatown subway station. Instead of making a small, pathetic looking glass box to weatherproof the escalator, they have made an effort to cover the entire open space there. Street lives are preserved and the two escalators become part of the space. But that planter could have been a bit better looking though…

013_interiorisation of urban space 01

2006-06-10T16:51:00.000+08:00

this photo was taken somewhere near chinatown during a festive season. talking about the chinese's ceremonies, you can't avoid the 10-course dinner and stage performances. with the lack of big open space to hold big number of people, streets are sometimes temporarily converted to urban ballrooms.

012_crow trap

2006-05-13T20:25:00.000+08:00

singapore is considered one of the safest places in the world. the government try every way to make sure the citizens are well taken care of. therefore some animals that cause public nuisance must be eliminated. crow is one poor fellow. they are not cute, make a lot of noise, steal your food, mess up your stuffs and can even hurt you sometimes.

011_busy thumbs

2006-05-13T19:55:00.000+08:00

it's not easy to find a public phone in singapore. everybody, even some little kids, has got mobile phone. on a crowded train during rush hour, mobile phones have given people a private realm , a little virtual seclusion from the bustling crowd. getting in touch faster and easier is not the only gift that advance in telecommunication technology has brought to humanity. well, we all know what mobile phones can do nowadays.

people in this country are hard-core sms users. according to singtel's record, some people send more than 1,000 sms texts a month. and in case you don't know, a singaporean woman holds the guinness world record for the world's fastest texter. she typed 'the razor-toothed piranhas of the genera serrasalmus and pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. in reality they seldom attack a human' in just 43 seconds...

010_a city within a city

2006-05-13T15:44:00.000+08:00

this is the people's park complex, one of the earliest examples of mixed-use developments in singapore. the lower podium part is for commercial uses while the above block is for residential purpose. if the concept is successfully applied, you should be able to live, work and play without leaving the building.
i think the building is cool by itself. no need to talk much. please read more at www.ura.gov.sg/spore1_1/publication1-26.htm

009_public housing

2006-05-13T15:11:00.000+08:00

since the land is super limited, about 84% of singaporeans live in HDB flats. (HDB = housing & development board, http://www.hdb.gov.sg) HDB is perhaps able to be called the architect of the country because tons of buildings are built by them. the designs of the flats differ by their generations so it's not difficult to estimate the age of a neighbourhood by looking at architectural style of its HDB blocks.

008_green structure 01

2006-05-07T18:51:00.000+08:00

how many things we need to consider when designing a flyover?
1. density and directions of pedestrian flow
2. availability of space for insertion of the structure
3. length of span across the street and type of structure, material
4. need for handicapped access. ramp?
etc. etc.
in singapore, there is another major concern, how to blend it with the surroundings. in other words, how to make it green. every single flyover, both pedestrian and vehicular, has standard details to naturalise the unpleasant-looking concrete structure.

007_beating SARS it starts with you and me!

2006-05-07T18:41:00.000+08:00

another cool notice found on a taxi. the world had just recovered from sars the first time i arrived in singapore. this is a historic sticker. you can't find this anymore.

006_seating capacity

2006-05-01T12:02:00.000+08:00

ok here is the story. you and other 4 friends are invited to a saturday-night party but, hey, this guy's house is damn far and there is no public transportation there. you know what happen next? well, you need 2 taxis.

here, it is not allowed to fit in more than 4 passengers in a car. but how about 4 of us and a little boy? to get rid of all confusion and excuses, in singapore they have made it very clear that seating capacity = 1 adult + 4 children = 2 adult + 3 children = 3 adult + 2 children = 4 adult = 6 children. what does that make? 1 adult = 1.5 children ??

005_fair fare?

2006-04-30T22:16:00.000+08:00

if you take a cab in bangkok (where i'm from), the fare is charged by number of km and time spent on the journey. (for time, some taxi starts calculating once the car stops moving, some does even when the car is moving. i have no idea how this system work, really.) and you know, it's hard to predict how much the fare is gonna be, even though you often take the same route, because it depends on the traffic condition. and, in bangkok, you know that it's one thing you shouldn't be relied on...

in singapore this thing is quite complicated because there are some extra surcharges added. dear tourists, good luck if you want to make sure that the fare is correct. ok, now take a look at the picture, see the midnight surcharge? this has created an interesting urban phenomenon called 'there-is-no-taxi-between-eleven pm-and-midnight' (T.I.N.T.B.E.A.M). since the surcharge is quite big (50% on meter fare), many cabbies are tempted to keep watching for midnight (like cinderella). they usually use this one-hour time to take a break, go toilet, drink coffee, read newspaper, or just simply do nothing. even if you lucky enough to see a cab with green light, the minute you try to flag, the sign will astonishingly turn to on call.

004_excursion on density

2006-04-29T16:58:00.000+08:00

in singapore, according to lonely planet, there are about 4,000,000 people living on the 638-sq km surface of the country. (by the way, if you happen to visit lonely planet's website, go to 'explore asia' page. once you roll the cursor over a country's name, it is highlighted blue on the map. try rolling over singapore, the blue colour does not appear on the map. that is how small the country is compared to its neighbors.) with a few city centers to accomodate the number of inhabitants, the result is you almost have to queue for everywhere you go and everything you do. queuing is a practice of everyday life here. get your personal entertainment devices ready if you need to go in town during peak hours!

003_multi-cultural society

2006-04-29T16:19:00.000+08:00

there are 4 official languages being used in singapore; english, chinese (mandarin), malay and tamil. (there are also some other dialects such as hokkien, cantonese, etc.) the whole country is a cultural blender where different norms, arts and cultures from each group collide and unite interestingly. on tv, there are channels operating in each language separately to tackle differences in taste. announcements in subway stations are made in 4 languages. all the ethnic groups are living closely together and discrimination is considered highly illegal.

probably one of the most interesting fusions and some people consider this as a very uniquely singapore thing is 'singlish'. you will be quite amazed that local people are talking in english but you can't really understand. the sentences are short, straight to the point with classically wrong gramma. sometimes you can find more than 3 languages together in one sentence. for example, "aberthen! i don't makan i do what?! xiao ah you!"

002_garden city

2006-04-29T15:58:00.000+08:00

singapore is critically acclaimed a garden city because of its green density. even in the airport, the artificial nature is created to delineate the country's reputation. forget about other time-killing facilities such as gym, massage, games room; it's cool to be sitting in a park looking at koi pond while waiting for the flight. we love nature!

001_portrait of a potemkin city

2006-04-29T15:32:00.000+08:00

singapore, an island country in southeast asia, is so tiny on the world map that the name has to be written in the sea. many westerners do not know where it is. some think it is a part of mainland china. some strongly believe that it is a city in malaysia, wait a minute, or indonesia?

however, even being so young (about 40 years old since its independence), cool things do happen here and there. this blog is an attempt to record whatever related to this city-cum-country.