In any case, when I got in at 12.30 pm, it was just after the pool was cleaned and the lanes were empty, except for the two on the extreme ends. I took lane Four, and after my drill laps, the two lanes on either side were taken up by two swimmers and another two more squeezed in between. But a few other lanes were "empty". Under water, these other swimmers seemed to be trying to match my pace or tail me. Anyway, it was fun to break free and show off.
I am feeling terrific, and I think opening up the new bottle of Nescafe Matinal coffee from Brazil certainly has brought back some zest into this life. After the swim, at 2 pm I rushed home to meet the gas man who came to collect the empty 12.7 kg tank and give me my balance deposit back. He seemed very polite and I offered him my Technogas twin cooker with hose and regulator. He was thrilled and amazed that I was giving it away, heartily took it with a surprised look, and ceremoniously mumbled to me craddling the cooker in his arms that he would like to give it to his sister. He was pretty taken by the gift. I am just glad that it got into good and needy hands.
It made me feel really happy.
By 4 pm, I felt perky enough, and with the incessant drilling becoming slightly intermitten, I simply needed to get out of the house. The coffee certainly looped well within my bloodstream, and I slipped on my shoes and debated for a while which route I would take. In the end, it was the familiar that called out to me and I ran the 10 km route.
After the ranger's office (4.5km mark), I slowed down, and this time, as the sky above grew grey and the air became heavy with coolness and moisture, the forest took on another character. Because I was strolling now, the first thing which struck me were the myriad voices of the many species, birds and insects. Animals were strutting beneath the canopy leaving only hints of their presence by the rustle of leaves and twigs. You can feel the fullness of life. Then, as my eyes adjusted to the verdant foliage, I began to notice that the shrubs and crawlers were in bloom, with some clusters of flowers already wilting, and green and black berries hanging at the ends with busy worker ends all about the twigs. Further down as I approached the Golf Trail, after Jelutong Tower, there was a small bridge to cross. Just three meters on to the boardwalk of the Golf Trial, I stopped short on my tracks. I could hear the monitor lizards splashing in pools of water that have flooded at the base of the trees just a couple of meters away from the track. But the sound of water was still constant, like a bubbling and gushing of sorts. I walked back to the bridge and noted that the water there was stagnant. So, how come there was this gushing noise? I stood still and slowly let my eyes adjust to the dark shade beneath the trees and foilage. It looked like a swamp, except... just as the lizard splashed away, there was a spot where there was at least three spouts of water gushing in bubbly ripples in the swamp water! I have discovered a spring. But being alone and weary of the animals within the swampy spot, I decided not to scout. It was sufficient to have a clear visual confirmation that it was a genuine spring, although it could be a small seasonal spring. There was no steam, which indicated that the source was from the water table and definitely subterranean as the surface was was stagnant. That was specifically how I noticed it, if not it would have been drowned by other noise.
I waited if another runner or hiker might come by and support me with this find, but after five minutes or so, it seemed better to move on and record this here. I have also reported the find via the National Parks Board website.
As I passed the Singapore Island Country Club trail, I found the wild parasitic species of orchids in bloom with the lovely white flowers drooping over the cluster of thin long leaves that formed generous crowns on the trees. Along the water's edge, I was surprised to see some creepers with their vine type foilage in bloom, with their six-point calyxes forming stars with beautiful white floral bulbs in the middle. I stared at all these for a while, taking notice that the water surface was almost flat, reflecting the greens and the forest treescapes like a mirror. Shoals of fish created spots of ripples, and because there was no wind and the water was flat, the sky grey, it was possible to see all these. As I looked around the water's edge, it became apparent to me that the creepers were proliferated on the embankment and its flowers were everywhere to be seen. A few sad-faced joggers went by, and I thought it was sadder that they missed all these.
As I rounded the golf course, I came to some of the larger trees on the water's edge. What I thought were swifts were like finches, or really tiny and angular-shaped sparrows. A few sat on the topmost branch of this tree, which was for the most part, without leaves. Then I noticed one, no two small kingfishers, while a large yellowbird flew across. Then more of these finch-like birds came and sat on the topmost branches, and I counted ten altogether. Twelve birds, in total. All the while, the glory and beauty of what I was seeing was making me say over and over in my heart, "All nature praise you, O God." And at that moment, I realised how real the miracle of Francis of Assisi preaching praise to the birds must have been. It happened in such a special way, that I knew this experience I witnessed was a small gift to affirm my atomic faith. As I passed on to the dam at the last part of this trail, I could see a large fish escorted by a shoal of fishes. I really mean that this fish was LARGE, about a metre in length and of wide girth. I stood for a long time on the dam to admire the behaviour of the shoal as they came towards me, literally, facing me with their eyes and bodies were all turned towards me, upwards, and as I raised my hand, I was quietly in awe and praise. Then they all simultaneously turned and darted to a side. This went on for a while, and with all my experience as a diver, I must say that marine fish certainly did not behave like their freshwater counterparts!
I was stunned. I ran the final leg back to the water fountain at the Park Office at MacRitchie Hill, and sauntered back to Braddell where I finished off with a set of slow, polished chin-ups. The day was turning to dusk and light was falling. There was just so much flowers in the trees, shrubs and vines, with buds, fruit and berries all in bloom. It was a geniune uplifting experience and I felt completely refreshed. When I got home and bathed, I found an SMS from a friend Kelvin in Scotland on my mobile. Then shortly after a member of the Town Council called at my door. It was one of those social visits to the poor and destitute, and I was very appreciative of his company and kind words. Well, Spring is here, and already with the Jewish Passover starting on Wednesday evening in the coming week, we can safely say that the Winter may yet be over. I can't wait!
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Life At Large, Springtime in the Forest
Friday, 7 April 2006
I got to enjoy more drills at the pool this afternoon, albeit for a short while before the weather hinted at a change, and the lanes got all clogged up with other swimmers. I must be a relatively undistinctive swimmer in the pool, because, as with other days and numerous similar occasions, after I get into the pool and take the lane, immediately it seems it gets crowded around me - or am I simply claustrophobic? 
In any case, when I got in at 12.30 pm, it was just after the pool was cleaned and the lanes were empty, except for the two on the extreme ends. I took lane Four, and after my drill laps, the two lanes on either side were taken up by two swimmers and another two more squeezed in between. But a few other lanes were "empty". Under water, these other swimmers seemed to be trying to match my pace or tail me. Anyway, it was fun to break free and show off.
I am feeling terrific, and I think opening up the new bottle of Nescafe Matinal coffee from Brazil certainly has brought back some zest into this life. After the swim, at 2 pm I rushed home to meet the gas man who came to collect the empty 12.7 kg tank and give me my balance deposit back. He seemed very polite and I offered him my Technogas twin cooker with hose and regulator. He was thrilled and amazed that I was giving it away, heartily took it with a surprised look, and ceremoniously mumbled to me craddling the cooker in his arms that he would like to give it to his sister. He was pretty taken by the gift. I am just glad that it got into good and needy hands.
It made me feel really happy.
By 4 pm, I felt perky enough, and with the incessant drilling becoming slightly intermitten, I simply needed to get out of the house. The coffee certainly looped well within my bloodstream, and I slipped on my shoes and debated for a while which route I would take. In the end, it was the familiar that called out to me and I ran the 10 km route.
After the ranger's office (4.5km mark), I slowed down, and this time, as the sky above grew grey and the air became heavy with coolness and moisture, the forest took on another character. Because I was strolling now, the first thing which struck me were the myriad voices of the many species, birds and insects. Animals were strutting beneath the canopy leaving only hints of their presence by the rustle of leaves and twigs. You can feel the fullness of life. Then, as my eyes adjusted to the verdant foliage, I began to notice that the shrubs and crawlers were in bloom, with some clusters of flowers already wilting, and green and black berries hanging at the ends with busy worker ends all about the twigs. Further down as I approached the Golf Trail, after Jelutong Tower, there was a small bridge to cross. Just three meters on to the boardwalk of the Golf Trial, I stopped short on my tracks. I could hear the monitor lizards splashing in pools of water that have flooded at the base of the trees just a couple of meters away from the track. But the sound of water was still constant, like a bubbling and gushing of sorts. I walked back to the bridge and noted that the water there was stagnant. So, how come there was this gushing noise? I stood still and slowly let my eyes adjust to the dark shade beneath the trees and foilage. It looked like a swamp, except... just as the lizard splashed away, there was a spot where there was at least three spouts of water gushing in bubbly ripples in the swamp water! I have discovered a spring. But being alone and weary of the animals within the swampy spot, I decided not to scout. It was sufficient to have a clear visual confirmation that it was a genuine spring, although it could be a small seasonal spring. There was no steam, which indicated that the source was from the water table and definitely subterranean as the surface was was stagnant. That was specifically how I noticed it, if not it would have been drowned by other noise.
I waited if another runner or hiker might come by and support me with this find, but after five minutes or so, it seemed better to move on and record this here. I have also reported the find via the National Parks Board website.
As I passed the Singapore Island Country Club trail, I found the wild parasitic species of orchids in bloom with the lovely white flowers drooping over the cluster of thin long leaves that formed generous crowns on the trees. Along the water's edge, I was surprised to see some creepers with their vine type foilage in bloom, with their six-point calyxes forming stars with beautiful white floral bulbs in the middle. I stared at all these for a while, taking notice that the water surface was almost flat, reflecting the greens and the forest treescapes like a mirror. Shoals of fish created spots of ripples, and because there was no wind and the water was flat, the sky grey, it was possible to see all these. As I looked around the water's edge, it became apparent to me that the creepers were proliferated on the embankment and its flowers were everywhere to be seen. A few sad-faced joggers went by, and I thought it was sadder that they missed all these.
As I rounded the golf course, I came to some of the larger trees on the water's edge. What I thought were swifts were like finches, or really tiny and angular-shaped sparrows. A few sat on the topmost branch of this tree, which was for the most part, without leaves. Then I noticed one, no two small kingfishers, while a large yellowbird flew across. Then more of these finch-like birds came and sat on the topmost branches, and I counted ten altogether. Twelve birds, in total. All the while, the glory and beauty of what I was seeing was making me say over and over in my heart, "All nature praise you, O God." And at that moment, I realised how real the miracle of Francis of Assisi preaching praise to the birds must have been. It happened in such a special way, that I knew this experience I witnessed was a small gift to affirm my atomic faith. As I passed on to the dam at the last part of this trail, I could see a large fish escorted by a shoal of fishes. I really mean that this fish was LARGE, about a metre in length and of wide girth. I stood for a long time on the dam to admire the behaviour of the shoal as they came towards me, literally, facing me with their eyes and bodies were all turned towards me, upwards, and as I raised my hand, I was quietly in awe and praise. Then they all simultaneously turned and darted to a side. This went on for a while, and with all my experience as a diver, I must say that marine fish certainly did not behave like their freshwater counterparts!
I was stunned. I ran the final leg back to the water fountain at the Park Office at MacRitchie Hill, and sauntered back to Braddell where I finished off with a set of slow, polished chin-ups. The day was turning to dusk and light was falling. There was just so much flowers in the trees, shrubs and vines, with buds, fruit and berries all in bloom. It was a geniune uplifting experience and I felt completely refreshed. When I got home and bathed, I found an SMS from a friend Kelvin in Scotland on my mobile. Then shortly after a member of the Town Council called at my door. It was one of those social visits to the poor and destitute, and I was very appreciative of his company and kind words. Well, Spring is here, and already with the Jewish Passover starting on Wednesday evening in the coming week, we can safely say that the Winter may yet be over. I can't wait!
In any case, when I got in at 12.30 pm, it was just after the pool was cleaned and the lanes were empty, except for the two on the extreme ends. I took lane Four, and after my drill laps, the two lanes on either side were taken up by two swimmers and another two more squeezed in between. But a few other lanes were "empty". Under water, these other swimmers seemed to be trying to match my pace or tail me. Anyway, it was fun to break free and show off.
I am feeling terrific, and I think opening up the new bottle of Nescafe Matinal coffee from Brazil certainly has brought back some zest into this life. After the swim, at 2 pm I rushed home to meet the gas man who came to collect the empty 12.7 kg tank and give me my balance deposit back. He seemed very polite and I offered him my Technogas twin cooker with hose and regulator. He was thrilled and amazed that I was giving it away, heartily took it with a surprised look, and ceremoniously mumbled to me craddling the cooker in his arms that he would like to give it to his sister. He was pretty taken by the gift. I am just glad that it got into good and needy hands.
It made me feel really happy.
By 4 pm, I felt perky enough, and with the incessant drilling becoming slightly intermitten, I simply needed to get out of the house. The coffee certainly looped well within my bloodstream, and I slipped on my shoes and debated for a while which route I would take. In the end, it was the familiar that called out to me and I ran the 10 km route.
After the ranger's office (4.5km mark), I slowed down, and this time, as the sky above grew grey and the air became heavy with coolness and moisture, the forest took on another character. Because I was strolling now, the first thing which struck me were the myriad voices of the many species, birds and insects. Animals were strutting beneath the canopy leaving only hints of their presence by the rustle of leaves and twigs. You can feel the fullness of life. Then, as my eyes adjusted to the verdant foliage, I began to notice that the shrubs and crawlers were in bloom, with some clusters of flowers already wilting, and green and black berries hanging at the ends with busy worker ends all about the twigs. Further down as I approached the Golf Trail, after Jelutong Tower, there was a small bridge to cross. Just three meters on to the boardwalk of the Golf Trial, I stopped short on my tracks. I could hear the monitor lizards splashing in pools of water that have flooded at the base of the trees just a couple of meters away from the track. But the sound of water was still constant, like a bubbling and gushing of sorts. I walked back to the bridge and noted that the water there was stagnant. So, how come there was this gushing noise? I stood still and slowly let my eyes adjust to the dark shade beneath the trees and foilage. It looked like a swamp, except... just as the lizard splashed away, there was a spot where there was at least three spouts of water gushing in bubbly ripples in the swamp water! I have discovered a spring. But being alone and weary of the animals within the swampy spot, I decided not to scout. It was sufficient to have a clear visual confirmation that it was a genuine spring, although it could be a small seasonal spring. There was no steam, which indicated that the source was from the water table and definitely subterranean as the surface was was stagnant. That was specifically how I noticed it, if not it would have been drowned by other noise.
I waited if another runner or hiker might come by and support me with this find, but after five minutes or so, it seemed better to move on and record this here. I have also reported the find via the National Parks Board website.
As I passed the Singapore Island Country Club trail, I found the wild parasitic species of orchids in bloom with the lovely white flowers drooping over the cluster of thin long leaves that formed generous crowns on the trees. Along the water's edge, I was surprised to see some creepers with their vine type foilage in bloom, with their six-point calyxes forming stars with beautiful white floral bulbs in the middle. I stared at all these for a while, taking notice that the water surface was almost flat, reflecting the greens and the forest treescapes like a mirror. Shoals of fish created spots of ripples, and because there was no wind and the water was flat, the sky grey, it was possible to see all these. As I looked around the water's edge, it became apparent to me that the creepers were proliferated on the embankment and its flowers were everywhere to be seen. A few sad-faced joggers went by, and I thought it was sadder that they missed all these.
As I rounded the golf course, I came to some of the larger trees on the water's edge. What I thought were swifts were like finches, or really tiny and angular-shaped sparrows. A few sat on the topmost branch of this tree, which was for the most part, without leaves. Then I noticed one, no two small kingfishers, while a large yellowbird flew across. Then more of these finch-like birds came and sat on the topmost branches, and I counted ten altogether. Twelve birds, in total. All the while, the glory and beauty of what I was seeing was making me say over and over in my heart, "All nature praise you, O God." And at that moment, I realised how real the miracle of Francis of Assisi preaching praise to the birds must have been. It happened in such a special way, that I knew this experience I witnessed was a small gift to affirm my atomic faith. As I passed on to the dam at the last part of this trail, I could see a large fish escorted by a shoal of fishes. I really mean that this fish was LARGE, about a metre in length and of wide girth. I stood for a long time on the dam to admire the behaviour of the shoal as they came towards me, literally, facing me with their eyes and bodies were all turned towards me, upwards, and as I raised my hand, I was quietly in awe and praise. Then they all simultaneously turned and darted to a side. This went on for a while, and with all my experience as a diver, I must say that marine fish certainly did not behave like their freshwater counterparts!
I was stunned. I ran the final leg back to the water fountain at the Park Office at MacRitchie Hill, and sauntered back to Braddell where I finished off with a set of slow, polished chin-ups. The day was turning to dusk and light was falling. There was just so much flowers in the trees, shrubs and vines, with buds, fruit and berries all in bloom. It was a geniune uplifting experience and I felt completely refreshed. When I got home and bathed, I found an SMS from a friend Kelvin in Scotland on my mobile. Then shortly after a member of the Town Council called at my door. It was one of those social visits to the poor and destitute, and I was very appreciative of his company and kind words. Well, Spring is here, and already with the Jewish Passover starting on Wednesday evening in the coming week, we can safely say that the Winter may yet be over. I can't wait!
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