Goodbye Tanjong Pagar Railway Station

There are many things in life that we come in contact every day. Indeed we are so used to seeing them that we take them for granted. But no one is able to predict what will happen in the future. As we progress into the 21^st century, things change very fast. One moment you see them, the next moment they are gone forever.

This reminds me of the railway system that runs through the heart of Singapore. Starting from the railway station located in Tanjong Pagar, it traveled passed places like Bukit Timah, Buona Vista, Kranji and finally to the Causeway in Woodlands where it began its next phase of journey in Malaysia. Every day I would hear the rumbling of the wheels on the metal rails, the sounding of the whistle warning any passers-by that it is coming… Whenever I hear the whistle, my spirits will rise with anticipation. I would run to take a peek at the train as it passed by. .. Now these sounds will live in my heart.

Opened in 1932, it was designed by P. S. Petrovich of the famous architect firm Swan & Mclaren which also designed and built the other famous landmarks of Singapore like Raffles Hotel and rebuilt the St. Joesph’s Church along Victoria Street. The railway station was a special building in the heart of Singapore – it was owned by Malaysia’s Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) hence the land was part of Malaysia.

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station

In the earlier days, the Malaysian custom was located in the station. Travelers who were traveling to Malaysia by train had to clear Malaysian customs first before they clear Singapore’s customs in Woodlands.

Train Schedule

Alas, these have all become history.The railway station was closed on 30 June 2011 and moved to Woodlands checkpoint on 01 July 2011. The station is gazetted as national monument. As the rails are being demolished, what will become of the land where the trains once traveled?

Traditional Lock

Time Stand Still...

The moral of the story: Cherish whatever you have now, especially those that are dear to you, as they may be taken away from you anytime.

Goodbye old friend. I will miss you.

Nostalgia ...

Events in Singapore

Singapore is a cosmopolitan island country. Through the years, she has adapted to the ever-changing world and has played host to a number of major events. Being a multi-racial society, Singapore hosts annual events during the festive seasons like the colourful Chingay Parade during the Chinese Lunar New Year.


Cultural Events: Chingay Parade
Started in 1973 after firecrackers were banned in Singapore due to safety reasons, the event has evolved to incorporate various races and international groups.

Balancing the giant flag (digital)

Colours & movement (digital)

Indonesian Dancer (digital)

Sporting Events
She also hosts a growing number of major sporting events like the Formula 1 night race, the Barclays Open (golf) and the Standard Chartered Marathon ... the list goes on. There are also sports events organised for kids and charity. There is something for everyone regardless of age. For a calendar of sports events, please visit Red Sports.

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (digital)

Excited parents and kids at flag-off for Cold Storage Kids Dash 2009 (digital)

Night Photography

Night Photography..
"This refers to photographs taken outdoors between dusk and dawn." (quote from Wikipedia) The technique(s) used for this is either using artificial light to "paint" or using long exposure.

Night photography is the first genre I experiment with when I first started taking photographs. You may be asking "Why night photography for a beginner?". Well..it uses a set of techniques and skills very different from the ones usually used for photographs taken in the day. At night, the city transforms into a different world. With limited light at night, it inspires one to be creative in using whatever light available to compose photographs. There are some requirements like tripod and shutter release to take such photographs but no hard and fast rule to follow to take great photographs. I believe that some compositions are even unique.

One of the popular places many people like to go to is the Marina Waterfront in Singapore where one can see with full view of the Singapore central business district lighted up.

Singapore Skyline..taken before the development of Marina Sands and the floating platform. (film)

Besides city skyline, I also take pictures along the streets. The streets in Singapore will be specially decorated for major festivals like this Serangoon Road during Deepavali celebrations.

Serangoon Road at night during Deepavali celebrations (film)

By playing with different settings and exposures, the same subject can portray different "feelings" to the viewer.

 Esplanade at night with shorter exposure time (film)

 Esplanade at night with longer exposure time (film)

 I also follow events like the annual National Day Parade celebrations. As I am not lucky enough to get the tickets to attend the parade live, I often stay from a distance, watching the celebrations from afar. In one of the items performed, there was one which used a type of kite that was fitted with coloured lights and flown using remote-controlled motors.

Light patterns from one of the performances.. NDP 2007 (film)

The other style in night photography which much debate has been going on - whether it should be considered night photography or some other classification. In my perspective, I will classify it as night photography as it involves use of similar techniques for night photography. The following was taken during one of the NDP celebrations with multiple exposures. This is one of my favourite works on fireworks.

Fireworks .. NDP 2007 celebrations. (film)

Recently I tried experimenting with light painting with a group of friends. My first attempt was in Botanical Gardens last year (2009).

Light painting on rocks in the Evolution Garden, Singapore Botanical Gardens. (digital)

Another light paining in the Evolution Garden, Singapore Botanical Gardens. (digital)

Lastly I will end this entry with the breath-taking view of Hong Kong from the Peak at night.
Hope you like it. :)

 View of Hong Kong at night from The Peak. (digital)

- Brenda