Hello, I blog!
I share all my sporadic and toilet thoughts in here, because I am random like that.
Cycling is awesome
I cycled a total of about 14 kilometres today – from Still Road South to the eastern end of East Coast Park (near NSRCC) and back (map). This excludes some additional scenic exploration detours along the way.
Long evening shadows.
I’m pretty pleased, because I haven’t properly cycled in aeons. Additionally, didn’t quite realize that I could last all the way – usually my heart goes bonkers after a while – but it held out! (;
Invigorating, it was. The sky was a clear blue, and I witnessed a pretty awesome sunset.
Should definitely do this more often.
Wanderlust strikes again
Back in Singapore in familial surroundings, I was totally devoid of that sense of wanderlust that took over during that one month in Vancouver. Perhaps it is the hot weather – now that I am back home, swimming in the humid air of quite possibly the world’s largest sauna, I am missing Vancouver’s cool temperature terribly.
But after lazing around (battling jet-lag, I suppose) for quite a while, I felt this strange urge to be up and about again. Singapore has its fair share of scenic spots – although incomparable with Vancouver’s snow mountains, glaciers and what-have-yous – but at least, it’s something.
I started off with East Coast Park, since it is nearest to where I live. (I intend to explore Southern Ridges and Little Gui Lin å°æ¡‚æž— next.)
Enjoying the wind at Bedok Jetty, East Coast Park.
So I hopped aboard a squeaky bright yellow mountain bike rented from one of them bike kiosks at East Coast Park and set on my way on a late Sunday afternoon, weaving in and out among flocks and flocks of families, kids and dating couples.
Methinks my biking skills were fairly rusty (like the bike I was riding on), considering how I had a little trouble maintaining my balance near the beginning. Also, I nearly crashed into a couple of young Malay boys – one of whom shot me a look of death – at one point. My fault. I was daydreaming.
Oh, hello!
Since I was cycling at my own leisure time (sans the competitiveness that naturally follows when a group of friends cycle together), I could also stop at any scenic spot at my own will to take photos, admire the view and enjoy the breeze.
One thing about the seabreeze in Singapore is that it leaves you feeling all sticky afterwards. Erps. Stupid humidity. But at least it cools me down anyhow. I’d prefer nice, fresh but sticky seabreeze than suffocating in still air.
Bedok jetty.
Stopped to purchase a huge cup of sugarcane juice (sugar boost!) mid-way and subsequently wobbled on the bike thereafter, trying to balance the juice and the bike at the same time. (Riding a bike with an attached basket does not work – the juice always threatens to fall over even when wedged against your other belongings in the basket.)
Made a couple of stops around the Bedok Jetty area (see picture above) and finally, at the 360° Cable-Ski Park to people-watch before riding back towards the west-end of East Coast Park to return the bike and head home.
I always loved people-watching at the 360° Cable-Ski Park.
Cable-skier against the sunset.
First of all, you have the cable-skiers strutting their stuff – occasionally showing off when they know there are people watching. Second, you have the gawking passers-by. Third, you have the occasional picnicking couple on mats along the grassy areas surrounding the lagoon indulging in the occasional PDA (which also seems to correspond with increased wipe-out rates from the cable-skiers).
Finally, you have the fellow photographers. Like this one.
Fellow photographer at work.
As it turns out, fellow photographers can sometimes turn into unwitting models for other photographers. This fellow was apparently, reviewing his previous snapshots taken from his spot on the edge of the lagoon – although from my angle, he looks like an introspective, emo-esque individual contemplating suicide next to the lagoon. (Uh, oops.)
I miss cycling, and I hope to make this a weekly affair.
And I’ll arm myself with my camera, of course.
Astronomy, oh astronomy!
I’ve been reading this website called Spaceweather every single day since 2006. It’s a damn awesome site, especially if you’re an astronomy buff like me.
I’ve always been enthralled by natural phenomena, astronomy and visual effects. Think Aurora Borealis, solar eclipses, planetary conjunctions, atmospheric optics, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and whatnot. Even the recent Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption (which disrupted air traffic worldwide) had me glued.
For natural visual effects – looking at photographs online is one thing, while experiencing it real-life is another thing altogether.
But why oh why do they seem to be eluding me all the time?
Last July, I travelled all the way to Shanghai (along with a flock of other eclipse-buffs from around the world that choked up all the hotels in Shanghai) in an attempt to witness the longest eclipse of the century. The sky turned out to be overcast on the day itself – with me having to contend with having the eclipse peek out occasionally through the thick layer of clouds, with the sky completely overcast during the total phase.
Phases of the July 22nd 2009 total solar eclipse, captured by me.
Even my attempt to view a partial solar eclipse here in Singapore earlier this year – January 15th – was marred by an overcast sky. Likewise, I only managed to catch glimpses – only worse. Last year’s attempt in Shanghai offered quite a number of sightings through thinner portions of clouds. This time round, I only managed to catch one. miserable. glimpse.
Seeing how last year’s attempt to witness a total solar eclipse was foiled by bad weather, it still remains at the top of my ‘want to see’ list – right up there with the Aurora Borealis (also known as the Northern Lights).
2003-2004 was the previous solar maximum period, or so I recall. Back then, astronomy forums and websites were flooded with deluges of breathtaking Aurora Borealis photos. While the higher-latitude dwellers revelled in colourful night skies, I sat in front of my square monitor – wistfully browsing through such photos – on this sunny island called Singapore which was too close to the equator to witness anything as cool as that.
Solar maximum (in layman terms) is the period of the solar cycle where there is the most solar activity, or sunspots on the sun. These sunspots erupt, directing rays of magnetism and radiation towards Earth. This interferes with the Earth’s natural magnetic field at the poles, resulting in Aurora Borealis.
The Aurora Australis in New Zealand captured by Grant Bisset.
(Photo from Spaceweather.)
I’m travelling upward to Canada and Alaska later next month.
Hopefully, the sun will go bonkers sometime around then so that I’d be able to witness some Northern Light activity.
I’m not into astronomy simply for the visual effects. For something as beautiful as the Aurora Borealis, there are science and physics theories driving it – which I read about in my free time. There are also loads of other awesome scientific stuff about astronomy that can boggle your mind.
Thankfully, there are ample astronomy facts, phenomena and theories (as well as coverages of recent astronomy-related events waa-laah!) that I can sink my teeth into. I need stuff like these to keep my brain entertained.
I found this link a couple of years back – The Once and Future Sun. It may seem boring for those who have no interest in astronomy. But otherwise, it is a fairly simple-to-understand website with information that might blow you away – and also accounts for one possible theory of how the world will end.
Oh yes – if you’re interested – a space telescope dispatched to study the sun (known as the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory) has recently beamed back the first few pictures (and videos) of our star. If you want to see more awesome pictures of celestial bodies (not the female kind, though), proceed here.
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