clarke quay on the first evening back September 15, 2008

there is no order in my posts . i just look at my pictures (almost 3000) and i decide on one that tells me something .

first evening in singapore 2008  i went for a walk and i came to clarke quay mostly because i thought that a friend is working there . well , he was working there but he was no friend … hehehe … although the place is nice , spectacular , with great views of the CBD , the historic buildings and of course the river quay with all the restaurants … i don’t have a connection with it . i don’t really like it . it’s nice , touristic and all but i don’t feel for it . it was my first night back to singapore and i was kind of a mess … hehehe … i was like laughing and crying at the same time . still had some hope (the first night , ok) and very nostalgic . everything was great … except for the sadness .

not a really good idea to go there and not a good idea to do … well , what i did after that . anyway , i went back to the hotel at around 1 in the morning and that’s how it started . the pattern of walking like crazy the whole day , stay up late doing nothing , being tired and getting to realize i can’t hope anymore . nice place , all the lights , all the noise and fun… not for me …

esplanade September 14, 2008

definitely click on the pictures to see them bigger

 

how not to like this place ?

the esplanade is full of life even when it’s empty and quiet . and i love it more when it’s empty . yes , it’s the amazing architecture , yes it’s the great view of the CBD or the marina , yes it’s about the arts concerts , exhibitions and everything else , yes you can do a lot of things there and you can take great pictures but it’s more than that . it’s the feeling of the place , the way that it made me feel . everytime i went there . including the countdown for new year 2007 (not a great idea , it was different back then before they built the stage and i didn’t know where to find a good spot) . well , maybe not the countdown , maybe the new year is not such a big deal for singaporeans coz it was so plain , so boring , so fake , like something they had to do , they had to be there and in 10 minutes everything was done and everybody went home . nevermind . in june 2008 i’ve been to esplanade 3 times in 10 days and it’s the only place where i stoped , relaxed and spent a few hours doing nothing , listening to some rock band rehersal , enjoing the sun , the view and hoping for a miracle . it didn’t happen … hehehe … but it was ok

oh , and i saw some pictures from the time they built the place , the way it was before . so different , fascinating . i wish somehow my city will find the strenght to change (in a good way) the way singapore did and does . sometimes it’s too much (at least for me) but the things they do are amazing .

of course i have some special places in singapore where i like to go , maybe someday i will make a list or a top but i can tell you that esplanade it’s one of them .

iconic cbd 2008 September 13, 2008

so … this is singapore . the iconic view of the CBD in 2008 . it was june , i was in singapore for the holiday and i waited for the evening to take this picture from the esplanade roof .

so strange . i felt kinda strange being there because it was different . i was alone , actualy more than that , i was lonely … hehehehe … and looking at this great view and knowing that it’s the last time i would ever see it live and knowing that it’s nothing and nobody for me in this beautiful place made me sad . singapore is just the way anybody who had the chance to go there would tell you that it is . amazing . like no other place . but you need to be there more than the usual 3 days or one week vacation . explore . singaporeans will tell it’s small and there’s not much to see . but from the outside , it’s the best place to start enjoying asia . for a european , it’s perfect if you want to discover what asia has to offer because it’s a melting pot . singapore is not perfect , especialy from a political point of view , but it really depends what you want from life . for me singapore was the best time of my life . it was perfect for me . and for a while it gave me everything that i needed . and it gave me love . the second time there , last june , it was different , i was different . it was like visiting an old friend after a long time , after you lost contact . colder , stranger … but the feelings were still there .

thank you singapore !

tiong bahru plaza June 9, 2008

this is where i used to live in singapore , most of the time anyway . yeah , right , not in the mall but 3 minutes away . i loved the location , bus stop in front of the building or in front of the mall , mrt , food court , cinema , mall , bank , a park , and it’s not that far from orchard road . actually i used to walk a lot around this area and for a long time i used to walk back from work (parkmall) . this mall is not that great but being so close to home i was here a lot . mostly i remember the good part and i have great memories , all kind of memories . i was lucky to find this place and i can’t wait to see it again . it would be painful now cause i don’t have anything anymore from what was great back then but it would bring joy and refresh a lot of beautiful things .

portraits January 10, 2008

my 3 favorite pictures from the people portraits album . i think these are the best ones but let me know which one you like and why .
i don’t really like to take pictures of people , especially close-up portraits although sometimes it can be very rewarding . i posted 21 of my best portraits from singapore and now i wish i could’ve take more . i always look for the beauty or the irony when i take a picture , when i can capture something that makes me smile or cry is when i enjoy it the most .

sale January 10, 2008

it didn’t come out the way i wanted to . i was hoping to freeze the two ladies in red and blur everybody else . but it’s still ok , you can get the idea . it’s about the crazy place in the basement of the ngee ann city / takashimaya mall . it’s the place where they have a lot of fairs and sales and shows . it’s sooooo crowded ! singaporeans are addicted to shopping , you have to buy something all the time . this picture was taken before the chinese new year and everything here is about traditional cookies and food . the two ladies are giving free samples and we were laughing that if you go for a tour of the place you’ll be full , no need for diner anymore . we used to go there a lot because of the gramophone music shop nearby so saw all the clothes , shoes , kids , sweets , sports , holidays and other fairs . but we never bought anything … hahaha .

oh , i love the food court there . a bit more expensive than others but a lot of great food . yummy .

taxi driver January 10, 2008

little india again .

malay , indian , chinese .

the way the driver is checking them in the rearview mirror is the reason for taking this picture .

i never took the time to just sit and wait somewhere for the right picture . i wanted to but it never happened . i really enjoy when i just see something interesting and i hurry to take my camera and capture the moment . and then move on . so many interesting subjects that we miss every minute because we just don’t look .

the touch January 10, 2008

i consider this one to be one of my best pictures ever .

taken in little india on a crowded street , full of life , colors , sounds , smells and feelings , it looks like a classic painting .

the two ladies that are frozen in good focus are the main characters that have a story to tell . the way the young one touches the old lady and the look on her face can tell whatever story you want . everything else is blurry , everybody is busy , doing their own things but in the middle of this something happens .

little india is an amazing place . first time i was taken there by an indian friend and i was overwhelm by the crowd , the buzz , the colors and the sights , the sounds , the scents of food and spices , the narrow sidewalks , the shops , the costumes … everything was different from the rest of singapore where i’ve been before . it made me dizzy and i had to come back some other time to fully enjoy the place . everytime i wanted to escape the too organized city i went to little india for a different view .

confusion January 9, 2008

girls or boys ?

i don’t know if they saw me taking the picture but they look like they are posing .

romania and eastern europe is not open-minded about gay and lesbians . probably because during communism , officially they didn’t exist .

i was shocked to discover how many you can find in singapore . in the beginning i thought people are joking but then my eyes started to open . and what’s interesting is that is more about girls . “butches” . girls who try to look like boys , with strange haircuts . why so many ? i don’t know but i don’t think that in other countries is like this . in the company where i worked i met at least 8 . it doesn’t bother me at all but it’s just something that you notice about the local way of life . people are not really different wherever you go in this world but some things come in different proportions . we are “one but not the same”

tired January 9, 2008

a biological attack ? no , just indian workers sleeping . i think it’s on selegie rd at an hdb complex .

i didn’t noticed any construction site nearby , i don’t know where they were working but they were on a break and they look very tired . people from india , sri lanka , pakistan are coming to singapore for a better life for their families back home and they have to do the hardest jobs , mostly in constructions . a lot of constructions in singapore , a lot of immigrant workers . sometimes you can see them sleeping in the most unexpected and awkward places and positions .

it’s a bit symbolic because the colorful singapore is in the background (the kids playground) but to get there you have to pass the bodies of tired poor immigrant workers

away January 9, 2008

i like this picture although it doesn’t look like much . she was waiting to cross the orchard rd . it was a very hot day , maybe before hari raya . the traditional dress together with the i-pod but mostly the look on her face made me snap the shot . she seems somehow lost , confused in the middle of the crowded orchard rd , her mind is away somewhere . arranged , elegant , not pretty but she definitely has something … hahaha … or so i want to think

burning January 9, 2008

tanjong katong rd . it was a day off and we went there to bring back my “childhood” in singapore , the first few months when i used to live on this street . we walked from paya lebar mrt station all the way to parkway parade . i’ve done this a few times after i moved because i wanted to feel again like in the beginning when i was charmed by singapore . the last few months there i wasn’t so “in love” with the city , my mind was set already for going home and many things in singapore simply and easily irritated me .

my friend saw this man and tell me to take the picture .

i remember that i didn’t know anything about the chinese rituals of burning “money” , i heard about it , i thought it’s real money and i thought it’s more like an old tradition . but i saw it’s quite common . after that i thought it’s just on special holidays . but no , it’s more than that .

tanjong katong it’s not in the best shape but things are going to get better . they renovated the sidewalks , changed the light poles and trying to make it look good . some great places near by , east cost rd , joo chiat rd .

a lot of “my first” in singapore happened around here . my first meal (i think it was black pepper chicken with fried rice) , my first tiger beer and all the little everyday life things that you do when you live in a totally different country .

raj January 9, 2008

approximately the same place like the previous one . crossing the street on selegie rd . i came from the opposite direction and i couldn’t get my camera on time to take the shot from the front .

the raj took his family / suite for an evening walk .it was so funny even though his face was fierceful … the costume , the look , the attitude everything was contrasting with the modern city . it’s very interesting to see little things like this , customs and traditions still surviving in the modern society . i admire singapore for this , so many things to see , multi cultural , multi ethnic , traditional , religious , but in the same time very ambitious to be number one in the world , the first in everything .

ride along January 9, 2008

this used to be my way to work . from the bus stop in front of the peace centre walking all the way to bugis parco .

when you see a large group like this you can assume they are from china … hahaha

if you only see a few , they can be from wherever . i never took a ride but it doesn’t look comfortable if there are 2 persons because it’s quite small . i saw some huge australians who can barely fit on the sit and the poor guy on the bike looked very tired … hahaha …a lot of times the tourists didn’t seem to enjoy the ride … sometimes they have a very loud and annoying sound system , sometimes they look very rude and uninviting just like their “relatives” the taxi drivers . why the taxi drivers are the same everywhere in the world ? hahaha

young at heart January 9, 2008

inside bugis junction . i don’t remember when and how because i was there everyday for a few months and i don’t know how come i was having the camera but i saw this lady outside and trying to get my camera ready i followed her inside . she was walking very fast that’s why it’s a bit blurry . i had to take the shot cause the lady was like 50 years old but she’s dressed like a 15 years old . very fashionable … too much if you ask me . fashion is quite wild in singapore and if you go in some malls , well known for trendy clothes and accessories you can see some very interesting persons , great subjects for a photo album .

i don’t really like bugis mall , i don’t know why , i mean they did a wonderful job renovating the place and some parts are great but i never had the , i don’t know , the “feeling” when i was there . it’s not the usual mall though . it’s very nice to go there in the morning , around 10 , when the sun is shining . not for shopping , just to look around .