Genesis - soumya.org

Make Way For The Ducklings

Returning back from torrential waters of the the Great Falls Park in Maryland, we chanced upon this tranquil scene of a brood of ducklings being shepherded across the road by proud parents.

Singapore - The Kiasu Merlion's Shiny City

A few days in Singapore is a good lesson in what forward planning, infrastructure and regulation can do for a nation... Reflecting the nation's Kiasu attitude (Kiasu - literally translated from Hokkien means Afraid To Lose), the city is a ever growing amalgamation of a million tall buildings, gazillion malls, thousands of taxis, a fantastic public transport system and many beautiful attractions for tourists and locals alike...all neat, shiny with a fresh coat of paint. Beneath the glossiness, conversations with locals and expats reveal some unhappiness with the 'system' which some aptly described as a very well run private limited company but as with all things, the search for balance between good and bad continues. We spent our days mostly focusing on the good and the results are some photographs (including a few panoramic ones) which may give you a flavor of the gloss of the beautiful Merlion city...

Singapore - Kampong Glam

We completed our tour of the ethnic enclaves of Singapore with a visit to the Malay Heritage area of Kampong Glam. Graced with imposing structures like the Sultan Mosque and the Istana (palace), the environment seemed much more conservative than the rest of Singapore with covered heads and caps being de rigeur among the resident Malay population. After a traditional Malay lunch chased by steaming teh tarik, we joined the hordes of school kids in learning about the rich heritage of the region (trivia: the black circles under the dome of the Mosque are soy sauce bottles given by poor villagers as their contribution to the mosque) and seeing historical artifacts in the museum housed in the Istana. The evening saw us explore the neighboring Victoria Street Wholesale Market with its wide variety of dried goods, finally ending up in the crowded area of Bugis and Waterloo streets where the sight of Chinese worshippers at the Krishnan temple and Indians at the Kuan Yin temple rounded off the multicultural experience of ethnic Singapore...

Singapore - Chinatown

A Chinatown in a predominantly Chinese city may sound like an anachronism, but the Chinatown in Singapore is an enclave with its own identity and spirit. Famous shrines like the multi storied Buddha's tooth relic temple and the Thian Hock Keng temple (a heritage structure with no nails in the main building) nestle next to Indian temples and Malay mosques while restored shop houses showcase restaurants, medicine halls and an increasing number of trendy boutiques and lounges. A walk up Ang Siang Hill and down the slopes at the back takes one to some little visited roads housing old Chinese association halls and mahjong clubs, where the faded photographs on the walls look benevolently on old ladies sitting around their tables indulging in their daily dose of gossip. Here are some sights from a leisurely afternoon stroll through the unique heritage of Singapore's Chinatown...

Singapore - Little India

As someone once said, "There are three ways of getting to India from Singapore; by boat, by air and by foot...to Little India!" A true multicultural mashup, the colorful shop houses, food stalls and temples of Little India defy the stereotype of a sterile, planned Singapore. We spent a day walking through the numerous streets and bylanes (some with delightful names like Hindoo Road and Lembu Street) on a subcontinental journey, which for an Indian offered a unique experience that was "same same but different..."