Bishan

Looking at the young trees being planted around Bishan Park during my stroll there last week, many thoughts went through my mind. For when young trees are planted, they are unable to face the elements on the own and hence, ropes are tethered in place to support them. This reminded me of children, whom needs their parents and loved ones to nurture them such that they become upstanding members of society, of people facing hardships, where family and friends rally around to support them and of the frailty of life, when the young tree can be uprooted by storms and die as a result. Hence, this does go to show that Bishan Park is conducive for reminiscing, isn't it?

I'm sure many have heard of the double ice-cream joint located along Upper Thomson Road, Salted Caramel and Udders Ice Cream was a favourite hang out place of mine during my National Service days, when my friends and I will go down for supper and after that an ice-cream. With seats facing the street, one gets the first hand experience of witnessing the full flow of traffic along Upper Thomson Road at night as well as the variety of characters that traipse its walkways. All of this while savouring a scoop of gelato or ice cream. Heavenly!

A scene familiar with most residents, Bishan interchange is integral to the town centre. A hum of activity ever since buses start their round as early as 5.30am in the morning, there is much to see and do here. For one, the cafetaria on the 2nd storey is a frequent haunt by commuters and bus captains aloke for their meals, and the kiosks market a range of items from snacks to Archie comics. For commuters in Bishan, one way or other, you'd have stopped by here to withdraw money from the POSB ATMs!

Located at the top of a small hill, this HDB estate does, indeed, have a suitable name. Nomenclature, or the naming of things, is used very well for many landmarks in Bishan. Take for example, Sin Ming Plaza abd adjacent HDB buildings, all of which are named 'Sin Ming' such that on the map, they appear as a tidy cluster and hence it is easy to make out the different areas in Bishan. As we climbed to the top of the small hill, just some way further up from the Singapore Scout Association, we noticed that the features of the estate, especially the archway, has a feel of a mountain-top abode...

Located along Upper Thomson Road, this famous Roti Prata restaurant draws a customer base from all over Singapore. Indeed, one thing about its roti pratas is its tenderness yet crispiness. To me, these qualities brings out the best in a roti prata, and is really finger-licking good! Its also helps as well that prices are relatively cheaper than other outlets! Besides roti pratas, the restaurant also offers a range of other cuisine from nasi lemak to roti johns, and you can find different kinds of floats (coke floats, milo dinosaur floatd) here as well! While worth the visit, for customers intending to drive their cars, parking here can be treacherous. Due to the constrained space and parking lots that are parallel to the main road, one needs a deft hand at parallel parking to park it in smoothly. To be honest though, it is quite thrilling to watch drivers park their cars, a collective gasp will echo from me and my group of friends whenever we watch a car being moved too close to the car in front or when the car is stuck and cannot move out of the parking lot!

An early morning view of Bishan's town centre, taken from outside the construction area of The Summit. Used to a highly urban town, i did not realise there was an expanse of greenery in Bishan until I took this shot, with grassy lawns soread out all over me. In the distance, one could see J8, the library building, the CPF building, as well as adjacent shophouses.

Opened in 2013, Grub@Bishan Park features a delectable range of home-made cuisine. Surrounded by all sides by greenery, the restaurant offers diners a pleasant dining environment with nature at their doorstep. The restaurant itself features a bar-like interior, with mahogany tables and tall stools. Dishes we'd recommend here includes the Mentaiko Fries, the Grub Double Cheeseburger and the pastas. One aspect we like about Grub would be their belief in environmental resposbility. This is exhibited in their food, where meat is obtained from hormone and chemical free sources and care is ensured that no contamination is incurred in the process.

If you have not noticed before, there is a small hairdresser, QB House, tucked away at the corner of Bishan MRT Station. It is extremely easy to miss due to it being the approximate size as some of the ATM machines being adjacent to it. Charging $10 per haircut, it is no doubt quite expensive, as when you take your time to walk around Bishan, you'll find plenty of hairdressers charging a lower rate. One point working in its favour, though, is convenience. Given its prime location, it will be one of the forst hairdressers thought of when people need a haircut. In fact, it came to my mind first as 'The hairdresser at Bishan MRT'!

In the sprawling complex of shophouses located near Junction 8 shopping centre, one can observe a specific clinic for children. However, what draws the attention would be its name. Indeed, for those who have been through National Service, you would start at seeing the term 'Medical Centre' being used here, for it refers to the medical facility within a camp. Indeed, among my group of friends, of which 2 were medics, they were amazed to see the term being used here. However, we all agreed that the sign was well designed and well served to attract the clinic's target audience.

Despite the recent haze and heavy showers over the past few weeks, work continues along Braddel Road, where construction projects aimed at improving drainage in the private housing area is under way. Rain or shine, these construction workers, hailing from far away places like India and Bangladesh, work tirelessly to improve living conditions in Singapore. However, they are continually shunned and avoided. We hope that they will indeed enjoy their day today, Happy Deepavali!

Calling out to all pedestrians! The traffic lights at the intersection of Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 outside Bishan Park are not functionong properly. For example, no lights are shown for these traffic lights facing Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 whilst the ones facing Ave 1 only light up when it flashes the green man. Thus, do take extra precaution when passing by the area! For motorists, the main traffic lights are working fine. However, do look out for pedestrians when turning. Have a safe Tuesday!

Its early Monday morning and school has just started again for the week! For motorists travelling the school zones around Bishan Streets 13 and 14, please remember to look out for crowds of students either before school starts (typically by 7.30am) or after school ends (after 12.30pm). The safety of our children is of paramount importance and we need to play our part in ensuring a safe and secure environment for them to study in. Cheers!