+ Changi | Beach Park

PART 1 - Tanjong

There were lots of tents pitched on the beach. Most probably from the morning and the over-nighters. After all, the December school holidays have just started.

As soon as we found a spot and layed-out the mat, Danish went straight for the water's edge, looking for seashells.

He has been collecting seashells, from the day I showed it to him when he was very little. I collected a few for him and he continues collecting till today.

Now he has jars of seashells lined on his bedroom shelves. Seashells from beaches in Singapore and from the many places we have been - neighbouring Malaysia to as far as Perth Australia and Mauritius.

I remembered his first time to Changi Beach when he was only about seven months old, against old Malay superstitions of babies and wondering spirits of the sea.

He liked it instantly when his feet first touched the sand. Was not that excited about the water though.

The crashing waves splashed on his face and frightened him at the beginning, but once I carried him into the water, he smiled and splashed it with his little hands.

My wife and I will never forget those moments.

From then on, Changi Beach has been our family escape for the weekend.

I have lost count of how many times we have picnicked there, camped there and stayed overnight there, either just the 3 of us or with the whole of my side of the family.

To this day, we attribute his tanned skin to all those hours in the sun, all those years.

He was born fair-skined just like my wife, but now he is even darker than me. He does not mind though, its the fun that counts.

As for me, I could only remember being there when I was about 5 or 6 years old. The place was a Malay Fishing Village. I remembered going in and out a relative's house - a wooden hut on stilts with attap roofs by the sea.

I remembered my Mom brought us there, and we kids would go in and our of the house without the need to use slippers or flip-flops to play on the beach. I do not remember the faces of my relatives though.

Mom and Dad would bring us there for picnic whenever they could. We were still living a wooden house with zinc roofs ourselves. The journey would take two hours.

We would have to walk 20 minutes out from our village in Lorong Ternark to the bus depot, and take a SBS Service 50 from Kaki Bukit to Geylang Serai that would take another 20 to 30 minutes.

My parents would then buy food for lunch and tit-bits to munch at the beach. That would take another 10 to 20 minutes. Then conitnue our journey taking Service 2 from there to Changi Village, a 30 minutes ride.

Seemed we took all the time to be there and still have enough time enjoying ourselves. Life is a "unidirectional goal" when you are a child. Have only one goal at any one time - to only have fun at the beach. Nothing else matters.

We would swim and play until our last energy spent and went back home totally exhausted, sleeping all the way in the bus, and if we were lucky, get carried back instead of walking back into the village.

We would have terrible sun burn and watery eyes from the long exposure, and would somehow still felt the waves crashing on our bodies long after we reached home.

Now, its me taking my son to the beach. So fortunate that my wife likes the beach too. Most times she would suggest we just go to the beach and have a quite time there, just the 3 of us.

It is even easier for us now since we live in Tampines, just about 15 minutes away by taxi from Changi Beach Park.

Though the rustic charm has been transformed into a modern reclaimed beach, some spots are still reminiscent of the old Changi Beach I still remember - the concrete Arch Bridge across Sungei Changi or Changi River, and the scenery from Telok Paku Road leading to Changi Point.

With the many face-lifts Changi Beach has gone through, it still is our favourite family recreation spot nevertheless.

+ Istana | Kampong Glam

Istana Kampong Glam beside Sultan Mosque

Believe it or not, it was my first time stepping into the Istana, as if tracing my roots.

It was the official residence of Sultan Hussain Muaazzam Shah ibni Sultan Mahmud. He was and Temenggong Abdul Rahman, ceded all Malay sovereign rights to rule Singapore to British India Company.

In return the British rebuilt the palace in 1840 and recognised that Kampong Glam enclave or Kota Raja to remain in the Sultan's family and his decendents with annual stipend.

Believed to be designed by George Coleman, the island's first European architect.

It has 3 arches on the front and decade and windows that are similar to other historic buildings here - previous Parliament House and Armenian Church.

The Istana compound was landscaped beautifully and the whole Istana was protected witha perimeter wall. Kampong styled houses were built around this for the Sultan's kins.

Not until a year ago the Istana was lived by the Sultan's royal decendents, but now has been restored and turned into a Malay Royal Heritage Museum.

On the left of the main entrance, stands a large grand house traditionally painted in royal colour - yellow, the locals called it Gedung Kuning or Yellow Mansion.

Once occupied by Sultan's decendants up to Tengku Mahmud, Tengku being Prince.

It was sold upon his death to a local Javanese businessman Haji Yusof and his decendants. Now it is turned into a Traditional Malay Restaurant - Tepak Sirih unfortunately.

All this enlightenment of our Malay heritage when we "stumbled" upon it from our walk for dinner from purchasing our display console from La Cafa at Furniture Mall.