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RSAF Open House 2011 – Bloggers Exclusive

2011 May 28
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by Victor TAN

 

On an Apache Helicopter

I went for a preview of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Open House 2011 on Monday afternoon, by the invitation of MINDEF Public Affairs. For the first time in my life, I managed to get up close to an Apache Helicopter!

RSAF F-15SG

Of course, this is not exclusive to the Bloggers invited – The public will be able to get up close with the latest RSAF aircraft and weapon systems like the F-15SG fighter aircraft at the RSAF Open House 2011 too!

The Red Lions

I was truly wowed by the aerial display by the RSAF fighter jets and helicopters, as well as the parachuting by the Red Lions!  The display will takes place twice daily at 11.00am and 4.30pm.

 

Taken from the Chinook helicopter

We also managed to get a ride on the Chinook Helicopter! The aircraft rides on the RSAF’s C-130 and Fokker-50 transport aircraft, the Chinook helicopter and the Singapore Youth Flying Club’s DA-40 will be made available through a balloting system!  Each ride will last about 30 minutes and each winner will be entitled to two boarding passes!

Fighter Jets

There are a lot more at the RSAF Open House 2011 that we did not get to preview as they were still setting up, so do visit the RSAF Open House 2011 official site at www.mindef.gov.sg/rsafopenhouse for more information!

RSAF Open House 2011 – When, where and how to get there?

The RSAF Open House 2011 is open to the public on 28 May 2011 from 9.30am to 7pm and 29 May 2011 from 8.30am to 7pm. Admission is free and visitors are advised to take the free shuttle service from Eunos and Hougang Bus Interchanges as there are limited car parks at the Paya Lebar Airbase.

For the rest of the photos that I’ve taken, check out my facebook photo album! Thank you MINDEF Public Affairs for this invitation!

from → I Heart SG

Potong Pasir – The End of an Era

2011 May 10
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by Victor TAN

 

The latest phototaking hotspot

In the early morning of 8 May 2011, Potong Pasir was the last result to be announced by Mr Yam Ah Mee for the Singapore General Election 2011 and it will no longer managed by Mr Chiam See Tong and his wife, Mrs Lina Chiam.

On that very afternoon, I went down to Potong Pasir with my photo-kakis with the objective to “record history” – capture the moments of this small estate before it is handed over to the new hands.

Provision Shop in Potong Pasir

A humble town along the North-East MRT Line, it looks like any regular HDB estates. The town is well taken care of, but if you get really anal about amenities in Potong Pasir, you will realise that there is no NTUC Fairprice Supermarket, food centre and wet market here. Instead, you see a few provision shops and coffee shops in this estate which serve similar functions.

Sheltered Walkway

The walking paths in this estate are well-sheltered, though you will realise that it is done on a smaller-budget and yet still serve its purpose.

Blk 108 lift lobby - Uniquely Potong Pasir

An old-school lift co-existing with a newer HDB lift is probably something “Uniquely Potong Pasir”, and the newer lift doesn’t stop at every level either. Given to the budget that they get to maintain this small estate, this is probably the best Mr Chiam could do for his residents and I believe a lot of them do not really mind that.

Supporters signing petition for by-election

Supporters of Mr and Mrs Chiam were gathering that day at Blk 108 void deck, which is also the location for Mr Chiam’s Meet-the-people session, to collect signatures for the petition to request for a by-election in Potong Pasir.

At about 5 plus in the evening, Mr Chiam and the Singapore People’s Party (SPP) candidates went on a “Thank You Parade” around Potong Pasir and there was a huge group of supporters following their party vehicles. The atmosphere was full of emotions… I saw people crying, people screaming “Chiam See Tong” and “Lina Chiam” in unison…

When Mrs Chiam saw one of her supporters crying, she said to her supporter, “Don’t cry for me. Think on the bright side, ok?” That really touched my heart…

Mr Chiam’s Welcome Signage

I am not sure how efficient will the new management of this estate be to update this welcome signage, but I am sure the current one with Mr Chiam’s photo is not going to stay for long. It’s right at the entrance of Potong Pasir. For the rest of the album, it can be viewed on my Facebook Album titled “Potong Pasir – End of an Era”.

 

Update: Apparently, my post shares the same title as Clauds’ blog post! Great minds think alike! Haha!

from → I Heart SG

My trip to Washington D.C. and London in Nov 2010

2011 May 2
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by Victor TAN

At the Lincoln Memorial

Sorry for this long overdue post, but the recent happenings in Singapore have gave me the final push to put this post online. I spent a total of 2 weeks in the Capital City of 2 First World Countries in November 2010, namely Washington D.C. of United States of America and London of  United Kingdom. This experience has certainly made me appreciate Singapore a lot more.

 

Public Transport System in Washington D.C. and London

Van Ness-UDC Metro Station

When I was in Washington D.C., I was taken aback by the cost of travelling on the Metro. A 5-station trip between the hotel that I am staying in to the Metro Center cost me  USD$2.35 during peak period, USD$2.15 during regular time and USD$1.60 during off-peak hours. The frequency of the trains was about 3 mins during peak hours and 25 mins during off-peak hours. During peak periods, the trains were as congested as the ones in Singapore.

One of the London Underground Stations

Over in London, I was lucky enough to miss the London Underground (a.k.a The Tube) strike as it was scheduled to happen on the day after I have left London but the frequent break-downs have caused me to change my routes. Apparently, “a body was found on the tracks” is a pretty common sight in London. The Tube Map App was definitely a life-saver for planning my routes. The frequency of the trains are pretty high in London though, but given to the size of tunnels that were inherited from the 1800s, the trains are pretty packed during peak periods.

 

The Oyster Card (similar to our EZ-Link card) fare starts at £2.50 for peak hours, £1.90 for off-peak hours and the cap for the fares in Zone 1 and 2 is £8.00.  Thanks for the “7 days Travelcard” Oyster Card tourist package, I paid a flat fee of £50.20 which included a 2-way trip for Heathrow Airport.

 

UK Student Protest in Nov 2010

I was “smart enough” not accept the invitation from my friend’s classmate to attend the Student Protests which happened in London on 24 Nov 2010. I was told that “this is something that you wouldn’t get to see in Singapore” and I should take a look and experience it! Imagine yourself stranded on the streets for 9 hours with an unbearable temperature of Zero degree. Erm, not my cup of tea.

 

But why the student protest? Prior to the UK Election in 2010, the leader of the Liberal Democrats pledged that he would vote against any proposed increase in tuition fees if elected to Parliament. However when the Liberal Democrats and Conservative Party formed a coalition government after the UK Elections, the new government increased the cap of the tution fees from £3,290 to £9,000.

 

Safety in Washington D.C.

Given tat the cost of travelling is pretty high in Washington D.C., I did a lot of walking when I was there. When I was in Chinatown in one of the evenings, I was approached by a black man to buy him dinner and another to pay for his train ticket. I was in the state of shock as they do not look very friendly or helpless, but aggressive. My reaction was act blur, turn and walked off really fast. For the latter incident, I walked to the next metro station which is located in Metro Center. On route, I walked past the Public Library at about 9pm and a group of rowdy black men hanging out there got me worried. Reading about the high crime rates in this capital city prior to my trip had got me even more worried.

 

This short trip to Washington D.C. and London had reminded me not to take things for granted and the broken promise by the Liberal Democrats really got me thinking about promises made by politicians.

from → I Heart SG

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