Tag: mount faber

Revisiting Ethan’s Gift of a Lifetime

April 10, 2011 • • 5 comments

Slightly more than three years (or 40 months) ago, my wife Tina and I gave our son Ethan a Christmas gift of a Marang tree as part of NParks’ Plant a Tree Programme. Over the months, we’ve always made it a point to revisit our tree every now and then, just to see how healthy it has grown. Occasionally, I will also jog to the trail area where the tree grows just to see how well the sapling is doing.

On a recent trip to the Marang Trail at the foot of Mount Faber, we’re glad to see that our tree is still doing well and growing both tall and lush. To me, this tree is especially meaningful when I make the connection between how my son Ethan grows and how the tree increases in size and girth. Let’s hope that it will continue to spring forth and grow, just as my son Ethan continues to mature and grow as a young boy every day of his life.

Ethan gazing at the map of Mount Faber park at the foot of the hill.

A Sparkling New Jewel in the Night Sky

July 24, 2010 • Blog • 4 comments

Last night, my family and I decided to venture on the new and improved Jewel Cable Car ride from Mount Faber to Sentosa. Living just a stone’s throw away from the Jewel Box (with the view of Mount Faber from our window), we were really looking forward to going on our latest aerial adventures, suspended on a cable.

Revamped at a cost of some $36 million, the new cable car rides boasted of 67 sparkling new cabins done in a modern metallic black and chrone design which boasted of large panoramic view windows. The flip-up seats were more comfortable, and the internal ambient lighting helped to make it less pitch black at night. Having experienced the old cable cars before, I must say that this recent upgrade is a major improvement to the overall experience.

Running Up Those Hills

May 11, 2008 • Blog • 17 comments

Henderson Waves Bridge courtesy of chooyutshing

After viewing the launch of the Southern Ridges by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last night on Channel News Asia, I felt an inner voice tell me that I need to run up those hills. Stretching across from Alexandra Road (Gillman area) to Telok Blangah Park and Mount Faber, there were three new linkways stretching 1.3 km long which range in height from three to 18 metres high. At the highest point across Henderson Road, it is about 36 metres above the road.

From my home at the Bukit Purmei area, I ran this morning along Telok Blangah Rise, all the way to Henderson Road, and then through Depot Road till I reached Alexandra Road near the old Gillman Camp area. Gazing upwards at the Alexandra Arch, I felt an great attraction in scaling up those heights, even though I knew that it wasn’t exactly child’s play to run up those steel structures. I wasn’t alone though as there were many families, silver-haired folks, and youths up there enjoying the breathtaking view of lush forests and beautiful landscape.

The Gift of a Lifetime

December 16, 2007 • Blog • 24 comments

Christmas is just around the corner. My wife Tina and I were cracking our heads thinking about an appropriate gift for our four year old Ethan. Should we get him yet another Power Rangers toy? Or maybe a pair of rollerblades?

Inspired by NParks’ Plant A Tree programme, Tina suggested that we give him a tree. This will be meaningful as trees help to beautify our environment, reduce our carbon footprint, and restore Singapore’s once lush tropical forest cover. More importantly, it could be a gift that will follow him for a lifetime as forest species do grow rather slowly. At $200 a piece, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to do our bit for our future generations.

Our ardour for arbor began at the foot of Mount Faber Park, just next to Marang Road. This route was named after the Marang trees which used to grow in the region.