Category: Singapore

The weekend of the Singapore Grand Prix 2009 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit has once again arrived. Fans from all over the world have purchased tickets since April this year. However, those without tickets would get to watch the cars too (not on television)!

After leaving Clarke Quay MRT Station, one would find giant footprints in two colours, orange and blue, left by some large animal. If you follow the animal’s trail, you would end up walking past several bridges, indicating that you are on the right track to the Singapore Grand Prix.

Gates are set up all around the circuit area, where ticket holders are able to enter and watch the cars up close. If you forgot to purchase a ticket, you may do so at any ticketing office located near each gate. Alternatively, if you walk around City Hall MRT station, you may find foreigners reciting the phrase “buy and sell F1 tickets, buy and sell F1 tickets”.

However, those without tickets would have to find ways to catch a glimpse of the cars. Below are three of the many areas around Marina Square which are suitable for watching the Formula 1 race without spending a single cent. Of course, the view would be better with a ticket.

Gallery A – Marina Mandarin Seating Gallery

If you enlarge the photo above, you may see groups of people standing along the staircase well on the left of the picture. Although you are only likely to see the cars for only a fraction of a second at this seating gallery, it would be a place where you can go closest to the cars without paying for a ticket. Some people have brought cardboard there as picnic mats as well. In addition, you have a choice of seats on various levels on a first come first served basis. Bring a handheld fan along just in case.

For those taking photographs here, remember to use maximum ISO and aperture, as well as a shutter speed of at least 1/2000 second to obtain the following:

Gallery B – Outside Marina Square, Beside Gate 7

This gallery is a popular spot among Singaporeans, regardless of age or gender. Out of the three galleries, this standing gallery gives the worst view. Firstly, there is a fence in front of you which blocks your view. Secondly, there are many people clinging on to the fence. However, due to its accessibility, it is a popular place to view the race. If you are heading towards this gallery, just locate Gate 7 on the map. Photographers should avoid this gallery due to the presence of a fence.

Gallery C – Marina Square Staircase Standing Gallery

If you head further down from Gallery B, you would see another Standing Gallery overlooking Turn 17. As drivers negotiate this turn at a slow speed, you have a better chance of taking a photograph. However, there are two vertical beams present as seen in the photos below. Also, this gallery is located furthest from the track, so bring a binoculars if necessary. If it rains, avoid this gallery and head to the indoor Seating Gallery A, unless you do not mind getting really drenched.

Well, I may not consider the next one a gallery, but if you would really like to watch the cars drive in front of you for at least five seconds, you may wish to try nearby skyscrapers such as Bras Basah Complex or the National Library. Note that photography is not allowed at the National Library.

Enjoy the race!

As the clock approaches exactly 365 days, the crowd became more excited.

It is now less than a minute away to the moment. The Countdown Clock, sponsored by Omega, was unveiled a while ago by Professor S. Jayakumar, Senior Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security.

At the same time, fireworks shot up from behind City Hall, as everyone whipped out their cameras and mobile phones.

There were many performances at the countdown event.

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In addition, there were Singapore 2010 flags available on a first come first served basis.

Other than?the new issue of stamps, limited edition pens bearing the Singapore 2010 print were on sale. Each set of pen is priced at SGD 10, but half of the sale proceeds are donated to charity.

Although I did not catch the first train in the morning at 5.37 am since it is so early, I did catch a ride on the train this afternoon straight after school from Marymount Station to Bishan Interchange, then off to Paya Lebar. Well, it is not very crowded at that time, there were about thirty passengers on the platform, where more than half of the passengers who boarded from Marymount Station at that time were students from my school.

Trains nowadays are changing in many ways. The front and rear carriages have each a huge window to allow passengers, especially curious children, to look into the tunnel as the train moves from station to station. Interesting, but this requires a redesign of the emergency exit doors at the ends of the train. Also known as ‘detrainment doors’, the ends of the newer trains are designed like jaws, with the top and bottom jaws springing open in the event of an emergency, where a three-section ramp is released for evacuation.

Next time, if you are meeting someone on the train, the task of you locating them (or them locating you) will be much easier. The seats in each of the three carriages have been colour coded to allow passengers to identify the section of the train they are on. The colours are green, maroon and blue (at the centre of the train).

Kim Chuan Depot, measuring 160 metres wide and 27 metres high, is the world’s largest underground train depot. With a floor area of 11 hectares, it can store up to 77 three-car trains. To save space, the land above the depot can be used for future development of up to nine storeys high. This depot also houses the tallest underground warehouse storage system in Singapore, which retrieves spare parts within four minutes. Is there a chance for me to take a look into the depot with my own eyes?

Next up is the lovely set of stamps right here in front of me. Finally, a circle shaped stamp by SingPost in more than ten years! On the 1st Local stamp, the Circle Line system is placed on the Singapore map. Also featured on the stamps is a new Circle Line station in the underground system (80 cents), the Circle Line train ($1.10), and the Circle Line Operation Control Centre situated in Kim Chuan Depot ($2). A complete set of stamps issue comes with a relatively hefty price tag of $4.16.

The highly anticipated Circle Line (CCL) Stage 3 will officially open to the public tomorrow morning, Thursday, 28 May 2009. This is the latest addition to the rail network in Singapore. The Circle Line is a fully automated underground train system passing through estates such as Bishan, Serangoon, Paya Lebar and Holland Village. When fully opened, it will be the world’s longest fully automated line at 33.3 kilometres. The Bartley-Marymount section of the Circle Line has a length of 5.7 kilometres, and it takes only eight minutes to travel from end to end. This section of the Circle Line allows passengers to transfer to the North South Line at Bishan Interchange, and to the North East Line at Serangoon Interchange.

The Circle Line is a medium capacity line with only three cars instead of the usual six. Perhaps, another likely reason could be the lack of space to built MRT stations which can accommodate six-car trains, especially since the route runs through high density areas in the heartlands and in the city. In fact, one of the stations, CC4 Promenade, will be Singapore’s first station with stacked side platforms, i.e. platforms are one on top of the other, where trains run directly above the other in opposite directions. Since the southern terminus of the future Bukit Timah Line will perhaps be shifted to this station after the collapse of Nicoll Highway, there is a need to conserve the limited space. The stacked platform is something which I am looking forward to!

If you would like to be the first in everything, the first train leaves Marymount MRT station at 5.37 am. Limited to the first 931 passengers only! However, I don’t think that there will be so many people anyway. During peak hours, the train will arrive every three minutes or so. During off-peak periods, the frequency is 6 to 8 minutes. The first train from other stations are as follows: 

Mondays to Saturdays

Sundays and Public Holidays

To celebrate the opening of the Circle Line, SMRT will be having ten-hour parties on 30 May and 31 May at Bishan Interchange. This is one of the interchanges between the Circle Line and the North South Line, both operated by SMRT, with the other being Dhoby Ghaut Interchange. That is probably one reason why the party is not to be held at Serangoon Interchange. Well, it is more likely that Bishan is more vibrant at the moment with Junction 8 Shopping Centre, while Nex is still under construction at Serangoon.

SingPost will be releasing its fifth issue of the year on the Circle Line. The stamps are designed by SMRT, presenting a ‘miniature exhibition’ of the Circle Line system. From the press release by SMRT earlier today, “SMRT Circle Line First Day Cover is also exclusively available for sale at Bishan Circle Line Interchange Station after 28 May, together with stamps and presentation packs.” Wait, why are the first day covers still available after 28 May? Shouldn’t it be sold only on the day itself? Scrolling down, it reads “Availability: SMRT Bishan Circle Line Interchange Station from 28 to 31 May and at all post offices and the Singapore Philatelic Bureau from 28 May”. Well, first day covers are not first day covers any more.

Last weekend, I was among the thousands of people eager to go into the Circle Line stations. Well, it was not the first time the interior leaked to the public. On 4 April, three stations: Bishan, Lorong Chuan and Bartley were opened to the public during the Singapore Civil Defence Force Shelther Open House.

With two new MRT stations in the west of Singapore opening on the last day of February earlier this year, we have been speculating that TransitLink would be printing new System Maps to be distributed to commuters at the Passenger Service Centres who request for them, either because they are lost somewhere in the network of train stations or because they are collecting them. Since January this year, we have been collecting these System Maps from MRT stations all over the island, to note if there is any new System Map available.

Joo Koon and Pioneer MRT stations, which opened its doors to the public on 28 February, first appeared in the ‘new’ System Map as a sticker. As of our knowledge, it appears that this ‘sticker’ version of the System Map can only be obtained from the North-South Line Passenger Service Centre at Outram Park MRT station. It is not available from the North-East Line Passenger Service Centre as of 3 May. While stocks last!

Today, I have finally seen the new System Map, updated with the two new MRT stations in the west, as well as the five Circle Line MRT stations which will be opening in less than two weeks’ time. On 16 April 2009, it was announced on the media that the new line will commence operational service on 28 May, two days ahead of 30 May when first announced on 12 February. It would have been possible that this System Map was printed sometime between 12 February and 16 April, since it reflects the old date of commencement. Grab yours now at Ang Mo Kio MRT Station like I did.

For those living in Sengkang or Punggol, the future LRT stations have been now taken out of the System Map. It appears that it would not open any time soon. So, will there be another reprint of the System Map any time soon?

Part of the Southern Ridges trail, the Henderson Waves is the highest pedestrian bridge at 36 metres above Henderson Road, connecting Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park. In the evenings, the bridge magically transforms into a colourful and brightly lit structure, glowing attractively under the stars.

The pedestrian bridge is nearly 300 metres in length, and will take approximately five to ten minutes for a leisurely walk across. This pedestrian bridge is characterised by its unique structure which resemble waves. Within the curved steel ribs are shelters with seats. There is a diverse variety of plants on the pathways leading up to the Henderson Waves. In the quiet early morning, birds and insects can be spotted.

It is really amazing that roads can be built so deep underground. With the Kallang Paya-Lebar Expressway (KPE) built across a river underwater, now the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) too is built literally, under water. The tunnel will pass under the Singapore River, near the Marina Barrage. This new five-lane expressway will be the tenth expressway in Singapore, providing a link to the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), the East Coast Parkway (ECP) and the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE). This is to cater to the likely increase in traffic volume around the Marina Bay area, especially with the opening of the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort and the upcoming Marina Bay Financial Centre.

Stretching 3.6 km from end to end, the MCE runs through reclaimed land. It also consists of more than 0.4 km of tunnel running directly under the seabed of Marina Bay. The MCE is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013, not long after the opening of the Integrated Resort. These developments in architectural techniques have allowed Singapore to make full use of her limited land space.