"Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)"Oh, my love it makes me sad.Why did things turn out so bad?Was it just a dream, everything we did, everything we had?Baby, give me one moreDance while the music still goes onDon't think about tomorrowDance and forget our time is goneTonight's a night we borrow.Let's make it a memory, a night of our ownA thing to remember when we're all aloneSo dance, it's our way to say goodbyeYes, all we have to do isDance while the music still goes onThis is no time for cryingDance, don't you hear them play our songGod knows that we've been tryingBut we didn't make it 'cause nothing's the sameWe just couldn't help it, nobody's to blameSo dance while the music still goes onAnd let it be our last goodbyeYet it seems to make me sad.Why did things turn out so bad?Was is just a dream, everything we did, everything we had?Baby, give me one lastDance while the music still goes onJust like the night I met youDance and believe me, when you're goneYou know I won't forget youOur love was a snowbird, it's flying awayYou tell me it's over, what more can I say?So dance while the music still goes onIt's gonna be our last goodbyeDance while the music still goes onDon't think about tomorrowDance and forget our time is goneTonight's a night we borrow.Let's make it a memory, a night of our ownA thing to remember when we're all aloneSo dance while the music still goes onAnd let it be our last goodbyeDance while the music still goes onThis is no time for cryingDance, don't you hear them play our songGod knows that we've been tryingDance while the music still goes onJust like the night I met youDance and believe me, when you're goneYou know I won't forget you[fade] posted by Yee 3:37 PM . . .
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve We went there on 3 May. The weather was pretty good. It had rained heavy the night before, and the air was fresh the next morning. The strength of the sun doesn't matter too much, since there is plenty of shade around to keep you from direct sunlight. We took bus 184 from the bus stop at Clementi MRT station, and dropped off at the stop opposite Bukit Timah Shopping Centre. The moment we got off we could see the peak of the hill. It was really insignificant. Like wjb commented, 这哪儿是山，这是小土坡吧... We walked on straight and then crossed the overhead bridge (this is where the sun matters) to Hindhede Drive. To get into the nature reserve, we had to walk along the road (there wasn't really proper pedestrian walkway) and it was quite hot walking along the road. We were already wet with perspiration by the time we reached the visitors' centre at the nature reserve. At the visitors' centre there's a toilet and water cooler. Fortunately we went in there first, because there wasn't any other toilet in the rest of the nature reserve. We got the map from the centre (we had to share, the staff were unwilling to give out too many) and embarked on our little hiking journey. There are 4 labelled routes we can take - blue, red, yellow, green. Blue was the shortest, and didn't even go to the summit (granted, the summit was really low). Red will bring you the direct and well cemented path up to the summit. Little obstructions and difficulty, although there is a portion of extremely steep slope where you need to be careful. Yellow is largely the same as red, until near the summit where it makes a detour to the jungle fall valley. We didn't take that route, but from the map and the contour readings, I would expect a lot of climbing up and down. We'll try that next time. We took the green route, which comprised of little cement path. Most of the time we were walking in the jungle. The path was not exactly well-marked, but it is obvious where you should step and climb. Along the way, there were arrows directing us to different paths, and we had to constantly refer to the map to make sure we were heading in the right direction if we intended to follow the green route. No doubt, you can still try out other paths, which is what I intend to do next time, but care will have to be taken to make sure we don't get lost. The green path consisted of a lot of steps. I don't mean cement staircase, but metal strips constructed along the steep slopes to prevent mud from flowing so that it creates steps. The steps are not of regular sizes and heights, so there is no momentum to speak off that can keep you walking easy. We were panting and perspiring like mad. Can't imagine who suggested singing along the way. Nobody had the breath to talk, much less hum or sing. And in any case, visitors are strongly advised to keep quiet in the nature reserve and not disturb the animals in there. Back to the steps, some were about close to 50cm in height. Quite taxing on the legs indeed. Shoes with good grip and good fit are really important. With slippers it was hard to even walk properly, worse at the steep steps. After half a litre of perspiration perhaps, we finally got to the summit. It wasn't exactly too tiring, but really gets the perspiration going. It won't make you ache and sore immediately, so you can still look forward to the trip down. There was nothing to see at the summit, only a shelter and 2 benches for you to rest. One rock which reads: 163.63m height. Dot dot dot... No toilet there, no view of the surroundings or valley. So after a short rest, some drinks and snacks, we went back down, this time taking the red path. Although the red path posed little challenge as compared to the green path, I actually enjoyed it better because this time I no longer have to keep my eyes glued to the ground and watch where I'm stepping to make sure I don't fall down the slope or what. Instead, this time I can enjoy the surrounding sights and smells and sounds. There were lots of information boards around that were interesting to read. It's a nature reserve after all. I took a little more pictures on the way down. It was a very short trip though. We took a rest at the visitors' centre again, and bought some Walls ice lollies from the shop there. The rest of them wanted to just sit there and play cards, but I was more interested in visiting the very-near Hindhede nature park. The girls were interested to go too, but the 2 guys just wanted to sit and rot at the visitors' centre. Tsk tsk... Hindhede park was very near, very small, and quite comforting. The playground was simple and fun, there were plenty of tables and benches around, and a big piece of grass to roam around. The rest of them found a spot to sit down and play cards, but I wanted to just go around and see. I felt even closer to nature than at the nature reserve itself. I stood alone on the cement path and listened to the sounds. Heard some rustling and spotted a big lizard in the grass. It was very shy and went deeper and deeper into the trees. Saw butterflies that didn't only flutter about the flowers, but also crawled around on the pebble ground. With their wings wide open! They weren't resting then, just scouting around. I spotted a squirrel too, it was munching no end. Hung upside down for a while too, it was so cute. Heard sounds of birds that were unfamiliar, but couldn't see where they were. Initially I couldn't identify the flapping sound (not like a bird's wing flapping, but like paper). Later on I spotted a yellow bird perched high on a tree, with an insect in its beak (it looked like a butterfly) and slapping it on the tree branch, presumably to kill it before eating. Interesting! I won't call it brutal or gruesome, this is after all nature... I also walked to the quarry alone. It was beautiful... There was an information board there too, telling of how the quarry pond was formed. The granite quarry was excavated until the late 1980s when quarrying ceased at the Hindhede quarry, leaving the pit 18m below sea level. Water from rain and surface run off filled the pit and turned it into a large inland lake, and by 1996 it was 14m above sea level. There are many jagged edges of the pit that are now covered by water and are unseen, so it is highly dangerous for unauthorised use of the lake. The igneous granite formation is non permeable, so the water level is rising at about 3m a year and will continue to rise, and will later on overflow. After some time we left the park and on our way out, saw A LOT of monkeys. They were just sitting around and enjoying the attention, hopeful that some visitors will give them food. But that's forbidden, and nobody should try that, or they'll eventually turn aggressive. Already, now they are not afraid of humans. We cannot afford any action that encourages them to come any closer to us and start depending on us for livelihood. We took the same route out and this time I didn't have to cross the road. There was a bus stop opposite the Courts and I took 184 back to Clementi MRT. I'm glad I finally got down to keeping a record. Perhaps the information will come in useful the next time I decide to go there. posted by Yee 12:46 PM . . .
