11 September 2009 ride report - A piece of peace

Ask somebody to think of the first word that comes to their mind when they think of Singapore and inevitably words like crowded, built up, noisy, fast paced and boring will show up. It isn't surprising since this little island nation houses over four million residents in just over 700 square kilometers of land.

I took to riding a motorcycle in July this year and got myself a good set of protective gear and a nice little bike. I decided to ride around the island as much as I could on this new form of transportation. It is amazing how different it is from riding. The same places look and feel completely different!

I was on a ride tonight together with two biker friends and decided to seek out the lights that were put up for Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. The best place to catch this display would be Kampung Glam and Malay enclave of Geylang Serai.

As usual, the ride to Kampung Glam was filled with the expected motorcycling excitement of taxis changing lanes abruptly, cars forcing the rider off the lane by budging in when there isn't space, and fumes from trucks and busses that - miraculously - passed the LTA inspection! Still, the lights beckoned and we finally parked out bikes at Jalan Klapa.

I had to capture the image of the main arch because it looked grand next to the rows of shops.

I really liked how this picture reminded me of Melaka. You know, the part where the rows of red shops are? Sometimes, during festive holidays, they would put up lights and arches there and it feels exactly the same as this. I like this "small town" feel. It is very pleasant...almost like going back to the kampung.

No visit to Kampung Glam is complete without taking in the Masjid Sultan! It is a spectacular and historic mosque located at Muscat street and a sight to behold...during the day time...because it is pretty dark at night.

 The consolation was this gate which was decorated and lit up for Hari Raya. Here, you can have a glimpse of the mosque...I suppose I would have to return another day to capture the mosque and do it justice.

It was getting late and almost all the shops around the area were closed, I decided it was time to head to Geylang Serai. As I was walking back towards Jalan Klapa, I saw this neat looking little building. It reminded quite a bit of the FCC Angkor (FCC used to stand for the Foreign Correspondents Club but is now a commercial concern in Cambodia) in Siem Reap.

Of course, this is nothing compared to the real thing. Still, the simple and neat design of the building, the lights, and the general feel of the place really brought me back.

We stopped by Little India along the way to Geyland Serai. I wanted to catch the Deepavali light up that usually happens along the main street of Serangoon Road. Unfortunately, while the arch was already up, the lights were not switched on. There were some lights along Race Course Road though.

Geylang Serai was a completely different scene. For one, it was PACKED with people. The pavements were lined with bikes, every available space along the sidewalks were filled with stalls selling all sorts of stuff. People were walking everywhere. There were auctions going on for charity as well. It was fantastic!

Since there was no space to park along the main street of Sims Avenue, we parked our bikes along Changi Road instead. The light up was extensive here, covering all sides of the enclave.

I wanted to show how different this place was compared to Kampung Glam. See how much larger the light arch is? Also, there was traffic on the roads almost constantly! It really felt festive!

I got hungry at that point (and now too as I am typing this) and decided to have some Fried Hokkien Mee at the junction of Jalan Eunos and Jalan Kechot. I wanted to take a picture of the dish to show here. Unfortunately, we were so hungry we started digging in before I even remembered that I wanted to take a photograph! Hahahaha! So no pictures for you...go try it yourself and let me know what you think.

Having had enough of crowded sidewalks and streets full of traffic, it was time to head out towards Kranji and Lim Chu Kang for a more quiet and relaxing ride. I led the way there going by the smaller roads, as usual. The ride was nice and cool as the weather was perfect and the streets were practically empty. Neo Tiew Road was blanketed by a dense mist that hung in the air. It was a beautiful sight! So beautiful that I just wanted to enjoy it and not capture it. I did eventually stop along Lim Chu Kang Road  though because I simply cannot resist taking pictures of lovely and empty roads!

I just love the feeling of being in a place like this with nothing to do but ride. It is a feeling of complete freedom. The only thing to focus on is the feeling of the wind as it blows past...and the beautiful scenes that were in front of my eyes. It was pure bliss!

The end of Lim Chu Kang Road looks different from the last time I was here early in the morning. Tonight it was almost deserted...the place was quiet...and...well...you know.

You know, everytime I ride, I get a feeling that I am doing what I was meant to do. There is no doubt that riding brings me back to myself. There is no room for pretense. I can simply be me. The places that unfold before me when I ride takes on a special hue and creates in me feelings that I find difficult to describe. I keep running out of adjectives. I wish I could impart that feeling of peace to you by writing about my journeys. But you know, you just gotta be there in order to experience a piece of the peace.