18 September 2009 ride report - R6!!!

Now and then I come across a photograph and will be completely compelled by it. I simply cannot take my eyes off it. I look at every part of the image and marvel at the skill of the photographer, wishing that I was there at the scene when it happened. After awhile, I too start noticing similar images occurring around me. By studying the original image I have somehow trained myself to see in a new way and my vision is expanded.

While I was never a professional photographer, I have always been fascinated with capturing images. I return to the same places multiple times looking to surprise myself with a fresh angle...and when it happens...it is MAGIC! People asked me many times if I ever get bored riding around the same roads in Singapore. Well, I have been driving these roads for more than 20 years and I am not yet bored...now that I am riding...brand new angles are surfacing with each ride...how can I be bored?

I went riding tonight with Jason around town, looking for nice places to photograph motorcycles. I am sure many of you have seen photographs of motorcycles (and cars for the matter) on the internet. They all look rather similar, don't they? Somehow, most people take pictures of their bikes in the car park or in the porch. I suppose that is the most convenient way to get a picture taken. Tonight's quest was to find a better backdrop for the motorcycle...something that will bring out the bike in a new way...a new angle...a new vision!

As we were riding along the stretch of Alexandra Road between Delta Road and Tanglin Road, I noticed the bright lights of what looked like a stadium. I thought the quality of the light looked very unique so it could be a possible place for a nice picture. So we turned in and rode right up to the gate and parked Jason's bike (a beautiful Yamaha R6) right next to it. Then we started experimenting with the camera. After a few attempts, I saw the stadium lights striking the motorcycle in a dramatic way and decided to capture it.

I like the way the lines of the gate made the stadium lights so much more spectacular. The lights also cast a nice shadow on the road. I especially liked the way the tail of the bike is accentuated (almost looks embossed) by the backlighting. The first few attempts at this angle did not bring out the engine of the bike because of the severe backlighting. So I used a flash light to light up the engine so it is more visible. This way the bike looks more complete.

After that, I was getting ready to go. As I turned, I saw the wall just to the right of the bike. I asked Jason to reposition his bike and then took this picture.

What captivated me was the way the stadium lights cast shadows of the trees and the gate on the wall. The multiple lights in the stadium made the shadow look like a Chinese painting. I think it looks really pretty. The colour of the wall contrasted nicely with the bike as well...I really liked how this turned out.

It was time to move on. I remember that there were some railway tracks visible from Kampung Bahru Road and headed over there. Unfortunately, the place did not look one bit like how I had remembered it. Well, that's how it is with this kind of ride...its hit and miss. Sometimes I find something really cool...other times...disappointment!

Next stop then...I wanted to capture the lights on the shophouses along Telok Ayer. Unfortunately, the street did not look all that conducive for photography tonight. So I decided to go back to the red building that I was at before. I have always liked this building - the old Traffic Police building - especially since it was painted a bold red! I already had the image in mind so Jason parked his bike and off I went to capture the image.

This looks like an easy picture to capture, doesn't it? But would you believe it took me almost 20 minutes before I got a satisfactory image? Well, my original vision was to capture this with an 85mm lens from across the road. Unfortunately, I could not quite get the lighting right. So after many tries, I gave up and used my wide angle instead. Still, I love the way the red building interacts with the blue bike. This is a classic image and I simply LOVE it!

Next stop...something a little different. I wanted to do something with the bridge at the Esplanade. When we got there, I realized it looked completely different from my imagination again...but this time its because of the Formula One preparations. As we rode through the roads there, I felt like I was riding in bright daylight! The roads were beautifully lit. There was no glare. It was crystal clear and super bright. No wonder they can have such a high powered race there at night!

Eventually, I decided to give this little monument the opportunity to be photographed with a sexy sportsbike. Again, the lighting was tough here because of those street lamps backlighting the bike. Plus the sky wasn't cooperating as there was too thick a cloud cover which made it completely featureless. Undeterred, I pressed on and finally got this picture.

As you can see, I had to play with the flash light a little more creatively to get the bike illuminated in just the right way, and to have the shadow dance across the steps menacingly. I liked how this turned out though...pity the sky is featureless, isn't it?

I was hungry by this time and really wanted to have supper. So we packed up and decided to head for some food at Chong Pang. Along the way, we took some of the nicer riding roads - Orange Grove Road, Gymkhana Road, Old Upper Thomson Road - you know these, right? It was really fun. I could not resist stopping in the middle of Old Upper Thomson Road for a picture.

I didn't realize that Jason had these cool LEDs running under his seat there at the back until now! When those lights were switched on, they made the bike look more prominent in the picture. I don't know why but I do love these lonely roads. They do make for such a thought provoking picture, don't you think?

At this point, Jason's camera started to act up (he got some really nice shots in his point-and-shoot compact camera tonight) and we decided it was a sign that supper was calling. So we rode the rest of the road and made our way for supper!!!

Tonight's ride surprised me. I always knew that I enjoyed photography...tonight I realized that I enjoyed sharing my photography with others. I felt more alive when we were talking about the pictures we wanted to capture. One thing is for sure though...I will be doing more of these photography sharing rides in the near future...don't miss it!!

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.

7 September 2009 ride report - A simple blog

I wanted to do up a blog report for this ride like some of the others that I have done. But I decided that I was running out of time as the rides were coming in fast and the reports were coming out slow. So rather than let me creativity be stifled, I thought I'd just post the pictures from the ride and write something short. HEY!!! Isn't that what a blog is all about? Hahaha!

I wanted to see the eastern part of Singapore this night and started off from Mountbatten. The idea was to ensure I had the opportunity to ride towards Changi area. However, due to the timing of the meet up at 8pm, the way east was going to be congested from the folks returning home. So I decided to head out to the south first.

The Marina Barrage is a great place to be. It is almost always breezy and peaceful. The colourful lights at night makes it double the joy. We spent quite a lot of time here chatting and taking pictures of whatever caught my fancy.

I could not resist taking this series of pictures of the feature fountain. The colour of the light changes dramatically as the shape of the fountain morphs. It was a sight to behold. I spent quite a lot of time here at the fountain just because it was so captivating!

There's a magnificent roof garden at the Marina Barrage. It is mind-boggling to think that they managed to build such a large garden up on top of a roof! The view here is magnificent.

The night sky was filled with just the right amount of clouds, illuminated by the different lights from the city. I just love the way the clouds show up in a dark sky because of these different coloured lights. It is awesome!

Walking over to the other side of the roof garden, I was rewarded with a picture of serenity at work.

See the way the calm waters reflect the lights from the gazebos on the bridge and how that industrial construction area looks like its guarding this serenity with pride.

Here's a little piece of quiz for you...the next two pictures were taken quite awhile apart. See if you can figure out where I took them...

Of course, no night riding is complete without a nice spot of supper or kopi or some way to nourish the hungry tummy...this was what I had...

...and it was SUPER YUMMY!!! Sorry, no prizes for guessing where you can get hold of this solid late night supper food!

Well, that's all from me for this simple report. Looking forward to more rides...and lets hope I don't have to get a new set of protection gear...hahahaha!

23 August 2009 ride report

A couple days ago, I thought that going out for a late night ride with a few other bikers was a good idea. After all, the weather has been pretty good. Even though it did rain in the afternoons, by night fall, the roads were usually dry, the air was cool and the traffic was almost non-existent. I polled around and eventually got two others to join me for this ride. I even planned a route on Google Maps!

It was to be a nice ride with nice curves, uphill and downhill, separated by relaxing, straighter stretches, filled with great spots for night photography with scenes of the harbour, the city, the industrial areas, followed by a little spot of supper if we should get hungry by the end of the ride. Perfect!


Before setting off, I checked the 3-hour nowcast that the National Environment Agency publishes. It signaled a cloudy night with no rain. So I packed my camera bag, got into my gear (without the rain liners), and headed out to meet the other rider.


We should all be familiar with Murphy to know that he's a real busy body and loves to meddle around with everybody's business. So quite characteristically, he decided to show up tonight...yup...it rained! Since we already set out, I decided to just stick with my non-rain gear. My riding mate (only one because the other one was put on standby and could not join us) decided to put on his rain jacket quickly and we continued on our way. We did change our route...but hey...it was a night out riding and nothing was gonna stop the fun!


It was a relatively uneventful ride. We hit the curves at Portsdown Road and it was real fun. We then continued on to South Buona Vista Road and rode downhill, following a few cars and a truck. If you are not familiar with this road, let me tell you that it is the road with the most number of bends in Singapore. So its a real fun ride. But it was wet tonight...and no...we did not skid...but the truck in front of me did while negotiating one of the bends. Good thing we were maintaining a healthy following distance!


So eventually we got to where I really wanted to be - the industrial area of Tuas. I wanted to get there to see the lights. There were still some light showers when we got there but the lights made it worth the while. We rode around the area scouting for good angles and stopped at several places to catch the light.


The first place we stopped was a nice cul-de-sac that was deserted. It did smell rather funny, kinda like a sewer. And then I found out that we stopped right next to some big tanks of process water...still...the view was relatively nice and I managed to get close enough for this shot.

I've always loved flames. I love the way they dance in the breeze. I love the quality of the light that radiates from them. I love their shapes, always changing, always morphing, constantly giving light and warmth to the surrounding darkness. So I simply had to photograph this up close. Don't you think the flame looks so animated?


We made another stop around a long, sweeping bend. There we had a good view of the refinery. Unfortunately, there was a fence that made every picture ugly. So I hopped across the drain and went right up to the fence to take this picture.

There is something special about industrial scenes. I love the multi-coloured lights. I love the big drum tanks, the high chimneys. And I especially love the way the sky looks because of all that stuff that is pumped out. Yeah, not good for the environment, but great for this picture, I think!


We did stop in a few other places and it was really fun. But since it was raining, we decided to call it a night and start heading for home. Along the way, I chanced upon this scene and could not resist stopping for another spot of photography.

It took me awhile to setup this shot...what's more, the road was so deserted, it took us awhile before there were enough cars passing by to experiment with the shot. Eventually, we managed to catch a cab passing by.


It was getting late and we started to see lightning in the sky. So we packed up and decided to get back on our way. As we were riding down a particularly dark and lonely road, we saw this scene on our right and simply had to stop again.

I think this picture is really beautiful! It reminds me of a painting rather than a photograph. Much like some of the paintings I saw when I was at the Musee De Louvre. Immediately after I took this picture, the sky was completely lit up by lightning...and we knew we had to hurry. So off we went again!

This is the route that we took tonight. It is very different from the one I originally planned. It is hard to tell from the picture, but this route is almost 70km long and is almost double the distance of the original one. You can click on the and see the route in Google Maps and follow along our journey.


I'm glad I went on this ride tonight. It was relaxing and made for a perfect end to the day. I can't wait to ride again.


Come join us next time!