Found this very old article from Education Next while reading the hullaballoo stories about "When is Cheryl's Birthday?" Whooaa! I've read that Singapore kids are awesome in Maths, and that Singapore Maths is awesome, but didn't think it was this intense. Do read; it's about Maths so it's just as dull or interesting depending on your inclination to the subject.
Miracle Math
A successful program from Singapore tests the limits of school reform in the suburbs
By BARRY GARELICK
It was another body blow to education. In December of 2004, media outlets across the country were abuzz with news of the just-released results of the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) tests. Once again despite highly publicized efforts to reform American math education (some might say because of the reform efforts) over the past two decades, the United States did little better than average (see Figure 1). Headquartered at the International Study Center at Boston College and taken by tens of thousands of students in more than three dozen countries, TIMSS has become a respected standard of international academic achievement. And in three consecutive TIMSS test rounds (in 1995, 1999, and 2003), 4th- and 8th-grade students in the former British trading colony of Singapore beat all contenders, including math powerhouses Japan and Taiwan. United States 8th graders did not even make the top ten in the 2003 round; they ranked 16th. Worse, scores for American students were, as one Department of Education study put it, “among the lowest of all industrialized countries.”
Read the whole article Miracle Math here.
Other articles:
1. Singapore Maths : Simple or Complex
2. Singapore Maths add up for US Teachers
Miracle Math
Show Boat
These are songs etc (except for 3 as indicated) from the 1951 MGM movie Show Boat. A couple of songs from the original musical were excluded from the movie. The clips are from YouTube.
Enjoy.
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine
You are love (video not from the 1951 movie)
Why do I love you (video not from the 1951 movie)
Dance routine by KIM & Capt Hawk
After the ball is over (video not from the 1951 movie)
Finale
Check this for more information.
Price water the Singapore way to curb waste: UN
By Himaya Quasem
The Straits Times Interactive Tuesday 13 March 2012
A major United Nations (UN) report on global water supplies has called for more realistic pricing to discourage waste, a strategy for which it singles out Singapore for praise.
The report, released on Tuesday, warned that water problems in many parts of the world are chronic and will worsen as demand for food soars and climate change intensifies.
It called for an immediate crackdown on water waste, pointing to Singapore's water pricing strategy and practice of recycling waste water as examples of how the problem could be tackled.
'While most cities would refrain from using treated waste water as a source of drinking water, this avenue is also available and has been implemented, for example, in water-scarce Singapore and the International Space Station, without ill effects.
'Consequently, it is recommended that municipalities affected by water scarcity should move aggressively towards the use of reclaimed water,' the report said.
The report's lead author Richard Connor, of the UN's World Water Assessment Programme, also said researchers were impressed by Singapore's 'flexible' approach.
Singapore's public awareness campaigns urging people to save water, combined with tariffs that charge households based on the amount of water used and taxes that penalise those who waste water, had been effective, he said.
'There is no magic bullet to deal with this complex problem. What is often needed is a flexible approach that suits each municipality,' Mr Connor told The Straits Times. 'But Singapore's approach should definitely be considered by other countries facing similar challenges.'
Pricing, conservation and recycling are three key elements of Singapore's strategy.
The national water agency PUB has a tiered tariff that charges heavy users of water a higher rate. It also imposes a water conservation tax which is calculated as a percentage of total water consumption.
In addition, the PUB charges a sanitary appliance fee and waterborne fee every month. Both are used to offset the cost of treating used water and for the operation and maintenance of the public sewer system.
Through its water conservation programme, PUB has managed to cut Singapore's per capita domestic water consumption from 165 litres a day in 2003 to 154 litres a day last year. The aim is to lower this to 147 litres a day by 2020 and 140 litres a day by 2030.
The Republic is also on track to achieve water self-sufficiency by 2061. By then, Newater and desalinated water will contribute 80 per cent of Singapore's water needs, up from 40 per cent now. The remaining 20 per cent will come from local catchment areas.
Last year, work started in Tuas on the country's second desalination plant. The $890 million plant, which will begin operations next year, will triple the Republic's water desalination capacity.
Currently, up to 60 per cent of Singapore's water is provided for by local catchment areas and imports from Malaysia, with 10 per cent coming from sea water and 30 per cent from Newater.
The report, the UN's fourth edition of the World Water Development Report, demanded an overhaul in the use of water, especially by curbing waste. Smarter irrigation, growing less thirsty crops and the use of 'grey', or used water, to flush toilets are among the options.
Dr Seetharam Kallidaikurichi Easwaran, visiting don and director of the National University of Singapore's Institute of Water Policy, was listed among the contributors to the report.
Around the world, more than 2.5 billion people still need decent sanitation and nearly one in 10 has yet to gain access to 'improved' drinking water, as defined under the UN's 2015 development goals.
The massive 866-page report, issued every three years, was launched in Marseille, France on Monday, at the start of a six-day World Water Forum. It listed daunting challenges ahead.
Demand for food will increase by some 70 per cent by 2050, which will lead to a nearly 20 per cent increase in water usage for farming, it said.
At the same time, water supply in many regions is likely to shrink because of changing rainfall patterns, more severe droughts, melting glaciers and altered river flows, it said.
'Climate change will drastically affect food production in South Asia and Southern Africa between now and 2030,' the report said. 'By 2070, water stress will also be felt in central and southern Europe.'
Asia is home to 60 per cent of the world's population but only around a third of water resources, it pointed out.
Without new policies to manage water use, more than 40 per cent of the world's population will live in areas with high water stress by 2050, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which also published a report ahead of the Marseille conference.
'We need to give water a price,' Mr Xavier Leflaive, the report's author, said. 'Water tariffs are policy instruments that encourage more intelligent use.'
He added that governments have to act and in 'a strong way'.
The World Water Forum gathers policymakers, big corporations and non-governmental organisations.
As many as 20,000 participants from 140 countries are expected for the six-day event, including scores of ministers for the environment and water, and a scattering of heads of state from West Africa.
Ministers attending the forum will issue a non-binding statement on Tuesday affirming their awareness of the problems and intent to fix them.
The water forum is shunned by some environmentalists or development activists, who deride it as a trade fair lacking democracy and transparency.
An alternative forum is being staged elsewhere in Marseille by 2,000 members of civil society from Europe, the United States, Latin America and Africa.
hquasem@sph.com.sg
With additional information from Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg
Singapore, I Love You. Here's Why.
By George Hobika
Posted in the Huffington Post: 02/15/2012 7:00 am
Nanny state. "Asia Lite." "Disneyland with the death penalty." A "fine" city. It's all about shopping and eating. And you can see anything worth seeing in a 3.9-day visit. Or in 3.9 hours.
Even without the headline, savvy travelers would already have guessed the country. It could only be Singapore.
But here's news: while the world was making fun, Singapore became an amalgam of an Asian Las Vegas with a bit of Manhattan, Sydney and Los Angeles thrown in. Watch out Macau, Hong Kong and Dubai: Singapore, if it's not already, will soon be Asia's must-see destination. Already the average tourist visit has increased to 3.96 days in 2010 (it's probably over four days now), from 3.19 days in 2001. And there's a good reason for that. There's just more to see and do. I'd argue that you could spend 3.96 weeks and not see it all. Maybe it's just me, but whereas I'd never consider visiting Beijing and Shanghai again (once was enough, thanks -- bring your inhaler and oxygen supply if you're going), I can never get enough of the Lion City.
I've visited this most improbable of all Asian countries many times over the last 15 years, and each time it's something different but never so much as on my last trip this January. True, some things haven't changed and let's get it out of the way now, shall we. Convicted criminals still get caned; there's no trial by jury; a monolithic and, however well-meaning, authoritarian government never lets the citizenry forget that it knows best. And although it's not nearly as bad as in China, there's still some unnecessary censorship and Internet regulation in place (some of your favorite "adult" sites may not be readily accessible). Oh, and how about some changing attitudes toward LGBT rights? Things are changing, but slowly.
That said, I have to admit that the first time I visited back in the 1980s, I was indeed glibly reminded of a theme park, and I won't blame you for thinking the same thing on your first visit. It's the lush foliage lining every roadway and street, manicured to within an inch of its life (I never see anyone trimming these plants and shrubs, maybe they do it at night?); the almost total absence of litter and crime; the carefully engineered public works; the endless array of shops and restaurants. There are even monorails leading to a theme park (an outpost of Universal Studios, not Disney).
But dig deeper and you'll see the real Singapore. You just have to know where to look. On a Saturday night just before Chinese New Year a local acquaintance drove me past the city-state's red light district. Scores (hundreds?) of beautiful young women stood along well-lit streets waiting for customers. Think Times Square was racy back in the day? It was nothing as obvious as this and you won't find it mentioned in the official tourist literature. Tour Little India on a Saturday night and you'll be awed by the streets and sidewalks clogged with thousands of guest workers, imported from the sub-continent to build the city's vast construction projects. Take a 30-minute ferry ride to some of the out islands and you'll think you were in a tropical rain forest. In fact, you are.
So here are eight things I love about Singapore (and one thing that eats me about it -- literally).
1. It reminds me of Disney World.
OK, it's true. But what's wrong with Disney World? Singapore is clean. It's safe. It's well managed. Like Disney World, it's a mind bogglingly awesome accomplishment, but Disney's achievement doesn't even compare. Sixty years ago, Singapore was a shambles, brought to its knees by a viciously cruel Japanese occupation during which over 60,000 citizens were slaughtered and many more imprisoned in unimaginably savage conditions (Changi Prison is an eye-opening tourist draw). I was in New York on September 11, 2001, and it was horrible. But Singapore has seen worse.
2. Its great outdoors is pretty great.
Most people would never think of uber-urban Singapore as a haven for outdoorsy types, but there are actually some great gardens, parks and open spaces, many of which have appeared just recently, that are unique in Asia. And (hello Beijing and Hong Kong) your lungs won't be filled with soot at the end of the day. Speaking of gardens, the next big Singapore attraction will be the Gardens by the Bay, a domed horticultural conservatory re-opening in June 2012 that will recreate a cool and dry Mediterranean climate with springtime flowers blooming year round. The Jurong Bird Park, Singapore Zoo and the 150-year-old Botanic Gardens with their amazing display of orchids are some of my other favorites.
3. You can be naughty here!
Yes, it's true, just don't be too naughty. Indulge your vices! You can gamble in glittering casinos (watch out Macau, the Marina Bay Sands has it all over you), ogle the aforementioned gorgeous Asian hookers (no, I don't really recommend this but...) and Singapore has more (and better!) gay saunas than Puritanical New York City. (Six at last count.) And believe it or not, the nightlife scene is hopping. Check out the famous Zouk nightclub or have an adult beverage at 1-Altitiude, an outdoor bar perched on the 63rd floor of a skyscraper with amazing 360-degree views. The one vice you should studiously avoid: drugs. As your landing card clearly states, "Death to drug traffickers in Singapore" -- and they don't take kindly even to casual use.
4. Universal Studio at Resorts World (Sentosa, Singapore) has 14 rides and attractions.
That's almost as many as the 15 you'll find in L.A., and Singapore has attractions you won't find at Universal Studios Hollywood. For more recreation, visit the Marina Bay Golf Course, arguably Asia's best public links, or experience the G-Max Bungy Jump, which hurtles you almost 200 feet into the air at 125 mph. Fun!
5. Speaking of jumping, it's a great jumping off point for visiting Asia.
Home to several relatively new discount airlines (such as Air Asia and Tiger Air) you can fly from Changi Airport to anywhere in Asia for ridiculously little (not that you should just pop in for a few days and take off for other parts). And, as you've probably heard, Singapore's airport is the best in the world (if this is the first you've heard, trust me, it is). Oh, and let's not forget that you'll most likely be flying into Singapore on Singapore Airlines. It, too, is the best in the world. Best airport? Best airline? For a fly guy like me, that's enough reason to go there.
6. You can see it all in 3.96 hours.
Just kidding! But Singapore's Changi Airport sponsors a free four-hour "highlights" tour for transit passengers. You can leave from the airport between flights and take a bus tour of the city and be back in time for your connection. I've never done this, and frankly I think the tourist board is doing itself a disfavor by giving the impression that Singapore can be "done" in four hours, but I won't tell them how to run their country.
7. There are more restaurants and shops here per square mile than anywhere else--except maybe the Las Vegas Strip.
Multicultural Singapore has the widest variety of Asian cuisine in Asia. Indian, Malay, Chinese and fusions of the above. The famous Hawker Centres (street food without the street) are carefully inspected and regulated by the government. And now with the Marina Bay Sands casino/shopping/entertainment complex, Singapore is looking a lot like Las Vegas these days. You can walk in air-conditioned comfort from mall to casino to mall and although there are only two casinos so far, I wouldn't be surprised to see more coming.
8. Probably the best hotel service in the world (well, excepting, perhaps, Bangkok).
If you care at all about good service when you're not sleeping in your own bed, you'll be pleased no matter where you sleep in Singapore. I don't know how they do it -- are there world class hotel schools hidden somewhere off stage? -- but I am easily offended by indifferent hotel employees and have always been amazed by the staff at the places I've stayed in Singapore (shout outs to the Intercontinental, the Four Seasons, the Shangri La, the Mandarin Oriental, even the Crowne Plaza at the airport, perhaps the best airport hotel I've ever encountered). They know that their bread is buttered by tourists in this considerable town, and they unfailingly succeed in pleasing. And the same can be said about the entire city-state. Singapore is aiming to be Asia's must-do destination, and, knowing Singaporeans as I do, I wouldn't want to bet against that happening.
9. You can get your feet nibbled by tiny fish.
And now for the one thing that really eats me. If you can tolerate it, feel free to visit a "Fish Spa." Here you place your feet in a shallow pool where hundreds of tiny fish (species: Garra Rufa) nibble your toes, ankles and soles, with supposed health and cosmetic benefits (exfoliation, blood circulation, etc.). You can find these operations in malls and even at the airport. Trouble is, the little beasts are insanely ticklish and I was only able to stand it for less than a minute. OK, I giggled and screamed like a kid. Maybe you'll have better luck.
A-bike
What to do?
We went and bought ourselves a bike. That is, Choy Chin, Hoi Yin and I bought ourselves an A-bike each. PRC copies actually.
Why? Well, it folds easily into a very small bundle that no other bike can. No other good reason other than for the novelty of it. Or, simply put ... itchy backside.
A bit wobbly at first go, but it gets easier.
Here are some links if you're interested, and for our reference.
A-Bike & Strida Folding Bikes Tested
It takes 10 seconds to unfold the A-bike
Her first go on an A-bike
A bigger guy riding one
Taking a 40km ride on an A-bike
A-bike owner's blog
A-bike website
Some Singaporean interest
Mods by an engineer owner
A-bike compared against the CarryMe DS
A-bike Central forum
Crooked shops in Sim Lim Square
Read before you buy IT goods from Sim Lim Square shops.
Better yet, DO NOT BUY !!
Most of them are crooked shops
The trouble in condos
More people are buying private homes, but few seem to know or care about what it really takes to look after their estate. Lulled into complacency by the efficiency of government services, they prefer to leave the job of running their condominium to someone else. But a lot can go wrong.
A HOME owner in The 101 complex in Beach Road complained to the property’s manager earlier this year that the water pressure in her unit was low. The water pump, it seemed, had broken down.
But the residential and commercial building had no money to fix it, says its property manager Vijayen Nair. It was deep in debt of more than $200,000 after messy lawsuits involving disputes over its common area, and some of its apartment owners were withholding maintenance payments.
The home owner herself owed about $2,500 in maintenance fees. She paid up almost immediately to get the pump fixed.
Mr Nair, 52, whose firm Philip Motha Property Management runs about 30 condominiums and commercial buildings, says it is an example of how bad things can get if people do not care about their estates. ‘Generally, people do not know what is going on,’ he says.
The 101′s problems are far from uncommon in Singapore.
The Strata Titles Board, which handles disputes involving private properties, is having to deal with an increasing number of cases these days. The number of disputes not related to collective sale issues has steadily risen from 46 in 2006, to 56 in 2007 and to 66 last year.
While the majority involve neighbours tussling over inter-floor leaks, there are also wrangles over a host of other issues from car parking to financial management.
Four years after the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act was introduced to nudge private home owners into taking proper collective care of their estates, not much progress seems to have been made in this area.
Veteran management council members and estate management professionals all cite the same root problem – Singaporeans, desensitised by the quiet efficiency of government services, turn a blind eye to the needs of their own private estates.
Mr Arthur Ngiam, president of the Association of Management Corporations in Singapore (Amcis) which represents about 300 private estates in Singapore, blames it on apathy.
‘The biggest problem is apathetic owners. They don’t come for meetings until there is an en bloc sale, or a substantial increase in their maintenance contribution.’
It is feared that this problem could worsen, with more and more individuals trading up from Housing Board flats to condominium apartments.
These upgraders, shut out by sky-high prices during the 2007 boom, are snapping up homes in the current downturn. They helped push condo sales to a record high of 1,825 last month.
Their migration is part of a longer- term trend, with the proportion of private apartments in Singapore growing from 9.4 per cent to 14.9 per cent between 1998 and last year.
Although increasing numbers hanker after the private pools, 24-hour security, well-maintained gardens and the status of a condominium, they seem to be pretty clueless about what it takes to run these developments successfully.
Amazingly, says Mr Ngiam, ‘some people even think that the management council is run by the Government’.
Small-scale democracy
UNLIKE public housing estates, where common areas are managed by quasi-government town councils, private condominiums are managed by the owners’ collective, called the management corporation. Every year, the collective holds a meeting to elect a management council from among the owners. But with attendance often at the bare minimum, residents are sometimes reduced to voting for neighbours who are not necessarily the most qualified for the role.
Glendale Park chairman Wee Yew Beng, 47, quips: ‘If you speak loud, speak fast, make a lot of noise, then by default you are the chairman.’
The often haphazard nature of such elections does not do justice to the power that elected councils wield. The selected group of home owners calls the shots on house rules, the contractors hired and upgrading work. It also manages funds that invariably run into millions of dollars.
For this reason, 80 per cent of 1,900 private residential developments here hire professional managing agents to oversee the day-to-day management of their estates.
This arrangement comes with its own set of risks though, given that managing agents are not regulated. Four condominiums – including three in the upmarket Mount Sophia Road area – found out the hard way how appointing a managing agent can be far from risk-free.
In 2007, at least $200,000 was reported missing from their accounts in total, and the person in charge of managing all four condos disappeared.
Other incidents involving smaller sums have gone unreported.
The managing director of management firm Knight Frank Estate Management, Mr Jordan Neo, who oversees about 100 condos in Singapore, admits that the incidence of theft in this industry is very high, with the bigger firms working harder to police it.
This is despite the fact that the Association of Property and Facility Managers – a trade body for such professionals – runs a voluntary accreditation programme with the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers. But only 29 of the estimated 200 managing agents here have signed up to the programme, which ties them to a code of conduct.
Lawyer Lim Tat, 46, chairman of Yong An Park, a condominium in River Valley Road, believes councils are not inquisitive enough. ‘Most councils rely on their managing agents to bring them the cheques to sign, to tell about areas (which need looking into). Not many bother getting their hands dirty, to ask the right questions.’
Such lax attitudes leave condos open to questionable conduct on the part of managing agents, contractors and even developers.
According to Mr Teo Poh Siang, who heads estate management firm Wisely 98, the owners of a new 300-unit condo discovered some years ago that the developer had used close to $100,000 of the maintenance fund to buy poolside chairs and tables for the estate. But the furniture was to have been provided by the developer as part of the original sale agreement. The developer repaid the sum after the discrepancy was uncovered.
When expectations clash
ADDED to the complexities involved in running a condo are home owners’ expectations about condo living.
According to Mr Chan Kok Hong, managing director of CKH Strata Management which looks after 95 condos, the moment people move into a condo, they become less tolerant of bad behaviour, more demanding, and very protective of their rights.
Clashes of lifestyle are harder to mitigate and the hanging of laundry is a case in point. Under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act, home owners are not allowed to hang their laundry in public view, as this could be unsightly and possibly devalue the property. But try telling that to HDB upgraders long used to the freedom of drying their linen on bamboo poles hung outside their homes.
The council of a Simei condominium was forced to send a legal letter to a property owner whose tenant hung laundry from the window ledge. The owner had to pay the management corporation back hundreds of dollars in legal fees and later decided to evict his tenant.
CKH Strata Management’s Mr Chan recalls an occasion when he had to make a housecall to a laundry offender.
‘The woman was adamant that was the only way to dry clothes. And she said she would face court action if necessary.’
Such tensions can skew the make-up of management councils.
Mr Poh Teng Ban, director of managing firm Ace Body Corporate Management, thinks that one of the weaknesses of the management corporation system is that a small number of people can hold a whole group to ransom.
The home owner with an axe to grind is always more motivated to canvass for support than those who do not have one.
With low turnouts a common feature at annual general meetings, a disgruntled and organised group can easily hijack proceedings and throw out a council so that things are done their way.
Residents who attend such meetings can also find themselves electing those with personal agendas.
Knight Frank’s Mr Neo says: ‘Some council members come in with the intention to do good, some come because they are a nobody at the workplace and think ‘this is my castle and I want to be king’.’
Ms Julie Yeo, a businesswoman in her 60s who sat on the council of a small condo in the central area for three years, recalls how a fellow council member refused to pay the monthly $65 fee levied on those who park their second car in the estate. ‘Word got around and the other owners, who were not on the council, refused to pay the fee as well,’ she says.
There is still a stalemate, with the only people paying the fee being the condo’s tenants.
Lawyer Amolat Singh, 53, who was a council member of Kentish Green in Oxford Road for six years, recounts how a council member gave guards trouble because they did not greet him whenever he went in and out of the estate.
He adds: ‘There was another council member who wanted to store his spare furniture in the electrical room and, when told that he could not, blurted out ‘then what is the point of being in the council?’.’
Creating awareness
ONE way to counter apathy and abuse is to clearly flag any emerging issues.
National University of Singapore real estate associate professor Alice Christudason suggests councils issue bi-monthly newsletters detailing problems on an estate and what they are doing about them.
‘In this way, the home owners can gain a better understanding about the way the estate is being managed. They will be then more cooperative in relation to the actions being taken by the council,’ she adds.
Given the diversity of opinions within each council, members could also appoint an individual spokesman from their ranks, suggests Mr Albert Cheng, 56, chairman of The Serenade@Holland condo council. This would mean only one person giving instructions to the managing agent, so that it can better deal with the contractors providing services to the estate.
This approach is best when it comes to balancing competing interests.
Take the case of The Tropica in Tampines. In recent years, residents of ground-floor units have erected trellises over their patios, citing safety concerns about litter dropped from higher floors. But this worried second-floor residents who felt the trellises could help intruders break into their units.
According to chairman Kenny Khoo, 40, the management council found the trellises could be deemed to breach building guidelines. But rather than force the removal of the trellises immediately, the council set up a question-and-answer session last week with a lawyer present, allowing residents to have their questions addressed.
Another suggestion being looked at is to get councils to share information more so that, for example, rogue contractors have fewer places to hide and best practices can be more widely adopted.
There has been limited progress made in this area though.
Amcis was formed in 2002 by a group of 200 estates banding together for economies of scale. And by 2006, it has about 300 estates.
The same year, however, it became entangled in an ugly dispute over its own financial management. Founder Francis Zhan, 65, was eventually fined $2,000 over forged signatures on cheques. Another council member, Mrs Constance Ames, suggests something more radical – that council duty be rotated among all home owners.
The retiree in her 50s is a council member of St Martin’s Apartments off Orchard Road and also a council member of a Hong Kong development. The Hong Kong condo requires all home owners to take turns running the council for two years at a time.
‘That is fair. It’d be good for smaller developments. They get to know one another, and also what problems the estate faces,’ she says.
With few willing to step forward, council members have no choice but to stay on. The job, almost all say, is a thankless one.
Parc Oasis chairman Lim Taik Leong, 50, acts like a talent scout, seeking out neighbours to persuade them to try for a council post. Stepping down is out of the question until the condo is in safe hands.
‘The council members have all known one another for a long time. We are friends. If you step down, it’s like letting your friends down,’ says Mr Lim.
‘And if you step down, other people will step down.’
Source: Straits Times, 1 Aug 2009
SengKang Riverside Park and park connector along Punggol River
Went for a walk in Sengkang Riverside Park and checked out the floating platform in the Punggol River.
Click photo above to enlarge to see the white-tipped fat pole stakes that hold the platform as it floats up and down.
A regular fixed bridge links the platform to the bank on the other side of the river.
There are beds of marsh plants on all sides of the floating platform. See photo above.
And, yes, they are floating beds!
The Park is linked by a park connector all the way along the Punggol River right up to the Johor Straits.
In the photo below, we have crossed under the Tampines Expressway into Punggol and looking back where we came from ie SengKang.
It's quite nice and the young trees are pretty established. That's the Punggol River in the background.
The park connector ends at the point where the Punggol canal (under construction) joins the Punggol River.
Click on the photo below to enlarge to see lots of details.
Tampines Eco park
It's located on a triangular site bounded by Tampines Ave 12, Tampines Expressway and a section of the Pasir Ris Park Connector.
Coney Island according to NParks will be developed into an eco park. So it would be something like this.
float:left; margin-right:10px; View Tampines eco park in a larger map 
Double action spring hinges
(1) How to adjust the tension in the hinges (Video)
(2) Instructions for installing double action spring hinges
Aircon Contractor
Some time back I posted about Rennie who supplies aircon remote controllers. I also said she gave me the number for Bock Seng who is an AC service contractor.
Well last week, one night bedroom ac went drip drip drip onto parquet veneer flooring. Called BockSeng next day. He said he was busy and could we call him the next day. So another night without ac. Luckily had extra stand fans ($25 from Giant, Carrefore etc).
Following morning someone called us and said was it ok to turn up in half an hour? Fine (but wife grumbled as it was too early for her, she was just starting on breafast at 11am). Anyhow, long story cut short : a localised PRC Chang Ji Fei aged late 40s' arrived with a PRC guy (quite chye see type, not like local shitty contractor's workers) arrived on the dot.
PRC worker carried a ladder. Straightaway we were very impressed. We have used umpteen aircon contractors and they always turn up without a ladder, always asking us for a ladder (how many people got ladders, I mean people who live in HDB flats?) or a chair to do their work.
Got health reports of the compressor unit and dripping blower unit, quotes for rectification jobs to both, they got on with it, completed everything in two hours. Paid $140 ($80 and $60). Best money spent on aircon services ever!
Here's why. Needed to use running water for job of 'chemical' cleansing.
BUT, we didnt have any regular tap in the bathroom. All longbath taps and basin taps and shower sprays were fancy ones. Didn't even have a spare tap at the side of the toilet cistern (concealed one, what, what you expect?). So how, where to get running water?
No prob; Mr Chang had many tap adapters and one fitted our hand basin tap. And that allowed attachment of his hose.
Then, they checked and found no roof gutters to channel away wash water. Cannot allow wash water to simply flow down the roof and onto property of unit below our's (hey, we're not your average inconsiderate neighbours, you know). So how?
No prob; Mr Chang had aluminum trays - table top sized, square ones and long rectangular ones like those tables sizes in TingFook's Zia showroom. All with built-in tiny downpipes that fit standard hoses. So with a tray on roof under the compressor, a hose to our tap to provide flush water, another hose from the tray to deliver water back into my bathroom toilet bowl via a vacuum machine! as it had to get up over the window first.
Ok Ok, cut short story again, everything done, they brought down to the bulk bin all the old newspapers used to protect flooring, mopped up with their own cloths any drops on floor, and that's that!
And they didn't even knock any of our furniture or dent a wall or anything.
Straightaway, wife and I that afternoon planned and scheduled the maintenance service programme for the rest of the six AC blower outlets, and the compressor, for the next 12 months.
Update - Chang Ji Fei is his own boss now and his handphone number is 92381806. We shall continue to use his services when we move to Prive in 2013/14.
This BokSeng AC service contractor is highly reccommended. Don't forget to ask for his man Chang Ji Fei. BokSeng's handphone number is 97859497.
A bit longwinded, but hey, I prefer to dish it out in detail than having to entertain silly questions. Right?
