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profile name: woonwei school: hwachonginstitution class: 3h209 council: 9thproedcouncil36thhighschoolcouncil ep3: hcdebate links zhao yong justin yuan zhi yi yun fraser samuel tay nick chuan jun wei dk sophin wee shuen long jian liki kah how jek jin shaun edward yu yang I'm sorry, but I lost the rest of the links. Please tag so I can get the URLs back. Thanks (: archives March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 credits layout designer and image: eloquent |
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Now Playing: Unbeautiful by Lesley Roy
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date: Monday, June 18, 2007
title:
time: 11:11 AM
Let's ask ourselves. Which part of Singapore is a landmark that portrays both the past and the future of Singapore? Well, there are many places that we can put under this huge 'umbrella'(metaphorically speaking). Such examples are the Singapore River, Little India, Chinatown and all the whatnots.However, the place that I think portrays both the past and the future of Singapore very vividly is our very own Chinatown. Situated *pretty* near Orchard Road, this place highly influenced by the Chinese culture proves as a treat to all the tourists and locals alike who visits there be it to learn about the history of Chinatown, sightseeing, food hunting, or just plain soaking in the atmosphere during festive seasons. For tourists, this place is a landmark of what Singapore has began from (at least for the Chinese). When they first set foot in this miniature version of China (though it is full of its own unique traits, but that's a different story altogether), they will be astounded (or at least fascinated) by the vibrant yet not very gaudy colours that decorate the walls of the shophouses that have been preserved since they were built in the 1950/60s. They will also come across the Visitor's Centre in Chinatown, where they can learn more about the history of this famous place in Singapore. When taking a walk along Smith Street, they are sure to find the massive structure that had just been built not long ago, the Buddha Tooth's Temple (or something like that) which emits a strong aura of how the Chinese culture has influenced Chinatown, hence adding to the reason why it portrays the past of Singapore. Near the temple are also some stalls that show the dying trades of the services and goodies in the past. However, they do not only get to bask in the rays of the past. They also get to experience the future of Singapore. More shopping malls and upgrading works have been applied to that place, just like the newest Central which is conveniently situated near the Singapore River. There are also other malls such as OG that add in a Western blend to the place, which shows that Chinatown has been influenced by the Westerners as well (as of late, that is). Alright, not Westerners, but more of the Western culture/the current (and most probably future) taste that people wants: the shopping culture. But, for us locals, Chinatown serves as a food haven to us. Ranging from the old goodies such as tang yuan (or ah balling), char kuay teow to Western food such as hotdogs, pork chops etcetera, this place always never fails to prove as a treat for all of us here, living in Singapore. So, after all these, how can you not say that Chinatown is a location that portrays both our past and the future?  Regards, Woon Wei --P.S. This is for a competition organised by NDP 2007!-- |