Sweet Virginia Breeze

The hazy conditions in Singapore forced me out of town and gave me a wonderful week in Virginia (USA). I love coming here to see my family. They live on a beautiful lake in the country. We had excellent weather and plenty of clean, fresh air! Ahhhh deep breath! Enjoy the pictures!

Introducing Tallulah, my new best friend!

I still need to work on my sunset pictures but look how beautiful the clouds are. I'd like to get better at this so the foreground isn't completely lost.

Tall grass and hay bales in the background.

Goose Creek Studio in Bedford.

Cute down town Bedford.

Nice lake/sky shots.

Back home the smoke is clearing as the fires are burning out and I know we are all hoping the worst of it is in the past. I had an excellent week on the lake and will be returning home to Singapore in the next few days. Until then I will take in as much fresh, clean, Virginia air as possible. I have plans to travel to Germany and Denmark in the near future so check back for some interesting photos in the weeks to come.

Stir crazy!

This week Singapore has been dealing with terrible haze that has left the air quality, at times, in the hazardous range. I have not left my condo since last Sunday. You have no idea how bored I am! I attempted to take pictures indoors and I am nice enough to NOT post those pics here! Evidently I am not a food photographer and we have nothing remotely interesting in our condo :) Hopefully the conditions will improve soon. Until then I thought I would show you how bad it is here.

Pretty nasty out there! Here are a few older pics of clearer days.

This picture is taken from the same angle as the last two hazy pictures. What a difference, you can see the ocean!

This picture is taken from the same angle as the first two hazy pictures. Check back next week, hopefully I will be able to get out into the world again soon.

Sights to be seen.

Here are a few things that you see on a daily basis in Singapore that is a bit off the touristy path. Sort of a behind the scenes but sometimes they are hard to not see anywhere you are. I love them all because this is what makes Singapore so unique.

Cannot go anywhere without seeing cranes. There is so much construction here. I read a book by Lee Jing-Jing titled, "If I could Tell You", I recommend it, great book! When I see these cranes I think about that book. It is about how Singapore's landscape is changing so quickly people feel as if they do not recognize their own hometown. 

A new neighborhood coming along in Punggol.

I like to look at the alleys. The next few shots are alley pics. 

You can even see cranes in the background of the pic below :)

Alley art?

Nice row of shop houses on one of the oldest streets in Chinatown.

Beautiful 5 foot way. Some of the older streets have shop houses with these 5 foot ways to provide a shaded walkway. The first floor is usually a shop or restaurant and the second and third floors can be either shops or homes. 

I love seeing the laundry hanging from the apartments. Most people here do not use a dryer, they just hang their laundry. I wonder how often they loose things?

I know I put up a lot of nature pics but I love that Singapore is known as a garden city. It is very green and pretty, parks are never too far away and there are so many it is easy to escape the city and find a peaceful place to be.

Dragonfly on a lotus flower.

The very small cranes in the background are an oil refinery??? maybe??? I took the pics for the pretty clouds. I was about a minute away from heat stroke and was VERY happy to see clouds coming in!!!

Bugis Village / Pasir Ris Beach Park

Bugis Village is a fun place to spend an afternoon people watching, snacking and shopping for trinkets. I always manage to find something interesting here. Last weekend and this weekend there is a dumpling festival. Who doesn't love dumplings?

This guy is new from the last time I was here.

There are food stalls on either side of the street with tables and umbrellas for shade. The trees lining the street keeps it much cooler here, nice place to stop for a treat.

Buying dumplings for later.

Flower stalls. I saw people were buying small bunches and bringing them to the temple across the street. 

Kwan Im temple 

These stores sell dried goods, mushrooms, shrimp, chilies, etc.

  

Quite a few psychics in Bugis Village, here is one.

Sri Krishnan temple

More dried goods.

There are always people at this stall standing around watching music videos and listening to music. CD's and DVD's for sale here, not the typical top 40 though - at least for me ;) 

This is a giant tent/building with fresh whole fruits or fresh fruit juices, snacks, clothes, trinkets, shoes, backpacks, etc. Big enough you can easily get lost in here. 

I went to Pasir Ris Beach Park earlier this week, here are a few shots that turned out pretty good.

Not the beach but a waterway off the beach going into the mangroves.

He is hard to see but there is a pretty big owl in the center of the picture. Someone on a bike pointed him out to us, we wouldn't have seen him otherwise. 

Very small beach but beautiful palm trees, nice breeze and a very nice park. Not a cloud in the sky!

These coconuts fell and are sprouting new trees.

Gorgeous!

Kids on school holiday, this really looks like fun!