Dewdrop Notes 露语
  • About The Author
    • Curiosity & Passion
    • My Greatest Influencer
      • Comical Luo Da You
    • Worlds Apart
  • About Dewdrops
  • Book Reviews
    • A Tale of Two Cities – Singapore & JB
    • Asian Ghost Stories and more
    • Journey In Blue
    • Mahadeva, Pioneer Of Journalism In Early Singapore
    • Neither Civil Nor Servant – the Philip Yeo Story
    • Reluctant Editor
    • Saint Jack by Paul Theroux
    • Singapore’s Study Mama
    • The Immolation by Goh Poh Seng
    • The Quah Kim Song Story
  • Chan Joon Yee The Adventurer
  • The Chef
  • Singapore’s Ultimate Rebel, Chua Lam
    • Chua Lam Love & Sex
    • Chua Lam On Banishing Stress
    • Chua Lam Q&A
    • Chua Lam’s Biography In Motion
    • Chua Lam’s China Q&A
    • Chua Lam’s Philosophy
    • Love & Marriage
    • Chua Lam Looking Back
    • Chua Lam On Puer Tea
    • Being Alive And Having Lived
    • Chua Lam’s Views On Morality
  • Uniquely Singapore?
    • What Being Kiasu Really Means?

Login

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Tweets by toothfully
Follow me on Twitter
Uncategorized

Pathetically Punggol

by admin January 20, 2019 No Comments

Some 6-7 years ago, many people in Singapore envied me for living in Punggol. There was a lot of publicity about Punggol being a place that will bring the kampung back to urban living. After an initial 10 years of neglect, Punggol was suddenly very happening. An ambitious project was launched to link and dam two rivers. The riverbanks and the linking waterway were beautifully adorned with exotic plants, woodwork and coloured lights. Images and videos of people flying kites on vast open fields and sunsets on the beach and the waterways attracted hordes of potential neighbours for me.

I was so proud of my estate that I went around taking pictures and showing them off on Facebook.

This was what the bank of Sungei Serangoon looked like in 2011 not long after the GE. There were several attractive wooden platforms overlooking the river. Not long after this first phase of construction, a path was extended opposite Coney Island. There were also a few viewing platforms constructed along that path, the largest being the one at Punggol End.

Photos copyright Dewdrop Publications. Model is Glynis Tan, Mrs Singapore 2010.

083
194 235 259 098

Fast forward 2019, the footpaths and viewing platforms were in utter disrepair. After a few rounds of maintenance works, they finally give up. The video below shows the exact platform where Glynis stood when we were doing the shoot in 2011. You can see the stark transformation from an attractive woody look to a dull, durable concrete structure. The wooden planks on the floor have all been removed and replaced by concrete.

The deterioration of the area did not take place overnight. I have been documenting it for the longest time. Check out Punggol withering waterway in 2015.

© Chan Joon Yee


New Book!

red dot rants

Making Sense of the Three Kingdomns

  • Previous Void Deck Smokers4 years ago
  • Next Survival of the Lowest4 years ago

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

New Books!

red dot rants red dot rants

Books by Chan Joon Yee

2023 Dewdrop Notes 露语. Donna Theme powered by WordPress