31 October 2006

A Run down Memory Lane: The Botanic Gardens

Last evening, I went for a run at the Botanic Gardens. The place has undergone a metamorphosis, transforming into a figuratively busy place with polished rock gardens, immaculate pots of bonsai, concrete pebbled walkways, considerably foregoing the Old World charm and tranquility of yesteryear. The run amidst the greenery was pleasant but the Botanic Garden is no longer a familiar refuge of childhood memories. My parents had brought me here daily when I was little. I recall being chased by a monkey which was larger than I was then. I recall years later of a family of fleeing monkeys on Cluny Road, when the monkeys were being put down. This is the march of progress and the destruction of old emotional landscapes.

The objective of this recent upgrade with numerous bus bays and parking lots, tourist information centre, is, of course, that of attracting more tourists. Tragically, in the quest for ever greater number of visitors, probably to meet the performance indicator or benchmark of some senior civil servant, my childhood landmarks became casualties. I'm not leaving Singapore but several of my friends are. Permanently.

Nothing in Singapore will remain untouched. Such is the impermanence of the state of affairs of a technocratic, evolving city-state.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

MacRitchie Reservoir has not changed that much. the 5km x-country trail is pretty much the same. you could also try the northern trail but that is tougher in that the ground is more uneven and there are more stretches of slopes. and the monkeys are still there, although they do keep away from humans mostly.

For aggressive monkeys, try the running route along Old Thomson Road (ending at Upper Pierce Reservoir carpark).

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

Oh!

I was actually surprised by the planked walkways when I was there last year. And also the paved areas.

I guess I did not much distinct memories beyond the odd cross-country run in the early eighties.


The Old Thomson Road area, wow, what a place. It has retained an old world charm...

I hope it will not be developed into something akin to a theme-park.

I am not hopeful for the new Pasir Panjang park at all.