oOOo When I am free oOOo: Mandai Orchid Garden

I remember my friends described me as a park lover in my graduation booklet. I don't really know why, or how or even when... I started to enjoy going to parks and natural reserves, to feel that I'm part of the nature; I started to love the feeling of sunlight burning on my skin; I started to see almost everything with four legs as cute (hey, birds only got two legs and mushrooms have none, and I think that they are cute too); I started to want to capture everything I see and love...

Sadly, not every story have a happy ending, and this is just the case for the Mandai Orchid Garden...

To tell you the truth, I only know about this place from Yy early this year when we took up the hobby of birding. It is quite well known among natural lovers for its diversities of insects and birds. Yet, what brought our attention to this place is the announcement of its closure and relocation to make way for Singapore Night Safari... I understand that Singapore is a small island and that there is a limitation to how much we can reclaim our land. I also understand that many things have to make way for developments and maybe tourist attractions...

Scratch that, maybe I don't truly understand that... I know that the Orchid Garden is not really being close off and I know that it is going to be relocated and be preserved... In fact, the new location might even attracted more wildlife to this garden. But, what about the wildlife that are relaying on its presence now?

The same issue happened to Chek Jawa a few years back. Thought the plan to reclaim this land was defer for ten years, but what fate awaits Chek Jawa in 2012? Thinking of this, I feel somewhat reluctant to welcome the coming of the year 2011... We can be proud of the highest man-made waterfall in Jurong Bird Park; We can be proud of the world's largest fountain in Suntec or the world's biggest observation wheel- the Singapore Flyer, the advancements, the clean and green environment... We can and should also be proud of the rich diversity that we have here...

I guess I'm really not someone who will be a good government, as I'm not willing to make this kind of sacrifice for developments... Haiz, enough of me complaining, below are some photographs that I have taken during my visit on 26th Dec- My last and only glance on Mandai Orchid Garden...

---Mandai Orchid Garden---

The place has a rustic feel as mentioned by Yy. The only problem is there are too many mosquitoes...

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

I'm not really good with flowers, I can only say that the first is a pink hibiscus and the second torch ginger, and of course 4th, 5th and 6th are orchid.