A Herculean Task To Shift The River

Singapore River
River Valley, Singapore
October 2012

 

 



On a KLKK (walk here walk there) trip, Merlion Wayfarer was surprised to find a big part of the river near Liang Court and Riverside Point cordoned off. The entire pedestrian path at Ord Bridge, which lies between the two buildings was diverted, and part of the walkway towards Robertson Quay was closed. What is happening?

 

A bit of research revealed that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Korean builder GS Engineering & Construction were digging a bow-shaped canal to divert the river so that a part of the river can be drained.
 

 

The drained portion will then be cleared and filled with stabilising material. Two train tunnels will be bored under it. These tunnels, which will form the new Fort Canning Station, which is part of Downtown Line 3, will be just 4m below the river bed and close to the Central Expressway.  Costing $255 million, the original path of the waterway will be reinstated after the tunnels are completed. Oh wow...
 

(Source : Public Utilities Board, Singapore)

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The full album is available at:
Merlion Wayfarer's Picasa (Places - Singapore River)

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Sources

• "Notices - Singapore River Diversion Works" (26 September 2012), Public Utilities Board, Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.pub.gov.sg/marina/AllAnnouncements/Pages/SingaporeRiverDiversionWorks.aspx
  (Expired as of 2014).
   
• "Singapore River to be diverted for MRT tunnels" by (28 April 2012) by Paul Lim, AsiaOneMotoring. Retrieved from http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Transport/Story/A1Story20120428-342609.html (Expired as of 2014).
   

 

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Seen & Heard - Walking Wooden Dinosaurs

Liang Court
River Valley
South, Singapore
October 2012
 

Merlion Wayfarer was surprised to chance upon these series of DIY assembly kits for dinosaurs by Tamiya. With pre-cut wooden parts and pre-built gear box, this kit is said to be easy-to-assemble and a great way to view the workings of a crank-arm gear box. The special link rod makes realistic movement of the legs, head and tail possible.

 

Apparently, there is a Japanese version of the T-Rex retailing at $45.90, and an American (GeniuSeries) version at S$39.90. Sounds fun!

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More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer's Picasa at :
Seen & Heard

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Pecori's Original Omu Rice

Pecori (ﾍﾟｺﾘのオム)

Medi-Ya Food Court, Liang Court

River Valley, Singapore

October 2012

Merlion Wayfarer chanced upon this big poster as she was entering the supermarket and decided to venture within.

 

Pecori is a newly-opened stall in Medi-Ya Food Court. Located in the basement of Liang Court within the supermarket compound, it is opened by a Japanese gentleman with two Japanese helpers.

Comfortable seating in quiet surroundings, even on a Saturday night...

 

She opted for the Original Omu Rice at S$7.80. It was served with a huge amount of tomato sauce and some mashed potato mixd with cucumber. Initially thought to be a steal, Merlion Wayfarer was disappointed to find out that "Original" meant just plain tomato rice in an omelette. And with the excessive amount of tomato sauce, it was a bit hard to palate. Especially since the price tag meant that she could have gotten a don at a neighbouring stall with more ingredients.



 

This was the complimentary cake that came with any rice order as part of the opening promotion. It was a light custard cake on a fragrant pie crust.

 

Hmmm... If Merlion Wayfarer were asked to return for seconds for the rice, likely no, unless she tries the other Omu Rice options. But for the cake... Hey it was certainly worth considering!

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The full album is available at:
Merlion Wayfarer's Picasa (Food - Japanese)

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The Contrast Between Two Outlets

Trung Ngyuen Coffee, Liang Court
River Valley, Singapore
October 2012

 

Tucked in a little corner on the second floor, Trung Nguyen Coffee is a quiet place to chill out. In stark contrast to neighbouring (and noisy) Clarke Quay, the outlet here has cosy seats and fewer patrons.

 

Merlion Wayfarer ordered Creative 2. The service staff, a lady, was polite and professional, and served the order without questions.

 

This was unlike the experience Merlion Wayfarer experienced at the Katong 112 outlet. That outlet was also manned by a single lady staff. Merlion Wayfarer reached the outlet just before 2100 hours, and the staff insisted that the coffee be served in a paper cup. When Merlion Wayfarer said she preferred a porcelain cup (Who ever heard of a paper cup being used in a dine-in setting?), the staff ventured to ask further if she could serve it without the drip container. What audacity to dilute the product this way! Anyway, the version at Katong was too watery...

 

This was the cup that was served at Liang Court. Of course, the dripping took time, but that was all the fun in drinking a cup of Viet Coffee. When Merlion Wayfarer found the coffee too thick, she provided ice and extra condensed milk without question. Merlion Wayfarer certainly enjoyed the undisturbed and professional experience at Liang Court - where one small cup of thick hot coffee was enough to fill a huge mug with ice, and more...

 

 



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The full album is available at:
Merlion Wayfarer's Picasa (Food - South East Asian)

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