Hort Park Couple

I have always wanted to attend a pop/rock concert when I was younger. I never did get to watch any live performance from the big names that came by Singapore to do their shows. The ticket prices were the major "show-stopper" for me.

I never really cared much to purposely attend cultural shows even when those were free. Only chanced upon them during my weekend outings or shopping with my then girlfriend who is now my Wifey.


So other culture exposures were limited to only during family vacations or tours.

Well, this entry is not about cultural performance of the arts kind but of the Mother Nature; Horticulture... my cup of tea.

This afternoon, Wifey decided that she wanted to join me on my “photo-shoots” trips since “it’s been so long since we go out to parks together... I need my exercise.”


We have been going out on weekends to shop for Hari Raya. So the past few weekends had seen us stepping into one shopping mall to another. I am so glad that that is over and I can now get back to nature again before the Muslim Fasting Month starts end August.

Just recovered from a bout of flu, scared out of our wits when the doctor suspected Swine Flu or widely called here as H1N1, Wifey is now ready to do some walking exercises again.


I picked Hort Park as the place to be since it involved not much of uphill walking with plenty of resting spots and eating places across the entire park.

For the learned and enthusiasts, the place is of a horticultural haven where the arboretum provides horticulturists and botanists ample plant species and special facilities.


For the commoners like us, it is a beautiful park with lots of beautiful flowering plants and with such amenities like resting spots, eating places and playground, the place is suitable for families and especially children.

The ride in the MRT – Mass Rapid Transit train from Tampines to Queenstown was uneventful. Chatting with Wifey made the 40 minutes journey bearable. We switched to bus Service 195 where we reached Hort Park about 4 bus stops away, alighting along Depot Road.


Being there at almost midday was not such a good idea. The overcast weather did not do much help to shield us from the scotching sun… but provided wonderful lighting for photography.

Some flowers did not favour the sweltering heat and appeared wilted in the sun, while others flourish gloriously showing off its colourful petals to the world while attracting in the bees and nectar-drinking sunbirds.


Wifey was patient with me as she waited for me to take pictures and read the signboards the park installed on virtually every species of plants and trees.

It got to the point where she developed a headache, probably not recovered fully from her flu, but most certainly from the sweltering heat.

She took Panadol while we were at the horticulture market, but the throbbing pain in her head did not go away too quickly for poor Wifey. We barely covered half of the entire park, just up to the orchid patio when Wifey requested that we turned back and head for home.


While in the train back, she got some shut eye and was feeling better and hungry.

We alighted at Bedok MRT station had our early dinner at Banquet. The usual “you guessed it right” dish was ordered. It was Tom Yam Fried Fish Noodle for the both of us and bought a pack of Fried Seafood Noodle for Sonny who would be coming home from his Malay tuition class by then.

I realized that I had taken over 200 photos at the park and yet cover barely half of the place!


Unlike the vast open spaces of land of the Singapore Botanical Garden has to offer visitors, Hort Park is a smaller but condensed version of the park showcasing the many plant and tree species with welcoming spots for resting and refreshments.

Like insects, the countless flowering plants and shrubs are so attractive to me… so like Arnold Schwarzenegger uttered before “I’ll be back” not to destroy but to appreciate God’s cheerful creations.