Singapore Zoo

Over the weekends, I visited the Singapore Zoo with a colleague of mine. It was a good trip despite slight rain.

Hailed as one of the most beautiful zoos in the world, the Singapore Zoo takes visitors on jungle journeys.

One can hop onboard trams for a fee and enjoy the scenic view of the 28 hectare open Zoo but, we decided to walk.

Elephants at Work and Play show - these soft-hearted giants are just incredible. I have enjoyed more of the Wonders of the Wild show. The aerial feats of primates and the aquatic brilliance of sealions were highly entertaining.

It is all TIGER business !! Oppss ... pee pee or poo poo ? The majestic white tigers are a symbol of strength and power to many.

Cat Country - A face-to-face encounter with a big cat such as cheetah, leopard, puma and jaguar. Cheetah - best known as the fastest land mammal.

Primate Kingdom - Six large and two small moated islands which house several species of attractive monkeys. So many monkeys.

Fragile Forest - One can enjoy the company of fluttering butterflies. A journey through a rainforest. Nice.

Others such like the white rhino, camel and many more. Below are the few pictures that I really like.

How you can help. Of course, your donation will help provide the finest home possible for them.



Independent and resilient, some of these natives have learned to survive in extremely harsh conditions, such as the Afar areas where temperatures often soar above 50 degrees Celsius.

In the wild, Bengal White Tigers are found exclusively within South Asia, notably in India.



Proboscis Monkey - The most distinctive trait of these monkeys is the males' large protruding nose. Female proboscis monkeys prefer big-nosed mates. The Proboscis Monkey also has a large belly, as a result of its diet.





It was a tiring trip. But overall it was my first trip to Singapore in a long time. Nice place. Reminds me a little of Japan. Foreigners everywhere !

FGS Dong Zen

Have you been to the FGS Dong Zen ?

Dong means East, and Zen means ‘a tranquil mind’, so Dong Zen means ‘a tranquil mind in the East’.

Besides being a monastery, Dong Zen is also a cultural and educational centre. It houses a Buddhist college, one of 16 in the world set up by FGS. Fo Guang Shan (FGS) is a Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monastic order that has gained a worldwide presence and is one of the two largest Buddhist monastery and largest charity association in Taiwan (Tzu-Chi being the other).

The Dong Zen Buddhist Monastery was set up in 1994. It is situated in Kuala Langat, which is about 100 km west of Kuala Lumpur. The setting of the monastery is serene and quite picturesque.

During the recent chinese new year festive season, thousands have flocked to the monastery to enjoy the flower show and the lanterns light up.

Part of the beautiful landscape garden - the face of Quan Yin.

A vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat or fish. They only eat vegetables, fruits and grains. But a vegetarian can also appreciate a good fake meat menu. Fake chicken, anyone ?

Despite the big crowd, the visual beauty, soothing sounds from chanting bells and the cooling effect from the pond - some sort of medicine for the soul.

A beautiful statue - the many hands and heads of one chinese god.

The temple was beautifully lit up that night. No wonder the sleepy town of Jenjarum has become a pull factor for tourism these days.

The temple was decorated with yellow and red lanterns. This year, the event (held annually) has drawn some hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors from other regions to visit the monastery.

My KIA

Kia Spectra is so far the best car that I have ever purchased. Well, not that I have owned many cars. My first was a Proton Iswara Aeroback and this is my second. Although KIA cars did not enjoy good ratings among car buyers, Spectra 1.6 LS is a reasonably good car for money with a nice design touch and spacious interior. The ride is quite smooth, but high petrol consumption is one major throwback (being a not so light car).

The exterior of KIA Spectra LS. Not my favorite color though. A report suggested that silver cars are the safest on the road. What is your favorite car color ?

Does anyone know Toyota Prius ? Well, Spectra LS is nothing compared to that but it still gives the driver some style. It does have some shapely curves and expressive lines.

A reasonably good flashy car - although not quite luxurious but luxury at an affordable price.

A good looking back view.

The Interior - the steering wheel and speedometer display.

The standard CD player that came with the car. Sensitive to pirated CDs.

Comfortable driver and passenger seats. Leather seats - not quite a good choice especially when you have your car parked under the sun, the seat become so hot.

For more information about KIA cars click :
http://www.naza.com.my/nazakia/main.htm