It was a very
pleasant morning and the perfect weather for the morning walk. The location, Bedok
reservoir, as many of the readers would know, is a lovely place with a nice ~ 4.3km
walking trail around the reservoir. We were a small group but the park was
beaming with a large number of joggers and walkers. We even saw a few people
indulge in water sports and even though the aerial tree obstacle courses were
not operational at the time, I am sure it would be fun clearing these obstacles.
It is always nice to spend the Sunday morning walking in the nature and this
park almost in the center of Singapore, provides a nice opportunity for people
to come and refresh. As Ramanathan uncle observed during the course of the
walk, there are not many places in Singapore where you can hear the musical
voice of the birds the way we heard it in the Bedok reservoir that day.
After the nice walk,
we went to the host’s place which was a very short drive away. Patel uncle,
aunty, Anand and Vrunda were wonderful hosts and had planned everything
meticulously. After the meditation and prayers, Kashyap uncle informed everyone
that the digital conversion of the photos from 1985 till date was complete and
available for all members who wanted it, at a very nominal cost. I am sure this
is a great opportunity for all members to go through the history of our
Aurobindo society Singapore. This was followed by a sumptuous home cooked meal
and I cannot find of any word of complement; the tasting itself was proof.
Patel uncle even
distributed a copy of Sri. Abdul Kalam’s book to everyone who was interested.
Overall it was a great experience similar to all the wonderful walks we
have had. A perfect way to start the month, contemplate, meditate and seek the
Divine’s blessings!
- Ritesh Thacker
***
When we
reached Bedok Reservoir, the sun was hiding behind the clouds; but it was still
hot. There were not many people. Only 7 people from Sri Aurobindo Society were
there. I was not sure how much we were going to walk. I asked my father and he
said, “About 4.3 kilometres!!!” I was shocked as I started to walk.
After walking
for some time, I saw a sign that tells people to not litter. It had paper drawn
on it that looked like flat marshmallows! We walked half-way until I saw 12
white rocks that also looked like marshmallows to me. I kept thinking about
marshmallows as I had not eaten breakfast. I was so exhausted that I wanted to
just sleep!! As I continued to walk with feet that were almost broken, I
noticed some people water skiing!! I like to call it SUPER SURFING!!
As we
approached a shaded path, my father told me that the trees planted at the sides
of the path and covering it appeared like a tunnel that we were entering! I
looked around the reservoir and saw that we had completed more than half of the
walk. I was relieved and exhausted at the same time. As we continued, we
decided to walk on the grass. We saw about 5 to 6 types of grass on the patch.
I also saw
some mimosa plants (touch me not plant). My father recorded a video of me
showing the mimosa plants. We played with the mimosa plants for about 5
minutes. My father played with the plants more than me!! (And he looked very
childish).
There was an
area prepared for kids to do tree climbing, rope walking and the flying fox! It
is called Forest Adventure.
We finally
reached where we started. I sat down on a bench to rest. I saw Jayanthy aunty
on the swing; so I decided to play on the swing too. While I was playing on the
swing, I felt my stomach churning but I continued as I was having fun. After 5
minutes, we had to leave. I rode on a motorcycle with Uncle Ritesh back home. I
had my moment. Bedok Reservoir is definitely a fun place.
-
Shiv Anand Patel
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