There are still narrow streets in Singapore

The fact that F1 will be held in Singapore shows that we have high quality roads and highly efficient road construction technology and maintenance. We can reassure the F1 drivers on that, but what we cannot promise them is the weather. We can have unpredictable very heavy rain, or we can have haze from forest fire next door. So our weather wizard must be on their toe all time to foresee in their weather gadgets to see the surroundings environment.

Despite that we still have norrow roads and streets in other parts of developed Singapore.

This one here is Jln Uji. Jln is an acronym for Jalan which means Road in English. Apparently, these road names shown above is Malay names. Uji means test. Therefore, Jln Uji would means "Test Road".

If fits the name, because for new drivers, you will face the challenge to adjust your gears, brakes and accelerator as you try to climb up the hilly road.

Anyhow, it is still manageable, until you reach to the end of Jln Uji, as shown by the next picture.

This above picture shows the condition of a road named Lorong Chamar. This is again a Malay name. Lorong means 'Lane' and Chamar is a name of a bird. A resident of that area came to meet me while I was on my tour of duty, sometime in August 2008.

He was reporting to me that, the residents there had approached the Member of Parliament to consider improvement of this particular road but no improvement had been done. I could only nodded my head with occasional, "yes you are right", because I am not in-charge of road improvement or management.

To be franked, I had detour my actual tour of duty, just curious to see how does the area of Jln Uji is all about. I have seen these names in my street directory but have never been there. So, since I am already nearby why not pop in to appreciate the ambience of nature life in this foothills of the highest hill of Singapore, that is, Bukit Timah Hill Nature Reserve area. Bukit means 'hill' and Timah means 'tin'. So its 'Tin Hill isn't it..!!!

Some months before this, i.e. in February 2008, I came by another narrow road of Singapore, Jln Gaharu.

Gaharu means 'sandalwood'. So this is 'Sandalwood Road'. I even have a video recording of this stretch of road. I try to include it here if possible, because I am not well-verse with such editing in the blog.

Was I driving in the wrong direction of a one way road?

Wow so lucky I was not, as the word 'HUMP' is facing me. But this is very narrow. What happen if another vehicle come from the opposite direction. By the way, I am not a new driver to be afraid of on-coming vehicle, but just curious that there are still narrow streets in Siangapore.

Yes there are in fact still many narrows roads and streets in developed unique Singapore. See next picture below.

This one is Smith Street in the middle of the hustle and bustle of busy Chinatown area in Singapore. This is a scene in the early morning on 28 August 2008. I can't imagine how bad it would be during peak hours where there are many vehicle plying around these narrow street.

I had to drive very slowly to avoid knocking down the lady on my right. And if front of her there are even more pedestrians.

I had to stop because the lorry on my left seems to be reversing.

Ahhh at last I made it through but now another hazard infront of me along the same Smith Street at 8:05 am. Alorry is coming from the wrong direction on my right. On my left is a stationary lorry parked for loading and umloading within a yellow box area. In front of the stationary lorry is a car parked on a double-yellow line. Next to the car is another car who had to stop to give way to pedestrian.

On that fateful day I reported half-an-late to work, because after this incidents at Smith Street I had to endure another traffic jam at Cecil Street where constructions are in progress to built the new MRT tunnel and a viaduct to cater for the flow of people and traffic towards Marina business area and the Intergrated Resort area at marina Bay.

Well....there is no use in complaining but it was just an observation. The rest I leave to GOD to fix up all loose things in life. I pray that GOD will educate people to behave in a manner that will not cuase inconveniences and dangers to others.

Return of the Mujahideen

On Satuday morning, 12 Jan 2008, the last batch of the Hajj Pilgrims from Singapore return home. Two Saudia Airlines flights landed at noon carrying approximately 600 pilgrims.

Amongst the pilgrims were my friends who travelled via Qodariya Travel & Tours and my 7 cousins who went via Travelways Travel & Tours. You may be wondering why seven. It was not because of lucky number or what. They were my 3 cousins and their wives and one of their sister.

One of my cousins, Jalil, recap that they had to wait in the bus for 15 hours for a trip that normally took only half an hour. It was due to the jam from Arafah to Mina. He admired one of Qodariya staff who went extra miles to help ease their 15 hour journey, by asking permissions from the other drivers to let them swerved into the right lanes. These drivers only speak Arabic. They don't understand English. If you are lucky you may get an Indonesian drivers who speak Malay.

There are 9 major roads from Arafah to Mina. If you take the wrong road, then you will end up at the wrong side of the place of accomodations, which were numbered according to countries.

They had no oppurtunity to stop at Mudzalifah for a night stay, because the bus had to keep on moving to catch up with the snailing bus queue to Mina. If they stop, then they would be further delayed.

What ever the difficulties were, Jalil said that it was a miraculous pilgrimage, because despite the 3 million crowd, they managed to complete their Hajj rites on time. Food and drinks were surplus. Toilets and other personal hygiene needs were also provided.

"Of course, with such a mammoth crowd you cannot expect perfection", Jalil said.

Now the return of the Mujahideen cause some inconveniences at the Terminal One Airport. The families of the pilgrims flocked the arrival hall. There were too many of them. So too many that the crowd, spilled off to the taxi stand, causing inconveniences to other passengers and taxi drivers. It was also a scene of dangerous hazard to road safety.

Why do I called them Mujahideen? It is because, Prophet Muhammad said that Hajj is Jihad, especially for women.

Thus, I wish to emphasise that Jihad is not necessairily Holy War --- NO. Jihad means a struggle to endure difficulties to attain success, especially in practising religious way of life.

It is difficult to practise religious way of life in today's world which is full of fun, games, sports, jokes and entertainments. So difficult that it is a jihad to be religious these days. Those who endure the difficulties in religious life are called Mujahideen, which means those who perform jihad.