Etta James
No, that's not Etta James, the famous American singer who crooned the song At Last. Darren was delirious with delight that we finally reached our initial destination, St. John's Island, Singapore.
The journey from the pier to St. John's Island went by quickly. You'll notice in the photo above that the skyscrapers of Singapore were still quite distinguishable -but distant enough to make us all feel as if the boisterousness of the city was far, far away. It was hard to believe that we were in such close proximity to the busiest port in the world.
It seemed as if everyone wanted to pose for pictures under that sign. We were just glad to have arrived. We all felt a sigh of relief!
When most of us think of Singapore this is not at all what we envision. The waters were relatively clear and calm. There was hardly a soul in sight, too. It was plain to me why this place would be so valued by my two friends and many Singaporeans. What a convenient and unspoiled place to escape to!
Here is Darren Ng modeling the chocolate-covered macadamia nuts I brought with me from Hawaii. We did not have long to savor them. It was hot -very hot. These melted very quickly. The energy-boost came in handy.
What an interesting history this place has! Once upon a time this island was used as a quarantine station. Formerly known as Pulau Sekijang Bedera, Chinese immigrants were held and screened here, as were Malay pilgrims returning from Mecca to Singapore.
It does not stop there. I learned that political detainees and secret society ringleaders were held on St. John's island pending their deportation. It was even used to rehabilitate opium addicts.
It was on the grounds of this former penal colony that I learned from Darren and Siow Har a new English language expression, one unbeknownst to me:
Source: Urban Dictionary.
This term originally referred to certain souls who excessively displayed themselves suggestively online. The definition displayed above more accurately delineates the term as it is commonly used today.
And so my foray into the wonderful world of "camwhoring" was underway! It was all in good fun, of course.
Both Darren and Siow Har are talented photographers as well as travel bloggers. From them I learned quite a bit about posing, lighting, and location this day. The images produced can be simple, powerful, expressive and imaginary -and entertaining, of course!
The prison grounds included a building that was used for toilets. This made for an unconventional backdrop. Posing is much more challenging than I realized. Good photos that incorporate poses adds a dimension of emotion to the visual experience. Darren is covered to protect himself from the sun as he photographed Siow Har on the platform.
Darren is posing Siow Har in this reclining position. He was quite fussy! Such a perfectionist!
Here is Siow Har leaning against a tree and smiling with the former prison ground toilets in the background. The lawn here was surprisingly green given the severe drought conditions. In the distance the trees reminded me that we were in a pristine location, a sharp contrast to the urban environment Singapore is better known for. The shade provided welcomed relief from the sun.
Siow Har climbed up this observation tower to take photos of a nearby steep hillside. The words 'St. John's Island' were spelled out with white concrete blocks.
We met these tourists who were visiting from Europe. They climbed up the hillside as Darren and I had done. Note the burned out grass. It was hot and dry, trust me. Our new tourist friends became caught up in the fun. Oh, and just to let you know, ladies, Darren and I did help them down the steep hillside. No tumbling allowed! :)
My goodness! Darren is not wearing his mirrored sunglasses!
More lighthearted 'camwhoring' fun. Siow Har and Darren coached each other on poses and angles. They did the same for me, too.
Yes, they even convinced me to pose for a few photos. The hand gesture I am displaying is called 'Shaka' in Hawaii.
Fearless, whimsical and bodacious as ever, Siow Har made herself right at home!
Yes, even an idle, abandoned tractor and wagon could be used as creative subject setting. As I grew up on my father's gentleman's farm in the Round Hill section of Greenwich, Connecticut USA, I thought my late father would have laughed uproariously at us. Goodness knows he loved his bulldozer and his Cub Cadet riding tractor. I confess: So did I!
Not to be held back, Darren dashed off to explore the stone jetty. Siow Har and I were not far behind.
There was no stopping these two when they had cameras in hand. The stone jetty near the pier and the former prison grounds furnished us with another setting to pose for photos.
What were these? They looked historic. This, I learned, was a kampong. The word is Malay for a small village or community of houses. I found them to be quite attractive though in need of some restoration. They reminded me of an earlier time in the island's history. I would have liked to have learned about those who lived here and what life was like.
The first chapter of our day trip to the Southern Islands was complete. Our fun-filled camera adventures were well underway. I was certainly getting quite an education from my two friends in a remarkably peaceful setting.
St. John's Island is such a gem. This is a perfect spot for Singaporeans and visitors like me to venture off to. Some of you might complain that there is no grocery store or convenience shop on the island. Picnic tables and benches dot the island's landscape, providing visitors with places to gather and enjoy the views an scenery. It's not bad for a 20 minute ferry boat ride. I felt sedate, calm and comfortable -but I must give the major credit for that to Darren and Siow Har. We did not have plans to camp here. I heard that with prior permission it was possible to spend overnights. I could imagine how placid and pleasant it would be to sit on the beach and take in Singapore's city lights under the stars above.
The day was young! Lazarus Island lay before us. What adventures and settings would await us as we began to cross the land bridge from St. John's Island? Stay tuned for Part Four!
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