There was once when my hard drive of photos which I’ve taken crashed and there goes a chunk of my “experiences”. It was a painful lesson but after that, I really got weary about storage media, they don’t seems to be made to last. Now I have several copies of what I’ve taken and that gave me some peace of mind.

I discovered JustCloud earlier this year. JustCloud is a Cloud based backup system which allows you to practically backup any files on your computer, thumb drives and any USB connected storage and stores them on the cloud. There are many other such services online and some notable ones are Dropbox and Sugarsync. Unlike others, JustCloud offers unlimited cloud storage and whatever you backup to it would remain until you terminate your contract with them. Because it uses the Amazon S3 Cloud system, you be assured that your data would be there no matter what happens.

There are two billing options available and if you pay monthly, it would cost US$9.95/month or if you pay upfront for 24 months, it would cost US$118.80 which works out to be US$4.95/month. The latter option is definitely worth the while.

Apart from the usual sign up, to begin your backup, you would need to download their JustCloud client which works for both Windows and the Mac. All you would need to do is determine which folder you want to backup and it would do the work in the background. By Default, backups are done on a daily basis and if you require hourly backups, there is a paid option for this. They do offer several interesting add-ons such as unlimited versioning (useful if you want to restore previous version of your files) , the option to backup more than one computer and the option to sync files between your computers.

Using the JustCloud client is simple and you probably need to only set it once and it will work seamlessly in the background while you work. When you make changes, only the files which are being changed would be uploaded to the server.

Restoring is simple too, you however can only restore to the same computer you backup from but if you do need to change computer, you just have to contact them with your old computer name and the new one and they would make the modification on their end to allow you to restore to the new computer.

You could even share folders with friends or colleague by using the share option. You could only share folders and not particular files. When you perform the share, you would need to provide the email address of those you want to share that folder with. Once done, they will receive an email to alert them of the share and if they are not already signed up, they can sign up for a free JustCloud account to access the files. They would not be able to write to the folder or make any changes to the files. This will maintain the integrity of your backups.

Syncing is an interesting concept but I’ve not got the chance to do it yet so I cannot comment on it.

It is definitely a very cool service and something I would recommend anyone who needs to backup important files or just want to free up your local hard drive space of files which you have accumulated over the years and do not know what to do with them, something which you may need on a rainy day some time in the foreseeable future.

As with any service, there is always some limitations. As JustCloud requires an internet connection to perform the backup or restoration, the speed would depend on how fast your internet connectivity is. On my 50mbps fibre optic (wired) connection, I average about 20 to 40gb transfer within a 24 hour period. The throughput would depend on your internet connection speed. I wrote to JustCloud and was told that the typical throughput would be between 3-5Mbps.

Although they offer unlimited storage, only files which are under 3gb would be backup. You could vary the file size limits from 1mb to 3gb.

Even with the limitations, JustCloud is definitely something to consider especially if the files you work with is vital to you and losing them is not an option.

They currently do not offer a mobile app to access the data but all files that you have backup can be access from the web browser after you have log in. This will allow you to view pictures and files on your mobile devices on the go.

If you are interested in a cloud backup, do consider JustCloud. They do offer a free trial of their service which allows you to test out their system so you have nothing to lose.

“Watoto” in Swahili means “Children”. The Watoto Children Choir travels the globe to spread the message of hope despite their previously hopeless situation. Without the Watoto mission, these children would have been left to their own devices and would not be robbed of their childhood and may not survive the harsh reality of the world on the streets of Uganda.

The Watoto Children Choir made its second debut in Singapore in 2012 going around schools and churches to spread their message through songs and dance. Most of the songs are in English with a mix of Swahili. They even performed a Mandarin song which got the audience excited.

The videos below are taken off my iPod Touch at Grace Assembly of God at Tanglin Road in Singapore on April 8th 2012.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6BxwFtSqMc

God Knows My Name

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG4KOhvjaRE

I Am Not Forgotten

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krVJOgbVLCI

Dance of Hope

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJgiPendj8E

There Is No Else Like Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p85bVIRZLo

Who Will Sing My Lullaby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lQ6rLpAR7A

Chinese Song
(I do not know the title, sorry)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWHQ_i5JBXQ

My Hope Is Found In You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAvc5m4e0Yw

Mambo Sawa (Life is Good)

I do hope you enjoy their performance. For more information about the Watoto Children Choir, do check out their blog at http://watotochoirs.wordpress.com/

I am so used to using my 3″ Viewfinder on my digital camera and using the iPad 9.7″ screen to take pictures seems quite unusual as images are so big but I like the either of being able to really see exactly what I take. It is definitely hard to screw up with the iPad. However, if you are planning to use it as a spy camera, well forget it as everyone behind you would know what you are taking.

Here are some photos taken indoors from JCube in Jurong East which was open on April 2nd 2012, making it the Singapore’s newest shopping centre. JCube has a full Olympic size skating rink.

JCube’s Skating Rink taken without zoom

JCube’s Skating Rink taken with digital zoom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX3ZvS94XUI

Below are Photos taken outdoors in full sunlight at Lot 1 in Choa Chu Kang, Singapore.

Choa Chu Kang MRT Station taken from the roof garden of Lot 1

The Roof Garden at Lot 1

One more photo taken of Star Vista next to the Buona Vista MRT Station which is slated to open in September 2012

I must say that the photos are actually quite brilliant and rich from a tablet’s camera. It is quite easy to use but under bright sunlight, I wasn’t really able to see what I am taking. There were a few times when I had the toggle set to video when I wanted to take still photos. I guess it would take a little getting use to.

Apple really did a good job with the camera and I do see myself using it when I do not have my ultra zoom digital camera with me. It is great for candid shots.

I did stay up to watch the product launch and was glad that Singapore was chosen to be one of the first few countries to have the new iPad on it’s maiden launch on March 16th 2012. I wanted to pre-order but decided to actually go down and see it for myself. You know people can over-exaggerate on features and downplay any limitations and so not wanting to get caught up in all the hype, I waited.

After the initially launch, I monitored the web forums and other reviews to determine if I want to get it. Initially, I wanted to get the 4g model but found out that it doesn’t work in Singapore because of the incompatibility of the 4g standard here. Also it appears that the personal hotspot service is also not enabled in Singapore. To make matters worst, the telco reduced the free usage quota to 10gb per month. This makes the whole idea of tying myself with a telco contract to be really unattractive for me. With the new retinal display and the support of full 1080p HD, it is easy to go over that 10gb allocation and it can get rather expensive. With that, I decided to go with the Wifi model. Initially, I’ve set my mind on the 32gb model since I wouldn’t be putting my whole music collection in there, just what I need and the rest would be streamed. Ebooks would not be very big and the rest would be apps.

It was only on March 26th (Monday) which I found time to go down to the showroom to actually look and hold the new iPad. I’ve wanted to purchase it there and then but as usually, it was sold out. It appears that only small batches of units make it to the stores each time and some even resort to only selling to members or having you purchase some bundles before offering it to you for sale.

I found out that because of the exclusivity of the iPad release within the region, there are opportunists from the other surrounding countries coming down to Singapore and snapping up all available stocks to resell at an exorbitant price to their iPad hungry countrymen. I really cannot understand why some people cannot wait and pay regular pricing but rather get it at two to three times the retail price just to be a few weeks or months ahead of the rest. The iPad is nice but without it, life can still go on.

Anyways, since nothing was available in the places I’ve visited, I decided to just place my order at the Apple online store. There was an estimated delivery period of between 1 to 2 weeks which was fine.

I happened to be out on March 31st at IMM and saw that Challenger was selling the new iPad. I asked for the 32gb model but they did not have. No one seems to have it because I guess that probably might be the popular price point or the most unsellable model that only limited models been manufactured. I guess I will never know. All iPads of the same generation looks alike on the outside so it is had to tell what is what. Challenger happens to have a lot of 16gb models and 2 64gb models. Well, 16gb may be sufficient for my needs but I never know what apps or media I would add to it especially now some apps are getting more bloated when they get enhanced for the retinal display. I decided to cancel my online order since it was still in the stage of being processed and got myself the 64gb wifi black model. Finally, an iPad in my hands.

The retinal display is fantastic and the colors are more brilliant for photos and HD videos. It also makes reading ebooks a lot better. With the 1gb RAM, navigating between web pages and PDF files were very smooth.

Now I’m happy. Paired with my Hauwei portable 3G wifi router, I’m set to go.

One spectacular bird species which I fondly remember are the Mandarin ducks. They look so different from the ducks I know. I could spend several hours just looking at them. They come in different colors.

Sadly in the wild, there are not many mandarin ducks around left due to the destruction of their habitats especially in China, Japan and eastern Russia. They live in the wooded areas near shallow lakes and marshes.

These were taken in 2002.

The HortPark signboard under the Alexandra Arch

Lining the walkway into the HortPark are plants and trees of all shapes and sizes

The Brazilian Red Cloak

Gum Nuts from the Flowering Gum Tree

The Vineyard Restaurant located at the HortPark’s Visitors’ Centre

View of the Alexandra Technopark from the HortPark’s Visitors’ Centre

The Silver Afgekia flowers from Thailand

Elephant Climber flowers

Yellow-vented Bulbul bird pitched up high in the tree. It was a good thing that I was able to spot it as it was quite well-camouflagued.

Silver Bismarck Palms

Now we come to the themed gardens in the park. There is some 20 of them and they are ever evolving as some were under reconstruction

Each of the themed garden is designed by a local landscape design company to showcase their talents

There is a Butterfly Garden but it wasn’t opened on the day I was there.

Some of the designs are avant-garde while others are based on asian or european theme but there seems to be this distinct design which revolves around topless sculptures in either cultures

Now back to the flora part of the HortPark

A beautiful hibiscus flower

I almost didn’t see this lizard, it was actually quite well camouflaged into the color and texture of the tree

At the far end of the HortPark are two rows of Climatized Greenhouses which is the temporary home of the flora which would be part of the upcoming Gardens By the Bay at Marina.

The glass is quite reflective and the weather was quite erratic that day so I couldn’t really take much of the pictures from within the greenhouses

Lavender Star Flower

Blue Pea flower

This almost looks like a rambutan

The Horizontal Garden which is suitable for a land scare island nation like Singapore

There is a pond with kois and arrowanas at the front of the park near the visitors’ centre

Saying goodbye to the wooden monkey and the bended ginger flower, I made my way out of the park.

Entrance to the HortPark is free and it is opened between 6am to 10pm. It is a great place to enjoy the flora and fauna and pick up some gardening or landscaping tips there. They do contact regular seminars on gardening so if you are into such things, it is worth checking them out.

Isn’t it big ? I did not propped out the chicken cutlet to take this picture

Hot Star Large Fried Chicken is different. Their chicken cutlets are huge at probably 20 to 25cm long. There were some chicken ribs bones at the bottom of the cutlet so I suspected that they use the chicken breast sliced and nicely flatten before coating it with batter and frying.

When I ordered, they offered a choice of original or spicy which I naturally ordered the spicy. After payment, I was given a queue number. Apparently the chicken is only fried when you place the order so be prepared to wait about 10 minutes for it to be done. After which, they dusted it with white pepper powder and chilli powder before stuffing it into the paper bag and  handed it to me in the plastic carrier.

As it just came out from the hot boiling oil, it was certainly very hot. The chilli and pepper was kind of mild for me but I guess you cannot have both spicy and pipping hot and still survive after that without breaking out with a burnt tongue and perspiring profusely which would not look good. Good thing they do offer a choice of cold drinks of green tea, red tea or milk tea to accompany the chicken.  I had the green tea which was a tad bit sweet but nevertheless cold and refreshing, perfect with the chicken.

I cannot quite make out what the batter was but it is quite light. The chicken was surprisingly juicy and flavorful, I suspected they might have injected it with seasoning so that it does not taste bland. It took a while to finish it as it was really quite filling. Just remember to watch out for the rib cage bones so they are small and flat so not really cannot be missed. Overall, itt is very good. Too bad there is only one branch in Singapore because if you offer me a choice of the Hot Star Large Fried Chicken or the other fast food fried chicken, I would pick Hot Star any day.

The shop is located #B1-K7 of City Square Mall. The Original/Spicy Large Fried Chicken which I ordered cost S$4, they do have a lemon chicken which cost S$4.50. The Tea is S$1.70. They do offer a choice of a Combo Set for S$6.70 which includes 1 Large Fried Chicken, 1 drink and 1 Sweet Potato Fries with Plum Flavour.

In February 14 1942, the Japanese soldiers launched an attack on the patients and staffs of the hospital in retaliation of the retreating Allied Soldiers who they claimed fired on them. On that fateful day, a British Army officer who acted as an envoy approached the Japanese forces with a white flag and was bayonetted to death. When the Japanese soldiers approached the hospital, they massacred staffs, nurses and patients mercilessly. By the next morning, there were about 200 who died in the hospital. Even when the patients surrendered, the Japanese did not feel that the sick were worthy of life and bayonetted them to death. All in all, there were some 320 men and 1 woman who died during this period. There were 5 known survivors of the massacre, they were made to walk the long road to Changi where they were kept as Prisoners-of-war. Those who were unable to walk were wheel carted to their destination.

Alexandra Hospital is now a much better place. It is still a place of healing. There is a garden at the park in Alexandra Hospital which is spectacular. There are butterflies around but none of them want to stay stationary for me to take a picture of them. I guess they are too happy in the sun. The garden was created for the patients to get some sun, enjoy the natural therapy in their road to recovery. It is also opened to visitors to enjoy to take the stigma out of hospitals.

A playground for the young to enjoy

The Koi Pond in the middle of the Garden

The pictures of the different types of birds which were spotted in the garden

There is a butterfly trail in the garden where happy butterflies roam

The Stairs connecting the Bus Stop to the Alexandra Hospital

The Hospital amongst the greenery viewed from Alexandra Road

This used to be the KTM Railroad Crossing between the slip road next to Alexandra Hospital and the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE)

The currently constructed condominium project called “Interlace” from afar it does looks like different slabs of the building placed diagonally on top of each other. This was the former site of the Gillman Heights Condominium

Walking to my next location, Hort Park, I saw this two rather interesting road names, Bury Road and Royal Road. There are old black and white houses located in there which I believe was from the British Colonial Era

I alighted at Khatib MRT Station on the North South line and took a walk passing the Bottle Tree Park in Yishun. This park is owned by the same owners as the Bottle Tree Village in Sembawang

Across the fishing pond is a bottle tree

I did not enter the Bottle Tree Park this time around as it was drizzling and my main destination is the Lower Seletar Reservoir Park

Finally I reached my destination

The Lower Seletar Reservoir Park is a small 3 hectares park which features a 1.3km jogging track and a fishing jetty. There are two kayaking clubs which uses the reservoir. The Lower Seletar Reservoir was created in 1986 by damming the Seletar River.

The Fishing Platform is a popular fishing spot at this side of the reservoir. I was told that there are Peacock Bass, Toman and Soon Hock fishes in the waters. Fishing is free but there are certain ground rules such as no live baits, no nets and fishing is only permitted using the hook and line with artificial  baits.

You would not fail to see the several satellite dishes from the Singtel’s Seletar Teleport on the other side of the reservoir

The MRT Trains run parallel beside the mouth of the reservoir along Lentor Avenue. In the reservoir there is a isle which used to be packed with birds before the damming of the reservoir. It used to be an estuary leading to the open sea but now it is converted to a fresh water reservoir to cater to the water needs of Singapore

Although it was drizzling when I got there, there were two persons fishing in the early afternoon at the fishing jetty.

The kayaks alongside the banks of the reservoir with the Singapore Orchid Country Club Golf Course in the background

These looks like the Sea Coconut fruit

Approaching the Water Playground and Rain Garden

The Second Jetty

The Golf Course of the Singapore Orchid Country Club

Yishun Street 81 Housing Estate as viewed from the 2nd Jetty

Maps

View Larger Map

It will take about a 5 minute walk up the narrow road to the Kranji War Memorial located along Woodlands Road

The entrance of the Kranji War Memorial is unmarked

On the right lawn is the State Cemetery which holds the tomb of Singapore’s First and Second Presidents

President Yosof bin Ishak is Singapore’s First Head of State between 1959 to 1965 when Singapore was part of Malaysia and continues to serve as its First President after the separation from Malaysia on August 9th 1965 till November 23 1970 when he passed away. You would find his image all the current series of Singapore’s Currency Notes.

President Benjamin Henry Sheares serves as Singapore’s Second President from January 2nd 1971 to May 12th 1981. I remember seeing President Benjamin Sheares during one of my Red Cross Parade during my primary school. The Benjamin Sheares Bridge and a student residence hall in the National University of Singapore is named after him.

The steps up the Kranji War Memorial

The War Memorial is the final resting place for 4,458 allied servicemen who died during the Second World War in Singapore

During the 2nd World War, the soldiers of the allied forces making up of citizens from all over the British Commonwealth were united irregardless of race and religion in their concentrated effort in repelling the invading Japanese Forces. They lost their lives in fighting for our freedom.

On the both sides of the main memorial and the back are a common grave for a number of fallen allied servicemen during the 2nd World War

In the main memorial are inscribed the names of 24,000 allied soldiers who died during the war and whose body were never found

The Memorial Cross

On the far right side of the memorial lies the bodies of the Armed Forces and Polices who died during the Malayan Communist Insurgency (1948-1960) and the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation (1962-1966)

A plague which outline the day by day account of the 7 days of fighting during the second world war in Singapore leading up to its surrender

This is a plague in Memory of Members of Operation Rimau where in September 1944 during the Japanese Occupations, 23 British and Australian Allied Forces travelled by submarine to the outskirt of Singapore Harbour with the mission to destroy Japanese ships. Their vessel was incepted by the Japanese forces resulting in 13 members killed and the rest subsequently executed on July 7 1945

With sadness for the fallen soldiers who defended Singapore and a deeper appreciation for their dedication to fight for our freedom, I made my leave

If you are taking a bus, you can board any of these buses from the Kranji MRT Station on the station side and alight 2 stops after. The Kranji War Memorial opens from 7am to 6pm.

The view of the Kranji War Memorial from the bus stop

I hope that we will never see war again. Too much unnecessary lost of lives where hopes and dreams are cut short. It only leads to misery. Let’s remember what they have done and cherish our freedom. However in difficulties, we saw how much people of all races and religion united against the common enemy.

Maps

View Larger Map

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGpgLY3ZvcI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do9wsY8u1ms