the lastsplash

Unbelievable! (Yeah, unbelievable incidents are happening quite often.) The driver fell asleep at the traffic junction! Several seconds after the light turned green, the car in front of us remained stationary. Even after many car horns sounded, there was no movement. Then a helpful worker, working along the road divider, took a look into the car and tapped the window. It drove off. The driver must had fallen asleep while waiting! When we overtook that car, we saw two passengers in it. Both asleep? We concluded that the soundproofing of the SBE3000E Mercedes-Benz must be excellent! And we counted ourselves lucky that the driver slept only when his car was stationary. :p

During the Social Studies class in primary school, we learn that most of the famous Arab families such as the Aljunied, Alsagoff, Alkaff, etc., had migrated to Singapore from Java, Indonesia. I had always been puzzled about their origin. Ain't Arabs supposed to be people from the Middle East or something? Today, the puzzle was unraveled. I visited the exhibition " Rihlah " at the National Libray Building level 10. "Rihlah" is the Arabic word for journey. The Arabs had originated from Hadhramuat , in modern-day Yemen. Between the 7th and 9th centuries, the Hadhramis travelled overseas, to East Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, as traders and religious leaders. Many settled in Java, Madura, Batavia (modern day Jakarta), and spread Islam to the region. With the opening of Singapore as a trading port, many migrated to Singapore from there. The exhibition tells the stories of their journeys to this region, and the exchange of their culture. It will be on till 10 Oct...

Unbelievable, the man standing beside me in the train wore exactly the same Tee as me - the "Fred Puppy"!