Showing posts with label Singapore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Singapore. Show all posts
6.12.09
Singapura - Indonesia
Singapore and Indonesia recently released a joint issue on the tourist attractions of the two countries.
Singapore decided to showcase the Merlion and Sentosa Island while Indonesia chose Taman Mini Indonesia Indah and the Singa Ambara Raja Statue.
The Merlion, the half-lion, half-fish symbol of Singapore, was installed in 1972. Its original location was by the Esplanade Bridge at the mouth of the Singapore River, just 120 meters from their present location. It was moved in 1997 because it could no longer be viewed clearly after the completion of the Esplanade bridge. On 28 Feb of this year, the lion was struck by lightning and broke into pieces. The Merlion you can see at Merlion Park today is sadly not the original.
Sentosa Island, a resort developed by the Singapore government to promote local and international tourism in Singapore, was a British military fortress until 1967, when it was handed over to the Singapore government after independence. It received its current name of "Sentosa," meaning "peace and tranquility" in Malay, in 1972.
Taman Mini Indonesia, which literally means "Beautiful Indonesian Miniature Park," is a 250-acre complex in eastern Jakarta that summarizes Indonesian culture and daily life. The park, opened in 1975, has pavilions that seek to encapsulate the grandeur of Indonesia. We had something similar in Manila called Nayong Pilipino (literally "Philippine Province", and it also opened in the 70s. However, it fell into decline after less and less visitors went and I believe it has shut down operations for a few years now. I wonder if Taman Mini Indonesia Indah will suffer the same fate?
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The Singa Ambara Raja Statue was inaugurated in 1971 to signify the historic struggle of the Singaraja people against Dutch colonization. It is the landmark of Singaraja City in northern Bali.
I received the issue from both countries. Unfortunately, though, I did not get the Singapore FDC. Both FDCs from Indonesia were unfortunately damaged by staple wire by a postal worker who decided to "close" the envelope since the sender forgot to seal it.
Singapore decided to showcase the Merlion and Sentosa Island while Indonesia chose Taman Mini Indonesia Indah and the Singa Ambara Raja Statue.
The Merlion, the half-lion, half-fish symbol of Singapore, was installed in 1972. Its original location was by the Esplanade Bridge at the mouth of the Singapore River, just 120 meters from their present location. It was moved in 1997 because it could no longer be viewed clearly after the completion of the Esplanade bridge. On 28 Feb of this year, the lion was struck by lightning and broke into pieces. The Merlion you can see at Merlion Park today is sadly not the original.
Sentosa Island, a resort developed by the Singapore government to promote local and international tourism in Singapore, was a British military fortress until 1967, when it was handed over to the Singapore government after independence. It received its current name of "Sentosa," meaning "peace and tranquility" in Malay, in 1972.
Taman Mini Indonesia, which literally means "Beautiful Indonesian Miniature Park," is a 250-acre complex in eastern Jakarta that summarizes Indonesian culture and daily life. The park, opened in 1975, has pavilions that seek to encapsulate the grandeur of Indonesia. We had something similar in Manila called Nayong Pilipino (literally "Philippine Province", and it also opened in the 70s. However, it fell into decline after less and less visitors went and I believe it has shut down operations for a few years now. I wonder if Taman Mini Indonesia Indah will suffer the same fate?
.jpg)
The Singa Ambara Raja Statue was inaugurated in 1971 to signify the historic struggle of the Singaraja people against Dutch colonization. It is the landmark of Singaraja City in northern Bali.
I received the issue from both countries. Unfortunately, though, I did not get the Singapore FDC. Both FDCs from Indonesia were unfortunately damaged by staple wire by a postal worker who decided to "close" the envelope since the sender forgot to seal it.
5.12.09
Singapura
I show you with great joy some great covers from the Lion City!
The first three are FDCs of the the Singapore-Philippine issue on bridges issued to commemorate forty years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Why they chose to show bridges is really beyond me, especially since bridges are not really as special to Philippine culture and history as the stamps may make them seem. In fact, I've never heard of these two bridges before.... But, since it's pointless to cry over spilled milk, let's move on.
The two stamps on Singapore bridges show the Henderson Waves, Alexandra Arch, and Cavenaugh Bridge. Henderson Waves and Alexandra Arch, both pedestrian footbridges, were opened in May 2008. Henderson Waves is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore.
Cavenaugh Bridge, which I had the pleasure of crossing during my short, one-night stay in Singapore, was built in 1868 to celebrate 50 years of the establishment of the Straits Settlements and also to connect the commercial side of the Singapore River to its civic side. Before this bridge was built, people often had to pay a quarter of a cent to hop onto a boat ride form one side to the other. Originally meant to be a suspension bridge, this fixed steel structure is the only bridge in Singapore that retains its original form to this very day. Originally, vehicles could pass through, but as traffic increased and vehicles got heavier, a law was passed to convert it into a strictly pedestrian affair. On one end of the Cavenaugh Bridge is the Fullerton Building, which was once the central post office and is now a hotel, and on the other end is the Museum of Asian Civilizations, which houses exhibits on Asian cultures of the past. Sadly, the museum opens at 13h00 on Mondays and I had to catch my 11 am flight! Nevertheless, because it connects the old post office with the Asian Civilizations museum, Cavenaugh Bridge is as of now my favorite bridge in Singapore (not that I've paid much attention to the others! haha)
Now, on to the Philippine Bridges which I don't think are worth putting on stamps (I mean, why not feature the San Juanico bridge instead?). The Bamban Bridge is found on the MacArthur Highway between Mabalacat, Pampanga, and Bamban, Tarlac. Apparently, it is the longest of its kind in the world.
The first three are FDCs of the the Singapore-Philippine issue on bridges issued to commemorate forty years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Why they chose to show bridges is really beyond me, especially since bridges are not really as special to Philippine culture and history as the stamps may make them seem. In fact, I've never heard of these two bridges before.... But, since it's pointless to cry over spilled milk, let's move on.
The two stamps on Singapore bridges show the Henderson Waves, Alexandra Arch, and Cavenaugh Bridge. Henderson Waves and Alexandra Arch, both pedestrian footbridges, were opened in May 2008. Henderson Waves is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore.
Cavenaugh Bridge, which I had the pleasure of crossing during my short, one-night stay in Singapore, was built in 1868 to celebrate 50 years of the establishment of the Straits Settlements and also to connect the commercial side of the Singapore River to its civic side. Before this bridge was built, people often had to pay a quarter of a cent to hop onto a boat ride form one side to the other. Originally meant to be a suspension bridge, this fixed steel structure is the only bridge in Singapore that retains its original form to this very day. Originally, vehicles could pass through, but as traffic increased and vehicles got heavier, a law was passed to convert it into a strictly pedestrian affair. On one end of the Cavenaugh Bridge is the Fullerton Building, which was once the central post office and is now a hotel, and on the other end is the Museum of Asian Civilizations, which houses exhibits on Asian cultures of the past. Sadly, the museum opens at 13h00 on Mondays and I had to catch my 11 am flight! Nevertheless, because it connects the old post office with the Asian Civilizations museum, Cavenaugh Bridge is as of now my favorite bridge in Singapore (not that I've paid much attention to the others! haha)
Now, on to the Philippine Bridges which I don't think are worth putting on stamps (I mean, why not feature the San Juanico bridge instead?). The Bamban Bridge is found on the MacArthur Highway between Mabalacat, Pampanga, and Bamban, Tarlac. Apparently, it is the longest of its kind in the world.
This next cover was sent from the Singapore Philatelic Museum. My visit to the museum was awesome because it was open house when I visited, which means free admission and some activities. To my surprise, the activities were about the Philippines! There was an entire exhibit room upstairs dedicated to Philippine culture, history, and stamps! It was really a coincidence! Downstairs there was a cooking session on Philippine food and I could hear that they were preparing Adobo or something like that. I myself couldn't try the food since there were so many people, which was also a surprise!
The stamps on the cover are 2 from the 4v set issued for the APEC 2009, which concluded the day before. I find it funny that I always seem to visit places when there is a conference of world dignitaries going on. When I went to Beijing in October 2008, the ASEM7 was ongoing, which meant that Tiananmen Square was unfortunately closed off! What a pity it was! Thankfully, nothing in Singapore that I wanted to go to was closed off.
The postmarks on this cover are great because they show the facade of the museum and they match the cachet for the Open House event! The design on the postmark the last time I visited 2 years ago was a post box. What makes the chops even more special is the fact that they were applied by yours truly! :-)
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This postcard was also sent from the museum. I asked the agent at the commemorative covers desk to apply the Open House cachet onto the postcard since I had nothing to write myself anyway! The postcard shows the Fullerton Building when it still served as the general post office decades ago.
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2.6.09
Singapore Today Part 2
Thanks to my friend Edmund Ong, I was finally able to complete my set of the Singapore Today issue, which was released on 09 Aug 2008 to celebrate National Day.
In this issue, to commemorate Singapore's National Day 2008, photos from 5 Cultural Medallion recipients : Mr David Tay, Mr Tan Lip Seng, Mr Chua Soon Bin, Mr Foo Tee Jun and Mr Teo Bee Yen were specially reproduced. All the stamps depict pictures from these 5 photographers capturing various scenes of Singapore.
The Cultural Medallion was introduced in 1979 to recognize those who have achieved in their field of art. The first Cultural Medallion for photography as given in 1982 to David Tray.
In this issue, to commemorate Singapore's National Day 2008, photos from 5 Cultural Medallion recipients : Mr David Tay, Mr Tan Lip Seng, Mr Chua Soon Bin, Mr Foo Tee Jun and Mr Teo Bee Yen were specially reproduced. All the stamps depict pictures from these 5 photographers capturing various scenes of Singapore.
The Cultural Medallion was introduced in 1979 to recognize those who have achieved in their field of art. The first Cultural Medallion for photography as given in 1982 to David Tray.
The second envelope, sent to me a few months back, is from Florence Low.
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