A Special Place

Just at the end of my street lies a pocket of nature known as Fort Canning Park. It's steeped in history dating back to Singapore's inconsequential existence as a fishing village in the 15th century. This 60m hill was known as Bukit Larangan (Forbidden Hill) when Stamford Raffles set foot on the island, and subsequently became the site of his first home.

One afternoon last week, I was looking to retreat from the bustle of my city home and decided to spend a few hours in the quietness of Mother Nature. And I couldn't have wished for a more private oasis.

Fort Canning was home to my father during the years that he was based in Singapore as part of the Malaysian signals in the 1960s. On his last visit here, Daddy discovered that his barracks had been converted into the visitor centre, while his offices are now part of the salubrious Fort Canning Hotel.

I spent a lovely afternoon sitting on a wall hidden under a canopy of trees quietly thinking about the past, present and future. I counted my blessings, thought about my business, sang a few songs and was even inspired to pull out some oil pastels to capture the moment.

That afternoon, I found one of my favourite places in Singapore.