[Pulau Ubin]
1 Last Sunday, my wife and I decided at the spur of the moment to take an American friend for dinner at Pulau Ubin. The ferry terminal at Changi Point is only five minutes away from my house. Including my three sons, there were six of us waiting for the bumboat. Once there were twelve passengers, we launched off. The fare was only $2 per person. It was a pleasant ride and before we knew it, we had arrived at the Ubin jetty. We wanted to see the mangrove wetland at Kampong Che Jawa but it was past closing time. Instead, we walked around the village while my kids rented bicycles from a man who was once my NS Storeman at Signal Support Company, 3 Signal Battalion in 1978. Imagine meeting him again after 30 years!



2. Pulau Ubin is redolent of old Singapore. Even the mangy stray dogs at the jetty looked like they were from the past. But that is all part of the charm, escaping to an island without the need for a passport or having to worry about the things Singaporeans are concerned with when they travel overseas.



3. At 7pm, we had dinner at First Stop Restaurant, which is my regular restaurant on the island. It is in an old house which was once an opium shop before the War. The owner asked to take a picture. He had one with me taken some years ago pinned up on one of the walls. The food, as always, was excellent. We over-ordered. The mussels (the grey variety, not the green ones) were fresh, juicy and delicious.

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