Morning exercise @ Nanyang Technology University (NTU)

It is one of the weekends where I don't have to rush back to hospital for morning round. Hence, my wife and I decided to go NTU for our routine brisk walking exercise.

Reached Hall 12 car park at 7.50am, and started our walking exercise along the "Blue" exercise track. 

Fortunately for us, it was a shady/cloudy morning. Otherwise, we would have been scorched by the sun after a 2-hour walk. 

The scenery along the "Blue" track was quite pleasant ... we explored Yunnan Garden, Admin Building and iconic The Hive (aka Dim Sum basket) along the way.

Hall 12 

Blue exercise track

Scenery along the exercise track...

Acting cool...

Sport & Recreation Centre along the way...

Yunnan Garden @ NTU with replica of NTU Arch...

Memorial Tablet commerating the establishment of Nantah

Replica of the Iconic Arch

Old Administration Building, which has now being converted into 华裔馆。

And finally, the iconic The Hives (a must go place for tourists)...

We gave Nantah Lake a miss as it was getting hot and humid in late morning. Walked back to Hall 12 car park, picked up CK, and drove to Taman Jurong Hawker Centre for breakfast.

Nantah Lake @ Nanyang Lake 南大湖

桃花依旧，人面全非。

Of course there is no peach blossom in Nanyang Technological University (NTU), but it is an apt description of the transformation of Nantah Lake in recent years.

It is a total transformation, akin to that of total revamp, with no traces of old Nantah Lake left. 

What used to be a vast expanse of lake, with the water alternating between muddy and green colours depending on the seasonal weather, surrounded by walking paths dotted with benches, is now replaced with "cascading" ponds, accessible by wheelchair friendly boardwalk. 

view from a look-out point, that used to be main bus stop for Nantah

cascading landscape

Yes, the new landscape is more eco-friendly (apparently has water filtering function - filtering the water upstream of contaminants as it cascade downstream, to water the vegetations in Yunnan Garden downstream). However, to old folks who harbour fond memories of the old Nantah Lake, this may be a disappointment. No trace of sentimental nostalgia left... none at all!

This is certainly not the Nantah Lake that both my wife and I remember.

My wife came across the lake when she came to Nanyang Universtiy with her fellow classmates (apparently playing truant at school during those rebellious years), while I was the studious/nerdy student staying in Block 10 (residential hall) for hostelites.

Well, that's different between a housewife and a doctor ... as my wife lamented!

Walking down memory lane... visiting Blk 10 @ NTU

CJ has been staying in Residential Hall in NTU for the past 1 year. I have driven him to and fro NTU and our house for countless time.

I stayed in Block 10 of old Nanyang University 40 years ago, in my JC 1 (Junior College Year One). I shared the room with fellow Chung Ling classmate, Say Yeong. We shared a common toilet/bathroom with another two fellow Chung Ling classmates in adjacent room. 

Many new buildings and residential halls have been built, and the roads and landscapes have been changed drastically over the past 40 years. I have been trying to locate Block 10 residential hall for many times, but without any success.

This morning, after sending CJ back to his room, my wife and I went exploring NTU again. Finally, we managed to locate the elusive Block 10.

Block 10 Residential Unit

The tennis court where we sang National Anthem during National Day

Corridor leading to my room, 3rd from the end of the corridor

The external facade of the building and colours of the paint remain the same as before, but the floor tiles and internal decor of the room have changed somewhat. The room now comes with build in study table /book shelf. The building still looks very sturdy!

Just imagine, it was four decades ago when I first ventured into Singapore, and this was my very first place of residence, my "home"!

Me, standing in front of my old room