Merry Christmas!
December 23, 2011 at 3:06 pm | Posted in itchy fingers | Leave a commentTags: Animals, Arts, Christmas, Design, Festives
Itchyfingers would like to take this opportunity to thank our friends and readers for the support that you have given to us for the past years. In slightly more than a week, we will be welcoming the year 2012 and we hope that it will be a better year for all! Here’s wishing everyone a happy holiday!
Season Greeting with Itchyfingers’ latest creation
Also see related post:
> Itchyfingers‘ Creation Up for Adoption
Have a Roaring Good Year!
December 31, 2009 at 11:38 am | Posted in itchy fingers | Leave a commentTags: Animals, Christmas, Uniquely Singapore
The place where Itchyfingers work had a special cafe opened few weeks ago. The first thing that caught Itchyfingers’ eyes were not the colourful chalkboard promo nor the Japanese Manga characters themed leaflets and stickers. Rather it was the unusual display of a big stuffed toy. Took a peep inside..and gosh…! It was another of those kinky cafes with girls dressed up as maids…goodness. Out of curiosity, my colleague wanted to check out the menu. They were not officially opened yet, so the ‘Maids’ were idling around, just standing there looking pretty. The first thing my colleague asked was, “What do you sell here?” I almost flipped…hahah…It just sounded weird to me to ask that question…I mean, do you expect gourmet dishes in this kinda cafe? :D? Anyway, all I could remember on their menu was some sort of cake that the ‘Maids’ said they would hand-decorate with cute designs or something like that, the rest of the items were kinda forgettable…anyway, Itchyfingers not really a foodie.. :p
Ok, back to that unusual window display that caught my eyes…It was a near life-sized White Tiger… :O
A White Tiger in Afro wig lying on an inflated banana…! Faint…
So everyday on the way to office, I would pass by the shop and look at the White Tiger. During the festive season, the White Tiger had a new look…
What’s with the stuffed toy bananas on the tree? Hahah…so funny…The
morning light was a bit harsh huh…alamak..can you see my shadow? :p
But that was the only time I could photograph before they open at noon…
wouldn’t want the ‘Maids’ to think I was taking their photos…hahah…
Let’s see how they will dress up the White Tiger during Chinese New Year…hahah…
Acutally come to think about it, the stuffed White Tiger was quite well done….
Compare with our Bengal White Tiger, Omar, from the zoo. White Tigers
are simply beautiful… 🙂
On this last day of 2009, Itchyfingers wish everyone a better and happier 2010! 8)
Private Lives: An Exposé of Singapore’s Mangroves
December 23, 2008 at 12:54 am | Posted in itchy mouth | Leave a commentTags: Books, Christmas, Education, Environment, Gift Ideas, Nature, News
Itchyfingers first visited the mangroves at Sungei Buloh in the 90s with some friends. We didn’t know much about the plants, insects and birds then but it was a really fun experience for city dweller like me. After joining the Nature Society (Singapore), I had more chances to explore other mangroves to learn more about the lives there. But never did I expect years later, Itchyfingers would be able to be part of the team with the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) to do a book on lives of the mangroves in Singapore.
After about two months, with numerous rounds of text and layout changes, finally, on the 24th of November, the book was launched by Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources at NUS.
My first book
Singapore used to have many mangroves area but today we are left with about 5 per cent of that. Mention mangroves and many people would think of it as muddy, smelly and full of mosquitoes and would never give it a second thought whenever mangroves had to give way to development. The tsunami in 2004 was a rude awakening to many of the importance of mangroves as a natural barrier to the destructive waves. Many of the food that we eat (like fish, prawns and crabs) also come from the mangroves. Plants from mangroves are also important – we get charcoal from the wood of Bakau and atap chee from the seeds of Nipah Palm.
Straits Times report, 22 Nov 08
Straits Times report, 25 Nov 08
Chapter divider with the Shore Pit-viper, a venomous snake. Itchyfingers were
lucky to see it just one month ago
Divider with the Smooth Otter that Itchyfingers saw just the day before…
Some of the birds that can be found in the mangrove habitat
Look out for the different kinds of root system the next time you visit a mangrove!
Some mangrove trees like the one above are called the ‘firefly mangroves’ as they are congregated by fireflies after dark for light display. I had seen the fireflies display at a Malaysia mangroves and they really looked like christmas tree lightings! 😀
If you would like to learn more of the amazing lives of mangroves, Private Lives is definitely a good book to begin with. Christmas is a season of sharing and giving, and the sharing of knowledge certainly would bring much joy to your loved ones!
Private Lives: An Exposé of Singapore’s Mangroves is now available at Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, NUS. Er, Itchyfingers dun get commission for passing this piece of lobang around hor! Hahahah…. 8)
Also see related posts:
> Star Appearance at the Wetland
> Smooth Sailor in the Wetland
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