11/10 – Margaret Drive (24 Apr 10)

Allan and I thought we were early but Vincent was already waiting at Ridout Tea Garden (previously known as Queenstown Japanese Garden) car park, smiling at us as we drove into the car park. While waiting for the rest of the avid photographers to fall in, I gobbled up a Sausage McMuffin with Egg from McDonalds and it was all Hazel’s fault! Tony arrived at the last minute and he probably knew we had breakfast already so he did not bring any this time. I am writing with my tongue-in-cheek, of course. Nevertheless, we welcome his camaraderie with cordial greetings and smiles.

It was 0730 hrs and a few eager photographers set off before us while we waited for another 5 minutes for another buddy. We caught up shortly via a short cut to our green playground. I grew up in Margaret Drive. It was down memory lane, at least for me. As we walked deeper into the vast piece of green land, it brought back plenty of sentimental memories. I remember vividly there were at least 3 short public housing blocks and a unsophisticated playground where I stood. Carefree children would play endlessly and when it was time for lunch or dinner, their mothers would shout from the common corridor for them to go home.

We dispersed into smaller groups. Along the way, we spotted an Exoskeleton of a small hopper (left), Day Flying Moths, Tusock Moths, Male Crab Spider with a Prey, flat white Moth, a blue Dragonfly, Fighting Spiders, Butterflies and Chameleons.

The cream of the crop during this IMOG was a very tiny Moth (below). From a distance, it looked like a Jumping Spider from the side view because you could see 4 black dots that resembled the eyes of a Jumping Spider.

What started out as a cool morning turned out to be a humid and sweaty late mid-morning. We ended early in view of the inhospitable weather and walked to the hawker centre at Block 40A Margaret Drive for some nostalgic food that I have not savoured for years.

Present : Vincent See, Chue Pui Syn, Shereen Ng, Tan Peck Kheng, Allan Lee, Joshua Fong, Eugene Hu, Ko Kyaw Htay, Yeo Tang Lim, Kelvin Loke, Ong Wee Shien, Hazel Han, Tony Png and Sharon S. Lim (Team Leader)