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Common Flashwing (Vestalis amethystina)
The Common Flashwing (Vestalis amethystina) is a forest damselfly that can be found from southern Thailand, Malay Peninsula to Sumatra. In Singapore, it can commonly be seen along streams and trails in the nature reserves, such as the Wallace Trail at Dairy Farm Nature Park. This beautiful damselfly is just one of many amazing fauna that you can find in the natural habitats of our forests. Its iridescent purple wings only sparkle under sunlight, and it is harder to spot in shaded areas where it can appear dull.
The Rockin’ Outdoors: Concerts At Fort Canning
(Photo by Amos Wong for LAMC Productions)
(Photo by Amos Wong for LAMC Productions)
(Photo by Aloysius Lim for LAMC Productions)
(Photo by Amos Wong for LAMC Productions)
Fort Canning Park has hosted countless concerts and music festivals over the years. From WOMAD in the last decade to the globally-broadcasted F1 Rocks in 2009, and even the high energy Deftones gig earlier this year – this historical park routinely packs in the crowds for sell-out concerts.
You might wonder: why would concertgoers brave Singapore’s renowned humidity and volatile weather, to rock out in an open-air setting? Besides the unique atmosphere created by the age-old trees, screening the venue from its surrounding cityscape, there are a number of practical reasons for its popularity.
For one, the location is amazingly central. “It’s right smack in between two critical MRT stations –City Hall and Dhoby Ghaut!” raved Adnan Khan, 24, a rock music fan. “You can also kick back in a cab after the concert; cabbies often pick up concert details from radio advertisements and wait around the area.”
The affordable ticket prices are extremely appealing for students like Melissa Tan, 23. “I guess it’s cheaper at Fort Canning Green because there is no need to maintain the seats, lights, or sound system. Just set up, perform, tear down,” she mused. And unlike the tiered pricing of concert tickets at other venues, events at Fort Canning are priced ‘democratically’, with one price for all tickets.
Since the concerts are effectively free-seating (and free-standing), there is greater freedom of movement to move, dance, and even sing. Dahlan Abdul Khamis, 21, is a self-professed bathroom crooner who secretly enjoys singing along at concerts. “The good thing about Fort Canning Park is that there are no seats and no ushers, and I don’t get embarrassed,” he laughs.
And there are some who love the venue for the unpredictability of its atmosphere, and not in spite of it. Some, like Siti Salleha Rashid, 25, enjoy living dangerously: “I like to wing it – if it rains, it rains. It’s more memorable that way.” This was the general vibe during the Laneway Festival – also affectionately referred to as ‘Mudfest’ – in January this year. Barefoot and wet, the crowd danced with their feet ankle-deep in mud: punching the air with one hand, clutching a soggy beer in the other.
Clearly, nothing stands between die-hard music fans and a rockin’ gig at Fort Canning Park. And it’s safe to say that there’ll be smiles on their faces afterward – regardless of sweaty clothes and mud-caked shoes.
By Hidayah Ahmad
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