(new) journey to the east

I wasn't too keen on making the mopping up of the product of Bingo's bout of diarrhoea be the highlight of the first day of the new year, and the weather was accomodating enough and i had time enough to cycle down to ecp (um ok actually i've like almost all of my supposed initial ht readings left to do) and then explore part of the new eastern S'pore park connector thingy that has recently opened up - went up to Changi Village and back again just to have a look see...

The interesting thing for me is that this new connector runs parallel to my old usual cycling route, which is basically along the road hugging the perimeter fence of Changi Airport. While on the one hand this new route is much safer (where one runs far less a risk of kena langga by a speeding car), better lit and even has strategically-located shelters every km or so; it somehow strikes me as too sanitized in a way, perhaps making things too easy - it feels like one has accomplished something when using the old route and successfully making one's way to Changi Village and back, but now any average cyclist could make the journey as long as he/she has enough patience + energy to do so. And i guess that's why i've my reservations about the new route - there are too many people traveling between ecp and Changi Village now (granted it was new year's day today) - the fan of solitude that i am now has one less quiet place to retreat to... But i guess this also opens up safer possibilities for future night cycling expeditions so it's not all bad...

And while we're talking about cycling - today i encountered far too many people who are practically strolling hand-in-hand on the cycling path, making cyclists like me swerve constantly from side to side. How inconsiderate - i'd half a mind to stop and scold them there and then but ah i guess that wouldn't be very nice - for now i settle for giving annoyed glares, which of course doesn't really work cos my annoyed glares don't get seen by them since when i give them either their back is to me or my back is to them... However, i draw the line when it comes to little children on training bikes who happily work way across the bike lanes blissfully unaware of the annoyed cyclists trying to avoid banging into them. Of course, it's not really their fault, they are children after all (that doesn't mean i've had a change of heart and like children now) but their parents ought to do more... To make me a bit more satisfied however i try to screech my brakes as loudly as possible whenever one of these annoying children cross my path, so as to alert their parents and hopefully milk at least a slight chide of their children from them - eh dunno if that's mean, but boy does it feel good to do that :)