I have mixed feelings about MacRitchie.
While the greenery is a delight to immerse yourself in, there is always the spectre of effort expended when it comes to MacRitchie. Growing up, I used to have cross-country runs in MacRitchie as part of the school’s athletic programme. Not meant for the long distance haul, I would slip and slide along, trying to keep from barging into the boys in front and hoping nobody would tread on my heels as I worked my way further back in the field.
The second half of the run was along Lornie Road; another stretch of painful, lung busting, with cars whizzing by.
Finally, I’d stagger to the finish, and while doubled over catching my breath and uncertain whether death might have been a more acceptable outcome, I’d invariably meet the gazelle posing as my classmate Foo, who would have finished the race effortlessly and well in the lead, and itching to do it again.
Even if my memories of MacRitchie are of discomfort, it’s still a blessed patch of green on this island of curated foliage purposefully dropped into selected spaces to ensure the “city in a garden” moniker makes sense.
MacRitchie is a natural doorway to nature, where manmade elements have been included (along with signage) so as not to displace this position.
The Rail Issue
When plans for the Cross Island MRT Line (CRL) were suddenly thrust at us, the reaction from the community was almost immediate. In the pursuit of progress, what the tunnelling would do to the biodiversity seemed of scant concern.
The idea of a train running underfoot didn’t fill me with any sense of awe.
Fortunately, the public resistance to the line running through a nature reserve has initiated a discussion to fully understand the impact of the CRL on MacRitchie.
In the spirit of public spiritedness, a few members of the creative community have come together to raise awareness of MacRitchie.
The Future Of MacRitchie (futureofmacritchie.storm.sg) is the brainchild of Jazz singer, Rani Singam. She has pulled together other performers for this free hour-long concert, which takes place on 19 November (Saturday), from 5pm at the Reservoir Deck , MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
Artists performing that afternoon are The Pangolins (Rani Singam & Andrew Lim), Karmahead (Art Fazil & Bobby Singh), Jack & Rai, and Farisha Ishak.
Actress Debra Teng will host the event.
“We have lost too much of our history and nature in the name development and progress already,” says Debra.
“As a developed and progressive nation, let’s begin to be conscious of the impact of our footprints on this land and work together to save our scarce and beautiful nature from ourselves.”
Spread the word and share the information about this free concert. Visit futureofmacritchie.storm.sg to register for the concert, take part in the poll and sign up for the walks.
