The park in my backyard

Some of you might have read about Ang Mo Kio Town West Garden park in the news recently – a 64-year-old man was allegedly killed by a teenager who was under the influence of drugs. Subsequent news reports highlighted that teenagers, sometimes in their school uniforms, are occasionally seen glue-sniffing in the bushes there.

Well, I happen to live close by, but I'm ashamed to say that I rarely pass by and have never seen the plastic bags used by the sniffers littered on the grass there. Not that I want to see them though.

A loving elderly couple taking a stroll in the park on a sunny Thursday morning in the Ang Mo Kio Town West Garden park.

I did actually go for a morning walk there in April, in a bid to finish using up a roll of film. There weren’t a lot of people around, but just enough activity to keep me snapping the 13 frames I had to expend.

I thought I was very early that morning, setting out at about 8am, but my mother later told me most of the elderly folks who go there for their early exercises usually finish by 7am.

I’m hoping to go there again at 6am some day to capture those scenes… let’s just say I’ve been busy recently. :p

The bird cage hanging area is quite a hit here, with many hobbyists converging here to show off their prized tweets.

A group of woman gossiping chatting under a pavilion.

A woman stretching herself out in a quiet spot.

A man doing morning exercises to music, at the foot of a long flight of stairs up the hill. He was with two companions who couldn’t be seen from this angle.

The playground is quiet at this time of day. Apparently it comes to life after school hours, according to my mum. It is rare to find a sandy playground like this these days, I believe.

If you’re tired, there are plenty of benches for you to rest on.

Now that I think of it though, this park is indeed a good place for disillusioned teens to sniff glue or consume drugs. It is big and full of little paths that lead into obscured spots that your typical morning or evening jogger wouldn’t pass by. I just hope the latest incident will spur the authorities to look further into this problem.

Well now, how is the nearest park near your home like?