One of my Aussie friends came to visit me in January 2020 and I remember telling her, “Shauna, I hope you know how much I love you yeah, I come to Gardens by the Bay so often for work but I'm still going to accompany you today. This is my 5th time here in the last 2 months! ”
I thought it would be another mundane trip down to GBTB, going through the motions but boy oh boy, I was SO wrong.
Going to GBTB as a “tourist” and not as a photographer, I found myself appreciating Cloud Forest's architecture more and being blown away by the garden’s artistry in the Flower Dome. Impressed with the man-made beauty. This was a refreshing feeling, going to GBTB without having to think of work. This trip to GBTB definitely humbled me and gave me a good life lesson to always live life in the present and to the fullest. Unlearn and learn again. That's how we grow, isn't it?
A month later, I was back at GBTB to photograph my University friend’s maternity shoot and I kept reminding myself to put on a new lens for a different perspective to capture more interesting composition. :)
This maternity shoot, was an extremely happy day for us lol because there were NO TOURISTS! We had an empty GBTB all by ourselves! It felt like my client has booked the entire dome for this shoot, just like what you would usually see in Korean dramas. hahaha!
In February 2020, Covid-19 cases have not shot through the roof in Singapore yet but our government was already taking precautions banning short term travelers and Chinese tourists from entering into Singapore, thus the empty gbtb.
We were really lucky that day, not only was it empty, we managed to see the beautiful sunrays in the dome too! :)
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In hindsight, I also felt a little sad because how can Singapore survive without tourists? :(
I hope Covid-19 pandemic will stabilise soon and we can resume travels again.
Just take a look at this tourist singing so much praises about MBS and GBTB. It is amazing… I watched this at the start of Circuit Breaker and I remember bawling my eyes out. Have I taken my country for granted?
Hopefully, I will ALWAYS put on a curious lens - going to popular tourist attractions in Singapore like it is always my first time.
Never lose our childlike wonder. Stay curious and fascinated.
Till next time,
Clara Tan
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