In Search of the Elusive Court at Hougang!

ShineSun had stimulated sufficient interest in me about his excited finds of brand new public courts in Hougang that I decided to pay it a visit last Saturday, after viewing a repeat telecast of the PICC China Open Finals which started at 12 pm and ended at about 5 pm.

As I'm not too familiar with Hougang, it took me a long time to search for some of the badminton courts that ShineSun mentioned in his other post. I could not locate any initially. And I was also distracted by so much happenings at and around Hougang Central and the 'pasar malam' or night markets which were so full of life. And some of the buildings along the way were just irresistible for my camera!

But I managed a last attempt to look for the court at Blk 928 which SS raved about. I found it at long last! It was supposedly at Avenue 10, but was more accurately known as Hougang Central. And it could be seen from the main road with Blk 925 as the marker. But I came from the other more circuitous way, negotiating between the apartment blocks before I finally found the elusive court. I almost fell for a miniature court located in the Community Hall, but remembered that SS emphasized it was in the open and not sheltered.

Indeed, this court was cool at night with hardly any wind as it was well surrounded and protected by the high-rise HDB apartments on all four directions including the side facing the road. Surprising the lights were still on despite the late hour, past 10 pm. And an Indian couple were happily engaged with bouncing the bird to and fro in their most unorthodox style. They had dispensed with the net and the court looked brand new indeed! But its still remains a badminton-cum-sepak takraw court!

Here are some pics of my visit:

 

Yes, I think it will really take some time getting used to the lighting. Probably best to play from 5 - 7 pm, natural light permitting.

The court is concrete coated with a thin layer of 'rubberized' green paint. Most of the other public courts are built and surface-treated somewhat the same.

 

Well, as I've said in my post, Hougang is new to me also and there are many parts of tiny Singapore that I've never been to. But in time, I'll try to cover as much as possible with my constant companion, my DSLR.

If not for ShineSun, I probably wouldn't have visited Hougang this soon. But I'll go back again with SS as the tour guide the next time.

Hougang was amazing last Saturday night! Full of life and unexpected encounters at the pasar malam - like the song stage in one of the pics which reminds me of the variety shows in the Fifties and Sixties. The Chinese Medicine Man and the Auction Man never failed to attract the crowds. And the 'One-Dollar $' stalls prompted me to buy at least something like the wooden hammer with a massager made of rubber spikes. Good for relaxing the limbs, neck and back whilst watching TV.

But there are also the modern shopping malls, like the nearby Hougang Mall at Hougang Central to satisfy the varied needs of shoppers and visitors. And even when I was on my way home, I couldn't resist stopping by at the good old coffee shop, sipping coffee and enjoying the live telecast of the Arsenal-Wigan 5-goal game with a new-found, soccer-mad Indian acquaintance.