Valley Road: Fill & Download for Free

‘We Buy Junk And Sell Antiques, Some Fools Buy Some Fools Sell.’Does that mean anything to you?That slogan from the signboard that struck my curiosity as every day I walked past this shop at a shophouse at River Valley Road, I can’t help but stop by one day, I asked a man 40something, crew cut, who was always very busy with his work, “Your slogan is very cool, Brother!”He said: “Not my idea, Australian customers gave me an idea, I don’t know English, I only can talk… Call me Ah Keng, what are you doing in Singapore?Me: “My office is upstairs.”I was amazed by what he had in the shop as there has been new stuff delivered to his shop all the time.I said to him, “Where in Singapore can you find all these brass marine clocks, and that vintage telescope is so beautiful?Ah, Keng: “I buy junk and Singaporeans throw their junk away every day, so I pick up,”Me: “But your Junk doesn’t look like junk at all.”Ah, Keng: “Of course, it looked like junk when I got it, they become antiques after I made good.”From that time on, I became a regular customer. As our friendship developed, Keng was down to earth and sincere and he took pride in his work. I would visit him if I could find time during all my trips to Singapore.Who would think modern Singapore would still have interesting curios and antique shops where one can find brass items, marine clocks, art déco sculptures and figurines, vintage gramophones, collectible photographs, colonial ornaments, and leather suitcases, you name it?Mr. Keng Ah Wong - Tong Mern Sern Antiques Arts & Crafts. Dealing with fools since 1972 at 51 Craig Road.The one and only, a hidden gem in Singapore.

Really surprised, nobody hasn’t mentioned Iran yet, a country which at least deserves to be in Top 5. Iran has deserts, yet forests, mountains, hills, beautiful lakes and plains.You can take a swim, relax on a warm beach, explore a desert, hike on a mountain and go skiing all within the same country!In southeastern Iran we’ve got the hottest place on earth, Dahst-e Lut, where the hottest temperature ever recorded was 74 degrees!If we move even further south, we get to see a new landscape, one filled with palms, beaches and canyons.A village in southern IranA beach in Kish IslandAn oasis in the middle of a desertBeach in Bandar AbbasNope, it’s not Grand Canyon, but Hayegher CanyonIf we move to northern Iran, we get to see this breathtaking scenery of astonishing mountains, ski resorts and valleys.Tehran, Iran’s capital, surrounded by mountainsA small village in a valleyRoad filled with snowA perfect ski resort in northern IranDizin Ski resortA perfect place to skiIf we move even further north, we get to see a new landscape filled with fertile plains and forests.A temperate rainforestA beautiful village in a mountainsideBisheh WaterfallA truly breathtaking view!

My favourite things in Toronto:Art Gallery of Ontario is free on Wednesdays 6-8:30pmTake your date to the Royal Ontario Museum on Friday night. Buy your tickets between 3-5:30pm, for discounted rates (ROM closes at 11pm that night)If you have a family, you can visit the AGO and the ROM and MORE Toronto venues for free through the Toronto Public Library. They offer family passes that you can checkout with your library card http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/museum-arts-passes/Toronto's Sculpture Garden (http://www.torontosculpturegarden.com/) and Cloud Gardens are calm retreats in the middle of the concrete jungleRosedale Valley Road is one of my favourite routes to take when I'm driving to or from the city. It's absolutely stunning.York University opens up its observatory to the public on Wednesday nights http://www.yorku.ca/observe/public.htm"Grown Ups Read Things They Wrote As Kids" is an annual meetup where adults sift through old journals, short stories, letters, etc. they wrote as kids and read them aloud. It's hilarious and adorable. http://www.grownupsreadthingstheywroteaskids.com/Dufflet Pastries' Tour de Dufflet offers a $5 bike tour of Toronto. All you need to do is visit one of their locations with your bike, they will give you a map and a punch card. You can cycle to each of their stores and receive a drink and a treat. The $5 goes to a charity as well! Runs May 22-June 30 http://tourdedufflet.blogspot.ca/