Monday is usually the day when the weekend feels so far away, and I think many of us can agree that Monday blues are real! 😅
So this evening, instead of simply going home after work, I decided that I wanted to change my mood a little. Sometimes all it takes is a simple walk, a bicycle ride, and a camera to turn an ordinary weekday into something more exciting.
And for tonight’s little adventure, I headed to Aljunied.
Aljunied may not have the fancy skyscrapers of Shenton Way or the polished business district atmosphere of Raffles Place, but I think that is exactly what makes this area interesting. It has its own kind of city vibe—busy roads, older shophouses, restaurants, colorful signs, bicycles parked everywhere, and plenty of people going about their evening.
It feels very real and very Singapore.
After work, I rented a HelloRide bicycle and started cycling towards Aljunied. While waiting at one of the intersections, I noticed that the sky was still beautifully blue.
The sunset itself wasn't spectacular, but I actually liked the simplicity of the scene. The blue-hour sky, glowing street lamps, moving cars, and huge trees somehow transformed a normal intersection into something worth photographing.
Sometimes we don't really need an incredible landmark to make an interesting photo. We just need to look at an ordinary place from another perspective.
Along the way, I also took a few photos of the taller buildings before eventually reaching Aljunied MRT Station.
After parking my bicycle, I spent some time walking around the station and checking out possible photography angles.
I particularly enjoyed the bicycle parking area. There were so many bicycles lined up beside one another that they created plenty of leading lines, patterns, and symmetry. From a lower angle, the rows of wheels seemed to stretch endlessly towards the buildings in the distance.
These are the little details that make photo walks enjoyable for me. I can probably pass through this place many times without thinking about it, but once I bring out my camera, suddenly I start noticing shapes, lights, reflections, and interesting angles everywhere.
Eventually, the bright neon lights from the row of shophouses across the station caught my attention.
Of course, I had to walk over and explore!
The restaurants and shop signs were glowing against the darkening blue sky, giving the street a lively atmosphere. Then I noticed a nicely polished yellow car parked right in front of all those colorful lights.
With the neon lights reflecting across the car, the entire scene suddenly gave me some Fast & Furious vibes LOL. 😆
It also made me realize that sometimes it doesn't really matter what car is parked there. Put almost any nicely polished car in front of vibrant neon lights and suddenly the scene looks cinematic!
After all that walking and taking photos, my appetite was already through the roof.
So naturally, the best way to finish my photo walk was with a good meal. I ordered a generous plate with rice, meat, egg, and other dishes, and everything cost me around SGD 6.30.
Not bad at all considering how much food was on my plate!
In the end, this simple evening reminded me that a Monday doesn't always have to feel boring. Sometimes a short bicycle ride, a camera, some city lights, and a satisfying meal are enough to make the beginning of the week feel much better.
