Death and life

To Labrador Park and Anderson Bridge, 68 km.

Ride #1 A puffer fish puffs up to look fierce. But it's just puffery. When defeated, it's deflated. The impregnable fortress Singapore too, was defeated. Besides deflating British egos, there was death when the Japanese visited in World War 2. About 70 Togoparts bikers tour Labrador Park, Bukit Chandu and Hong Lim to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of Syonan-to, when Japanese colony reverted to British colony. Our guide Arnhem says if the US hadn't nuked Japan, some of us might not be around , as our parents mightn't have survived a longer Japanese occupation.

Ride #2 No one survives AIDS, but that shouldn't mean a living death for those with AIDs. I join a fundraising treasure hunt (a sideshow to Riding for Life's Kuala Lumpur-Singapore ride), with four teams of four cyclists each. We get one of the four checkpoints totally wrong, but all the AIDS questions right. My team is the first back, but we're ranked third, which is fine because third prize is better than first prize. Today's highlights: meeting Togoparts' moderators Arnhem, Wandie and Zishin. Being recognised by a fan with beauty, brawn and brains. Winning a Camelbak (the first time I own one).