Ubin Day turns Pesta Ubin!

Last year we wrote about the revival of Ubin Day in 2014, more than a decade after its inception in 2002. Since then, Ubin Day just kept growing! In 2015, it became Ubin Day Weekend where the non-stop activities were held over both Saturday and Sunday. But all of us Ubin lovers just couldn't get enough of it and so this year 2016, Ubin Day has become a five-week long Ubin open house known as Pesta Ubin, from the month of May to June!

Pesta, pronounced ‘Pays-ta’, is Malay for festival or party. Pesta often describes festivities that bring a community together, such as a wedding; or a cultural celebration and there is no better word to describe how this wonderful event is bringing the community together!

This is not just a specialised niche event reaching out to nature lovers, or an outdoors adventure event, or yet another heritage event. It has something for everyone who loves something about this wonderful granite island or has something to do with this last wild frontier and rural kampong - from delicious seafood to farm tours to heritage and temple celebrations to world premiere of new movies! From the kayakers to the stargazers, there is just something for everyone. And nothing brings together people from all walks and all interests together in the same place like Pulau Ubin.

For the past 2 ubin days, I was only able to help out behind the scenes as the social media manager, updating and coordinating updates to facebook and the blog from home, away from the action in Ubin as I was pregnant one year, and juggling an infant the next. This year, the Ubin Stories team is one toddler stronger and we will be guiding at the Balik Chek Jawa event on Sunday 5 June! This will be the son's first sojourn to ubin with ubin grandma and mummy! I am looking forward to being reunited with the fibre glass dugongs from the 2008 May Day Dugong Ambassadors Outreach at Chek Jawa as well as friends involved in Chek Jawa since pre-reclamation deferment till today! From old friends such as the pedal ubin guides who will be helping to bring you on bicycles to Chek Jawa and the Naked Hermit Crabs who will be wandering as guides throughout the boardwalks, to new friends such as the Restore Ubin Mangroves (R.U.M.) Initiative which was started in 2014.

With my mom with me at Balik Chek Jawa, we hope to share stories about Ubin, maybe meet old classmates, neighbors (or relatives I never knew I had!) and hope to collect stories you have on Ubin! If you have or had family and relatives from Ubin, bring them and we hope to meet you at Balik Chek Jawa to hear your stories. See you there!

Ubin Day: Past, present and future

Past: 2002 and 2003

Ubin Day was first held in April 2002 organised by Grant Pereira with the Singapore Environment Council (SEC). Activities consisted of educational workshops, talks and performances at the wayang stage. It focused on teaching participants on how to conserve natural resources and to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Dikir Barat at the Wayang Stage

SEC Tent

Can Sculpture by Students

Images by Juliana Yasin

Revival: Ubin Day 2014, 30 November

Ubin Day Badge design by Rebecca Lee,
Graduate of School of the Arts

After a decade of hiatus, Ubin Day has come a long way since 2003 due to the support of 31 organising groups. Thank you to all that contributed activities and without whom Ubin Day 2014 would not have been possible! A day dedicated to celebrating the natural heritage of Pulau Ubin, it was a Sunday for all to have fun and leave their troubles behind on the mainland.

The programme board designed by Rebecca Lee and Sankar Ananthanarayanan.

List of the types of activities:

• Art
• Birdwatching
• Cycling
• Exhibitions
• Fly fishing demonstration
• Guided tours
• Mountain biking
• Kayaking
• Performances
• Photography
• Stargazing
• Talk on Kampong Houses
• Workshops

The day was officially opened by PM Lee who spent the day engaging in various activities around the island!

Opening speech

The PM looking at a baby dugong

PM engaging in conversation with one of the founders of
Ubin Day 2002, Grant Pereira from the Green Volunteers

Photos by Sumita Thiagarajan 

You can watch the highlights of the PM's day in this video:

Here's a glimpse of what happened on Ubin Day 2014:

Thank you for the Storify, Kenneth Pinto!

More details can be found on the official website and the Facebook page.

Future: 2015 and beyond...

Efforts to preserve and improve Pulau Ubin have been picked up by MND through the Ubin project. Hopefully this will become a yearly event for all to enjoy! If you would like to contribute, watch the Facebook page for updates.

Other related links:

SEC Newsletter (April 2002) - Elements - April 2002 Newsletter issued by Singapore Environment Council [PDF]

TAV Archives - Ubin Day (20 April 2002)