Yo Mat Riders,
Mat lived in Tampines for 13 years man, from 1985 to 1998. During that time, the town change so much. Last time, got no interchange, no tampines mall, no temasek poly but still power cos every evening sure got people play football at the void deck. All you need to do to activate is shout "Oi! Main Bola!". Confirm got orang man.
Anyway, what the hell is a Tampines. Well, Tampines is a tree. You laugh right, but it's true. The species name is Sterblus elongatus and belongs to the Moraceae - Sterblus family/genus. Bicyclely it is a species of Ironwood; it is specifically the Riau Ironwood. It was originally called Tempinis ( Temp-pee-nays ) by the Malays. The spelling evolved to Tampinis and then to the current Tampines.
The Tampines area was a forest and population was little bit. Those who settle there all got small plantation. The Tampines tree grew in abundant in the wild. But then, the greedy men come and then wipe out the tree. The wood is super power and is considered one of the most valuable in South East Asia. Last time got no conservation act, so just take lah. The Tampines Tree is luckier than the Mandai Tree because the Mandai tree warn it to run away. Now got only a few left.
So no more tree, how man? No more tree, take the sand lah. Tampines become quarry. Singapore need sand to build flats.
YESSAH!
Mat Love
