Fireworks Dazzle CCK Residents on First Day of 2022
Fireworks, usually set off in the heart of the city centre on New Year’s Eve, has been brought to the heartlands for the second consecutive year. It was the crowd favourite for the Chua Chu Kang (CCK) Town Council’s First View of 2022 from Your Window Instagram contest.
The three winners, coincidentally all from CCK estate, submitted their first views of the New Year from their respective vantage points. They took home a $50 NTUC FairPrice shopping voucher each for their beautiful shots.
Early Bird Catches the Worm
Bryan (@_bryangraphy) won with 482 likes for his photo (above).
An avid photographer, Bryan Goh who bagged a prize with his dazzling photo of the CCK fireworks, had also won in the recent year-end CCK Town’s Snap & Win Photo Contest. Bryan’s shot of the serene Kranji Dam at sunrise which snared the second prize is featured in the CCK Town 2022 calendar.
Bryan’s submission of a serene Kranji Dam at sunrise (above) is photo of the month for September in CCK Town 2022 calendar.
The 44-year-old real estate agent loves taking photos of fireworks, and had been making annual trips down to Marina Bay for the New Year Eve’s fireworks in previous years. Even though the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the city centre fireworks being canned, Bryan said, the silver lining was that the fireworks instead came to the heartlands.
“Though the heartlands fireworks may not be as grand as the ones in the city centre, it is a nice change of scenery and makes for interesting shooting because not many people have taken photos of heartlands fireworks,” he said.
As it rained the whole night of New Year’s Eve till around 10pm, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to get a good photograph. But he still set up his tripod and DSLR camera and hoped for the best. His perseverance paid off and he scored the most likes with his shot of the fireworks rising above the HDB flats in the town.
Lucky Win
With this snap of the fireworks from the comfort of her home, Sit Mei Qi (@mickey_mickey_qi) wishes her fellow residents peace and joy for the New Year.
Since resident Sit Mei Qi had decided to catch the heartlands fireworks from her doorstep, she thought she’d just give the contest a try.
“I wasn’t expecting to win but thought it’ll be fun to share my photographs with fellow CCK Town residents,” the accounts assistant said.
The 25-year-old has been a resident in the town for three years. If not for the pandemic, she would usually be visiting family and friends in Malaysia in December.
This year, with the vaccinated travel lane opening, she went home for a visit at the start of December, and was back in Singapore to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
“In a way, the pandemic has turned out to be a blessing because I don’t have to brave the crowds to catch the fireworks in the city centre, but can watch it from the comfort of my home,” she said, adding that winning the IG contest was a welcomed bonus.
No Place Like Home
After missing last year’s fireworks, Sharon Ong (@chi.buting) realised there is no better place than home to catch a glimpse of it.
The final winner Sharon Ong said that in 2020, she had gone to a nearby park to catch the CCK fireworks, but wasn’t able to see it. When she got home, her mother-in-law told her that the fireworks were actually visible from the comfort of Sharon’s home.
So this time last year, instead of heading out to hunt for it, the 32-year-old assistant accountant and her husband just watched the fireworks display from their living room.
And since she had taken a photo of the fireworks, she thought she’d just “try her luck” by submitting her photo when she saw the ad for the contest a few days later. Unexpectedly, she won.
“I do pay attention to the Town Council’s notices displayed in the digital lift panels, and have taken part in some contests and surveys. I find such activities that engage residents interesting and easy to take part in, especially when it is something as simple as the click of a few buttons on a survey or snapping a photo,” said Sharon.
Congratulations to our three winners, and thank you to all the other residents for taking part! Do watch out for other residents’ engagements coming your way in 2022.