Hi Pat,
Congratulation on ur camera, finding clubsnap and having the confidence to post! Its the perfect season for more photowalks what with National Day and Hungry Ghosts happening at the mo.
My top tip is to use the library and get read through their entire selection of books - any thing by Bryan Patterson & Jim Zuckerman will get you going.
You've started well - chosen an interesting foreground / background to make the reader's eyes dart around the picture. You've used a diagonal from left to right to add a dynamic feel which leads the audience into the picture. The picture has bold colours, red and green in particular are good combinations (the red / purple are not).
It is always hard to get good photos along the Fullerton. The high contrast sky, reflective water and open space-v-close ups means the camera finds it hard to meter. Your photo is underexposed with a big patch of overexposed white.
How to avoid this - Use f16 composing for the sky and flags, focus on the flags (don't include the flowers). Use f8 or f11, focus on the the flowers and keep the flag in the background (cut out the sky altogether / choose an angle that reveals the symbols on the flags without cutting them in half).
The 50mm is an excellent lens, it was my first lens and continues to be one of my favourite. A prime lens is fast which will keep your images sharp and will help you think about your composition.
Keep posting and sharing, Mandy
PS - this might be handy