Borders, currently still open.

When Borders first opened, for bookstores, it became my first love for bookstore.
It was not before long that I had a change of heart, it became Kinokuniya. I became addicted to their 20% off offers.



Since June last year, when I could not wait for the iPad to reach Singapore and got it in UK, my books and magazines purchases are now done online, directly with US based stores. I subscribed to a year's worth of magazine (10-12 issues) for the price of 2 copies of the same title in Singapore dollars.


Coming back to Borders, if you take a look at the message at www.borders.com.sg
Note the 2nd line in the first paragraph. it says 'not currently'. Is that suggesting anything? Hmm...

It is glassy all over....

Garden city was so last year.

Singapore is now becoming more and more becoming a city of glass.
Every new building or building that has been refurbished in Singapore now use lots of glass.



Anyone recognise on which building are these glass panels on?
The hint might be the logo there.

Solar panels on the roof

While on the road, this caught my eye.
14 solar panels and a solar hot water panel.



I wonder the wind turbine is a workable unit.

I got curious and did a search on what this building or company is about.
It sells recycle t-shirt, skirts, organic cotton bags, bamboo made materials.
It also sells solar cells like the one in the photo, energy saving kits, and even an organic food stall.

It looks interesting, I shall visit that shop one day.



I wonder if those of us living on public housing, can hot water panels be installed on the shared roof. That would save us lots of electricity in the long run.

Taking cutlery off the airplane.... ok or not ok?

Earlier today, I was at a friend's house celebrating someone's birthday. We had a beautiful cake and ate it using small plates and tea spoons.

My latest hobby is 'instagram'-ing things I see. 

I took a photo of the spoon and instagram/tweet/facebook it asking: "Hands up, who also have Singapore Airlines utensils taken off the plane".
 (it does not sound grammatically correct).



I had quite a few interesting replies from all over! Just as I guessed, many people have cutlery taken off airplanes.

What made me laugh includes these answers:
- I took blankets too
- My grandmother took blankets as well!
- Their towels are of good quality (do they have towels?)

Someone who works in the airline industry said, people in Business Class takes plates off the planes too! (how can they pull it off? gasp!)


The original photo before it being 'instagram-ed' by the filters.

Do you know if it is OK to take things off the plane?

Ships and more ships

From the ground level, the top floor of Marina Bay Sands hotel looks like a ship or an ark that's rested on top of the 3 buildings.

From the top of Republic Plaza, you can see there is another building (foreground) that looks like a ship too. They all seem to be heading for collision, if one does not change course.



The real ships are out at sea, there are so many of it, that you will lose count!

To me, the best view of the ships out at sea is when you are flying into Singapore at night. When the plane is flying very low, making a turn to land at Changi Airport.
 

The MBS ArtScience Museum

Took a photo of the newest Museum in town.
Photo of the MBS ArtScience Museum around 7:30 pm last Friday evening.



I am wondering how it looks inside. One of these days, I will go in and take a look.

I saw from an email flyer that if you use OCBC Bank Credit Cards to pay, you get 20% off admission fee. So find someone with an OCBC Card to pay for it first ;-)

Singapore Flyer

Singapore Flyer earlier this evening at around 7:15 pm.



It's peak hour and you can see wheels of the cars dashing by.
But the biggest wheel in Singapore turns as slowly as usual. 30 minutes for a complete round. ;-)

Battlestar Galactica Re-opens

Adrenalin Junkie take note! Battlestar Galactica re-opens!

I was at Universal Studio just before Chinese New Year with my brother and his fiance. Guess what I saw? A sign at Battlestar Galactica saying it will re-open soon, they are doing test cycles.



Suddenly I heard some sound from above. I looked up at saw that they were testing the rides!
The above, Battlestar Galactica: Cylon. (on the blue track)




Can you see Battlestar Galactica: Human (on the red track)?

As an Universal Studio Singapore Annual Pass holder, I got an email invite asking us to go for the ride before it reopens to everyone on 21 Feb 2011. Tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday night, annual pass holders will be the first few to scream their lungs out!


Which do you think is more fun or scary? Human or Cylon?



My brother was so unhappy that this attraction is only reopening when he is now back in UK.

marilyn monroe

Everyone loves to take photograph with this lady at Universal Studios Singapore.



How many of you think she has a very interesting job?

She walks around Universal Studio everyday and pose for photos with anyone who loves her character. All she does is smile to the camera.

(No, I have not taken a photo with Ms Monroe.)

Walking into Sentosa

A few weeks ago, I read that the Sentosa Boardwalk has opened.
Just before Chinese New Year, I decided try the walk, and walked into Sentosa to meet my brother who was having fun at Universal Studios.



I was wondering if it was free or do I have to pay the usual admission charges to enter Sentosa when I walk in. It seems I only need to pay $1 at the turnstile just before going inside Sentosa Island where Resorts World is.


It was quite a nice walk. There were so many kinds of flowers and plants that they have planted along the way, and they were divided into different themes. It was good that the weather was not very hot and the breeze was cooling.

If you like the sun, you can walk in the open air part of the boardwalk.



If you are in a rush or do not like the sun, there's the covered version and a travelator to save you the walking!

I was in a rush to get inside Universal Studios to maximise my time inside, so I 'walked' on the travelator all the way in. It probably took me around 10 minutes or less to 'walk' (it was more like standing) in.

Tips to save money on your trip inside Sentosa:
I would recommend taking the boardwalk in and pay only $1. When you are coming out, take the Monorail out.
 
(You only pay once for the entrance fee to get into Sentosa. Boardwalk costs $1, Sentosa or RWS Buses costs $2 and if you take the Monorail, $3. When you are leaving the island, there are no more payment to take any form of transport out. So take the monorail out, it's the fastest and most convenient way out)

Uniquely Singapore Chinese New Year dish.

This Chinese New Year, I had so many opportunities to toss the Yu Sheng with different groups of friends and associates.



Yu Sheng is said to be a Singaporean creation. (Some day no, but we all know it is)
Well at least the contemporary version that we eat now is. It was created in 1964 by Singapore's "Four Heavenly Culinary Kings" then.

This one at Taste Paradise has a longer and shorter chopsticks.

If you eyes are bright enough, yes, that's a Dell logo. It was kind of Dell to invite journalists and bloggers over for lunch. What was more interesting was to touch the see new Dell products ;-)



The version that was served was with abalones and salmon sashimi.




Everyone was happily tossing and creating a happy mess.
I like it when they serving staff utters the auspicious wishes and everyone agrees (and sometimes repeat it)

Well, let's wish everyone there a very Blessed and Prosperous New Year and to Dell Computers a superb profit too!

Oranges, Gold Coins and Red Melon Seeds

For certain restaurants, when you have the Chinese New Year luncheon or dinner, they have two oranges with a red packet on the table.



What's inside the red packets? Gold coins and red melon seeds.

Symbolism:
Anything with seeds, like pumpkin seeds or melon seeds symbolizes "lots of children".
Anything with gold, symbolizes prosperity.

(It has been a long time since my colleagues and I ate golden coin chocolates. We saw it and ate it. It still taste the same! It's the one is enough kind of chocolate. LOL)

The Lion Head of the Lion Dance

A pair of Lion Head of the Lion Dance troupe!



The kids, yeah these are NUS Students from the NUS Lion Dance, a student group that's part of the NUS Centre for the Arts.

Get ready for the noise! It was boisterous when they performed for our company's annual Chinese New Year lunch today.

Universal Studio Singapore - Canopy Flyer Queue

In the last two weeks, I have been inside Universal Studios Singapore twice!
(We treated a friend to her birthday here and also bought my brother and his fiance tickets as belated birthday presents. January was a cheap month to buy tickets as gifts because there was 20% off the ticket prices if you pay using a 'certain' credit card)

The Canopy Flyer at Lost World USS happens to be one of the many rides I enjoy.



It's such a short ride, but the waiting time is so long because it's so popular.
Just look at the queue! Guess what? Old folks seems to like it too! I see grandma in saris taking the ride too!

The best time to take this ride is at 6 PM! At around 6 PM, there are no queue and you can take the ride over and over again with no waiting time. Get down the ride, go back to the entrance, walk up the ramp and you are next!

Lion Dance

This morning I was passing by a row of shop houses on the way to work and saw across the road, lion dance!



Many business (and some household too) invite the Lion Dance Troupe to perform the "cai ching"(plucking the greens) "採青" to bring good luck and prosperity to them.

Angels and Chocolates

Saw this at probably the biggest candy store in Singapore.

I was sitting outside the store waiting for my brother to finalize his purchase and took a snap of these words.



Would you have preferred wings or chocolates?

Big Rabbit! - Happy Chinese New Year to all!

Wishing all who celebrate the Lunar New Year a very Blessed Lunar New Year!

It's the Rabbit year!

Rabbits or anything rabbit is popular this Lunar New Year.



This is the huge green rabbit at Resorts World Sentosa.




During the night, it turns purplish!


Trivia:
The Chinese have 12 animals to represent the zodiac animals. This year happens to be the 'rabbit' year. But do you know the Vietnamese also have almost the same animals. They do not have the 'rabbit' year though. Guess what is the 'rabbit' represented by?

Ans: Cat!

Bunnies...

I am always amazed that plants and flowers can be so versatile and sculpted into things so captivating.



I happened to enter "Sentosa Island" to meet up with my bro and his fiance using the newly opened "Sentosa Boardwalk".

The moment I reached Sentosa Island, this was what welcomed the visitors.