In the early 2000s, the area around Upper Paya Lebar Road and Paya Lebar Road (which we shall now refer to as the Paya Lebar region for simplicity’s sake) was Singapore’s equivalent of a chaotic mess, with major road diversions, temporary roads and the terrible traffic that ensued, all in the name of development.
Type: Experiences
Exploring the Rod Fai Train Market at Srinakarin
Not to be confused with its younger and hippier sibling located right next to the Thailand Cultural Centre MRT, the Rod Fai Train Market at Srinakarin is located about 20 kilometres away from central Bangkok, or about an hour’s drive away under typical traffic conditions.
Artbox Singapore 2018
Back for its second iteration, Artbox Singapore 2018 is currently being held over two weekends (25 to 27 May and 1 to 3 June) at the open area outside Marina Bay Sands, alongside the ongoing DBS Marina Regatta.
Ramadan 2018 at Geylang Serai
The Geylang Serai night bazaar is open for business once again as we begin the month of Ramadan. While the location of the bazaar has not changed, the surrounding landscape has changed significantly over the past few years. The revamped SingPost Centre opened for business at the end of last year and the new Wisma Geylang Serai, which sits adjacent to the bazaar, opened just days before Ramadan. By this time next year, the retail component of Paya Lebar Quarter is slated to open as well.
Tulipmania 2018 at Gardens by the Bay
Long before the Bitcoin bubble, there was a–believe it or not–tulip bubble, back in the 1600s in the Netherlands. At the time, the newly-introduced flower enchanted the country with its uniquely colourful petals and led to a speculative bubble, which, at its peak, led to tulip bulbs selling for more than the price of a house. If you’re interested, there’s a movie Tulip Fever featuring Alicia Vikander (now of Tomb Raider fame) which was set during that time period.
Wildlife Spotting Along Gardens by the Bay
Singapore's Central Business District may just be about the last place you think of when spotting wildlife in this urban jungle. Still, I gingerly ventured a little south towards Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Barrage and with a little patience, I was in for a little treat.
i Light Marina Bay 2018
Now in its sixth edition, i Light Marina Bay 2018 is currently running until 1st April. It's technically also the last edition of i Light Marina Bay as the festival of lights will be renamed i Light Singapore from next year onwards to reflect its expansion into the Civic District. I took a quick walk last Friday night after work to soak in the festivities.
Taste Test: McDonald’s Fish & Fries, Chilli Fish Burger, Chocolate Pie and Thai Milk Tea Ice Cream
After the salted egg and nasi lemak chicken burgers, McDonald's Singapore is once again trying its hand at whipping up something novel. This time, they have diverted their attention to fish for a change and, as a bonus, decided to introduce throw something savoury in the mix too. How do they fare?
Light to Night Festival 2018: Exploring the Civic District
Not to be confused with Marina Bay’s i Light festival or the Singapore Night Festival, the second edition of the Light to Night Festival, which is currently ongoing until 26 January 2018 as part of the Singapore Art Week, spans Singapore’s historic Civic District, from Esplanade Park to Padang and all the way to the Asian Civilisations Museum.
Endless Wonder: Christmas 2017 along Orchard Road
December. It’s a month of nostalgia, of reflection, where you look back at the past eleven months, and marvel at how much you’ve progressed (or regressed?) since. It’s the Friday of the months, the season of giving, and a month of school holidays (and clearing leave, now that I’m an adult). And in the absence of snow in Singapore, at least we have the annual Christmas light-up along Orchard Road, a staple since 1984.
Capturing the National Day festivities and fireworks
With some spare time on my hands, I made my way down to the Promontory at Marina Bay, camera in hand, on 29th July, the final National Day Parade preview before the actual day. My intent was to get some practice with my new camera as well as to soak in the festive atmosphere despite not having a ticket to the show itself.
I had done this once before some eleven years ago with a Canon PowerShot camera. Back then, the parade was still held at the old National Stadium. But after that, it felt like such a chore having to lug a tripod around and camp for a good spot hours before.
This time around, I wasn’t that prepared either. I adopted an “anything goes” attitude and brought my D7500 with kit lens and 55-200mm along.