Singapore's TidbiTs

Having travelled quite a bit and passing through many airports, we can safely say that Changi Airport is unlike many other airports all over the world. While many airports main function is for passengers to board flights and disembark just like cruise and bus terminals, Changi Airport has transformed itself as a unique destination by itself. People simply go to the airport to eat, watch a free movie or a football game on a bigscreen, enjoy a cool tallest indoor manmade waterfall surrounded by lush gardens, even do a bit grocery shopping, tapau (take away) some food and then head back home. Dinosaurs at Jurassic Mile All without going to transit or airside areas to board a packed plane.You can walk from one terminal to another and to Jewel except for Terminal 4 which is standalone by itself. Some of the foodcourt stalls do sell delicious local fares. With MRT and buses plying to and from Changi Airport, it makes a trip to the airport very convenient. For most people a half day trip to...

Before the arrival of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1819, a small population of Chinese immigrants had already settled in Singapore, cultivating gambier and pepper. Shortly after establishing Singapore as a free port in 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles instructed Lieutenant Philip Jackson, an engineer, to draw up a master plan dividing the town into four areas for easy administration - the European, Malay, Indian and Chinese ethnic quarters. Between the 19th and mid-20th centuries, millions left their homes in China driven by famine, floods and unrest, and seduced by the hope of a better life elsewhere. They left in masses with many of them made their way to Nanyang , the southern seas. Singapore, in particular, was sought out as a place where one could earn a living. The new arrival is known as Sinkheh , or 'new guest' in Hokkien. That was what the Straits-born Chinese, who had arrived several generations earlier, called these new Chinese immigrants. It became what the newcomers w...

Literally "boiled noodles", a delicious dish that can be found in many hawker centres , mee rebus is a popular and tasty Malay culinary creation. It is a simple yet satisfyingly filling dish of the common yellow Hokkien noodles and sweet-spicy flavourful gravy garnished with boiled egg, beansprouts, Chinese celery, green chilli, cubed fried tofu and sprinkled with fried shallot and topped with fresh calamansi. A squeeze of small fresh greenish calamansi lime gives the dish citrusy note, adds tang and brightens up the dish. In Malay calamansi is called limau kasturi. Mee is a Hokkien word for 'noodles' and rebus is a Malay word for 'boiled', thus we can see how different cultures complement and influence each other.The most crucial element in mee rebus is the gravy, which the soul of this deceptively simple dish. Traditionally, it is made from a stock base of dried shrimp, tau cheo (fermented soy bean), fresh herbs and spices, which is thickened with mashe...

A favourite pastime of Singaporeans who love going across the causeway to JB in Malaysia for shopping, eating, getting a hair-cut or massage, I hopped into a Transtar cross-border bus that originated from the various terminals of Changi Airport to JB CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine). The bus fare is SGD11 if you start your journey from Changi Airport. The fare gradually goes down to SGD9 from Expo and the stop after that. Return fare is RM13 from JB. Tried using my ezlink card but the machine was down, so paid using cash instead. Well, their ez-link machine does not seem to be working most of the time, so its better to prepare some exact cash, as the drivers do not give change. The ride was comfortable and smooth. During weekdays, getting a seat is not a problem. Transtar bus TS1 service is especially great for those living in the east, or for Malaysian workers working at Changi Airport. Or for travellers needing to go straight to JB after landing at the airport. For those ...

One of the 17 fresh-water reservoirs in Singapore, Bedok Reservoir was a former sand quarry that collects rainwater runoff from the eastern part of Singapore. The reservoir and surrounding area have been turned into a recreational park where other than admiring the views from the boardwalk or floating deck, you can also fish, do kayaking, even dragonboating, or simply enjoy the scenic walk around the reservoir, admire termite mounds or Tiger Orchids , the largest orchid in the world and appreciate the reunification of Germany with segments of Berlin walls right here in the park. There are floating decks at the reservoir complete with benches, if all you want to do is to soak in the views. The views are quite stunning especially closer to sunset. Bedok Reservoir is located in the eastern part of Singapore, close to Bedok North and Tampines West so especially great for those living in these housing estates. It is also located right behind Temasek Polytechnic thus a boon to those studyi...

Bukit Batok Nature Park is known as the Guilin of Singapore it resembles the much bigger Guilin Mountains in China. Little Guilin or colloquially known as Xiao Guilin by the locals here. 'Xiao' is a Chinese word meaning small or little. The hill is part of the nature park but has become the main attraction of it due to its photographic and scenic allure. Bukit Batok Nature Park is a respite for those living in the western part of Singapore. The park is not located to the extreme west like Jurong Lake Gardens but is actually closer to the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to the east and there is a 1.8 km (1.1 miles) park connector network walking path linking between the two nature parks as they are both part of the 36km coast-to-coast trail . Some hikers may combine Bukit Timah with Bukit Batok if they wish for a longer walk. Bukit Batok literally means 'coughing hill'. Bukit is a Malay word which translates to hill while batok means cough. While timah translates to ...