Singapore's TidbiTs

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 ...