Singapore's TidbiTs

Public or community libraries can be found in almost housing estates. Some libraries are even housed in shopping malls and arts galleries! How cool is that. You can shop, eat (not in the libraries, of course) then nourish your brain in the libraries. And to sleep, yes to sleep. You can read some books or magazines, or the daily newspapers for free or watch some audio-visual materials from one of the computers dotting inside the libraries. There are comfy seats for you to read. Some are too comfy that can make people snooze. You can also surf internet on your laptop, tablet or iPad using the complimentary wireless@sg WiFi. The libaries are air-conditioned so they are good place to escape the heat and humidity outside. Though just like cinemas, many libraries air-conditioning are set at winter temperature, so bring along a light sweater if you plan to stay in libraries for an extended period of time. A public library The central, regional and public or community libraries are all open se...

The orchid family, Orchidaceae, is one of the two largest flowering plant families in the world, the other being the sunflower family, Asteraceae. Orchids are also one of the most widespread and variable families of flowering plants. There are about 30,000 orchid species in the world, making up to 8% of the plant kingdom. They can be found on all continents that support vegetation but are most diverse in the tropics which suits well in Singapore tropical and humid climate. Orchids are generally herbaceous plants as they do to have woody parts like trees or shrubs. Orchid seeds are also the smallest seeds in the world. Many orchids grow on trees called tree orchids or epiphytic orchids, but they do not receive nutrients from the trees and are therefore not parasites. Many other orchids grow on the ground called ground or terrestrial orchids. And orchids that grow on rocks are called lithophytic orchids. Few others are lianas, climbing on small trees such as Vanilla planifolia . Vanilla ...

Museums and heritage centres offer wealth of information about the history, tradition and culture of the country and its people. There are many artefacts on display for the public to appreciate what the country has gone through in the past and offer glimpse of hope for the future. For the arts museums or galleries, they offer arts lovers and the public in general venues to appreciate and understand arts, however abstract and modern they may be. Most museums are free, at least for the locals. And for tourists too on certain days such as during public holidays or on Fridays. However, there are exceptions like the Changi Museum , which is free for all visitors, locals and foreign. There is a separate post dedicated to Changi Museum . While most museums are free (entry fees apply for foreign visitors except Changi Museum and few others), if you end up eating at the many upscale restaurants and cafes dotting some museums, your outing can be an expensive affair. However, the setting of the r...