Singapore's TidbiTs

Kampong Glam is one of the oldest settlements in Singapore, whose history dated before Raffles. This area was to become the home of Sultan Hussein Shah, whom Sir Stamford Raffles recognised as a legitimate successor to the Johor empire and, who in 1819 signed a treaty with the British East India Company, to establish a trading post in Singapore. Gazette in 1989, Kampong Glam is now a conservation area near Bugis with art-deco, early, first and second transitional and late-style shophouses. Raffles zoned Kampong Glam as a Malay area, as part of his town plan as one of the ethnic areas or quarters, the other being Chinatown and European town. Bugis was named after the Buginese people from South Sulawesi, Indonesia, who settled there during the 1800s. There were already Buginese living around the palace area, but they moved further up closer to Rochor area once Sultan Hussein Shah with his entourage from Riau settled there. The palace, Istana Kampong Glam, was built by Sultan Ali, his so...

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...

Many associated Little India with Mustafa Centre, the huge 24-hour department store that sells almost anything. Yes, they practically sell everything including electronics, jewellery, shoes and fresh produce. And we all know of someone who would dash to Mustafa Centre to get that last-minute travel luggage. Other than Mustafa Centre, another well-known landmark in Little India is without doubt Tekka Centre or Market and the Arcade. Although not part of the original Raffles Town or Jackson Plan, like the ethnic areas of Kampong Glam and Chinatown , the well-preserved Little India in Singapore evolved through trade-related activities and remain a magnet of all things that represent the Indian culture and heritage of Singapore. The area was developed around agriculture and cattle trading in the 19th century. Common traditional trades include garland-making, goldsmithing, and fortune-telling. Indian goldsmiths are prominent, as gold jewelry is culturally significant. Walk along Serangoon ...

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...