Quack ... quack ... all aboard!

Another fun activity I'd recommend in Singapore is the DUCKtours. It is a combination land and sea tour on a Vietnamese war craft. A tour guide gives commentaries on the landmarks the duck passes by. It was a uniquely fun ride!

Is it a bus?

Or a boat??

The Durian shaped Esplanade: theatres by the bay

The Padang (cricket field)

The Merlion

DUCKtours Information
Location: DUCKtours@Suntec City (Galleria)
Operating Hours: 10am to 6pm
Tour Duration: 1 hour Tour
Frequency: Hourly departures
DUCK Capacity: 31 DUCKies
Tour Fare: $33.00/Adult (>12 yrs)
$17.00/Child (3-12 yrs)
$2.00/Toddler (<3 yrs)

Web templates

From time to time, I like changing the look of my blog by sporting a brand new layout. Web templates do come in handy. Certain websites managed by generous persons offer them free of charge.

Even with a minimal html knowledge and limited technical web skills, you can easily customize the layout to suit your taste. It is like choosing what to wear daily. You can mix and match the contents of the templates based on your preferences. Website templates make designing your website easy!

But if you have extra cash to spare, you can contract a web designing company to make an entirely new layout from scratch for a fee. It all depends on your preferences, your budget and your target readership. Me, I just usually rely on readily available web templates to spice up my blog's layout, occasionally.

Up up and away

Singapore has alot of attractions to cater to every whim and fancy. For first time visitors, I suggest you pass by one of the Singapore Visitors Bureau offices located in key areas of the city. I believe there is one at Changi Airport and another one on Orchard Road.



For the uninitiated, no visit to Singapore would be complete until you set foot on Orchard Road. It is THE shopping street as it contains numerous malls in one long stretch right in the heart of the city. Malls which cater to every spectrum of society. It is the place to be when the city holds its Grand Singapore Sale, usually the months of June and July. Let me tell you they truly slash their prices during this annual event. Thank God I'm not much of a shopaholic! I was more excited about the facade of the malls all decked up for the holidays than the flashing SALE signs. But take note, I did shop just a tad bit. I kept commuting how much it was in pesos so that kept me from splurging since 1 Singapore Dollar equals (roughly) 33 Pesos! :D

So we availed of the Singapore Tours and Attractions Pass from the Duck & Hippo Group. We got the 2 days pass at the hefty price of Singapore Dollars S$63. You pay for two popular tours and get to enjoy 11 other tours for free. Mostly entrance fees to museums. You can also ride the HOP on HOP off tours bus anytime and see the sights on its route at your own pace. The open roof tour buses arrive at bus stops at an interval of about 25 minutes and they provide you with a well detailed leaflet which lists down all the bus stops and their estimated arrival time at the stops. Very well organized, I'd say. Since it was already about 4pm, we decided to hop on the CityHippo Tours bus and alight at Singapore's newest waterfront attraction.



The Singapore Flyer is the world's tallest observation wheel that stands at 165 meters from the ground. The 'flight' rotates for 30 minutes and each air conditioned capsule can fit 28 persons. You get a panoramic view of the business district skycrapers, the housing complexes, the Marina front development, Changi airport, Sentosa. You can also glimpse parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. Be sure to grab an audio device to listen to a very interesting spiel that narrates the history of Singapore. It also points out the stories behind the landmarks you can view from the capsule.



It was an amazing experience! Try it =)

Glitzy Christmas by the Bay

That is the sign that greets visitors to Singapore when they make their way to the Raffles City near the Raffles Hotel. D & I got there 6 days before the 25th of December and we were thrilled to see Singapore all decked up for the Yuletide season.

Since I love the sight of Christmas trees, my digicam would automatically click at them. Major malls in the city had giant ones all fully decorated in different colors, lights and ornaments.



Click on the links to enter the websites of the malls:
(1) UOB Plaza (2) Ferrero Rocher tree, Ngee Ann City (3) Suntec City (4) Vivo City (5) Ion Orchard (6) The Paragon Mall (7) Centerpoint Mall (8) Orchard Central Mall (9) The Lucky Plaza (10) Lido Cineplex, Shaw Tower (11) Intercontinental Singapore Hotel (12) Bugis Junction Mall (13) Takashimaya, Ngee Ann City (14) Central Mall, Clarke Quay (15) Vivo City (16) Ion Orchard Mall (17) Suntec City (18) Tanglin Shopping Center (19) The Manger at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (20) The Manger at the Blessed Sacrament Church, Commonwealth Drive

We had the traditional noche buena feast at my sister's flat on Christmas Eve. We celebrated with turkey roast, keso de bola (which we carried in our luggage), chicken salad and a delicious log cake. On Christmas day itself, we heard Mass at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. Then we dined at a Chinese Restaurant at Cuppage. A food haven which has changed quite a lot through the years. But the local cuisine fare still tasted good. I will blog about food in a separate entry, soon. We capped Christmas day with good food, great company filled with love, joy and laughter so we were all smiles! =)

We're back

After 16 days of great fun, we got back Sunday afternoon. We left with a single Samsonite luggage weighing 22.2 kgs and came back with 2 luggages with a total of 31.5 kgs! Good thing we didn't pay anything for excess baggage. I guess the guy at the counter thought it was just a measly 1.5 kgs overweight and let it pass. Hehehe

Our visit (for me anyhow) felt like a long overdue reunion. It was my 2nd time to return to Singapore after we lived there almost 15 years ago. Yes it has been that long. Goodness! Naturally a lot has changed for the best. The MRT line has expanded, the bus stations now have a listing of the bus routes, there are newer malls, more tourist attractions to visit, the landscape has changed and dare I say the Singaporeans are more friendlier nowadays!



My sister was such a gracious host and even had welcome gifts to make our stay as comfy as possible. Her flat was pristine clean and spacious enough to accommodate 5 people. It is located in a quiet, neat neighborhood. There are hawker centers (cheap eateries), shops, supermarkets and everything you needed within walking distance. It was centrally situated and easily accessible to any part of the city. You could simply hop on a bus, take the MRT or easily flag down a cab to reach your chosen destination.



The best part is the greenery! There were sheltered pathways, covered gazebos, elevated canopies connecting the block of buildings along with beautifully landscaped scrubs, tall trees and manicured grass lawns. It was such a gorgeous sight to behold nature within the urban jungle. Even at night, it was well lighted up.

Singapore is truly a great place to visit and live in. You feel safe, there is an efficient transportation system, it is pollution free, no (heavy) traffic, a shopping paradise catering to all sectors of society, many tourist attractions to visit ... the list goes on ... but I like to say that there is truly really no place like jolly old Pinas. It feels good to be home! =)

Happy 2010

We usher in the brand new year here in Singapore where I've walked, walked and walked all over (I got really aching feet to prove it!) to visit museums, famous attractions, familiar haunts and malls all decked up with festive decors. We have feasted on various type of food and tried desperately to shop within our limited buget yet we have truly enjoyed ourselves to the max!

So D & I greet one and all a very blessed and prosperous 2010. =)

Block 6

Indulge me a bit as I just ramble out several random thoughts for my final post for this year.

*** I'd say 2009 was a good year for D & D!
*** D went on his first ever plane ride in February as the whole family went to HongKong.
*** May 2009, we celebrated our first year as a married couple sans fanfare.
*** Simple yet meaningful are the words which embodies our marital life.
*** We have each other, we are in good health, we get by financially.
*** Psychologically, I tend to be too emotional for my own good.
*** While D the ever alpha male seems rather stoic and indifferent.
*** But I guess to each his own, right?
*** We lost Papa Wel in October.
*** I never met D's father but considered it a major lost, nonetheless.
*** We or rather I decided it was time for medical intervention in our quest to become parents sometime mid October.
*** Each doctor appointment are mostly on a positive note.
*** Although I certainly do not appreciate the tests during every visit.
*** Yet I'm willing to do my part and bear it with loads of meds and smiles.
*** I try not to be discouraged when my doctor says it will take several months to 'fix' me.
*** My faith in God is like a see saw, I'm not ashamed to admit that.
*** Sometimes I'm on a high complete with novenas, rosaries and daily masses.
*** Other times I just succumb to laziness, even rage.
*** Traveling is my only refuge.
*** Even if it means commuting to my former residence for a change of scenery.
*** Of course it doesn't compare to actually sitting on a plane and watching the clouds roll by.
*** There is just too much excitement and anticipation before any trip that requires a passport.
*** Yet I don't really like the part where you prepare, sort out, arrange every single detail to make sure the trip is hassle free.
*** I guess I'm not as young as I thought I was as I get tired easily after just a few minutes of packing.
*** I need distractions to get me going.
*** This in turn makes me panic that I am not focused enough and forget to pack a vital item.
*** It's tough alright.
*** It makes it tougher when I just underwent a horrific testing procedure a couple days before I travel.
*** My mother even berated me for doing so and she worries I might not be fit to travel.
*** She is wrong. I might complain left and right but I'm a tough cookie and stick to my plan once it gets rolling.
*** Time is too short to simply rest on my laurels.
*** So here I am blogging while the luggage is wide open and needs immediate attention.
*** I still feel pretty sore so I distracted myself with online time.
*** D's sked is still pretty hectic until tomorrow.
*** That is if you call attending Christmas parties, hectic!
*** But there is an attendance sheet they must sign to prove they were at the party.
*** Then he has band practice. He plays the drums.
*** And our flight is early morning Saturday.
*** I booked an early morning flight so we don't waste one whole day traveling.
*** I believe I've done most of the things I need to attend to aside from the actual packing.
*** All those chores you tend to take for granted but only realize how important they were when you are under time constraints.
*** I am going to be holed up in a flat somewhere in Block 6 in that cluster of units in the Lion City for roughly 2 weeks.
*** And I do intend to enjoy myself to the tilt.
*** Without feeling the need to blog every detail of my stay.
*** Hmm how do I end this?
*** Probably just wish you all my few yet loyal readers the Merriest of Christmas and all the best for 2010. =)

Early Christmas gift

The saga continues vis a vis the numerous tests I need to undergo to determine my chances of motherhood. Today, I had what is known as HSG or a hysterosalpingogram. It is really an unpleasant procedure to determine any blockage in the fallopian tubes. I won't get into the gory details suffice to say it is painful and there is general discomfort which I would associate with really bad monthly cramps. The thing is I don't get cramps at all during my regular cycle so I feel really sore. Thank God for painkillers!
But hey the good news is that neither of my tubes are blocked! Unfortunately, I still need several more tests before I am 'successful'. And believe me, I'm certainly NOT looking forward to them next year but such is the journey of my life nowadays just to create a new life.

But this horrible day complete with horrendous traffic was capped by an early Christmas gift I got thru the postal office. Remember the blog contest I won c/o of Caryn? Well I got the package today! The bag of goodies includes a lovely black t-shirt, a book cover, a tote bag and zany kitkats!



Thanks Caryn for making my day easier to bear! =)