I love museums (part one)

I'm not a shopaholic so when I visit a city I prefer to roam in museums. Luckily I was able to visit a few of them in Singapore.

The Chinatown Heritage Center is located within a section of beautifully restored shop houses in Chinatown. It has on display a wealth of memories and untold stories from the past. It chronicles the lives of the early Chinese migrants who left their homeland to settle in Singapore.







This board has most of the surnames of the Chinese migrants. You can flip each of them to read where the name originated.



This counter displays samples of gold jewelry crafted by expert goldsmiths.



Back then, the migration from China to Singapore was a perilous journey. Many of them had to endure cramped quarters in congested ships filled with elderly, the sick and small children. So the ones who made it were eternally grateful and offered prayers at temples.



This interactive museum is located within walking distance of the Chinatown MRT station. I definitely recommend it. It is worth a visit to better understand the historical background of the Chinese migrants and a visual glimpse into Singapore's past.




Location
48 Pagoda Street Singapore 059207
Guest Helpline: 6-338-6877 (TOURS)
Email: chc@ducktours.com.sg

Admission Charges
Adults: $10
Child (3-12 years): $6

Opening Hours
9am to 8pm daily (last admission at 7pm)

Website
Chinatown Heritage Centre

Pleasant discoveries

In the course of a marriage, there are many things that one discovers about one's spouse. I didn't know that D likes to tinker with stuff. For instance, he will dismantle our two burner stove, unscrew every nail patiently, clean every single piece then put them all back together. Never mind if it takes him one whole day to do it, he starts and finishes the task at hand meticulously. It is the same thing when it comes to leaking pipes and plumbing chores.

It was only recently I discovered that he can play the drums. Well not professionally but he knows the basics. It isn't merely about tapping those wooden sticks against the drum set. Some of his colleagues have decided to form a band. I guess just for fun, just for the heck of it. It is still in the planning stage.

Since I'm the so called 'techie' in this relationship, I help him browse the Music, Video Search Engines so he can get an idea about the different techniques involved in playing the drums. Hopefully some day when the band has finalized everything, I will get to see my little drummer boy's performance, live! :D

Night Safari

High on my list of places to visit while in Singapore is The Night Safari. It is located a bit far from the city proper so we took a taxi from Orchard Road.



Since it was December 30, there was a heavy crowd of visitors all waiting to enter the world's first wildlife park for nocturnal animals. Once inside there is an activity center where restaurants, souvenir shops and the restrooms are located.

There are quite a number of itineraries you can choose from to better enjoy the Night Safari. There are walking trails, the Creatures of the Night show and the tram ride.

We decided to take the tram ride as I don't really cherish the thought of getting lost in the thick and dark rain forest trail, being chased by ferocious lions! Not that such an incidence has ever happened but you cannot be really sure, can you? :D




We had to wait a long time to board the tram. It is a 45 minute ride with commentary that takes you inside the dark rain forest where the nocturnal animals live in open enclosures. At the Himalayan Foothills, you will come across Himalayan tahr, bharal, and Himalayan griffon vultures. Animals at the Nepalese River Valley include the Asian small-clawed otter, greater Asian rhino, golden jackal and sambar deer. The Indian Subcontinent features the striped hyena, Asian lion and the sloth bear, all in a setting that is bathed in shadowy half-light that allows the creatures to be largely oblivious to your presence.



Once you are on board the tram, it is pitch dark but quite breezy as the tram is properly ventilated. Since I had a point and shoot camera it was useless to take pictures because the background was quite dark, so I simply tucked it away in my bag and enjoyed the tram ride. It was quite amazing to see and hear the famous laughter of hyenas, the massive elephant, the tall giraffes up close and personal!

Afterwards, we once again lined up (forever) to see the Creatures of the Night show at the amphitheater. Set in a forest clearing, this FREE 20-minute animal presentation will introduce you to nocturnal animals, from the elusive owl to nimble binturongs to intuitive civets. It was quite entertaining to see playful beavers perform tricks like trained animals. I had so much fun!


Night Safari
7.30pm to 12 midnight daily
Restaurants and retail shops open from 6:00pm daily
Last admission is at 11.00pm

Adult S$22.00
Child (3 to 12 years old) S$15.00

Tram Ride Charges:
Adult S$10.00
Child (3 to 12 years old) S$6.00

Each tram ticket allows only one ride within the park
It starts from 7:30pm onwards

Dangling Earrings

Earrings are my favorite fashion accessories. Even if I just stay at home (which is like 90% of my time) I wear them. I feel incomplete when my ears are bare. For some time now, I've been obsessed with the dangling variety. Although it really depends on my attire and my destination. I don't want to come across as being too flimsy for sporting a chandelier type dangling earrings at church. Heh! I prefer them to be just the right length. Not too long but not too short either. When we visited my sister for the holidays, I was really happy that she allowed me to borrow some of her dangling earrings from her huge collection. She had them in all the colors of my outfits. Wow, I was really impressed!

I figure with Heart's day just around the corner, dangling earrings are good Valentine's Day Gift ideas for Romantics and non-Romantics, too. So I've been shopping online and I made a couple of purchases to add to my collection. I might as well gift myself given that the hubby is neither a romantic nor a gift giver. Nah, I'm not complaining, I still love him! =)

Reading materials

Although I still have several posts about my trip to Singapore in my drafts folder, let's take a breather and talk about books.

A few days ago, I bought Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones". The main reason I bought it is because the novel has been adapted into a film. Normally, I'd watch a film even though I never read the novel it is based upon. There are simply a lot of movies to watch and books to read that (lack of) time is my main concern. But I got totally confused from "The Time Traveler's Wife" movie that I went and bought the novel to get a better grasp on the whole sci-fi time traveling concept. Verdict: I'm still just as perplexed! Perhaps because I don't really dig sci-fi themed novels or movies for that matter. I'm too much of a realist to get lost in realms of fantasy, wizardry and strange phenomenons. That's why I haven't read any Twilight, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings novels. But I've seen the movies for their special effects features.

I used to read quite a lot in my younger years. And I got the defective eyesight as proof. But lately I tend to fall asleep after reading just a few pages. Then the next time I open the book I would read the previous chapter all over again to refresh my failing memory. My preference has fluctuated through the years. Nowadays, it gravitates towards novels about espionage, conspiracy theories and intriguing stories set in exotic places like Turkey, Afghanistan and Iran. I don't really have a favorite author but if you check my book shelf you would find Alan Furst, Allan Folsom and Ian Rankin (among others) reigning supreme. I also read most of Erich Segal and Michael Crichton's novels. Sadly, both authors have departed for the great beyond and would no longer enthrall us with their literary works.

I made a silent vow that I would read more this year. More as a means to enrich my vocabulary in this age of abbreviated text messages (which I totally dislike) but my only wish is that books would be more affordable so it doesn't eat up a big chunk of my (limited) budget.

Hungry?

I believe the best way to experience a country is to sample/taste/eat their local cuisine. Singapore does have alot of offer in the Makan (eating) business.

For cheap(er) food consumption, one must savor eating at a hawker center. Every community tends to have its own hawker center areas. They are usually found in the void decks (the lower portion of the condominiums, near the elevators) of public housing establishments popularly known as HDBs. Most of them have a few tables and seats. There are a wide variety of shops selling different food choices depending on your taste buds. Most dishes are complete meals. You can either order rice toppings, noodles (with or without soups), viands (ulam) and desserts. You have the choice of 'dining in' which means you consume it there in the open area sans aircon or 'packet' which means food to go (nicely wrapped in styrofoam boxes with condiments in plastic bag). We usually order Pepper Crab (Singapore is famous for its Chili Crab but it is too spicy for our taste buds!) from the hawker and have a feast munching on it in the comforts of our home.


Valuable Tip # 1: Most eateries like hawker centers and food courts in Singapore don't offer tissues/napkins. So make sure you bring your own tissue paper to wipe away the grease from your oily lips! :D




Naturally, there are an assortment of eateries found in the malls. I notice that their food courts are now called "Food Republic". They also offer a wide variety of cuisine, this time in a cooler air conditioned setting. They tend to cost more but still quite affordable.

Valuable Tip # 2: In hawkers and food courts, you order your drinks separately from a shop/stall which sells only beverages. But they do provide straws so no need to bring your own straw. :D

Our family has been known to patronize mainly three restaurants in Singapore. Places we keep frequenting because we can't get enough of their food:
(1) Seoul Garden is an eat all you can buffet resto where you cook your own food. On the table, there is a round hot plate where you grill different kinds of meat (shrimps, poultry, lamb, beef, pork) and in the middle there is a soup pot filled with stock to boil veggies etc. The thing is you pay first before you are led to your table then you can practically stay there the whole day and eat eat and eat till you burst. :D

(2) Crystal Jade Restaurant serves an extensive menu of authentic Hong Kong Style Tim Sum, BBQ items, congee, noodle & Cantonese dishes. They have branched out into fine, specialty and casual dining, family restaurant and a confectionary. We patronize the Crystal Jade Kitchen which is their casual dining fare.

(3) For local fare we hop over to Cuppage Terrace. This strip of restaurants in the Somerset portion of Orchard Road has vastly improved after it was fully renovated. A tantalizing array of 15 al fresco outlets, including restaurants, bars and spas, is now open. It offers more late-night options for office workers and tourists alike. The area is open from from 11am till late. We ate at the Cross Straits Restaurant for our Christmas dinner. We ordered Chicken Satay, Drunken Prawns, Char Kway Teow, Soft Celled Crabs and Oyster Omelette. Food was delicious!

Sentosa

You mention Sentosa and the first thought that enters my mind is Bon Jovi. Yes, it was the very first concert I watched of a famous band and the venue was in Sentosa, Singapore. Back then (eons ago) this tiny recreation island was still undeveloped and a bit inaccessible. It was humid, muddy, dark and swarming with mosquitoes. I remember coming home from that concert, bathed in sweat and my clothes were full of mud! But I enjoyed it nonetheless because we (my sister and I) were quite near to the makeshift stage right beside the booming speakers whose loud treble palpitated my heart and burst my eardrums! :D

Since then, of course I've been back to Sentosa on numerous occasions. I'm constantly amazed at the new(er) attractions which keep cropping up to give its many visitors more entertaining/recreational options. Our trip to Sentosa this time around came via the Singapore Pass. For S$2.00/passenger, we took the Sentosa Rhino Feeder bus from Suntec City.

We visited the Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon. It was interesting to see all sort of marine life in this big aquarium setting like this giant crab!



Rates include single admission to Underwater World Singapore and Dolphin Lagoon.
Adult: S$22.90
Child 3-12 years old: S$14.60
Child below 3 years old: Free
9am to 9pm daily (Last admission at 8.30pm)

We rode the Tiger Sky Tower which is Singapore's tallest observation tower.



Tower height: 110m
View height: 131m from sea level
Tower column diameter: 2.5m
Foundation diameter: 15m
Cabin capacity: 72 persons

Admission: 12 $$/adult
8 S$/child
Open from 9am to 9pm daily

We also rode the Skyride! It was so much fun, even though your legs are dangling and it started to drizzle during our ride. You get to admire a fantastic view of the 3 beaches (Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong) on Sentosa, the ships docked at the harbor and a panoramic sight of the whole of Singapore. But we were NOT adventurous enough to try the Sentosa Luge which is part go-kart, part toboggan which has its own steering and braking system.



There are several luge & skyride combo packages to choose from. Admission for skyride only: One way: S$ 7/person Two way: S$ 11/person

There are many more attractions to explore on Sentosa. Soon to open later this year is the sprawling Universal Studios and the Resorts World Casino (it had its soft opening on Jan. 20, 2010)



You can either book a room at some of the hotels located on Sentosa itself or take the various transports (taxi, MRT, public bus, Sentosa Express) available from Singapore to get to the island.

For S$ 3.00/passenger, we took the Sentosa Express to get to Vivo City.

The sound of silence

For 5 days (since Wednesday), a silent lull permeated over our home. Main culprit was our broken TV. After a few disturbances over the past months, our Panasonic TV decided to finally conk out for whatever reason!

It is really interesting how an electronic gadget can have such a significant impact in our households. But life went on. I was amazed that I wasn't really pressing D to go out and buy a brand new TV. We thought it was wiser to wait for the weekend to canvass and then decide which TV set best suited our budget, our lifestyle and our viewing habits.

Never mind that I missed some of my fave tv shows or I wasn't able to watch news programs. Never mind that we ate our meals without any background noise. Never mind that we slept earlier than usual. Because for me, the mere fact that we had really interesting conversations on various topics is priceless!

But hey 5 days is long enough, alright?

I'm glad that our 21' Slim TV with Eco Mode for saving energy was delivered this afternoon. Just in time for me to watch the Golden Globe Awards show, tonight!