Happy New Year! We welcomed 2023 from the lawn at Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC). 🎉
It’s the first New Year’s Day countdown without restrictions on gatherings. Joining us were our former housemates from Pasir Ris. We met up at our apartment in Tanjong Pagar and walked over. That simple 😍
There was a Japanese fireworks event called “STAR ISLAND” happening but ticket prices were in the hundreds, so we skipped it. While making our way to Marina Bay around 11pm, we could hear the fireworks show. I think it’ll be fun to watch with parents or young kids. To learn more about STAR ISLAND, here’s a link.
Grateful we’re at this stage of the pandemic where people can go out safely. Singapore is adamant on moving on from the pandemic. After seeing the crowds, I think it’s a sign that citizens and residents are moving on. Families, people young and old, pets, migrant workers, everyone was out on the streets.
I can’t vouch for the best place to watch the fireworks since this was my first time. Obviously, it’ll be ideal to have a hotel room that is facing the fireworks. However, since I used to work at MBFC, I was familiar with the lawn on that side of the bay. It’s also elevated from street level. That’s where I brought the group.
It was already packed with people around 11:30pm. But there was a rare cool breeze in the city that night. It’s normally sticky and humid! There was a drone show (is that what they call it?). You can see the MediaCorp countdown stage at the Promontory but the speakers were far so we couldn’t hear the hosts do the countdown. I also couldn’t get a signal on my cellphone since… well… jam-packed. So watching the countdown over MeWatch was impossible.
The drones formed an “analog” clock which served as the countdown in the final minute of 2022. What a year it was (we always say that). I wrote about my favourite moments in 2022 here. The analog clock was also backwards from our vantage point, so when we counted 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… nothing was happening yet. And then, the fireworks.
We hugged each other and shared best wishes. I’ll say this… great to welcome the new year with the same group of friends I’ve been welcoming the new year with in 2020, 2021, and 2022. We are the pandemic gang (yikes) – these were the faces I spent most of the pandemic with.
Afterwards we walked back home and played The Werewolf Game for a couple hours. PJ and I were hosting our friends for the first time in our Tanjong Pagar apartment. PJ prepared “mango float” (an icy mango dessert in the Philippines), tuna pesto pasta, and some fritters. Our friends brought over carbonara, spaghetti (wow, we had three types of pasta) plus some desserts.
I wrote yesterday that I was struggling to pick a favourite song for the past year. Both Spotify and Apple Music have the same artist (Beyonce) and same song (ALIEN SUPERSTAR) as my most played. However, I felt that another song (not in any of my top lists) kinda fit the vibe for 2022. And that song is…
✨ Succession Main Title Theme by Nicholas Britell ✨
I moved to an apartment in Tanjong Pagar a few months ago (Tanjong Pagar is part of Singapore’s central business district). I also got promoted at work and went on an overseas business trip. I started paperwork to…
Nicholas Britell is also the musical composer behind Andor. One of my favourite shows in 2022.
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🔎 What’s your favourite song from the past year? And why do you think music matters?
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Here are my previous picks for “song of the year”:
2021 – One Last Kiss – Utada Hikaru
2020 – 3-way tie: Play (Chungha), Stay Tonight (Chungha), and On (BTS)
Two months ago I got my ✨ first perm ✨ at Haar Attic in Keong Saik. How was it? It was a great experience! (Just that I needed to adjust as I was used to QB House all this time omg 💀). I’m not used to spending so much on hair treatments!!! But I thought it’d be worth it. My family was visiting from the Philippines the following week and I wanted a #newlook for our group photos.
I also needed to get my hair coloured. I loved the result! ❤️
I’ve rethought what getting a haircut means to me. I’ve upgraded it to one of my “three pillars of self-care”. What are the pillars?
Haircuts. A good haircut = a good mood.
Massages. Loosen up those knots!
Fitness. Get out and be active.
I used to think SGD 12.00 haircuts were enough. But I’d leave unsatisfied. It affects my mood if I’m having a bad hair day. At least now, with the right salon and the right stylist to counsel you how to maintain a great haircut… it’ll help me mentally. 🤠
Anyway back to today’s haircut. We were half-day at work today (30th December) so I made an appointment with Haar Attic via their online portal. It was an easy booking to make (3 days ahead). I opted for the senior stylist or director, his name is Kelvin. I wanted to get a great consult in. I also checked out Google reviews and he was highly recommended.
When I got to the salon I was a bit of a humid mess (anyone walking in Singapore’s humidity at 12:49pm will understand) so I got a 5 minute breather to settle in. I also realised later on that it’d be better to take the train to Outram Park and walk a shorter 5 minutes than to walk the full 15-minutes from my apartment in Tanjong Pagar. 🚆
Kelvin was fantastic. Nothing felt rushed. He was snipping away and answering my questions about my hair. He explained how I could maintain a perm for a longer time (avoid dry hair, choose a better shampoo). He also re-shaped my haircut and gave tips how to keep the hair fluffy not flat.
Anyway here’s a before and after (side view):
The hair rinse was so nice that I couldn’t help but ask about the shampoo. It’s a Japanese brand called “N.” and the product is called “Shea Shampoo”. Kelvin says that shampoo choice is important if I want to prolong the lifespan of a perm. The budget guy in me agreed?!
Investing a little more on shampoo 🤝 prolonging a perm treatment
The shampoo is SGD 68.00 at the salon, but I got a “returning customer” discount and got the bottle for SGD 60.00. (Ouch?) I found out it’s about SGD 50.00 on Lazada. It’s okay, I guess this is my show of support for Haar Attic after all these years. I’m told a 20-cent coin size of shampoo is all that’s needed to form a nice lather and that the bottle can last up to two months.
Okay, we can do this:
😎 Verdict
No regrets coming here twice in two months. In both instances, the service was great. I’m not sure if I’m choosing the best time to go to the salon… it’s not crowded, but it has a loyal following I feel. Masks aren’t required to be worn inside. It feels comfortable, there’s nice music playing.
💰 Costs
My haircut with Mr. Kelvin is called “Men’s Cut with Kelvin (Keong Saik)” and cost SGD 55.00 (booked and paid online). There’s an alternative “Men’s Cut with Anyone (Keong Saik)” at SGD 40.00.
My perm and hair colour treatment in November 2022 was about SGD 256.00.
The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) returned to full form over the weekend! The last time “things were normal” was the 2019 edition just weeks before the first cocoa cases hit the country.
I join the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon every year because it’s my “gratitude run”. It’s my celebration for having a work pass and being able to stay in this country. This year, I joined the 10KM run together with PJ.
Here’s the 10KM race route for 2022.
The start and finish of the 10KM is the same with all categories of this year’s race including the full marathon. The starting line is at the F1 Pit and the finish line is in front of the floating stadium. The floating stadium is due to be demolished soon so I think it might be the last time to be used for SCSM. The race village is at the F1 Pit.
The race kit collection
This year’s race entry pack collection (REPC) was at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. We ran into our friend A and her hubby E (collecting his race kit for the full marathon!).
Race day
The 10KM race was on a Saturday (December 3) and our flag-off “rolling start” was at 6:30 AM. There was a rule that anyone joining the 10KM race must be at the starting pen before 7:00 AM. Afterwards, good luck!
We arrived at 6:55 AM and this is what the starting pen looked like:
I don’t remember how many times I’ve started a race from this location. Since we arrived at the tail-end of the 10KM category, it was empty. But look at how it was three years ago in 2019:
It was a VERY chill start since we were at the back of the pack. The music was blasting and people were taking selfies. It’s a happy feeling to experience this again. Like, the world did not end. (Or it hasn’t yet, I don’t know).
I wanted to run with PJ so I adjusted my pace and eventually walk-ran with him the rest of the route. I already knew this was not going to be a race for personal best. The past few months, the last two years… have taken a huge toll on my mental health. I’m simply happy for getting to the starting line of this race. I’m simply happy to put on a SCSM singlet again (even if the medium size made me feel like a sock puppet). I was also happy to see everyone back on the streets. And the runners? You can hear different languages. Truly, the Singapore Marathon that welcomed the world before, welcomes them back again now.
The experience at this year’s 10KM
The race route leads you towards the National Stadium after crossing Merdeka Bridge. Then it turns around and makes it way back towards Suntec Convention Centre, a U-turn back towards Nicoll Highway MRT, and then onwards to the finish line at the floating stadium. It’s not a new route, which is fine. The streets were also very clean and the hydration stations were plenty (almost every 2 to 3km?).
Because PJ is in the middle of his exams for his MBA, he wasn’t able to train for this run properly. But he still pushed anyway (it’s just a 10KM) and still proud he gave it a go. Yes, we did walk at some points of this race. He recommended we just meet at the finish line but I wasn’t aiming for personal best.
I clocked in my slowest 10KM SCSM run at 1 hr 41 mins (!) but I finished the race feeling happy… almost renewed. Like there’s something to aim for again next year. Like maybe… as what we’ve felt in 2022… life is returning to normal.
The race medal is simpler this year and has a logo of what I think is a Merlion (not a 10-legged spider spitting on a flower).
After crossing the finish line, you get a 100Plus towel (drenched in ice), a banana, a bottle of water, a can of 100Plus, and a pack of Himalaya Salt mint candy. There is no finisher shirt for the 10KM race as that’s reserved for the full marathoners.
Overall the race was, for me, 5/5 stars with the only gripe being this year’s singlet which looks good on slim people but would be challenging for those of us who are skinny fat lol. I wore my boyfriend’s L sized singlet and he wore the free shirt he got from Puma’s booth at the REPC.
Notable is an attempt to lessen on waste (that could be disputable given the nature of these events). The race programme is in PDF format, the race maps are images saved on your phone or accessible by QR code.
There are also bins that encourage much more organisation on how to dispose of waste (like recyclables vs perishable items).
I can’t speak for the baggage drop section as we skipped that.
10KM race route – 5/5 – nothing new, it’s a “classic”, hydration stations etc all there
REPC (race kit collection) – 4.5/5 – nothing new, very organised… I have to drop 0.5 from the score because of the Prudential booth at the exit of the REPC… there was absolutely no way to skip that booth, they placed it so you walk into it which made introverts like me feel very uneasy!!
Race kit – 5/5 – I prefer it like this, simple… singlet + an SCSM race belt + the plastic for the bag drop is now the same as the entire kit itself + barely any brochures… gosh, remember how it was in the early 2010s
Race singlets – 3/5 – good fabric, but not a good fit for skinny fat
Race village / fringe areas – 4/5 – booths were there, felt a bit scaled down but not bad (at least this all happened!), hospitality area, massages, fun activities still there… only gripe is that when exiting towards Promenade MRT there are some bottlenecks when navigating the exit route through Singapore Flyer… not a good thing if there’s a stampede or people crush event happening
Ten years ago
Conclusion
The past two editions of this race were entirely virtual (2020) or incredibly scaled back (2021). So for the 2022 edition to be “back to normal” is worth celebrating. Good job to the organisers and congratulations to everyone who showed up to run in any of the categories at this year’ SCSM.
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The family visited Singapore last week! It was their first overseas travel since the pandemic began almost three years ago. I took leave on all the days of their visit. This was the family’s third visit to Singapore in ten years.
When we planned the trip, it was more of an easy checklist of which area we’d be in per day. The monsoon weather is crazy these days so I always had a backup. I feel we achieved 90% of what we set out to do anyway.
Here’s what we did over five days. Some of my footnotes after.
Day 1, Thursday Arrival Day
✈️ Pick-up the family at Changi Airport T3 (11am, SQ915) ⭐️ Activity: Jewel Changi Airport (HSBC Rain Vortex) 🍱 Lunch: Kho Kho Nara, Jewel Changi Airport ⭐️ Activity: Visit Pokémon Center 🍱 Snack: Birds of Paradise (recommend: Mint Choco) 🚕 Taxi to Carlton City Hotel Singapore (Grab 6-Seater) 🏨 Family checks into Carlton City Hotel Singapore ❤️ Free time to chill at the hotel 🍱 Dinner: Ma Maison, 100AM (recommend: Beef Stroganoff) ⭐️ Activity: Visit Don Don Donki and FairPrice Finest (showing my parents where I do my groceries, since I live nearby) ❤️ Return to hotel to rest
Day 2, Friday Sentosa
🍱 Breakfast: Plate, Carlton City Hotel Singapore ❤️ Easy morning at the hotel 🚕 Taxi to Madame Tussauds Singapore ⭐️ Activity: Madame Tussauds Singapore (SGD 35/adult) – includes Images of Singapore, and the only boat ride within a Madame Tussauds in the world 🚶🏻 Walk to Imbiah Station / Tram to Beach Station 🍱 Lunch: Coastes (recommend: Grilled Ham & Cheese, Shades of Summer mocktail) 🛍️ Mom shops at Sentosa Fun Shop 🚕 Taxi to Hotel ❤️ Free time to chill at the hotel 🚕 Taxi to The Three Peacocks 🍱 Dinner: The Three Peacocks, Seafood and BBQ Buffet (reservations made, but it was still a free-for-all at arrival, worth it if you enjoy seafood) 🚕 Taxi to Hotel ❤️ Hotel to rest
Day 3, Saturday City and Orchard
🍱 Breakfast: Plate, Carlton City Hotel Singapore ❤️ Easy morning at the hotel 🚶🏻 Walk around Tanjong Pagar (Show the family International Plaza, Guoco Tower, Maxwell Chambers) ⭐️ Activity: Singapore City Gallery (Free) 🚕 Taxi to The Centrepoint 🍱 Lunch: Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, The Centrepoint (chef’s kiss, the broth is perfect for the monsoon season) 🛍️ Family shops at The Paragon (Marks & Spencer), Ngee Ann City (Sephora, Takashimaya Department Store, Books Kinokuniya) 🚕 Taxi to Hotel 🍱Snack: Yomie’s Rice X Yogurt (behind the hotel, recommend their signature Purple Rice yogurt drink) ❤️ Free time to chill at the hotel ⭐️ Activity: Family time at George’s apartment (we watched Downton Abbey: A New Era on the projector screen) 🍱 Dinner Delivery: Alt. Pizza + Housemates’ snack box 😍 🚶🏻 Walk back to the hotel
Day 4, Sunday Boat Quay and Suntec
🍱 Breakfast: Plate, Carlton City Hotel Singapore ❤️ Easy morning at the hotel 🚕 Taxi to Circular Road, Boat Quay 🍱 Lunch: Co Chung Vietnamese Restaurant (recommend: the Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and Crispy Spring Roll) 🚶🏻 Walk along Boat Quay towards Fullerton Hotel 🍱 Snack: Ice Cream Sandwich from Uncle / Auntie ⭐️ Activity: Asian Civilisations Museum (SGD 45/family of 5) 🍱 Snack: Privé ACM – DO NOT RECOMMEND 🚶🏻Walk to Merlion Park and Esplanade 📚 Dad and brother head to National Library Singapore (it’s closed, they ended up at Popeyes instead 🍗) 🛍️ PJ and I take mom to Suntec City for shopping at Cotton On, H&M (mom enjoyed herself visiting H&M again after 3 years) 🍱 Dinner: Paradise Dynasty (recommend: Xiao Long Bao, and the yang chao fried rice – perhaps the best in its category) 🚕 Taxi to Hotel ❤️ Hotel to rest
Day 5, Monday Marina Bay Sands and Chinatown
🍱 Breakfast: Plate, Carlton City Hotel Singapore ❤️ Easy morning at the hotel 🚕 Taxi to Marina Bay Sands, Tower 1 🍱 Lunch: LAVO Italian Restaurant (Reservations made, I’m reserving some comments on the service we experienced; recommend “The Meatball” and their pizzas) ⭐️ Activity: Enjoy a panoramic view of the city from LAVO 🛍️ Window shopping at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (we’re not the kind to really shop at Coach or Burberry) ⭐️ Activity: ArtScience Museum: Future World Where Art Meets Science (SGD 12/adult, this exhibition is not complete at the moment due to renovations, Crystal Universe remains open) 🛍️ Mom and brother shop at the Apple Store Marina Bay 🚕 Taxi to Hotel ❤️ Free time to chill at the hotel 🚶🏻 Evening walk at Duxton Plain Park towards Chinatown (great cross-section of Singapore on a weekday early evening: HDBs, people walking their dogs, jogging, playing basketball, etc.) 🛍️ Family buys souvenirs at Chinatown’s bazaar area 🍱 Dinner: Noodle Man (recommend: almost everything) ⭐️ Activity: Visit a brand new MRT station (Maxwell MRT) 🚶🏻 Walk back to the hotel ❤️ Hotel to rest
Some footnotes:
We never took the MRT during the five days. I told my parents it wouldn’t be too hard since our hotel was in the city centre and getting to our destinations would be 2-3 stops at most. But I was mindful of mom’s hearing sensitivity and the roar of the train when it’s in the tunnels. Crowdedness was less a concern since our commute times were off-peak.
On transportation, we booked the Grab 6-Seaters which were a pleasant surprise. They’re only a few dollars more than the regular Grab taxis, but far more comfortable. It meant my parents didn’t have to lower themselves to get into a regular taxi. Most of the 6-seater taxis also have automatic doors. Highly-recommend these types of taxis when traveling with elderly loved ones.
Our hotel was city centre and intentionally at Carlton City Hotel Singapore since it’s a 3-minute walk from my apartment in Tanjong Pagar. I stayed at my apartment in the evenings.
I dedicated mornings for the family to get extra rest. But I hadn’t realised that this was probably their most active time of the day. My brother normally starts work early morning.
Where the pandemic is concerned, as of my family’s visit in November 2022, most restrictions had already been lifted. Though the four of us masked up, masks are only required in hospitals, clinics, and public transport excluding cabs.
We skipped Gardens by the Bay, Satay Street, National Gallery Singapore, Haji Lane, Little India, Bugis, Universal Studios, etc. since we did these before.
Go cashless if you can.
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The family flew back to Manila on Tuesday from Changi Airport’s T2. ❤️
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Any tips for travelling with elderly loved ones? I think we did a good job lol – but I’d love to hear your thoughts too.
Are you flying to Singapore for holiday? Let me know what you’re looking for so I can make some recommendations for you.
A new ride opened at Sentosa last year called the SkyHelix Sentosa. It’s a gondola ride that takes you 79 meters above sea level to give you a panoramic view of Sentosa. The gondola also rotates slowly so you can sit in any of the 16 seats and catch a view of everything. You can spot downtown Singapore, the nearby shipping container yards, the cargo ships themselves… and on a clear day, you can also see Indonesia on the horizon.
The ride opened in December last year. But I only got to visit the SkyHelix Sentosa when my friend stopped by Singapore last week on his way to the Philippines. I took him to the SkyHelix since we also enjoyed the flying fiesta (chair swing ride) at the Marina Bay Carnival a few years ago.
The SkyHelix Sentosa is located at Imbiah Lookout. There’s construction the vicinity for the Sentosa Sensoryscape so for people walking to this attraction (as well as nearby Madam Tussauds, etc), they’ll have to follow marked paths.
I bought the tickets online on the same day and I noticed it’s cheaper at SGD 16.20 per adult online, compared to buying it over the ticket counter at SGD 18.00. Each ticket includes either a soft drink or a souvenir. My friend and I both got a soft drink so we could take it up with us.
The ride itself lasts at least ten minutes long. A guide from the attraction will also point out what’s interesting nearby. They will also help take your photo. The guide stays in the middle of the gondola. Almost like Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation but of course with more gusto.
Because the SkyHelix Sentosa sits on top of Imbiah Lookout, which itself is a hilltop… it feels like you’re twice or three times as high once the gondola is at its highest. The rotation is slow and comfortable… so it isn’t a thrill ride (but wait, unless you have a slight fear of heights… then it’ll be quite thrilling!). The guide also explained that SkyHelix Sentosa is best to experience day and/or night… so you get to see all the lights.
Definitely recommend this as a quick and harmless attraction to enjoy probably one of the best views of Sentosa.
It was also great to catch up with my friend M who (as I shared in an Instagram post) really helped me through a very delicate time in my life a few years ago. He was always very nice… I enjoy having conversations with him haha. Thanks for making the time to meet.
It’s been almost six years since I last created a “silent vlog” (a video where there’s no talking, only capturing the natural sights and sounds of our surroundings). I want to experiment with this approach since I enjoy consuming these types of videos anyway. Here’s the result… enjoy!
Video synopsis: Let’s visit St. John’s Island and Lazarus Island, part of the Southern Islands in Singapore. Plus, a peek at Marina South Pier MRT station.
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Behind-the-scenes (not in the vlog above)
It’s great to be back outside since I got Covid last week. I’m feeling much better. I love the outdoors… and I love having picnics too. When we arrived at St. John Island, we managed to chope a small covered shelter.
Our friends prepared a nice breakfast too.
The island is still a great escape from the city… even if you could see downtown in the background. I still recommend this island for people who want to “disconnect” from the city. Starting this month, you can start renting bikes and scooters not from from the ferry pier.
We had a picnic at two spots. The first was at St. John’s Island (first photo) and the second spot was at the cove on Lazarus Island.
I made the mistake of forgetting to apply sunblock.
Some tips before going to St. John’s / Lazarus Islands:
Bring sunblock, and apply generously. I underestimated the sun since it was partly cloudy when we left the mainland.
Bring a picnic mat.
Everything you bring to the island (food, water, etc), consider taking the trash back with you to the mainland.
Bring a poncho / umbrella in case the weather changes. It’s happened before! One moment it’s sunny, and the next there’s a thunderstorm.
You can bring a foldable bike on the ferry. I asked the operator and they said that it’s free.
There are no food stalls on the island… so bring food and snacks!
Yes, you can do light swimming off the shores. It’s nice.
Since the ferry terminal is only two MRT stations away from our house, I wouldn’t mind repeating this trip a few times. I’d love to go back to the island and enjoy a book.
Where is St. John’s Island / Lazarus Island? Take a look on this map!
I’ve been looking at Formula 1 videos all week. I’m not a true blue F1 fan who knows everything. But I’m inclined to learn about it. Race tracks are exciting. Not just the Marina Bay Circuit but the thought of exotic race locations in many places around the world. The cars and the livery are fascinating. I don’t know which racing club or team I should be following, but I like the idea of learning more.
I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines and hearing the roar of the cars from (literally) a distance. I want to be where the action is and I’m not talking about the Zone 4 walkabout. I want to be at the grandstands with a non-alcoholic beverage in my mind, and maybe some nice food. I want to enjoy nice food that I don’t have to think twice about like the cost. I want to order from the ala carte menu, not the set.
I’m tired of being told to be safe when I know there’s more to grasp when I’m encouraged to go further. I’m tired of being reminded of my roots, when I’m ready to touch the sky.
For the past three years I’ve played it safe. I’m very tired of it. Not cars, but with ships… this quote. “A ship is safe in harbour, but that’s not what ships are for.”
Bekpackr.com 