15 Cool Things to Check out in Singapore

Sometimes, we see something so often that we fail to appreciate just how awesome it is. Well, don’t be a stranger in your own country. Check out these awesome places in SG:

1. The Ritz-Carlton’s Art Collection. This hotel has an amazing art collection. Among its prized artworks on display is a Frank Stella installation at the entrance and two Dale Chihuly chandeliers.

2. Hawker Centres. Foreigners rave about the food in our hawker centres, so make sure to visit (and appreciate) them every now and then.

3. Haji Lane. Located at the heart of Singapore’s Moslem district, Haji Lane may be small in size but it offers riches for fashionistas.

4. The Night Life. Well, sure, we’re no New York or Tokyo, but make no mistake: we know how to party. Must-visit venues are the Training Shed and Zouk.

5. Kampong Glam District. This place offers wonderful boutiques, fashionable shops, cosy cafés and cool bars with a Malayan flavor. Check out Masjid Sultan Mosque for something more traditional.

6. Singapore Zoo. One of the best zoos in the region, here you can find and even interact with a myriad of wildlife.

7. Chinatown Heritage Centre. Going here would feel like time traveling as the establishment superbly recreated sets and scenes from Singapore 100 years in the past.

8. The Local Music Scene. The best place to find up-and-coming music artists is probably the Hood Bar and Café, though the Esplanade offers plenty too.

9. Trick Eye Museum. Spend a wonderful afternoon here playing with magical optical illusions and other 2D and 3D marvels.

10. The Singapore Flyer. Towering at 165 meters, this iconic Ferris Wheel will give you a breath-taking panoramic view of Singapore—plus others cool amenities.

11. Singapore Botanic Gardens. Open from 5AM until midnight, SBG offers a bucolic retreat from the metropolis. Even just a short walk here will give you a sense of serenity.

12. Little India. Little India has famous sweet shops, temples, boutiques, salons, and tattoo and henna parlours.

13. Mid-Autumn Festival. Traditionally celebrated to give thanks to a good harvest, the Mid-Autumn Festival is now akin to an artistic show of beautiful lanterns and other creative displays.

14. National Museum of Singapore. For a dose of cultivation, head to NMS to check out art exhibits, film screenings, historic displays and other enriching cultural shows.

15. Gadgets on the Cheap. Practice your haggling skills at Sim Lim Square and Funan Digitalife Mall to get the best deals on gadgets, appliances and all kinds of electronics.

Obviously, this isn’t an exhaustive list—actually, this barely even scratches the surface—which only goes to show that there’s so, so much you can find here in Singapore—even for locals.

5 Instagram-Ready Spots in the Lion City

We live in a day and age where beauty is not only appreciated as it is, but is mandatory to snap a shot or two to decorate our feeds. Our online selves deserve a beautiful photo once in a while, and both locals and tourists alike can’t help but fill feeds with the beauty Singapore has to offer.

1. Public Transport
To start the list is one which our eyes have grown accustomed to yet never fail to tease our creative right lobes. With the lines and the right amount of grays, public transport stations of Singapore have monochrome patrons coming back for more shots – in different angles and poses.

2. Toa Payoh Playground or Dragon Playground
Who says we outgrow playgrounds? This spot offers colorful and sand-contrasted shots for photography enthusiasts. Singapore actually has four dragon playgrounds yet this remains the only one with sand. The others are dubbed with rubber play mats for added protection to kids. The dragon playground was spearheaded by the Housing and Development Board’s efforts way back 1979, with the Oriental dragon as model.

3. MCI Building
Those looking to add more color to their feeds should definitely pay the MCI building a visit. The vivid colors of green, red, yellow and blue partnered with sturdy walls of the building will surely gain a lot of good shots. Located along the Civic District trail, this infrastructure will surely leave your camera roll dripping with color.

4. Raffles Marina Lighthouse
If a touch of prestige is what you’re looking for in your photos, drop by Singapore’s Raffles Marina Lighthouse. Not only will your photos have that laid-back vacation vibe, but more importantly a tinge of these water-borne structures to contrast your in-land usuals. Nothing like a tinge of nature to balance all the infrastructures the life in the city has.

5. CHIJMES
This picturesque area of a complex of convent buildings is located in the heart of the city. It first started as a Catholic convent named as the Convent of the Holy Child Jesus (CHIJ). It was also called as Caldwell house, a convent quarters. An icon of history, religion and urbanized turn of the times, CHIJMES once served as a convent for 132 years. Today, the chapel is called the CHIJMES Hall, serving as a multi-purpose hall. The Caldwell House is now an art gallery, proving a convenient spot to visit for art enthusiasts.

We all have means and media with which to capture beauty we are blessed to enjoy today. Gadgets, camera, and such technological advancements all prove to be handy extensions of our mind’s eye in remembering spots that take our breath away.

Just don’t forget to put those down once in a while and indulge in the scene with our best gadget: our eyes.

Hiring People with Mental Illness?

Employers know who to hire and not to hire. Equality and non-discrimination in the workplace is important here but when people with mental illness walks in our doors seeking for job, giving one is a tough decision.

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Persons with Mental Issues (PMHIs) are not simple to hire. However, the employer can overcome it by making some effort and receiving support. The good news is that there is an increasing number of employers who have taken this huge step to hire PMHIs.

The Institute of Mental Health supports Job Club. This is a service that prepares the PMHIs for their employment. It does not end there because the institute also support PMHIs through job placements.

Job Club works diligently with employers to help and support PMHIs so they can achieve their best whilst in their workplace. As of the moment, Job Club is working with more than one hundred employers from retail, cleaning, administrative and food and beverage industries.

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The good news is that these employers successfully integrated PMHIs to their workforce. Aside from Job Club, there are also other organizations with the same goal. These organizations include Singapore Association for Mental Health, Singapore Anglican Community Services and National Council of Social Service.

The focus of such organizations is to boost the employability of PMHIs with the help of rehabilitation and training to meet the needs of the employers. In the case of the National Council of Social Service, they have this Project Hire. Project Hire brings together PMHIs through employment forums to raise awareness.

This is a good initiative and for sure the care providers of PMHIs will be happy of the opportunities given.

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Singapore Law – Don’t Get Naked or Else

Almost everyday in our lives, we need to change dress especially that the weather here is very hot.  You have take your clothes off and wear a new one. However, you have to be careful when you do this even in your own house because you might be jailed.

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Singapore’s Weather

Here in the country, the temperature is humid. Basically, you will experience here a hot weather. Therefore, expect to sweat hardly. Like in other countries near the equator, people wear the mot comfortable shirt that they have so that they can combat the scorching heat.

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The Don’t Get Naked Law

Many Singaporeans allow themselves to wear two-piece at the beach and wear something lose when  they are at home. Actually, the law was created because the are many girls who complain that they are being watched by guys. Now, there have implemented a law that punishes all individual who wear nothing even if they are at their own home. Even if you are confident that nobody can see you, you still need to close you windows to have an assurance that no one will see you. It’s a strange law but it is really happening in the country and once you are caught looking at someone’s window or you are the one who’s not wearing anything, expect a huge fine. Another reason that prohibit Singaporeans get naked it is because it means pornography.

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Singapore’s Bestselling Cars in 2014

If you are planning to buy a car, what do you consider? For some, the price matters most but many Singaporeans rely on the name or brand of the car. Singaporeans would not compromise the price for the safety and quality of the car. Before buying that car, it would be meaningful to look at the bestselling cars here. It will give you an idea of what things to look for.

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Land Transportation Authority released a figure early in July 2014 showing that Toyota dominates the top spot of bestselling cars here. Of course, it is still early to tell that Toyota will indeed dominate the market at the end of the year. CarBuyer compiled a list of the bestselling cars here in Singapore. If you are curious, here are the top 7 bestselling cars according to CarBuyer:

  • Mercedes-Benz E- Class: There were nine hundred seventy eight units of Mercedes-Benz E-Class sold during the first six months. This sedan is obviously the top of its class. Here, Mercedes-Benz is still the most coveted brand and a lot of wealthy people considered or thought about it. This is the #1 bestselling car here.
  • Toyota Corolla Altis: The Japanese is back in the market. Its Toyota Corolla Altis is in the #2 spot which sold about eight hundred fifty six units here. Toyota Corolla is a favourite because it is practical, reliable and more importantly, it is easy to use. It is uncomplicated and anyone can drive it.
  • BMW 5 Series: When you speak of BMW, this model is the favourite of all. It sold about five hundred sixty nine units. This is the reason why BMW 5 Series landed in the third spot.
  • BMW 3 Series: This model sold about five hundred twenty two units for the past six months. This is why it is #4.

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  • Mercedes- Benz CLA-Class: The Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class sold about four hundred seventy five units. This model is the #5 bestselling car here.
  • Volkswagen Jetta: Volkswagen Jetta sold about four hundred fifty eight units over the past months. The model underwent few improvements so buyers will be interested. It is in #6 spot.
  • Volkswagen Golf: The #7 spot goes to Volkswagen Golf. It sold about four hundred thirty four units over the past months.

Hopefully this paints a picture. If you want what is in trend, you have to buy cars according to the list but if you simply want a car for its function and not as a symbol, you can purchase any car that you like. As long as it brings you to places that you want, there will be no problem.

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The Singapore Food Strategy Plan

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) asks Singaporeans to join in the healthy lifestyle movement. There are people who gladly welcome the movement and join it without further ado but there are others who simply deny or ignore it. Regardless of your choice, it is imperative that you take note of HPB’s strategies or plans.

Healthier Dining Programme

HPB is worried about the deterioration of dietary quality among Singaporeans. HPB noted that there is an increasing number of Singaporeans who consume calories more than the recommended intake. Apart from calories, people here are also consuming more saturated fats. With this, the HPB has formulated “food strategy” to give people more healthy options.

HPB announced this on June 4, 2014. The strategy composes of 3 initiatives which will be applied in the next months. Here are the 3 initiatives:

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  • Healthier Dining Programme: The Healthier Dining Programme seeks to increase healthy eat-out meals across the island. The target of the Programme is to serve one hundred eighty million healthy meals every year at the end of 2020. As a prelude, HPB is asking eighteen food-service providers to offer healthy 500-calorie meals throughout seven hundred stalls and outlets. If you want details,
  • Healthier Choice Products: Let it be known that there is Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS). HCS is a mark for food products that symbolizes healthy option. HPB seeks to encourage everyone to choose products that bear the HCS mark. HPB is working with food manufacturers to intensify the variety of HCS products. In addition to this, HPB will work with supermarket chains to promote HCS products and make it accessible and affordable.
  • Cutting Empty Calories: As mentioned earlier, HPB is very concerned about the intake of calories. HPB decided to tap beverage players to manufacture and promote beverages with less sugar. HPB is also urging beverage players to intensify the availability of less-sugar drinks in the workplace, schools and the whole community.

Now that you know the initiatives of HPB, you should make an effort to follow their lead. It is not yet too late to join the initiative of HPB. The agency will be happy if you share this information to your co-workers, friends and your family. Happy dieting!

Do not forget that you cannot achieve a healthy body without exercise. Food alone is not effective if you want a healthy and happy life. You also need to exercise twice or thrice a week. Go to gyms or join your community’s exercise programmes.

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