Orchard Road Christmas Light Up 2012

The popular shopping district of Singapore has full of lights and christmas decors  as the annual lighting ceremony was officially held last Saturday 17 November 2012. As in previous years, the Singapore president launched the event. This year's theme is Christmas on a Great Street, with motifs of trees, heart, and doves as the major decors along the 2.2 kilometers stretch of Orchard.

It was raining hard prior to the ceremony so the turn out of people during that night was not as huge as last year. The street lights will last until 6 January 2013. There will be a nightly live musical shows beginning 17 December until Christmas day along the walkway of Orchard Road.

If you are in Singapore or planning to visit the country, spend a night in Orchard Road and be dazzled and experience  the magic brought by the holiday season.

Enjoy!

To the moon and back

It's been six months that this blog has not been updated. And my blogger friend is filing a complaint to where I don't know hahah, thanks Reena. Actually I have many things to write and share here during those months and drafts has been readied including photos to be posted. But I have been to the moon, just kidding and honestly I was not so into it (writing) and was just waiting for the right time until I regain my interest back into blogging. The past six months I have been out of the country a few times, I have been to Bangkok and Pattaya in Thailand as my birthday treat to myself. I went home in the Philippines for a quick hospital visit to my mother who has been hospitalized due to heart condition. I also been to neighboring Malaysia several weekends just for a quick r&r in Johor Bahru. I became addicted that I keep coming back there as I can't resist traveling out of Singapore. My job limited me from traveling on a longer period nowadays. 

But last weekend I got to travel again to southeast asian city of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. It was a short trip but nevertheless a good one, since I got the opportunity to see and experience another city. I intend to come back there again as I think the city deserves a second visit heheh. The Cambodia's capital city may not be as slick and less glamorous compared to other neighboring ASEAN capitals but it has its own distinctive character that uniquely its own.

On the local front, after four years stay here in Singapore, I finally got the time to visit Jurong Bird Park, the largest bird sanctuary in the country. I finally watched the Waterworld show during my second visit to Universal Studios Singapore. I also been to Garden by the Bay, a new must visit place here in Singapore. I only explored a few of the attractions and need to come back to see the rest of this place to offer.

So expect that most of my entries in the coming updates will contains all that I just mentioned now.  

Welcome back to me, and thanks for reading.

Peace!

Random travel shot :)

Today

MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore

One of the beautiful spot to spend weekend morning here in Singapore is at the MacRitchie Reservoir located along Lornie Road. It has one of the nature scenic morning view and at the same time a lot of activities are happening in and within the reservoir. It is surrounded by a 12km circular jungle trail. Rowers, joggers, and oldies doing their exercises are the usual crowd here on weekends.

HE Is Risen

"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins and we are to be pitied more than all men" (1 Corinthians 15:17, 19)

Happy Easter!

By HIS wounds, we are healed

iLight at the Marina Bay

Now on its second year, the iLight Marina Bay 2012 is a sustainable light art festival that features more than 30 light art installations displayed along the Marina Bay waterfront. Here's some of the installations that I find interesting and visually stimulating.

Fashion Steps Out at Orchard Road

 

Over a hundred fashion models literally steps out onto Orchard Road last Saturday night. The stretch of Orchard Road from Ion Orchard to Paragon Mall were turned into a fashion runway as models strut down the road. Seeing these models walk on the road instead of the usual catwalk is refreshing and I believe is the first time that a busy road has been closed and used as a fashion runway.

My Travel Task List for 2011 in Review

Never mind if this is already late. I would like to make an assessment on the list of task I set for 2011.

Last year I have been to eight places in four countries and went home to Philippines twice. Last year also  was my first time to Hong Kong and Macau, second time to Vietnam, and nth time to Malaysia. In Malaysia it was my first time to Penang Island and Putra Jaya. While I live in the Philippines, the travel to Corregidor Island and now famous Caramoan Peninsula were my first time.

Thaipusam 2012 in Singapore

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated by the Tamil community here in Singapore. The festival is a religious ceremonial worship in which devotees implore physical burden as offering to their God of War Murugan. 

The physical burden or kavadi comes in various types, from simple carrying of pot of milk to piercing the skin, tongue or checks with skewers.

Chingay Parade 2012

Claimed by the organizers as the grandest in Asia, the Chingay Parade is an annual event held as part of the Chinese new year festivities in Singapore. This year the parade was confined at F1 Pit. A 360m waterway was built along the parade grounds. 

Just an Update

Whoah! It is already mid month and yet this blog haven't leap to the new year. 

Busy at work and family matter capped the year 2011 on a not so happy end for me.

I was prepared to not spend Christmas in a place outside of Singapore and resigned to have a repeat of how I spent it the the year before. But what I was not prepared to was to received the news that my mother was rushed to the hospital two days before Christmas due to heart problem. It was her second. My family back home literally spend Christmas in the hospital, and I left worried and alone  and waiting anxiously news from home. She's out of the hospital on new year's eve, and now she's undergoing physiotherapy as right part of her body was affected.