Flower Dome: Blooming Flowers Chinese New Year Dahlia

Last year I brought Gardens by the Bay annual pass which will expire by this year December. I brought the annual pass at only $34 due to SG50 promotion. So this year, I will visit Gardens by the Bay quite frequently. Its a great buy actually since the Flower Dome will be revamped every two to three months and for local residents, admission price for two conservatories namely The Flower Dome & Cloud Forest costs $20.00 and $28.00 for foreigners. This week they will feature Cherry (Sakura) and Peach blossoms. I will visiting Flower Dome Blossom display this coming Friday and will update this blog this weekend. 

Today, I just want to share the Chinese New Year theme which focuses on Dahlia flowers this Feb. Looking at the beautiful flowers remind me of life. We are all on this planet earth temporarily. Nevertheless, we should bloom beautifully like the flowers and bring joy and beauty to the world while we are still alive. Let's bloom like the flowers!

Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome

Admission tickets: $12 for adult (1 conservatory)

Open daily from 9am to 9pm.

How to go?

Just alight at Bayfront MRT station. 

 The Chinese New Year theme features the Monkey, and the 12 Chinese zodiacs. 

 Adorable Monkeys on Gold. 

 One of the many enchanting dahlias.

Begonias are one of my favourite flowers.

 Inside the artificial waterfall.

An Inspiring Movie & Song: Kung Fu Panda & Try

Wow wow wow, Kung Fu Panda 3 is my fifth movie this year! Did I mention, I normally only watch 2 movies in a year. This year is special. My uncle treated to my first movie of this year which is Star War and my two cousins treated me to How to be single and Mermaid movies. Yesterday I watched another slapstick comedy, Zoolander 2. 

Kung Fu Panda is my favourite movie and I've watched all three Kung Fu Panda movies! One of my bucket lists is to hug a real baby panda in a China panda conservation and I really really hope to hug them in this life. 

Today, I treated my elder cousin to Kung Fu panda 3 movie since I can get a free ticket by showing my M1 bill at Shaw Lido theatre ( my favourite theatre). We enjoyed this inspiring and hilarious cartoon with many words of wisdom by Ooway. The theme for this movie is about finding yourself and be who you truly are, and you'll fly high. 

Po had to train his fellow pandas to defeat the evil Kai who wanted to suck their Chi (energy) . In the end, Po realised to teach these pandas, he trained them based on his observation of their passion and strengths. 

In essence, if you follow your dream and passion and believe in yourself, you'll fly high and be a master and expert in your passion as you be more driven to find out more and achieve mastery. So while working to pay bills, don't neglect your passion. Be Positive and Believe in Yourself and You can Achieve what you set up too! 

I love this inspiring soundtrack Try by Jay Chou and Patrick Brasca.

River Hongbao Show 2016: Dazzling Fireworks

Just want to share this year dazzling fireworks featured during this year River Hongbao show held during the Chinese New Year period. The organisers had done a great job this year and I really like this year fireworks! Thank you so much and I hope next year we get to see such awesome fireworks again!

For my previous post on this year River Hongbao show, you can visit this link.

 Sun Wu Kong

Sia- Chandelier

This is my favourite song at the moment. A really soulful rendition with beautiful melody.

Lovely Switzerland!

Switzerland is one beautiful country I long to travel. It has many beautiful pristine lakes and majestic mountains I want to hike. Not that I can't afford, but my dream is to travel to Switzerland with my future spouse for honeymoon. I travelled alone to New York to see beautiful arts in New York arts and design museums and enjoyed musical by top talents in 2011. Still they are beautiful arts created by humans. I want to see beautiful natures with my one and only one. In my opinion, I think Switzerland is the most beautiful country blessed with temperate temperature too. Its definitely on my bucket list. 

Nevertheless, I need to be realistic. If I'm still single by 38 years old, I probably travel to Switzerland alone. I was excited to see travel exhibition set up by Switzerland tourism last Friday at Raffles City Shopping Mall (Cityhall MRT). Wow, I was so excited and collected many useful and informative brochures and booklets on Switzerland. These will come in handy when I plan for Switzerland trip even though I already brought Switzerland Lonely planet book two years ago. 

Switzerland is well-known for their efficient train and specialist skills in engineering and transport system.

Gigantic map of Switzerland on the floor.

Performance by Swiss

I want to travel to Switzerland! 

Are You Ready for Singapore Design Week?

Are you Ready for Singapore Design Week? Yes, starting tomorrow, many events and programmes will be launched!

 National Design Centre

Kwan Im Thong Hood Temple at Waterloo Street Singapore

Since last year December, I decided to pray at Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple near Bugis MRT every week, either on Friday or Saturday. Last Friday, after work, I was surprised to see so many devotees praying at one of Singapore most popular temples. After reading from internet, I realised last Friday was 26th of 1st Lunar month, which is the Opening of Wealth Vault day (开财库). I took four red packets which were filled with 20cents coin ( I think so as I haven't open yet). I wanted to give to my family but my father took for all of us instead. Maybe I just keep it first.

Anyway after praying to Goddess of Mercy, I will always walk to Raffles City shopping mall (at Cityhall MRT) to eat at Soup Spoon Union, buy almond bread and then read at a bookshop in Raffles City shopping mall basement. If I feel like eating yogurt, I'll walk to Marina square mall to eat Llao Llao yogurt. Yeah, its actually a routine that I enjoy. After praying to the benevolent Guan Yin, I read the latest magazines or books at a bookshop in Raffles city shopping mall basement (Cityhall MRT). 

 Barricades are set up to maintain order. My father told me the temple was packed with people who want to  receive the blessing hongbao (red packet). My mum told me that those who receive must return next year.

From http://www.beokeng.com/disptemple.php?temple=kwan-im-thong-hood-cho-temple

Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple (guanyin tang fozu miao) is more commonly known as Shi Ma Lu Guanyin Temple or Waterloo Street Guanyin Temple. Based on the wall inscriptions, the temple's founder was 'Master Li Nan Shan', who hailed from Guangdong, China. In 1884 he received a piece of land from a firm known as 'Chen Liang Cheng', and built the temple betweem 1884 and 1886. The temple was refurbished in 1895 and rebuilt into the one we see today in 1984. 

Travel Revolution at Marina Bay Sands

Last month, I went to Travel Revolution, a travel fair at Marina Bay Sands to gather more information about Melbourne Australia, that I plan to visit this year. I collected many brochures and travel guide to Melbourne and I'm happy as I don't have to buy travel guide books.

When am I visiting Melbourne? Maybe in June or late November to December. But I have started to plan and research on Melbourne via forum, tripadvisor and Melbourne travel books. I derive great pleasure in researching and planning my Melbourne trip. Actually I wanted to go to Sydney, but my aunty and colleagues strongly recommended Melbourne instead. Also for the first time, its not expensive to change to Australian dollars. I better change SGD$ to AUD$ since its quite cheap now. 

Coincidentally, today Sunday Times newspaper features Melbourne in the Travel Black Book and this year many local magazines feature Melbourne city. Its like higher power is pushing me to go to Melbourne this year. Or maybe its just serendipity.  I learnt that it's a city known for great coffee and street arts. Yeah, I think I will enjoy my trip in Melbourne as I love coffee, nature and arts. I will visit their arts museum and National Art Gallery of Victoria and National library which is very beautiful. I also enjoy great coffee and I must have coffee every morning. In my itinerary, I will also visit Yarra valley, Philips island to see cute penguins and maybe Great Ocean road trip with a tour. I plan to travel alone in November, just like when I travel alone to New York several years ago to watch awesome musicals and great arts in their world class arts museums.  

By the way, if you had been to Melbourne and want to share some travel tips,please do so. 

Australia booth at Travel Revolution fair at Marina Bay Sands.