2017 New Year Resolutions

Today is the last day of 2016. Tomorrow will be the start of 2017. After taking stock of 2016, now is the appropriate moment to think about my new year resolutions.

In 2017, my biggest wish is for me and my family's good health. This is the most important. With good health, we can then enjoy our life and pursue our dreams.

As I continue to pursue my dreams, there will be changes to my career. It will be a new environment for me, albeit in the same sector. In this day and age, it is not easy to find good jobs to earn a living. In Singapore and elsewhere, unemployment seems to be going up. Nevertheless, jobs are still available to those who don't mind a lower pay and a less than ideal working environment. 

Yup, so I will work hard, earn a decent income, and take good care of my health. Only with this can I continue to pursue my hobby :)

This brings me to my travels. As my bucket list destinations are all fulfilled, and with the new year approaching, this is a good time to add some places to my dream list. It is always good to have goals to keep me focused in my life. And my goals will be the places that I'm keen to visit.

Some places I will like to visit in 2017 and possibly beyond: Eastern Europe, Russia, Dublin, South Africa and South America.

These are not in any order. When I will visit depends on my budget, the time of year and the season as well. Nor are they my bucket list of destinations. I will not regret if I don't get to visit them. Just some goals for me.

With that, I look forward to 2017 !

Reflecting on 2016

As 2016 comes to a close, now is the time to do self reflection on the year gone by. For me, 2016 has been a great year. I have been to some of the world's most beautiful places. These pictures below should sum them up nicely.

Santorini's blue domed church in Greece

Geysir in Iceland

Icebergs in Alaska

the Norwegian fjords and the Northern Lights

As my bucket list destinations become fulfilled one by one, I have since reduced my travelling over the years.

After having caught the travel bug for some years now, I count my blessings and considers myself fortunate enough to travel. To me, travelling is about discovering the world and broadening my experiences. As I venture into the unknown, I learn many things that books can't teach me. It is these memories that encourage me to continue to travel.

Life is too short to have any regrets. I want to travel while I still can. No one can predict what will happen tomorrow. 

My travels have taken me to 40 countries at last count, including Singapore. I'm glad and thankful that my bucket list of places that I want to visit has all been fulfilled.

Singapore - Limbang Park

It's great that Singapore has many, many parks and gardens for those of us staying here to enjoy. As the city state becomes more urban and more residential flats are being built, we do need the green spaces to relax.

Limbang Park is in Choa Chu Kang, in northwest Singapore. It has the usual park amenities such as fitness corners, playgrounds and open spaces. Here are some unique features of this park:

The logo of Limbang Park

~4m high slide

Wooden bridge from the olden days...

Limbang park also features the twelve zodiac animals in chinese folklore. The dragon is one of them.

The rabbit

The rat

Singapore - Kallang Riverside Park

The newspaper reported that the Kallang Riverside Park may undergo a revamp soon. Since I had never been to this side of Singapore, I decided to head there for a visit today.

There were not many people at the park. A few runners and a few local residents and that's about it. Kallang Riverside Park spans both sides of the Kallang river and offers a view of the iconic Indoor Stadium, ocbc aquatic centre and beyond. 

However, I felt that it is not easy to cross the river to get to the indoor stadium. There is a walk to one end of the park and then on to the vehicular bridge to the stadium side. For those driving there, there is a carpark along Kampong Bugis Road.

A footbridge connecting another side of the park

Spirit of Kallang

Something that I learnt today

ocbc aquatic centre

X'mas Day at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station '16

I spent my X'mas morning at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. It is opened for the last time before it is closed for development. It will only reopen many years later.

In the past, Tanjong Pagar railway station has been the terminus stop for KTM trains bound for M'sia and up to Thailand. Some years back, it has ceased operations. The Singapore terminus for KTM trains is now at Woodlands. But the building facade has been preserved due to its historic significance. Over the years, it has held events and celebrations a few times a year. 

I have only vague to almost non-existent memories of riding the KTM train at a very young age. Before the station closes for many years to come, I decided to visit the place one more time.

I arrived just before 9am to avoid the crowds. Even then, people are streaming in.

Exterior facade

Railway building interior 

X'mas tree for the festive cheer !

Some portion of the tracks at the station are left behind by KTM for memory keepsakes. The rest has been removed. 

My passion for train travel and all things trains, including rail tracks :)

X'mas performances at the railway station

Info boards about the railway station for history buffs

X'mas Eve meal at Sengkang chef-in-a-box

The food vending cafe has been opened in Sengkang for a few months now. So I decided to visit for the first time.

It was around dinner time when I reached there and there was no one around at all.

The food vending machines were laid out side by side in one corner of the void deck in bright orange colour.

It started with the orange juice machine. $3 per cup. The unique thing is that it shows all the oranges in the machine and that the orange juice is freshly squeezed on the spot when you order.

The next few sets show a decent spread of hot and cold meals available.

Opened just this year to much fanfare

The ordering is done via a touch screen monitor. The meal can be served hot or frozen (for takeaway).

Plastic utensils are provided in a box.

After payment is made, the screen shows a count down together with some video clips on a generic food preparation process.

My order !

This is supposedly claypot chicken rice. But it doesn't compare to the ones in the food court. At a cost of $4, I felt that it was underwhelming and I definitely wouldn't order this meal again.

But still, an interesting concept !

There are four seats along a table for people to have their meals. For the time I'm there, there is only 1 other lady who came to buy a hot drink. Then there is this other guy who came to take photos of the place. Must be new to the food vending machines just like me !

Qatar Airways Business Class Stockholm to Singapore

Stockholm airport Qatar airways business class lounge is located after the security check and passport control counter, one level up. The lounge is small and offers few varieties of food and drinks. There are no shower amenities as well. I did not stay long at the lounge.

This is the length of the lounge. It is really small.

Limited food and drinks. But I don't complain since they are free !

What better way to begin a comfortable journey than with a glass of champagne

The few hours of layover gave me sufficient time to visit the huge business class lounge at Doha airport.

After registering for a shower slot, I found a quiet corner to sit down and relax.

Qatar Airways home base

Great to shower again. The previous shower I had was on the Hurtigruten ship before arriving at Trondheim.

The long escalator ride up and down the business class lounge at Doha airport

On the second flight back to Singapore. 

The rose champagne is always great !

Qatar Airways do serve up delicious porridge among other foods 

Fried rice

Spotted these wooden miniatures of Singapore icons at the luggage belt at Changi Airport

This sums up my incredible journey to see the Northern Lights. this trip is very fulfilling for me. A lot of "firsts". I took the Hurtigruten ferry cruise. I took business class flights on my favourite A350 and B787 planes. Most importantly, I saw the Northern Lights ! 

A great way to end 2016 !

Stockholm '16

This is the last leg of my journey in Northern Norway and Sweden to see the Northern Lights. The overnight SJ train arrived into Stockholm on time, slightly past ten in the morning. My return flight back to Singapore departs at 2130. That gives me one whole day to explore Stockholm.

This is the second time I visited Stockholm, so I did not visit the City Hall to see the red horse.

After arriving at Stockholm train station, I went to find the luggage lockers. Unfortunately, they are all credit card operated which I'm not sure if I can use. So I took the airport train to the airport as I'm sure there will be either manned or coin-operated ones there. It turns out those will credit card operated as well. Fortunately, the manned counter person was willing to help store the luggage for the same cost. I'm not sure if he did it for others. After the luggage were taken care off, I took the same train back to the city.

I chanced upon the hop-off-hop-on bus which is always a great way to explore the city.

Swedish train

Stockholm tram

Stockholm decked out in lights

As night falls, soon it was time to head back to Stockholm train station for the ride to the airport. The airport train always leaves from platforms 1 or 2. There are automatic and manned ticket counters at the airport and at the Stockholm central train station. Very convenient for tourists.