29.1 C
Singapore
Monday, November 25, 2024
Home Blog Page 239

Living on Sentosa

Far from the amusements that Sentosa is well known for is the lesser known residential areas. Scattered along the coast line are a mixture of condos and houses. As far as housing is concerned Sentosa is the Mayfair on the Monopoly board. Real Estate is very expensive to buy, a house is reported to cost $30 million plus. However, to rent a condo on the island is surprisingly comparable to condos in the heart of Singapore. Most condos have a sea view which affords the added bonus of watching the container and cruise ships come and go. Others enjoy a canal view and can even moor their boat alongside should they be so lucky.

Sentosa Residences are split into Coves. South Cove, North Cove & Central Cove. For those without cars, there is a free shuttle bus that operates for residents every half an hour and 20 minutes in peak hour to take you to Vivocity/Harbourfront MRT.

Meandering paths and well-tended gardens hug the coastline and a lovely sea breeze is nearly always guaranteed and most welcomed. Sunrise brings out the cyclists, joggers, dog walkers, meditators, kayakers, and roller bladers. Afternoons and weekends you will find families on picnic blankets, dog walkers stopping to chat and kids playing soccer on the green.

Central Cove is home to QUAYSIDE Isle with some 15-20 restaurants. French, Greek, Italian, Chinese, Tapas, Burgers, Sports Bars and Coffee houses. It is also home to the W Hotel.

It has grown to include a Cold Storage, Watsons, Jason’s Gourmet Grocer, Wine and Cheese Providers, Medical Centre, Beauty Salon, Massage & Foot Reflexology, Dog Groomers & Quayside Preparatory School for years 3-6. Most recently Eton House has also opened a preschool.

As a resident you can ride your bikes to any of the beaches using your residence card to get you in and out of security points. Some lucky ones even have a golf buggy for transportation around the island. It is a lot of fun to ride your bike around the streets, viewing some of the more eccentric architecture, the Egyptian House complete with sarcophagus out front, the Polynesian Hut, the Gone with The Wind homestead or the house straight from the pages of the Arabian Nights.

There are monthly coffee mornings & drinks nights for Sentosa Residents which is a great way to make new friends and find out what is happening on the island. More recently a 10 week Bridge class was initiated by one of the residents and has proved to be very popular. There are Zumba Classes, Yoga Classes & Boot Camp at various condos/locations within the Coves.

If convenience is your priority than Sentosa might not suit, the majority of people who live here do so because they feel the need for a quiet, peaceful environment and don’t mind having to travel that little bit further each day to get it.

5 F1 parties to look out for during the 2015 Grand Prix

With the F1 just weeks away, there’s a scramble for tickets to the luxe after-race parties. Here are five parties – all at varying prices – offering extravagance off the track.

 

Amber Lounge

19-20 September, from $900

One of the most talked about VIP parties surrounding the F1 is a makeshift spot by the Temasek Reflections water feature by Millenia Walk. Expect a mixture of international DJs, free-flow champagne, a fashion show and the chance to ‘accidentally’ bump into international celebrities.
Amber Lounge tickets

Boudoir Noire

19-20 September, from $800

New to the shores of Singapore in the newly renovated Capitol Theatre is a New York party import, promising international musical artists, a troupe of performers, all night free-flow of Tattinger champagne, vodka and specialty cocktails, and guest star host Sukki Singapora – the world’s first professional burlesque artist from Singapore.
Boudoir Noire tickets

The Podium Lounge

18-20 September, $188 pre-sale, $218 on the door

A constant sell-out event at The Ritz-Carlton, thousands of guests each night will share the same space with special guests and personalities, performances – including DJ Kristian Nairn, known for his role of Hodor in the TV show Game of Thrones – and fashion shows on a catwalk up high, a pop-up island bar and more.
The Podium Lounge tickets

Sky High Brunch

19 September, $288

The newly named club and restaurant on top of Marina Bay Sands is hosting a pre-race brunch. If you want free flow Perrier-Jouët, cocktails, a buffet and some time in the Infinity Pool, this is your best bet at a pool party up high.
Cé La Vi tickets

Road to Ultra

19 September, $118-$198

If loud electronic and dubstep music caters more to your interests, there’s a massive festival in Marina Bay Sands, with big name talent like Alesso, Skrillex, Nicky Romero, Mija and Ansolo playing to the early hours of the morning.
Road to Ultra tickets

 

Top 5 art festivals to attend in September

 

Film

A Design Film Festival

Set over two weekends, a series of documentaries follow the historical and modern tales about design, from Dior, an 80’s music synthesiser, London’s Barbican Centre and more.

Shaw Theatres Lido
5-13 Sep
designfilmfestival.com

Contemporary

Septfest

The Substation’s annual event turns 25 this year – as well as the venue itself – running another series of art and photography exhibitions, performances and music shows around town.

Various venues
Until 27 Sep
substation.org/septfest

Performance

POST-Empires

There are two weeks left of this collection of local and international theatrical productions – all part of this year’s Singapore International Festival of Arts.

Various venues
Until 19 Sep
sifa.sg

Local

Dear Painter

The gallery known for looking at Western and non-Western cultures runs an SG50-associated exhibition on commissioned artwork created by nine artists, ranging from photographers to sculptors.

Sundaram Tagore Gallery

4 Sep – 25 Oct
sundaramtagore.com

Southeast Asian

Land Before Our Time

A collection of large-scale works from Southeast Asian artists focusing on pre-colonial days of empires and kingdoms – when borders and nations were less geopolitically established.

Nanyang Academy of Arts

Until 4 Oct
nafa.edu.sg

10 Minutes with…Maya Nold, Artist and Singapore-based docent at the Asian Civilisations Museum

 

Why did you become a volunteer museum guide in Singapore?
I moved to Singapore only 18 months ago with my husband and two small daughters. My sister, a curator in London for 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, visited me recently and introduced me to her friend, who was a Singapore museum guide of 12 years and a docent trainer. This friend gave me a museum tour and consequently I wanted to know more about guiding in museums in Singapore.

I have studied art in New York and I am a painter. My father is a painter too. Art is important to my family and to me, and is an integral part of my life.

I contacted Friends of The Museum (FOM) here in Singapore and decided to join the training program. I was particularly interested in guiding at the Asian Civilisations Museum.

The idea of learning more about the history of Singapore and being surrounded by beautiful artefacts in a gorgeous building on the Singapore River, an ancient trading route, was very appealing to me.

With my little girls in school here, I had more time available and thought it could be something I could do for myself – while providing me with an opportunity to explore, study and be part of this vibrant city.

Tell us more about the training programme you did.
The training sounded as if it would open a door to understanding Singapore, which I found intriguing. I found the training program to be flexible and very free, and did not conflict with other aspects of my life.

The training itself was for six months. We had lectures once a week and practical sessions on Fridays. There is a nominal cost for the training program. From the training, I learnt about Singapore as a trading hub as well as about other parts of the region.

What commitment is required from you?
I was initially surprised at the depth of the training provided. There was much reading, studying and papers to be written! After the training was completed, we were mentored in touring to ready us to fly solo so that we could then guide independently.

The museum likes its volunteer guides to commit to guiding twice a month offering public tours and tours for students; however, this is an extremely flexible schedule and we usually work out what is convenient for all of us.

What opportunities have opened up for you as a museum guide here in Singapore?
For me, this has been an opportunity to meet like-minded people and it has provided me with a chance to build relationships with fellow guides. We meet socially on a regular basis and it is wonderful to interact with a range of interesting people with different backgrounds who have similar interests.

It’s also a chance to get out of the heat and take international and local students on an hour tour that I have made my very own. The museum’s mojo is to give Singaporeans a sense of their origins, and with so many people coming through Singapore, giving back to the community in this way is a rewarding aspect of the undertaking – as well as giving me the opportunity to be surrounded by history and art.

Find out more about being a volunteer guide for one of Singapore’s museums at fom.sg.

Photo Credit Karim Ramzi.

Finding the Right Hat for You

By Kathy Campbell – Hats Off-Handcrafted Headwear For Very Special Occasions.

As the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival approaches, and you start to gather your thoughts on what dress you will be wearing to this year’s Melbourne Cup function, take some time to carefully choose the perfect hat.

Big, small, modern, classic, colourful, colour block, feathers, flowers, netting…it’s a veritable minefield of decisions. The most important part of any race day outfit is the hat – your choice will either make stand out as a winner, or have you finishing last past the post. It is just as important to know what type of headpiece suits your face shape, as to what style of dress is right for your body.

Rest assured, everyone can wear a hat, as long as it is the right shape, size, and shade for your head and face.

So here are some tips to make sure you pick the right hat for your face shape!

 

Oval Face Shape

This is the most common of face shapes, and suits almost all hat styles. With no major pitfalls to avoid, you just need to go for it!

Round Face Shape

The goal with a round face is to elongate your face, and make it look more oval, by distracting the eye, and giving an illusion of length. To do this, choose taller hats which add height, hats with angles and shapes, and hats with vertical features such as feathers, will all work well.

Heart Face Shape

With a natural focus on the forehead, the objective here is to select a hat which narrows the forehead. This can be done by choosing hats with a medium brim. Steer clear of wide brimmed hats!! Generally, almost any style of hat suits the heart shape, so it’s a great chance to experiment with pieces you might not have otherwise thought about.

Square Face Shape

Square faces are characterized by strong jawlines, so the aim here is to soften the features, and to elongate and slim the face. Hats should be softer, with no harsh angles or geometric lines. Make sure that you wear your piece at a complementing angle, to avoid a square on square look.

Oblong Face Shape

The focus here is to shorten the face, by choosing a piece with a low crown (slightly flatter piece), which is worn low across the forehead. Avoid tall pieces.

The 5 Golden Rules for Choosing a Headpiece

No matter what your face shape, a hat should never be worn square on to the face, or in the middle of your head. Wear a hat at an angle, as this will always give a more flattering aspect to any face. The best angle to wear a hat is about 70 degrees to either side of your head.

Don’t drown yourself in your hat. You have gone to such lengths to choose a hat, so make sure it is the right size piece for your body shape, height, hair type and style, and will show off your gorgeous face! Smaller to medium sized pieces will suit most people. Never choose a wide brimmed hat which is wider than your shoulders, as this will make you look unbalanced.

Don’t be afraid to go with colour. Not every occasion calls for a black or cream piece. Choose a colour that complements your dress. Colour blocking works just as well as highlighting one of the colours in your dress. But never be too ‘matchy matchy’.

Choose a hat that feels comfortable, and that you know you will be able to wear for the entire length of the occasion. It might be a great looking hat, but if you spend your day scratching your head, adjusting the base, or end up having to hold your head up under the weight – its not the one for you.

As soon as you put a hat on, it should make you feel special and look good. Keep searching until you find that piece. After all, you don’t get to wear a beautiful hat every day, so make yourself a standout….and wear it with confidence.

Kathy’s millinery will be featured at our VIP Shopping Event on the 8th of October. Find out more

Glamorous Giving – Fashion and Homewares Clearance Sale

Glamorous Giving, the fashion, accessories and homewares clearance sale in support of the Singapore Committee for UN Women is back for the fourth time. The event features over 30 independent local brands, designers and boutiques all selling their stock at clearance prices. Shoppers can buy quality pieces at great prices – end of line, end of season and sample stock. Fashionista’s and bargain hunters will rejoice at the rock bottom prices, which are up to 70{d2c05350095ed942d62ca1635aad234a702e9575e5f9632e6c89e76dec25dfbf} off and starting as low as $5.

Organised by Stones that Rock, other participating brands are: Amabilis, Asia Amour, Baliza Shop, Bisous La, Bode Fabrics & Furnishings, Butterfly Home, Cape Breeze, Cheeky Egg, Coral Secret, Desti Saint Handbags, Dragonfly Lifestyle, Dora Lincoln, DS Cosmetics, Emma Laue, Hola Linda, Little Friends by Lamasso, Mad About Hue, Madie Moo, Maissone, Pip Studio, RIA Menorca Shoes, Shiva Designs Bespoke, Simply Silk, Stones that Rock, The Cinnamon Room, the wit and the will, Triologie, Trollied Dolly, Under Armour, Veya Designs, Victorian Territory, Whistling Teal and Zarabelle.

Representatives from the Singapore Committee for UN Women will also be on hand to discuss their work and how you can get involved.

Tuesday 1 September 6-9pm and Wednesday 2 September 10am-4pm
Hollandse Club
22 Campden Park (off Adam Rd)
Sg 299814.
Plenty of Parking

Visit the event page

Cheap Eats

Think Singapore’s costly? Even with a $10 budget, there’s a selection of tastes to choose from. Here’s just a handful.

Mex Out

39 Pekin Street
Far East Square
Tel 6536 9953
mexout.com

The crunch of a taco is oh so satisfying– unless you go for the soft flour tortilla version. Two tacos is just under $10 – add-ons cost more – but pop in on Taco Tuesdays for $3.50-$4.50 tacos all night. You can scoop up a 10-inch burrito ($9.90) with rice, beans, lettuce and a filling as well.

Ah Bong’s Italian

56 Eng Hoon Street #01-46
(15 min from Tiong Bahru MRT)
Tel 9650 6194
facebook.com/abitalian

Inspired by a hole-in-the-wall pasta place in Sicily, owner Chris Ng started a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pasta stall with some creative dishes. At $7 a plate, you’re getting bowls of unique pasta dishes like the red pepper pesto – penne, charred pepper and bacon – and desserts like the five-spice crème brûlée for $4. Doors are only open for lunch, though.

Aroy-Dee Thai Kitchen
262 Middle Rd
Tel 6336 8812
facebook.com/aroydeekitchenthai

While it’s not winning any decor awards, that’s not why you’re here – there’s a great selection of dishes under $10. The chicken green curry ($10) hit the spot. The Heaven Chicken ($10) with ginger and sweet chilli sauce also hit said spot.

Gyoza-ya
B1-02A Robinsons Orchard
260 Orchard Road
Tel 6737 5581
gyozaya.com.sg

Rated the #1 place for Japanese gyoza, this dining spot in the basement of Robinsons on Orchard Road is a combination of traditional and modern dumplings. If you’ve never consideredtrying chicken curry gyoza ($5.80), or pan-fried dumplings with cheese on top ($5.80) and a side of chicken karaage ($3.80), then now’s your chance for under $10.

Immanuel French Kitchen
Salut Coffeeshop
Blk 119, #01-40 Bukit Merah Lane 1
Tel 9297 3285
facebook.com/immanuelfrenchkitchen

We talked to the chef last month about his venture into fine dining for a mass market, and we also tasted it. The duck rillette ($8.60) is an even amount of tender duck meat and fresh warm bread in a generous portion, along with some crunchy cornichons.

Ngon
B1-17 One Raffles Place
1 Raffles Place
Tel 6536 6466
ngon.com.sg

Just opened in the basement of One Raffles Place, the menu offers beef and chicken phở at $9.80. There’s a set menu that adds spring rolls and a lotus tea, but the deep bowl of beef balls with broth, bean sprouts, white and spring onions is a stomach-filler.

Luxe

 

The Keong Saik area is getting a lot of attention lately, with a stretch of new restaurants and bars popping up. Nearby the co-working space The Working Capitol is Luxe, a Sydney brand that started as a bakery in 2008 and is now spreading its wings into Asia with its first restaurant in Singapore. Sydney’s celebrity chef Chui Lee Luk has created an Asian twist to Luxe’s menu.

During the day the marble-coloured walls, light wood grain tables and minimalistic furniture offer a cool lunch space, both visually and physically – even the water glasses look like the bottom half of a wine bottle. The long bar would suit after-work drinks, and the front has a waiting area with soft leather couches and magazines when it gets busy. The kitchen has a big glass window, allowing most customers a place to leer if food is taking its time – which I found out, does.

Ordering the sausage roll ($18) with only six people in the restaurant has an upfront 25-minute wait. The pork and fennel roll was incredibly juicy, with a crisp, flaky pastry and a tomato sauce on the side resembling a slightly tangy bolognaise sauce. The size of the roll however was smaller than my wallet, and for that price tag, you’re not getting your money’s worth – the handful of rocket leaves on the side filled half the plate.

The menu isn’t big, with six entrees, six mains and sharable bites when having drinks. The Keong Saik fried chicken ($18) too was crisp and juicy, with the spicy squiggle of tangy orange chilli padi aioli sauce on top of the wings a nice addition. The price is quite steep for what you’re getting, making this feel like a Surrey Hills restaurant – where most of your time is spent working out what you could have bought at the supermarket and made at a fraction of the price.

I didn’t try a main dish, though they offer grilled barramundi, prawn spaghetti and ‘wild weed pie’ – wild spinach pie with fennel slaw. There’s an interesting list of cocktails as well, like the Rum Fresh – with white rum, pinapple gum and hibiscus water. The restaurant does serve up great coffee, making it a good spot for meetings – sourced from Sydney-born coffee roaster Toby’s Estate.

Luxe feels trendy, with great interior design and friendly staff, though the business needs to consider that price is also a key factor here in Singapore.

Luxe
Keong Saik Road #01-04
Tel 6221 5615
luxesydney.sg

Banana Tree

From Seoul to Singapore, the Korean dessert bar known for its unique spin on pudding has come to Keong Saik Road. With lighthearted music playing in the background, modern white walls, shelves of magazines, yellow seating and wooden tables. The naturally lit seating in the back area has a great street art motif along the spiral stairs of the building across.

Offering your usual fare of cake slices, coffees and teas – as well as alcohol-free cocktails like mojitos – it’s the Flower Pot Pudding that you’re here for. Choosing the espresso pudding ($6.50) over the strawberry and banana, the dessert is like a really soft cake, sitting nicely in a small terracotta garden pot with flowers. Using Oreo crumbs as dirt, and chocolate pebbles as stones, you’re given a shovel-shaped spoon to dig in. The flowers sit in a plastic straw cut to size, and the pudding sits in a cupcake paper to make ‘dishwashing’ easy – imagine cleaning chocolate off pottery. This spot is a relaxing space that the kids can enjoy.

Banana Tree
26 Keong Saik Road
Tel 6221 5020
facebook.com/bananatreesg

Giving your time in Singapore purpose and meaning

Acknowledging our need for meaning and purpose are critical to our enjoyment of expat life, says Intuitive Consultant, Kim Forrester.

Injecting meaning and purpose into your daily life is imperative for your holistic wellbeing. In fact, studies in Canada have shown that people who have a sense of purpose actually live longer than those who are uninspired and unfulfilled.

As an expat, the need for meaningful actions and interactions is especially vital. The temporary nature of most expat situations can lead to a life that feels like ‘treading water’; many expats unconsciously avoid situations that require lasting commitment, deep connection or emotional vulnerability. Sadly, this behaviour can just deepen the sense of loneliness, disconnection and alienation that comes with living away from home.

But whether you are in Singapore permanently, long-term or temporarily, your emotional and spiritual wellbeing matters. You are precious. You deserve the utmost care and nurturing. Therefore, it is wise to openly acknowledge the inherent needs you have as a human being – the need to belong, to feel inspired and to contribute in a meaningful way – and make fulfilling these needs a priority.

This is what makes organisations like ANZA so important. Participating in the ANZA community injects connection, purpose and meaning into members’ daily lives. There are many avenues in which to participate: attending events, joining interest and sporting groups and, at the heart of ANZA, volunteering. Hundreds of volunteers find purpose through their work within the community and in the wider community through the charity arm, ANZA Action.

So seek regular activities that inspire you – that tap your natural interests and talents and challenge you to expand and strengthen these areas of yourself. Seek that which allows you to connect with others authentically; to be real, imperfect and vulnerable – activities that excite and motivate you; that you look forward to. If the answer to this isn’t already a part of ANZA, can you create it?

The truth is that being happy is an incredible purpose of its own. When you are inspired, fulfilled and uplifted it has a very real impact on the people in your life, in your home and – as studies show – even in your wider community. You smile more. You cope better. You energise your space. You lift the mood and outlook of everyone you touch. Most importantly, you unconsciously compel others to seek inspiration, authenticity and meaning in their own lives … and what greater purpose could there be than that?

Kim Forrester is an intuitive consultant, author, educator and ANZA member.

www.kimforrester.net

Find out more:
ANZA Action
Events
Sporting Groups
Interest Groups

If you have an idea for a new interest or sporting group that you would like to coordinate, please contact us.