Christmas Shopping in Orchard Road, Singapore

Took these photos before Christmas. Surprised to see lots of people during a weekday. I guess December is the time where everyone supposed to travel for holiday but due to the current covid pandemic, lots of countries closed the borders or were in lock down, so most locals who need to clear their annual leaves took this opportunity to shop for Christmas in Singapore  and be local tourists in Singapore.

The crowd in Orchard were huge as if it is pre covid period but everyone (yes , 100%) are wearing masks as it is mandatory to wear indoor or outdoors except when dining or exercise or in our own homes.

Just love the christmas atmosphere in Orchard Road with all the christmas trees and decorations.

Shopping in Paragon Orchard, and yes we need to scan our identity before entering any malls or buildings etc for contact tracing incase of a positive covid case. So far Singapore is experiencing low or zero local community cases, mostly are imported cases.

2020 is really a bad year for most of us, let's hope 2021 will be a better year and let's say bye bye to the virus.

 

Singapore Trace Together Token to be use in Singapore in 2021

Finally, I collected my Tokens after queuing for one hour. It is the latest big thing in Singapore. 

The token is a physical device that exchanges bluetooth signals with other trace together tokens or trace together mobile apps nearby,  to aid digital contact tracing efforts due to the Covid Pandemic.

The token was originally meant for people without smart phone or wifi but many would like to have the tokens as the apps might drain the phone battery. 

From next year, we need to have the tokens to be able to enter huge venues like cinema, malls, buildings, etc 

We will be entering Phase 3 on December 28, means we can now gather in groups of 8 instead of 5 but masks is still mandatory. 

Public venues such as museums are currently open but subject to a capacity limit, while events like wedding receptions can be held in two zones of 50 persons. In Phase Three, these capacity limits could be increased, with events having multiple zones of 50 persons. (Source)  

The queue at a local community club to collect the tokens.

I managed to have the latest design of the token which is slimmer and can fit into my key pouch.

My friends had the earlier design which is thicker.

 

Christmas Tree at Clarke Quay Mall

 First big christmas tree I saw this year. Christmas is coming but the festive mood is not there. Everything is tone down and so quiet. We cant even gather in big group. Maximum five people. Hopefully by year end, this will be increased to eight.

What type of masks to use to prevent Covid 19

2020 is really a scary year and it ending soon but the virus is not ending anytime. Winter is approaching for most countries. Need stock up masks to protect oneself against the Covid virus. Masks really help and also extra care required to protect ourselves such as washing our hands often without touching our eyes, nose and mouth.

Singapore is now 15 days without any local community infection. All are imported cases. We need wear masks all the time indoor or outdoor except when one is exercising or dining or in one own home.

Every few months, our government gave us free fabric masks and is good to use for 30 washes only. We need practise hygiene too and use clean masks.

 Wear the correct surgical masks when going to risky places like hospitals and crowded places. Fabric masks are good for when lesser crowds and remember to keep a distance and avoid crowds.

How to know what masks to wear. The following table might help you to choose the correct masks.

Photo from source

More information on the correct type of masks.

Let's all not give up and masks up to protect ourselves and exterminate this virus so we can get back to our normal lifestyles.

Guoco Tower (above Tanjong Pagar MRT Station) Singapore

Guoco Tower is a mixed-use development skyscraper in Tanjong Pagar of the Downtown Core district of Singapore. With a height of 290 m (950 ft), it is currently the tallest building in Singapore. 

It is well known that the penthouse at the top was purchased by Dyson Founder, James Dyson but he had since sold the penthouse.

Nice place to chill in here, lots of greenery.

I like how they placed the tables at a distance. Due to Covid, social distancing is to be observed so as masks but except when dining and exercising, masks can be excused.

 

Blue Moon in Singapore.

Tonight is the blue moon. I used my digital camera (Canon powershot SX620HS) to zoom on the moon, no editing or filter used. I thought I saw a blue ring around the moon in the photos. Wow, amazing but I could not see Mars.

 

Singapore Local Tourism 2020 - Marina Bay Sands 3 in 1 Bundle Promotion (Ends 15 November 2020)

Now that we cant travel overseas, we had to find some activities to do instead of just staying at home, it was so boring. So we decided to be local tourists in our own home country. 

 Marina Bay Sands is having a promotion called 3 in 1 bundle for the first 300 visitors per day at a promotion price of only S$10 to visit three attractions in their premises but need to be a member to be able to enjoy these promotion price. It was easy, just  sign up for the free membership online via their website. Promotion ends 15 November 2020.

Sampan Ride

View from 56th floor of Marina Bay Sands Observation Deck

Digital Light Canvas

Read more from my Travel Blog

Life is almost back to normal but we are still taking lots of cautions due to the Covid Pandemic

It was a weekday, I had to run some errands at Marina Bay Sands. Normally I would not travel far from my home but need to go to collect something. It was a very different Marina Bay Sands from the usual sight. Not many people in here due to the covid travel ban in many countries, otherwise it would be full of tourists. 

It was great to be able to take some photos without people blocking my view but I need to be cautious too. I am wearing a mask. It was mandatory in Singapore to wear masks indoor or outdoor unless dining or doing exercises.

After finished my errands, did some walking around the mall and love the peaceful atmosphere.

Like this foral arrangement very much and in my favourite colour too.

Time to head back. I was the only one in the MRT train between Bayfront Station and Promenade Station but after that lots of people coming in. Life has almost back to normal in Singapore. It is still empty in the CBD but not the heartlands.

Full of shoppers and diners in shopping mall located in the heartlands. Weekend it would be very very crowded but social distance is still in place and masks is still mandatory. We are all very law abiding and everyone wear the masks. For those not wearing masks, there's a fine of S$300. And we cannot gather more than five people at the moment except when there's a wedding (100 people), religious events, cinema etc. More Covid 19 restrictions has been eased and we are looking foward to everything back to normal . There's very low number of cases in the community and sometimes zero. Wearing the masks certainly help stop the spreading of the virus and also need the community to co operate in wearing the masks and social distancing. 

I am so used to wearing the mask now and never leave home without one. Also using the hand sanitizer more often especially after payment for my purchases, using the public transport, etc

People queuing to dine in newly open restaurants in the heartland shopping malls. Staffs around to make sure people are social distancing when queueing otherwise the restaurants will also face a fine.

Video of people enjoying the sampan in Marina Bay Sands.

 

Sun Halo in Singapore

Today around noon, most of us saw the Sun Halo in Singapore. This is the first time, I saw it.

These faint coloured rings encircling the sun are formed by the refraction of the light through ice crystals in high-level clouds under relatively clear conditions.

Monitor Lizard at The Singapore Botanic Garden

Monitor Lizard that looked like Komodo Dragon found in Singapore Botanic Garden. There are quite a number of times, strolling in the garden.  They wont attack unless provoked. So just stand a distance away from them.

 

Singapore National Day 2020 - Celebrating Singapore's 55th Birthday in the Heartlands, Singapore

Yesterday was the 55th Birthday of Singapore. Due to Covid 19, the event was scaled down and many events were spread in the Heartlands instead of one location for social distancing purposes.

Though the number of covid cases in Singapore is still high but the spread of the virus is only few in the local community. Most cases are in the dormitories of migrant workers. Finally, they have finished all the testing for the workers and the number of cases will go down. Hopefully no cluster again.

 I hope everything will go back to normal so people can lead normal lives, hope the economy will recover and a lot of people will not lose jobs, etc. 

Meanwhile we are still wearing masks indoors or outdoors except in our own homes and remember to sanitise our hands and hope everybody  be healthy.

Video of Mobile Column along Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore Video of Mobile Column in Bukit Panjang, Singapore Video of Fireworks in Bedok Heartland, Singapore Video of Fireworks in Punggol Heartland, Singapore

Singapore National Day 2020 - NDP Goodies Bag

Singapore National Day 2020 is on 9th August 2020. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, this year the celebration will be focus on celebrating at home and many segments moved to the heartland and smaller scale evening show. As such, each household will given an NDP goodies bag for the celebration.

Many heartland flats were decorated to celebrate the occasion. This year the NDP goodies bag is very useful. The reuseable maks are lovely with Singapore Logo.

Video showing me unboxing the NDP goodies bag. 

Circuit Breaker Phase 2 (lifting of partial lockdown in Singapore)

Finally, after almost three months of partial lockdown, we enter Phase 2 of circuit breakers, the lifting of partial lockdown. This means all retail shops are open and we are allowed to dine in. We still need to be cautious and maintain social distancing and only gathering of five are allowed. We need to scan in and out of malls, restaurants, shops, etc for safe entry. This is to allow contact tracing in the even of a covid case. Just hope there's no spike in any covid case in the community otherwise we had to go back to lock down again. 

I still am very nervous seeing so many crowds today, after so many months of enjoying peace and no crowds. I just get my things done, bought my stuff and quickly head home. 

This  proved that wearing masks really helps in lower the number of covid cases in the community and few days we had zero cases in the local community. It is compulsory to wear masks in Singapore whether indoor or outdoor except in our own home. 

Even though we enter phase 2 lifting of partial lockdown, we still need to wear masks unless of course when dining. 

For complete clear of covid case in the country will be Phase 3 and that's where we really can relax and celebrate.

Supermoon 7th May 2020 (Singapore)

Supermoon on 7th May 2020 Singapore - I used my Canon digital camera and zoom 25 times, it was super big and almost could see the surface of the moon. This is the last supermoon for 2020. Something to talk about beside the circuit breaker in Singapore. Hopefully we could see the light at the end of the tunnel soon.