Maritime Experiential Museum & Aquarium *

The Maritime Experiential Museum & Aquarium (or MEMA) takes you through an innovative look at the history of the Maritime Silk Route. Embark on an exciting journey to discover the Southeast Asia’s maritime trade between the East and the West from the 9th to 19th century. Featuring more than 400 objects, this is the first and only museum in Singapore dedicated to showcase the history of ancient maritime trade.

 

It is recommended that you watch the video about Admiral Zheng He to learn about his epic voyages from China to the ‘Western Ocean’ before you enter the museum.

 

It is recommended that you watch this presentation before you enter the museum.

 

* Please note that as at the date of this blog post, the Aquarium is not yet open.  Please check the following website for more information.

UPDATE - 26 February 2013 

The Museum is now know as the Maritime Experimental Museum. 

The S.E.A Aquarium is now open for business.  Read about it on my latest blog post.

Sentosa Flowers 2012

Sentosa Flowers is a festival of flowers that has taken place every year on Sentosa since 2005. The floral exhibition showcases the wonders of spring with blooms that are unique to the season. This picturesque outdoor event offers a beautiful start to the Lunar New Year and presents a vibrant backdrop for capturing magic moments. This was my first visit to the festival.

There were some spectacular, colourful displays, as you can see from the pictures below.

Cafe Fables & Bar Stories

Hidden above the hustle and bustle of Haji Lane, you'll find a bar like no other.  Cafe Fables by day, Bar Stories by night.  Housed on the 2nd level of a furniture shop "A Thousand Tales".

When we arrived there were already people seated at the bar, so we sat next to the window.  You don't get a drinks menu here, instead a Mixologist sits down with you and ask you a few questions on your preference of taste, and then returns with a surprise based on your answers.

Stairs leading down to A Thousand Tales

Cafe Fables & Bar Stories
55-57 Haji Lane, 2nd Floor
Opening hours: 

Mon–Fri: 3pm – 1am
Sat: 12pm – 1am
Sun: 12pm – 8pm

Smiths - Authentic British Fish and Chips

I had a sudden craving for fish n' chips.  So I googled "fish n' chips in Singapore".  In amongst the suggestions I came across a post from a very popular and famous blog here in Singapore, Ieat.Ishoot.Ipost.  It is well worth looking at if you're wanting to try new dishes, or to find your favourite.  They also have have an app for smartphones, which is very useful.

So we hopped on a bus, and headed towards Tanjong Katong Road to where Smiths is located.  We arrived around 7.30pm, and already the small, cozy restaurant was half full.  We ordered Cod & Chips x2 (S$36), Mushy Peas - in an 8 ounce cup (S$2.50), Curry Sauce - in an 8 ounce cup (S$2.50) and two cans of Coke (S$4), a grand total of S$45.00.  It is a little on the expensive side, but the food was good so it softened the pain a little.

Smiths have three locations, Tanjong Katong Road, Balmoral Plaza and Boat Quay, more details are on their website.

I have been to Smiths at Boat Quay, and personally I think the food at the Tanjong Katong branch is a lot fresher and tastier!  Try it out for yourself :)

River Hongbao 2012

Here are some pictures from River Hongbao 2012, held at The Float @ Marina Bay:

World's Largest Jade Buddha

For the first time in Singapore, the largest jade statue of Buddha in the world comes to visit.

At 2.7 metres tall and weighing 4 tonnes, this Jade Buddha for Universal Peace was carved from one of the largest boulders of gem quality nephrite jade ever found.

In March 2009, the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace began its tour in the Vietnamese city of Danang. Since then, the Jade Buddha has visited Australia, North America and Europe. As at 27 November 2011, 4,980,500 people have seen the Jade Buddha.

The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace will eventually be placed in Bendigo, Australia, inside the Great Stupa for Universal Compassion. Still under construction, the Great Stupa is modelled on the 500-year old Gyantse Kumbum stupa in Tibet. When completed, this will be the largest stupa to be built outside Asia.

The above information was taken from the official website of the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace.

Kuan Yin Sand Mandala Construction

It takes up to one week to create this beautifully symmetrical and intricately designed mandala that is a meditative expression of Kuan Yin. I asked a monk, and this mandala was to be completed today.

The reason why it takes them a week to complete this mandala is because millions of powder-fine coloured grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place.

Their works begins as the monks draw an outline of the mandala on a wooden platform, which requires a whole day. The following days see the layering of the coloured sands, which is done by pouring the sand into a traditional metal funnel, then holding the funnel in one hand, running a metal rod on to its grated surface. The vibration causes the sand to flow like liquid.