Archive for the ‘Holiday’ Category
Wednesday, January 1st, 2014
I was just chatting with an Indian friend who works for an MNC yesterday and I remarked that New Year’s Day must be the most prolifically declared public holiday in the world – even more so than Christmas Day.
As we step into the first day of 2014, here’s wishing everyone a great year ahead! Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens, at Suomenlinna, Finland.
He agreed but duly informed me that in India, it was not a public holiday since the country observes the New Year at different times of the year, depending on the local calendar.
(more…)
Tags:greetings, New Year
Posted in Events, Finland 2013, Holiday, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 25th, 2013
Merry Christmas to all who celebrates X’mas!
Santa had a chat with Justin on his lap when we visited his “hometown” in Rovaniemi over Summer. He gave Justin this little toy at the end of the chat and it’s become one of Justin’s most prized possessions.
This is a little toy car that Santa gave to Justin when we visited Santa in Rovaniemi, Finland during Summer.
Now it’s the children’s most cherished ornament on our little Christmas tree at home.
Tags:Christmas, greetings, Xmas
Posted in Events, Finland 2013, Holiday, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD | No Comments »
Saturday, December 7th, 2013
From today, SingPost is beefing up its operations. All its businesses are gearing up with additional manpower and extended operations so that customers can receive their gifts or purchases on time.
SingPost gears up for the traditional year-end peak period.
Below is a summary of the measures taken.
Special weekend deliveries
Delivery of local mail packets and publications as well as non-standard mail is 3 to 5 working days.
SingPost encourages all customers to factor this in and post their items early.
For Speedpost deliveries, SingPost has increased its courier strength by 20%.
Saturday deliveries for mail packets. SingPost’s postmen will be delivering mail packets on all Saturdays in December so that their customers will receive their gifts or purchases on time.
Weekend deliveries for Speedpost. SingPost’s couriers and management staff will be delivering parcels on weekends (i.e. Saturdays and Sundays) till mid January 2014 so that people can receive their gifts/purchases on time.
Tags:Christmas, festive, holiday, Mail, Singapore, SingPost, SpeedPost
Posted in Holiday, Infographic, infographics, Reference | No Comments »
Saturday, November 30th, 2013
Andrew Ng checked out Kluang’s attractions last Saturday courtesy of Tourism Malaysia Singapore.
멀라이언쿠기 (Merlion Cookie) shares HER experience at Kluang, especially the Coffee Factory, since she is a coffee lover herself. This journal is dedicated to the Korean readers out there :-).
* All the pictures in this article were provided by Merlion Cookie.
The Kluang Rail Coffee welcomes visitors to Kluang upon arrival at the railway station.
싱가폴 라이프중 이로운 점 하나를 꼽으라면 다른나라로 여행이 용이하다는 점이겠다.
Dato’ Husni Zai Yaacob, High Commissioner of Malaysia in Singapore enjoying a hot cuppa with us.
많은 항공사들이 싱가폴을 경유하기 때문이기도 하지만, 인도네시아는 배로, 말레이시아는 버스나 기차로 당일치기 또는 1박2일 여행이 가능하다.
말레시아 관광청에서 많이 알려지지 않은 소도시를 홍보하는 당일치기여행 프로그램에 초청되어 이번 여행에 참여하게 되었다.
클루앙은 말레이시아 수도에서 버스로 2시간정도 떨어져있는 작은도시라고 하지만 서울크기의 약 4배정도 되는 규모이니 작다고 하긴 그렇지만 아무래도 수도인 쿠알라룸프에서 떨어진 곳이다 보니 발전된 시골정도의 느낌이었다.
싱가폴에서 우드랜드 체크포인트에서 출발하는 기차를 타고 여행이 시작되었다.
기차안에서는 말레이시아 관광청의 여행일정소개와 이번여행에 협력해준 말레시아 열차관계자 및 재 싱가폴 말레시아 외교관부부의 인사가 있었다.
Simple but delicious food in Kluang Rail Coffee.
내가 탔던 기차는 1994년 현대에서 만들어진 꽤나 오래된 기차였다.
Roasted coffee glittering like black crystals.
우리나라 무궁화열차정도라고 보면되겠지만 도착지인 클루앙까지 2시간반동안 불편한 점은 전혀없었다.
(more…)
Tags:coffee, holiday, Johor, Kluang, Korean, Malaysia, sightseeing, tourism, travel, vacation
Posted in Events, Holiday, Photos, Review, Travel, travel | 5 Comments »
Monday, November 25th, 2013
Kluang is a town and district located in the state of Johor, in the southern portion of peninsular Malaysia. The city is named after the fruit bats that were once common in the region.
Andrew Ng checks out a few of the many attractions that draw tourists to Kluang. If you’re a coffee lover, read about 멀라이언쿠기 (Merlion Cookie)’s journal about HER visit to Kluang.
* All the pictures in this article were taken by Andrew.
Kluang Coffee Powder Factory workers roasting coffee.
It was a trip down nostalgia. The last time I took a train to Malaysia, I was still in high school a few decades ago. Back then, I boarded the train at the former Tanjong Pagar station.
Grooving to the tune of Cek Mek Molek in the entertainment car.
Fast forward to 2013, I had the opportunity to relive that memory when I was invited to make a trip to Kluang.
The event was organised by the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, at the direction of Noor Aine Ismail and assisted by Putrie Rozana Soraya.
I have to say, Malaysia pulled out all the stops to ensure the participants experience a Truly Asia hospitality.
(from the right) Dato’ Husni Zai Yaacob, High Commissioner of Malaysia in Singapore; Jamaluddin Mat Lazim, Locomotive Inspector; Mohd Zain Mat Taha, General Manager KTM Intercity.
(more…)
Tags:holiday, Johor, Kluang, Malaysia, sightseeing, tourism, travel, vacation
Posted in Events, Holiday, Photos, Review, Travel, travel | 14 Comments »
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
The Golden Mount temple in Bangkok is a landmark of the city and a popular tourist sight.
Located roughly between Khaosan and Siam Square, the temple has a chedi (stupa) built on a small artificial hill, affording a panoramic view of the entire city.
Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan, or Wat Saket – more commonly known as the Golden Mount Temple, sits atop a steep artificial hill in Bangkok. Taken with a Samsung NX 2000.
We got to the Golden Mount temple by taking the local Khlong Saen Saep canal express boat from our hotel in Sukhumvit.
The Khlong Saen Saep canal express boat is a very useful boat ferry taxi to visit many of the tourist sights in Bangkok – if you can stomach the murky water and the thrills of hopping on and off the boat before it pushes off from its very momentary stop at each pier. Taken with a Samsung NX 2000.
That ride in itself is a little adventure and a good way to sit among the locals and get a taste of how they actually commute.
It was also the most direct, cheapest and effortless way for us to get to the temple.
Panoramic view of Bangkok city from the top of Golden Mount. Taken using Panorama mode with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3.
(more…)
Tags:Bangkok, Bangkok 2013, Golden Mount, holiday, panorama, Saket, temple, Thailand, travel, vacation
Posted in Bangkok 2013, Cameras, Events, GALAXY, Holiday, MIL, Note, Photos, Samsung, Travel, travel | 16 Comments »
Monday, November 18th, 2013
A temple with a panoramic view, safari of wild animals, shopping every step of the way, massages and perennially congested traffic.
End of year is a good time to visit Bangkok, when it’s not so hot and it doesn’t rain so much or at all. Taken with Samsung GALAXY Note 3.
Thailand used to be a frequent destination for our year-end break, being so near to Singapore, and the friendliness of its people.
Our whole family had a whale of a time, “interacting” with the wax figurines. Visitors are allowed to touch and pose with wax replicas of Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities. Taken with Samsung NX2000.
What we liked most was how doting they were to little children – wherever we went with our young children, you could see the face of the locals brighten up with a smile, some going out of their way to chat with them and pat them.
Water fountain outside Siam Center. Taken with Samsung NX2000.
(more…)
Tags:Bangkok, Bangkok 2013, holiday, shopping, Suvarnabhumi, Thailand, travel, Tussauds, vacation
Posted in Bangkok 2013, Cameras, Events, GALAXY, Holiday, MIL, Note, Photos, Samsung, Travel, travel | 16 Comments »
Saturday, November 2nd, 2013
Deepavali, or Diwali, is the Hindu festival of lights and is a public holiday in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
This is the signboard at the entrance of my residential estate – wishing Hindu residents a Happy Deepavali. Taken with an HTC One max smartphone – which debuted in Singapore today. The two flare spots at the bottom are due to two spotlights shining on it.
The word “Diwali” is the shortened form of “Deepavali” which literally means “row of lamps”.
(more…)
Tags:Deepavali, Diwali, festival, Hindu, holiday, HTC, Singapore
Posted in Android, Daily life, events, Gadgets, Holiday, HTC, HTC One, Phones, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 15th, 2013
Here’s wishing all Muslim friends: “Selamat Hari Raya Haji”!
Masjid Sultan, or Sultan Mosque, in the Kampong Glam district of Singapore. Shot handheld at f/1.8, 1/100 sec, ISO800. Photo taken with a Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II compact camera. Photo credit: John Tan.
It’s Hari Raya Haji. The festival is also known as Eid al-Adha in Arabic, which means Feast/Festival of the Sacrifice.
(more…)
Tags:festival, greetings, Haji, Hari Raya, Islam, mosque, Muslims, night, photography, photos, potd
Posted in Cameras, Compact camera, Holiday, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony | No Comments »
Thursday, August 22nd, 2013
The Phantom of the Opera is playing in town at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. But in many places in the heartlands, special front row seats have been specially reserved for the “real” hungry phantoms from Hell.
Special front row seats for some very special guests. All photos taken with a Nikon D5200 with AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm DX f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens. All the photos (except the one above which was taken at ISO 5000) were taken at ISO 6400. Photo credit: John Tan.
So I was driving back from the Lenovo launch in town, and thinking of the Phantom of the Opera musical that the family was going to watch the next day.
The MC for the night is this fancifully dressed lady. Does she remind you of Liu Ling Ling in the local award-winning movie 881? That’s because it is Liu Ling Ling!
Another performer for the night. Each singer performs a few songs, which may include requests from the audience and the residing deity of the temple organising the Getai.
Tags:Buddhism, Chinese, festival, ghosts, hungry ghosts, photography, photos, potd, Taoism
Posted in Holiday, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, POTD | No Comments »
