Chingay 2018: Parade route to be doubled, with a free carnival

Chingay 2018: Parade route to be doubled, with a free carnival



Students from the School of Dance will kick off Chingay 2018 with a performance called Chingay Wonderland.

The route for next year's Chingay Parade in February will be doubled from 720m to 1.5km, and there will be a stretch that is open to the public free-of-charge, said organisers on Tuesday (Nov 28).

From the F1 Pit Building, which is a ticketed zone, the parade will extend to the area behind the Singapore Flyer before ending at the Floating Platform where River Hongbao will be held.

At the open space behind the Singapore Flyer, there will be a free street parade and carnival where visitors can get a taste of "instagrammable" treats such as colourful roasted marshmallows and rainbow bagels, said organisers.

Members of the public can also expect free street performances such as circus acts and balloon sculpting.

Organised by the People's Association, Chingay 2018 will be held on Feb 23 and 24, the week after Chinese New Year. It will involve 6,500 local and international performers as well as 2,000 volunteers.

Kickstarting the parade will be a group of more than 550 students from the School of Dance who will put up a performance called Chingay Wonderland.

Smart technology will also be showcased, with a contingent featuring dancing robots and driverless cars. The contingent will be lead by seniors who are Silver Infocomm Wellness Ambassadors, people who have have spent time teaching and encouraging their peers to use technology.

With the theme Cultural Funtasy, next year's parade is the 46th edition of the annual event.

"Chingay 2018 will be a more fun, vibrant and organic street parade while celebrating Singapore's cultural diversities and our people," said Mr Julian Aw, vice-chairman of Chingay 2018.

"The parade will be characterised by performers from all walks of life, bringing greater fun, increased community participation with more imaginative presentations."

Source: Channel News Asia

MRT closures and shorter operating hours

MRT closures and shorter operating hours: What you need to know



Commuters travelling along the East-West Line and North-South Line will experience shorter operating hours over the weekend and full closures on some Sundays in December at 19 stations.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Commuters travelling along the East-West Line (EWL) and North-South Line will experience shorter operating hours over the weekend and full closures on some Sundays in December at 19 stations.

The move will affect 17 stations from Tiong Bahru to Tuas Link on the East-West Line, and Bukit Batok and Bukit Gombak stations on the North-South Line.

The shortened operating hours are expected to affect some 20,000 to 30,000 people.

Train operator SMRT said at a press conference on Tuesday (Nov 21) that this was done in order to accelerate resignalling works and move the East-West Line onto the new signalling system by June 2018 instead of the end of next year.

Compatibility issues between an old and a new signalling system caused a collision between two MRT trains on Nov 15. The changes were flagged to avoid the risk of a repeat incident by keeping the two systems separated till next June.

This will also mean no train service between Joo Koon station and Gul Circle on the East-West line as a way to keep the two signalling systems separate, till the EWL switches over to the new system.

Here is what commuters need to know and what alternative transport arrangements will be available:

1. SHORTER OPERATING HOURS ON FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS

When: From Dec 8 to 30, train services will end at 11pm on Friday and Saturday at 19 stations - Tiong Bahru to Tuas Link on the East-West Line, and Bukit Batok and Bukit Gombak stations on the North-South Line.

When: From Dec 9 to 31, the first trains at those stations will also start later at 8am on Saturday and Sunday.

Alternative arrangements: Commuters can take parallel bus services - which run along the MRT network - outside affected MRT stations. They will be charged the same fare as if they had taken a train journey.

2. FULL-DAY CLOSURES ON TWO SUNDAYS

When: The 19 stations - from Tiong Bahru to Tuas Link on the East-West Line, and Bukit Batok and Bukit Gombak stations on the North-South Line - will be closed for the whole day on two Sundays - Dec 10 and Dec 17.

Alternative arrangements: Parallel shuttle bus services will be made available on those days. These buses will ply the route the MRT trains will take along the train tracks.

The fares for these shuttle bus services will follow the rail fare structure.

3. FULL CLOSURE BETWEEN JOO KOON AND GUL CIRCLE UNTIL MID-2018

When: Train services have been suspended between Joo Koon and Gul Circle stations. This will continue until mid-2018.

Alternative arrangements: Commuters will have to alight at either stop and take a free shuttle bus to the other in order to continue their journey. They will be charged the same fare as if they had taken a train straight through.

4. REDUCED TRAIN SERVICES ALONG OTHER STRETCHES IN FIRST HALF OF 2018

When: Disruption to services will happen at other stations along the North-South and East-West Lines in the first half of 2018. More details closer to the dates will be revealed.

Alternative transport: Parallel shuttle bus services will run along those stretches as and when train services are affected.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Hotels may use facial recognition, e-payment in future

Hotels may use facial recognition, e-payment in future



At W Singapore Sentosa Cove, guests can unlock their rooms with a smartphone thanks to the Starwood Preferred Guest Keyless feature. The Singapore Tourism Board has announced a plan to identify technology that hotels can adopt to become "smarter".PHOTO: ST FILE

Facing changing consumer demands and technological disruption in the sector, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced a plan to identify technology that hotels can adopt, such as facial recognition at check-in and the use of e-payment wallets.

Work on this road map to help hotels become "smarter" will begin in late 2018.

It will serve as a common framework for hotel owners and operators to embark on technological transformation, said the tourism board in a statement on Thursday (Nov 23).

Called the Smart Hotel Technology Roadmap, it will be charted by STB and the Hotel Innovation Committee, led by the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA).

"The hotel industry must continue to innovate and transform itself to keep up with emerging trends in businesses and technologies, as well as consumers' changing preferences," said Mr Albert Teo, president of SHA.

A key component of the road map will be the Smart Hotel Core Technology listing, which is a register of solution providers that can help hotels in their transformation.

Some innovations that STB hopes more hotels can adopt were showcased at an annual conference organised by STB on Thursday, such as an egg machine that can make omelettes.

Other technology on display at the event at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre included a chatbot software to facilitate guest interaction, a luggage tracking system and delivery robots.

The tourism board also gave an update on the Hotel Industry Transformation Map, which outlines strategies to help hotels adopt technology and address the manpower crunch, among other goals. This was launched in December 2016.

It is one of 23 industry transformation maps under the Industry Transformation Programme announced by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat during Budget 2016.

One highlight of the plan so far is the Hotel Innovation Challenge that was held in May this year. It aimed to crowdsource innovative solutions to raise productivity and enhance customer experience.

The challenge has yielded more than 15 awarded solutions, with more than 30 participating hotels agreeing to pilot these solutions in areas such as artificial intelligence and robotics.

Another initiative was the three-year Hotel Careers Campaign in July to raise awareness of the range of jobs and careers available in the sector.

STB chief executive Lionel Yeo said: "We strongly encourage hotels to participate in the Hotel Industry Transformation Map's initiatives and push ahead together with us on this journey of transformation to meet guests' evolving needs in an era of change and disruption."

STB will also be working with a hotel operator at the group level for the first time in this way, by partnering Far East Hospitality Management in a four-year commitment to implement a programme across the entire hotel group.

The plan will cover three new properties slated to open in Sentosa in 2019.

Some of the ideas being explored with the operator include the use of smart technology and artificial intelligence in hotel operations, self-check-in processes and an in-house talent grooming programme.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

Changi Airport passenger traffic up 8.1% in October

Changi Airport passenger traffic up 8.1% in October



File photo of visitors watching a bag-tagging demonstration at Changi Airport Terminal 4. (Photo: Dewi Fabbri)

Changi Airport handled more passengers in October compared to the year before, with traffic boosted by growth from all regions.

The airport registered 5.16 million passenger movements last month, an 8.1 per cent increase compared to October last year, Changi Airport Group said in a release on Thursday (Nov 23).

The figure was also higher than the 4.93 million passengers that passed through Singapore in September.

Of its top 10 markets, China, India, Thailand and Vietnam registered the largest increases, Changi said. Major city routes that recorded double digit growth included Bangkok, Guangzhou, Penang, Phuket and Taipei.

Changi noted that passenger traffic for the first 10 months of 2017 rose 6.1 per cent to 51.2 million. It added that come December, the airport is on track to welcome, for the first time, its 60 millionth passenger in a calendar year.

Aircraft movements rose 3.7 per cent to 31,730 landings and takeoffs compared to the same period last year, while airfreight throughput grew 5.0 per cent to reach 185,830 tonnes.

Changi Airport was awarded CAPA Asia Airport of the Year 2017 at this year’s CAPA Asia Aviation Awards for Excellence. The awards celebrate strategic excellence in the aviation industry.

It was also recognised for the development of Terminal 4, launched last October, and its commitment to boost capacity over the next decade.

More than 100 airlines operate at Changi Airport, connecting Singapore to some 380 cities in about 90 countries and territories.

There are more than 7,000 weekly scheduled flights, and an aircraft takes off or lands every 90 seconds, Changi said.

On Tuesday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced that a smart digital tower, which allows air traffic controllers to guide take-offs and landings remotely without having to see the planes, will soon be tested at Changi Airport.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

Fish Head Curry

Fish Head Curry

This spicy dish is a scintillating stew of curry cooked with vegetables and of course, the whole head of a fish.



The squeamish will squirm at the sight of puffy cheeks and bulging fish eyes surrounded in a sea of red gravy. Yet, for many, it is a visually appetising feast - usually eaten with rice to soak up the fragrant curry.

Fish head curry is unique to Singapore, the epitome of a cultural melting pot. It mixes the spices of a typical South Indian curry with the fish head, a delicacy among the Chinese.

Every ethnic group here has its own version of the dish, with slight variations to the curry. Some mix in tamarind paste for a tinge of sourness, others add coconut milk for a creamier texture.

The only similarity is the head of a fleshy Red Snapper swimming in a pool of spicy gravy, along with a mix of vegetables such as okra (lady fingers) and egg plant.

A head start

Fish head curry was created in the kitchen of a small Indian restaurant in the 1960s. Fish head is not considered an Indian ingredient, but to please Chinese customers who love it. A restaurant owner from the Southern Indian state of Kerala blended Indian curry with the Chinese favourite fish head.

The result was a hit. Today, it is on the menu in Indian, Chinese, Malay and Peranakan restaurants, often served still bubbling away in a large clay pot. Fish aficionados will proclaim that the cheeks have the best flesh, and the eyes are a treat.

~Courtesy of VisitSingapore.com~

Chilli Crab

Chilli Crab

Chilli crab hits all the right spots with tangy gravy that seeps into the succulent flesh of the stir-fried crab.



The crab is divine but the sauce is the star – sweet yet savoury, slightly spicy and supremely satisfying. You will get it all over your fingers as you crack open the crab shells, and it is simply impossible not to lick it all up.

And you will go back for more, dipping fried or steamed buns, called mantou, to soak up the sauce – a delightful blend of tomatoes and chilli paste, thickened with ribbons of beaten eggs.

Chilli crab is among Singapore’s greatest culinary inventions, the king of all crab dishes. It is easily available in most seafood restaurants, which typically serve it with mud crabs that have deliciously sweet and juicy flesh.

Crab creation

The world famous dish started from a pushcart in 1956. Run by a couple, the husband asked his wife to experiment with other methods of cooking crabs other than just steaming the seafood.

Madam Cher Yam Tian’s first attempt was stir-fried crabs with tomato sauce, but decided the dish will have more kick by adding chilli sauce. They sold their chilli crabs along Kallang River and it became so popular that they opened a restaurant, called Palm Beach.

A famous chef, who opened Dragon Phoenix restaurant later, added a slight twist to the dish – using sambal, tomato paste and eggs to cook the gravy instead of bottled chilli and tomato sauces. This has since become the version most commonly served in Singapore.

~Info courtesy of visitsingapore.com~

World's rarest macaws on 10-year loan at Jurong Bird Park

World's rarest macaws on 10-year loan at Jurong Bird Park



Six of the world's rarest macaws - two critically endangered Spix's Macaws and four endangered Lear's Macaws - have arrived in Singapore on a 10-year loan at the Jurong Bird Park.

The Spix's Macaws are from Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation in Qatar, while the Lear's Macaws came from the Germany-based Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots, Wildlife Reserves Singapore said in a statement on Friday (Nov 3).

Their arrival means Jurong Bird Park is now the only zoological park in the world where visitors can view all three existing species of the blue macaw family.

The park is already home to the third existing species - the Hyacinth Macaw.

The last member of the blue macaw family, the Glaucous Macaw, has not been seen since the 1960s and is believed to be extinct.

The critically endangered Spix's Macaw is believed to be extinct in the wild, with the last confirmed sighting in 2005.

There are only more than 150 of the birds left in the care of humans worldwide.

The bird, also known as the Little Blue Macaw, inspired the Rio movie series.

There are about 1,300 Lear's Macaws left in the wild.

The macaws are in Singapore on a 10-year loan agreement, and they make their debut in Jurong Bird Park as part of the golden jubilee of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Singapore.

Last year, Jurong Bird Park committed to provide support in establishing a breeding and release facility in Brazil, with the aim of reintroducing the Spix's Macaw into the wild.

Brazil is the native homeland of the species.

Visitors can view the blue macaws at Jurong Bird Park's Parrot Paradise exhibit from Nov 22.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

More security checks at Woodlands Checkpoint on Nov 9

More security checks at Woodlands Checkpoint on Nov 9 as part of ICA exercise



Enhanced security checks at Woodlands Checkpoint will be conducted for selected motorists and travellers using the Causeway in an operational exercise early Thursday (Nov 9) morning, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced in a statement.

ICA’s exercise, which will take place from 1.30am to 3am, is part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to “test and validate its emergency plans and procedures at the checkpoints”, it said on Tuesday.

Travellers at the checkpoint during the stated period are advised not to be alarmed, the statement added.

Signs will be placed at prominent locations to inform travellers of the exercise.

“We seek travellers’ understanding and cooperation,” said ICA.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

World's most welcoming city for tourists: Travel index

Singapore is world's most welcoming city for tourists: Travel index

A new travel index has named Singapore as the world's most welcoming city, with the Republic earning high marks for its safety, world-class airport and willingness to host tourists.

It pipped the likes of Sweden's Stockholm, San Francisco in the US, Japan's capital Tokyo and Switzerland's Zurich to top spot.

Bottom-ranked cities included Russia's Moscow, Vietnam's Hanoi and Hungary's Budapest.

The index, published on Oct 31 by holiday website TravelBird, ranked a total of 100 cities across the globe, according to factors such as expert opinion, port of entry, safety, happiness, English proficiency and openness to accommodating tourists.

Singapore earned a perfect score of 10 for port of entry, while the index also gave the country high scores for safety (8.95) and openness to host tourists at home (8.6).

It earned an overall score of 8.22, with Stockholm (8.02), Helsinki (8.01), San Francisco (8) and Rotterdam (7.98) rounding out the top five spots.

Thousands of cities were first examined - based on data from the World Tourism Organisation - before the index focused on the top 500 destinations according to tourist arrival numbers.

An expert poll conducted with more than 15,000 travel journalists, asking them how welcoming they found each city based on their personal experiences, was also taken into consideration.

Singapore ranked 2nd most visited city in Asia-Pacific and is top in terms of tourist spending

The Telegraph reported that the index, which was released to coincide with the United Nations' World Cities Day, was inspired by the anti-tourism backlash seen in some of Europe's most popular cities such as Barcelona and Venice.

Cities deemed to have suffered from overtourism were marked down. Such cities struggle with the impact that having too many tourists has on the local population and the environment, and have taken steps to limit their numbers in recent years.

Said TravelBird chief executive Steven Klooster: "We devised this study as the first step towards a more sustainable future. It's a call to action to ourselves and to fellow tour operators, to residents and local governments in those places that are worst affected by overtourism, to work together to find solutions to this problem."

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

S'pore Airlines warns of scams touting free First Class tickets

Singapore Airlines warns of scams touting free First Class tickets



One scam circulating on WhatsApp asked people to share a link with 20 friends or groups on the messaging app for two free Singapore Airlines first class tickets. (Photo: Nigel Tan/Facebook)

Singapore Airlines has warned of contests, emails and calls claiming to be from the company, informing recipients of free air tickets before proceeding to request for their personal data.

In a Facebook post on Monday (Nov 6), the national carrier advised customers to exercise discretion when revealing personal data to unverified sources.

"To appear more authentic, such callers are also able to modify their caller ID to imitate our official telephone numbers," it added on an advisory posted on the Singapore Airlines website.

Over the weekend, one such scam has been circulating on messaging app WhatsApp.

The message read: "Hello, Singapore Airline is giving away 2 Free FirstClass Tickets to celebrate it's 45th anniversary, Now you can get your tickets too !" followed by a link that closely resembled the airline's official website.

Upon clicking on the link, people were directed to a website asking them to share the promotion with 20 friends or groups via WhatsApp and enter their address details to claim their tickets.

As of Monday, the website appeared to have been taken down.

The scam comes days after Singapore Airlines unveiled its new first class suites, among other cabin offerings on its revamped Airbus 380s.

To verify websites, emails and calls claiming to be from Singapore Airlines, customers can send the airline details via its website, the carrier said in the Facebook post.

"Singapore Airlines also wishes to advise customers to be cautious of social media posts and phishing websites that appear similar to our official website singaporeair.com," it added.

Source: Channel News Asia

Grand Prix releases Early Bird ticket deals for 2018 F1 race

Singapore Grand Prix releases Early Bird ticket deals for 2018 F1 race



Red Bull's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix in Singapore on September 16, 2017. Photo: AFP / Manan VATSYAYANA)

Early Bird tickets for the 2018 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix are available until May 8 next year, organisers announced on Wednesday (Nov 1).

In a news release, organisers said the tickets offer savings of up to 28 per cent off regular prices.

Prices range from S$248 for three-day Zone 4 Walkabout tickets to S$1,988 for three-day Turn 3 Premier Grandstand tickets.

Other ticket categories available include those for the single-day Sunday Pit Grandstand and single-day Padang Grandstand and Premier Walkabout.

Tickets for wheelchair-accessible platforms at Turn 1 and Empress Place are also available for sale from S$38.

Next year's night race is provisionally scheduled to be held from Sep 14 to 16.

This year saw a dramatic race which Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won after Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull's Max Verstappen all crashed out just after the start of the first wet race in Singapore.

Tickets are available via www.singaporegp.sg, ticketing hotline 6738 6738 and Singapore GP's authorised agents.

Source: Channel News Asia