My family loves to go to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, one of our island’s most well-loved tourist attractions which draw about 3 million visitors annually. Its enticing mix of free admission, beautiful 52 hectare landscape, awe-inspiring greenery and thoughtful touches makes it a must visit for us. We always feel rejuvenated after our trips there.
Our journey begins near the Visitor’s Centre section of the Gardens. Most of the amenities are located near here.
Thanks to my new toy, my latest posts tend to be picture heavy. This one revolves around the Singapore Petroleum Company (SPC) petrol station at Havelock Road.
Those active in share investing would know that homegrown SPC has been doing extraordinary well in the local bourse. Most notable amongst their achievements was the ability to fend themselves against much larger foreign competitors like Shell, Exxon-Mobil and British Petroleum (BP).
SPC’s biggest coup was in purchasing all 28 BP stations in Singapore. It broke away from convention by maintaining an attractive price-based discount instead of offering customers loyalty points which can be redeemed for products and services. This subsequently led the other petrol giants to follow suit.
Last Sunday morning, I took my family to Sentosa and spent a couple of hours there.
We visited Sentosa’s Merlion, which is a 10-storeyed attraction on the island and also spent some time walking around the island. Despite being very regular visitors to Sentosa (which is pretty close to my home near Mount Faber), I always found it refreshing to go there. The mix of sun, sand, sea and smiles (by service oriented staff) never fail to make my day.
The island attraction has certainly improved by leaps and bounds over the years, and everybody is waiting with bated breath for the Resorts World Integrated Resort to open there in 3 years time. In fact, this has led Sentosa to be one of the eminent stars at the recent Tourism Awards organised by the Singapore Tourism Board.
Ethan running wild at Orchid Garden
Ever since my university days, I have loved to go on long outdoor runs. Covering distances between 8 to 10 km, these sessions provide a much needed respite from the vagaries of life.
There is something about the feeling of wind rushing through your hair, sweat dripping from your brows, and your heart pumping hard as you stride across kilometres. Your mind will be much clearer as you think through the key issues of your life and focus on the ones that matter.
Sad bear in a cage in Hokkaido
Lately, the weather seemed to have turned particularly chilly and windy, and I have felt relatively cool even in mid day. Suddenly sunny Singapore has gone temperate.
Something seemed to have also gone wrong with my body system. I usually get very warm easily and prefer to switch on the air conditioning at a lower temperature at my home. Lately however, it feels as if the “yang qi” has left my physical self, leaving me feeling all cold and chilly. Perhaps it is time to pay a visit to the TCM.