Tag: singapore

The Old Normal

Sunset over the highway by Sarah in a bus
Sometimes I take the bus to Suntec to just get to see the sunset.

Since the end of 2019 we had been adapting to the New Normal. Can we just call the normal, normal now? I mean, it’s already at least three years.

This. Whatever we have now, is normal.

And since I live in Singapore, not much surprises me in terms of how we need to adapt. Of course, there will be that stubbornness of “Why can’t we do it like before?” and “Can’t we just… not do it?”.

But whatever, we need to suck it up, move forward and make the changes as we go.

I do look back at that pre-2019 times. And the ‘good old days’ which had its moments. Since we can’t go back it doesn’t mean we can’t bring elements of it into now.

I remember I used to post on livejournal nearly daily and over here on this blog it was every Monday a post. And it was fun. And especially since blogging is on a ‘decrease’… it means not many people are going to read this and thus…

I’m going to write whatever I want over here especially since this is my blog.

In 2022, blog posts aren’t in. It’s all instastories, instagram pictures, tiktok videos. Short bite sized stuff or heck, even podcasts.

AND I AM GOING TO RELISH THIS. Because if you’re reading this, then well. It really is up to you to read it. No one’s forcing you to read it.

So hello to you all. Old readers and new. What are you going to do this year?

Do you remember that people can actually comment on blogposts?

What is going to be your normal?

Can I use my posb debit card as an ezlink?

I googled to ask if I could use my posb debit card as an ezlink without topping up because I left my main ezlink card at home.

It didn’t exactly answer me and my card is an older passion card POSB debit card which did have the ezlink icon at the back.

The simple answer is no.

I couldn’t use my card because it didn’t have any “value” loaded in it.

So in an emergency, you had to somehow top it up first if it’s one of the older cards, I think the newer ones can just auto deduct. I didn’t check it but it might be able to, if you do this, comment if it succeeds!

Anyway to top up your ezlink enabled debit card just go to the ATM and click more services when you log in at the machine.

There, click ezlink top up. It will tell you to remove your atm card, put it next to the keypad for the sensor to sense the card which you want to top up.

It’s the same place if you want to top up a regular ezlink card or cashcard too.

Place the card on the censor next to the keypad

Just follow the instructions on screen and your debit card is now ready to be your alternate ezlink.

You don’t even have to install SimplyGo to somehow top it up if you just need it to be used for an emergency and if you don’t have a phone with you.

It’s 2022

Yes, it’s 2022 and it’s already past the middle of February. I don’t think people will actively notice my blogposts nowadays since it’s a different social media game.

It’s all about instagram and tiktoks but there are article based blogs still. Just that many are very very into the hustle and whatnot.

I miss the days of where you get random blog posts of thoughts and whatnot and hey, this is my blog so at least I can do that here.

With the rise of mobile usage, the kind of posts are different too. I’d usually put a ‘read more’ cut to save people’s data or space but I don’t think I have to do it nowadays since the web is seen or loaded differently on devices compared to back then in the early 2000s.

Wow.

That’s a long time, isn’t it?

But I’m here to say, hey everyone. I’m still around. Maybe you’ll see me experiment more on youtube for my content.

Still.

Sometimes, it’s just easier to read things instead of watching them, isn’t it?

Station by Station: EW 33 Tuas Link

Hi everyone!

Usually I just take the mrt or lrt line to a few usual stations like City Hall, Orchard and the sort. But what if I actually checked each station out? We have a very good public transport system here and usually I just head to where I wanna go and that’s it.

How does it look like at other stations and what exactly is there? So yeah! You can watch my once a week series on it. Considering there’s more than 100 stations in Singapore, this might be a thing for a few years until I get to the END.

Maybe, we’ll see.

Stuff you don’t see in the video?

  1. I had to wait 10 minutes at Joo Koon for the next train heading to Tuas Link.
  2. There’s a distinctive sound on the tracks once you’re on that last stretch of track due to the curves. It’s really, really loud.
  3. The number of photographers who turned up near sunset and really, July seems the best month if you want to see the sun setting right in the middle of the valleys in Malaysia right across of us at Raffles Marina.

 

Ramadan Day 1

It’s the first day of Ramadan or rather the fasting month.

Mee soto

The first buka puasa at home was mee soto. And today is a slightly rainy day though it got sunnier near evening.

The same day last year, it was day 7 of our circuit breaker and I was doing fitness boxing over the nintendo switch.

It’s been at least a year since our circuit breaker in 2020 where we had to work from home and not go anywhere. Now, we can go out but masks are compulsory.

We have trace together tokens and apps to use and SafeEntry QR codes before entering a mall or any place really.

But then, in 2020. The stats was:

13 April 2020 stats

New cases: 233

Imported: 0

Local cases linked: 66

Pending contact tracing: 167 (16 SG citizens/PR, 10 work pass, 141 work permit)

Total cases: 2532

Hospitalized: 976 (31 in the ICU)

In community facilities: 988

Fatalities: 8

Total discharged: 560 (discharged on 13 April 2020: 32)

Now our stats are configured not to say the whole total but the current update since it is more useful to us after 1 year.

13 April 2021 stats:

0 cases in the community

14 imported cases, who had already been placed on Stay-Home Notice upon arrival in Singapore.

We’ve done okayish, don’t you think? Vaccines are being rolled out in stages and I’ll be able to book for mine when I can do so.

What do I miss out most is that I still can’t take short cuts. Like how there is that door on the upper levels of Nex shopping mall that leads straight to the overhead bridge.

Now I have to ‘manually’ go out to the first level of the overhead bridge to take it.

Oh, we have Singaporediscover vouchers too. In which we can spend $100 given by the government to stimulate our own local tourism. I plan to do mine with bungee jumping after Hari Raya. It expires in June and there are campaigns and news articles about how people aren’t spending theirs.

Well… People would spend them if they actually had time to book… But this post is about the current state of the now for future people to read on about so we’ll leave it as that.

 

It’s been at least 3 or 4 ‘free’ masks from the vending machine that we could collect from Temasek Foundation. Those had been really useful. I like the DET30 mask most, the design is pretty good compared to the rest but with each time we get a new mask, the design or features are improved.

It may be Ramadan but it isn’t as ‘quiet’ as last year though we still won’t have those big pasar malams. Shops are being online and you can tune in to sales on facebook.

Are good Singaporeans good?

WARNING: THIS IS AN OPINION PIECE. OPINIONNNNNN. It is not gonna be an intellectual ‘factual’ oho I am so smerrt piece. It’s gonna be what I think of what just happened.

Microphone for a podium

Firstly omedetouu, omedetou (congrats!) for the first live stream of parliament in session for Singapore! The first live stream on 4 January 2021.

Technical wise, the camera angles were ok and at the beginning of it they did state they do not have a sign language interpreter however closed captioning would be available on the stream.

I was on the youtube version and somehow it didn’t appear to me, but no matter. Teething issues indeed since it’s the FIRST TIME EVAHH. Also there were very few seconds of black in the middle after 2 hours or so that I wonder if someone jostled a button or something but it was a mere 2 seconds of black and not a scary technical emergency.

I did notice the volume was peaking though but that will be so, so difficult on the technical crew side especially when every speaker speaks into the mic at a different distance and projects their voice at different volumes, not to forget the acrylic shield bounces the audio…

Which you know what, yeah. I was listening when the minister suddenly called upon the issue where Trace Together could be used for police investigations.

Hold it!

Hey, wait. Apakah? What was that? Cause firstly, I remembered the time when people had conspiracy theories about the Trace Together app and everything and it was reassured that we should use it because of this privacy statement.

Continue reading Are good Singaporeans good?

Knife to meet you

Sign at Mandai Connection

It’s back to adventures and places with me but this time in a super socially distant manner in which I am inviting no one to come with me!

With that said, there are activities or places you can go on your own, don’t be scared. It can be fun to try out things by yourself.

This time, I’m making a knife out of rebar at Tombalek. Tombalek is at 7 Mandai Link #10-22 , Mandai Connection BLOCK B, Singapore 728653 at the time of this post. If you see that sign, you’re at the right location.

Block B directions to Tombalek

It’s at Block B so turn left all the way and walk to the lift. Once at the lift click the 10th storey and walk to your left, you will see a carpark to your right and to the left again finally you’ll see wooden pallets and tools.

Tombalek Workshop

Tada, you’ll find yourself at Tombalek. Also no, I didn’t get to ask if Tombalek was a pun on the wrong spelling of Terbalik. They have woodworking classes besides metalworking ones and some are skillsfuture claimable so check Tombalek out yourself.

Furniture by Tombalek

I was early so I got to around the workshop to see the finished items of what their classes have to offer.

Forge at Tombalek

What I was here for was a 1 day class at making a rebar knife. Rebar is a material that’s apparently ‘soft’ and easy for us beginners to learn with.

Goggles and a glove was provided for safety but you need to wear covered shoes since this is a workshop. Do dress appropriately.

Continue reading Knife to meet you

Day 28 of Circuit Breaker

Hello everyone, in Singapore it’s finally day 28 of the circuit breaker here. This post is really the shortest summary of what has happened lately.

For future people reading this, the circuit breaker is not really a lockdown but not really the same as Malaysia’s Movement Control Order.

We started ours on 7 April 2020 and it was first with the increase of work from home things, cinemas and entertainment places closed.

Continue reading Day 28 of Circuit Breaker

Journaling Festival 2019! It’s back again

Journaling Festival poster

Remember I attended 2018’s journaling festival and got my own kaweco pen and pretty much enjoyed the atmosphere cause it was chill and had lots of fun stuff?

It’s back again this year!

Date: 4th July – 14th Jul 2019, 11:00 – 21:00 hrs daily
Venue: Great Hall, Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard

Click their website link here to know more.

They’ll have a station to get your own custom kaweko pen (I really like it). Attend workshops.

MT Tape trials?!

Leuchturm notebooks with free embossing…

ALSO there’s an instagram contest where you can win $100 shopping voucher.

Yes, all the details on their website so go looksee.

I’m just making sure you all know since their event is just in a week and a half from the day of this post!

Just some reading

A book called Traitor's kiss by Erin Beaty

The objective is to chill.

Well, a balance of ‘chilling’ and work. I have returned to reading my books at a pace where I can do it while things render.

I probably could try knitting too but reading at least gives me some imagination budget too for my own stuff.

Anyway Traitor’s Kiss by Erin Beaty is exciting, lots of misunderstandings, espionage and observation. In all, I enjoyed it. It reminds me of young adult fantasy books by Tamora Pierce and I do like those kinds of books.

Continue reading Just some reading