Here's how #ChatGPT describes Singapore with a sense of humour

"Singapore is like that neat-freak friend you have who vacuums their house every day and alphabetizes their spice rack. Everything is clean, organized, and efficient to the point where you might wonder if there's a secret government agency dedicated solely to keeping the streets spotless.

Citibank Global Wallet in Japan

 If you have a Citibank Global Wallet and you need an ATM in Japan to access your cash, go to a Seven-11 (or a 7-i) in Japan. And use theirATM. 

There is options for the instructions in English, and the option to skip info that you do not know.

And you can get your cash.

Urban Hawker in New York: Anthony Bourdain had the idea. How did this Singapore street-food market in New York turn out?

[Singapore Hawker Culture transplanted to New York]

Poached chicken rice from Hainan Jones at Urban Hawker in New York, on Jan 9, 2023.
Rachel Vanni/The New York Times

January 23, 2023


NEW YORK — Some people get excited each time New York City puts in a bid to host the Olympics. Not me. I think, “Who needs it?” The attention the Games bring may be helpful for Beijing, Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles and other small, easily overlooked cities. But all I can think about is the traffic.

One plan I did support was the idea of building a sort of Olympic Village in Manhattan where top competitors from around the world could show off their speed and grace before cheering spectators. I refer, of course, to Bourdain Market, a gargantuan food hall that would have been modelled on the hawker centres of Singapore.

A Better Penguin Parade

We had previously, in 2018, had a tour to Phillip Island to catch the nightly Penguin Parade.

It was a "once in a lifetime experience"! That's what I say whenever I have an experience, and then say, "never again! Once in this lifetime is enough!"

The Penguin Parade of Phillip Island is a once in a lifetime event. 

If you're lucky or smart, you might even manage to skip it in this lifetime.

If the point is to get a really good view of penguins, the Penguin Parade at Asahiyama Zoo would be more satisfying!

The Great Waterfall Road: Hiking Japan's Oirase Gorge as seasons change

[Note: This is a news article, not my personal experience. This is now on my list to visit. And then Covid... Now it's on my wish list. But I am not much of a hiker. Certainly not for 5 hours!]

28 September, 2019

Our Man Hosono

Hosono-san making a HUGE snowball.

On the 22 Dec 2022, after 3 years stuck in Singapore because of the Pandemic (COVID 19), we finally left Singapore, winging our way to Japan (with a stopover at Taipei).

We flew on Scoot, a low cost carrier (a.k.a. budget airline), and we filled in the information requested by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for incoming travellers to declare their vaccination status.

I have rants about both Scoot and Japan's process (as well as Taiwan's process for transiting passengers), but I will save that for another post. 

Maybe.

This is about Hosono-san.

Why can't other airports be more like Changi?

 

As a Singaporean, trapped in Singapore for the last 3 years, I finally got to fly to Japan in Dec 2022.

With a stopover in Taipei.

The custom and immigration clearance for Taipei (even for transit passengers) and Japan (with its Covid screening measures) was hellish.