The Downtown Line 3 Open House

The Downtown Line is Singapore’s latest and also the longest underground MRT line serving residents from the Bukit Panjang district and the Expo area in Changi all the way to the city area. The third stage of the Downtown Line just opened in late October giving residents in the eastern part of Singapore an alternative to the aging East West Line. To kick off the opening, the Land Transport Authority organised an open house for the new line. Here’s a closer look.

Downtown Line Stage 1 Open House 2013

Another year, another MRT line will be opened for business. Last year, I went for the open house for the new Circle Line Extension which consists of 2 MRT stations, Bayfront and Marina Bay which bring you to places like the Marina Bay Sands and Gardens By The Bay. This year on the 7th of December, I went to the open house for the new Downtown Line Stage 1 which consists of 6 stations around the city area. Now, going to places like Far East Square and the Marina Bay Link Mall will be much easier. Let's take a look at what all the open house buzz was all about.

Student Discounts in Singapore - ZeeloTips

Students are awesome people. They work hard for exams, they don't really have to pay lots of bills except for mobile phone bills, they are shaping the future and they just like to have fun. However, one of the main disadvantages of being a student is that they don't really have that much money in their pockets. I know because I'm a student myself. Despite all that, don't worry so much because in Singapore, there are plenty of student discounts that students can make use of if they know where to find them. With these discounts, they can start to hang out with their friends without worrying so much about money and for certain discounts, they can even help students with their education. Here are some of the most common student discounts that students can find in Singapore. All a student needs is their student card, preferably a student EZ-Link card because most merchants accept this as proof of identity, some money and probably an official student email (although the last one is optional).

Orchard Road Christmas Light Up 2012

Each year in November and December, Orchard Road, also known as Singapore's most popular shopping district, will be decorated with beautiful lights and decorations in the spirit of Christmas. Known as the Orchard Road Christmas Light Up, it's the most popular event in Orchard Road and on Christmas Day each year, a section of Orchard Road will be closed for the public to walk around freely on the roads and enjoy a variety of Christmas related shows and performances to celebrate Christmas. Sure, Christmas is long over and the decorations are no longer here as of this writing. This post is for you to check out what you might have missed during the Christmas Light Up event in 2012. I have written an article about the 2011 version of this event which you can check it out here.

Exploring Holland Village

Holland Village is a great place in Singapore that's popular among expatriates and the place has several shophouses that looks like it was stuck in the olden days. The thing about Holland Village in Singapore is that it's neither related to the country nor is it a village. Holland Village is named after Hugh Holland who was an architect and an early resident. However, there was also some speculation that Holland Village was named after a nearby road called Holland Road. Whatever it is, all I know is that Holland Village is a place with many traditional shops along with some modern shops and food establishments located almost everywhere within the area.

Woodlands Ramadan Bazaar 2012

This will be my last article about Ramadan bazaars around Singapore. Previously, I have written posts on the Muscat Street Bazaar, Geylang Bazaar and Raja Kuih Hari Raya Cookies Bazaar. This will be the final one and it's about the Ramadan Bazaar located at Woodlands right in front of Woodlands MRT Station and beside Causeway Point. This is one of the largest Ramadan bazaars to be found in Singapore alongside the Geylang/Paya Lebar Bazaar. Just like other bazaars, there is a wide range of street food, clothes and all kinds of stuff to be found here.

The Orange Lantern @ HarbourFront Centre

Singapore is an eating paradise. Everywhere you go, you will sure to find food establishments selling food from all sorts of cuisines especially Asian cuisines like Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and so much more. Right at the heart of HarbourFront, is a shopping mall called HarbourFront Centre which also doubles up as the Singapore Cruise Centre. In today's food review, I'll be talking about my visit to The Orange Lantern at HarbourFront Centre which is a Halal restaurant that serves a variety of delicious Vietnamese dishes. Let's take a closer look at some of their interesting offerings.

Awesome Town Centres Part 1: Ang Mo Kio Town Centre

If you don't know, majority of Singaporeans live in HDB flats which are also known as public apartments. HDB flats (Housing Development Board) are the government's solution to affordable housing and it's also the solution to old villages AKA Kampungs. In today's article, I'll be talking to you about my visit to a town centre in a HDB estate. A town centre is a central place where shops and restaurants are located at the void deck of low rise HDB flats. Most old HDB estates have town centres and when I mean old HDB estates, I meant flats that don't have lift access to every floor (Yes there are such things). Many activities are held here, many affordable goods can be found here and many food establishments can also be found here at the town centre. In this Awesome Town Cendres series, I'll be taking you on a tour of Ang Mo Kio Town Centre in the heart of Ang Mo Kio housing estate. The other town centres will be featured in a later date.

Memories of the Old Serangoon Bus Interchange

Have you ever visited a bus interchange in Singapore? A lot of people see a bus interchange as just another facility to transfer to buses/MRT, head to the nearest shopping mall/market or just top up your EZ Link card. A bus interchange is more than that. It's where thousands of people rely on for their daily commute, it's where people meet up with friends or family and it's a hang out place for bus drivers. The Old Serangoon Interchange was full of activity and with effect from 3rd September 2011, it has closed down and moved to the new Serangoon Interchange which is integrated with Serangoon MRT Station and NEX Shopping Mall along Serangoon Ave 2.

This is My Waterway @ Punggol

When you visit Punggol, what is the first thing that comes into your mind? Forested areas? Lots of new HDB flats? Lots of LRT tracks? In today's article, I am going to introduce to you the new Punggol Waterway also known as My Waterway @ Punggol which is a man made waterway that was just opened a few months ago in October 2011. The waterway contains several attractions and bridges along with shelters and walking trails for visitors to make use of and enjoy the wonderful sights and sounds of the place. This is a great place to take a walk or for jogging while soaking in the beautiful scenery.

Circle Line Extension Open House 2012

Previously, I talked about the opening of the new stages of the Circle MRT Line which was Stage 4 and 5 from Caldecott Station to HarbourFront Station. You can check it out here. Now, I'll be talking about the opening of two new stations which are Bayfront Station and Marina Bay Station also known as the Circle Line extension. So let's get to it! 

The new Circle Line Extension which started operations on the 14th of January 2012 brings people to the door step of the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort. Back then, visitors would have to take the MRT to Promenade Station and walk all the way to the resorts. With this new extension, passengers can simply board the train to Bayfront. Also, people who wanna go to the Marina Barrage or the Marina Bay Financial Centre can take the Circle Line to Marina Bay station which interchanges with the existing North South Line.

Circle Line Discovery Stage 4 and 5 Open House 2011

It's quite unusual to have an open house for a new train line. In Singapore, we have such a thing. Last year, SMRT which is Singapore's largest rail operator, organised an open house for the opening of the Circle Line Stage 4 and 5. Circle Line is Singapore's newest MRT line and to celebrate the launch of the new line, an open house filled with interim events, parties, performances and free train rides happened on 2 October 2011. It also happened in 2009, 2010 and 2012 for the different stages of the Circle Line.

You may have noticed that on the title you see 'Stage 4 and 5'. In Singapore, the Circle Line open in stages. The first stage of the Circle Line was Stage 3 which was from Bartley MRT Station to Marymount MRT Station and it opened in 28 May 2009. Stage 1 and 2 was opened in 17 April 2010 from Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station to Tai Seng MRT Station. Stage 4 and 5 was opened in 8 October 2011 from Caldecott MRT Station to HarbourFront MRT Station. And last but not least, the final stage, known as the Circle Line Extension was opened on 14 January 2012 from Bayfront MRT Station to Marina Bay MRT Station. Try saying all that in one breath.