We took Aeroline from KL back to Singapore about 2 weeks ago and were impressed by its services provided.
For this short getaway to KL, J decided to take a better coach for that few hours of journey. We found 3 choices; namely Aeroline, Luxury and Transtar.
The prices were similar but only Aeroline has a little toilet for light usage on its coach. I know these coaches make a few brief stops along the journey but I still prefer to have a toilet onboard since I have already paid so much for the fares. In addition, toilets at the brief stops are best avoided unless it is really urgent. The experience in these toilets will surely be an unpleasant and unforgettable one.
We booked a morning trip from Singapore to KL and an afternoon trip back home.
Once on the coach, we were given a bottle of mineral water. Shortly, a breakfast set which consists of sandwiches, curry-puff, scrambled egg etc was served. After we were done with the breakfast, the smartly-dressed attendant would note your order of hot drink; hot coffee, tea or chocolate.
Meanwhile, the tv inside the coach has been switched on. You can watch the movie from your spacious seat or go downstairs to watch from its lounge.
A small blanket will be given to add comfort to your journey.
In about 5 hours, we arrived at Corus Hotel in KL.
Similarly on our return trip, we arrived earlier than the scheduled time to enjoy a cup of hot drink at the Coffee House of Corus Hotel. When it was about time to board the coach; the coach attendant would make the announcement for boarding.
Again, a bottle of mineral water will be given. A simple dinner which consist of rice, chicken, sausages and some vegetables was served. Besides the hot-drink, we had dessert - mango pudding too.
For more info
https://www.aeroline.com.sg/
Friday, June 25, 2010
Flash floods in many areas
A HEAVY downpour on Friday morning triggered flash floods in many areas of Singapore and toppled trees, unleashing traffic chaos on many roads.
Traffic Police were out in force diverting traffic flow due to the fallen trees which had blocked lanes, grinding traffic to a halt along some stretches.
The PUB said about 100 mm of rain fell between 8 am and 9.30 am, and the amount of rainfall is more than 60 per cent of the average monthly for June.
The heavy rain caused localised flash floods in a number of areas including Bukit Timah Road, Dunearn Road, Thomson Road and Balestier Road junction, and Old Airport Road. The flash floods subsided within 30 minutes, said a PUB statement.
'PUB, Traffic Police and SCDF officers were activated to render assistance on site,' it added, and advised the public to exercise caution as flash floods may still occur in the event of heavy storms.
Massive traffic jams were reported on all the major expressways and road as the downpour came during the morning rush hour.
The darkened morning sky, along with the torrential rain, cut visibility on roads making driving conditions tricky.
Traffic on the Central Expressway (CTE) towards Seletar Expressway after Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 almost came to a standstill due to an obstacle blocking three lanes.
A tree fell outside Orchard Central, near the Somerset MRT station on Orchard Road, blocking three of the five lanes.
Floods were reported at Upper Thomson Road, Sin Ming Road, Bishan, Bukit Timah, Jalan Boon Lay in the direction of Corporation Road.
Friday's floods came a a week after downpours caused the worst flooding of the Orchard Road shopping strip since 1984, trapping commuters in buses and cars, flooding the basement of the Liat Towers building and many shops and restaurants, which reported millions in damage.
On Thursday, the PUB install five debris-trap gratings at the Stamford Canal to prevent Orchard Road from flooding again.
The public can obtain the latest weather reports, including heavy rain warnings, by tuning in to radio broadcasts, calling NEA's weather forecast hotline at 6542 7788, visiting the NEA website at www.nea.gov.sg or accessing the mobile weather service (Weather@SG - weather.nea.gov.sg). The public can also call PUB's 24-hour Call Centre at 1800-284 6600 to report obstructions in drains or to check the flood situation
(source: www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_545466.html)
Monday, June 21, 2010
A Short Getaway
Finally my June Getaway is over and I am back to reality.
My family spent close to a week just in KL, Malaysia. I am amazed that we could stayed there for such "long".
We left home in the early morning. I saw lightning flashes to my far west and when we were about to board the coach, light rain started. We took not much notice on the wet weather but only later then we found that the worst flood has occured at Orchard Road during that morning.
We took one of the luxury coaches, Aeroline, for our trip. I will blog on Aeroline separately. After checking in Radius International Hotel which is conveniently located close to Bukit Bintang, we changed to our swim suits to enjoy a dip.
A trip to Chinatown (Petaling Street) is almost a must for us. We enjoyed squeezing in the crowd with both locals and tourists at the alleys filled with goodies. There were plenty of food stalls offering delicious local food along the streets. We had a bak gu teh dinner.
We have heard so much about Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. People said the existence of these places was the brainchild of an ex-Malaysia PM. J decided to go to Putrajaya. From Bukit Bintang subway station, we took a train to KL Central Station which is the main railway station. This is also the place where Express Train from KLIA (KL International Airport) called KLIA Express or KLIA Transit starts and ends. Putrajaya and Cyberjaya is located somewhere along the journey from KL Central to KLIA. The fare on this posh train does not come cheap. A return fare costs RM19. In about half an hour, we reached Putrajaya station. We took a bus (almost all the buses) to Precinst 1. Putrajaya seems to be divided into 20 Precincts and this station where we have just alighted is located at the edge of Putrajaya. The journey was quite long to Precinct 1. The fare is ONLY RM0.50 - really value for money and unbelievable! Along the journey, we had a closer look at some of the government buildings. Passengers in the bus were few, probably because many drive or already working in the office.
The main attraction to Putrajaya includes a visit to one of big mosques called Putrajaya Mosque, located within walking distance to the Prime Minister's Office. Although I was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and long pants and J in bermudas, we were asked to put on the pink coats before entering this sacred place. It is an experience to enter a mosque to experience its serenity.
We took a 45 min cruise on the big man-made lake right in the heart of Putrajaya. This cruise is pretty expensive and costs RM50. We bite the bullet and spent RM135 for 2 adults and a child. When cruising in this big lake, we saw magnificient designs of various important buildings such as Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Accounting Department, Labour Department etc and bridges! There was a live commentary on the various buildings around the lake in both English and Malay. If only a cup of hot drink was included, then I would say this cruise is perfect.
Plenty of shopping to be done at many shopping centres along Bukit Bintang. The popular ones include Lot 10, Sungei Wang, BB Plaza, Berjaya Times Square etc. During this trip, we "discovered" a new posh shopping mall called The Pavillion, located diagonally opposite to Lot 10. There are about 6 storeys in this mall. On the 6th floor, there is a real spacious Times Bookstore - a perfect space to spend hours and hours, either reading, browsing the books or surf internet via its wi-fi.
In each shopping mall, there is at least a food court besides numerous restaurants. The stalls in the food court in Lot 10 charges an additional 5% for government tax on top of the listed prices for food. Just outside this food court, there is Isetan Supermarket. The japanese bento was going on offer and we bought a big bento for only RM 7.50, considered cheap in our context.
From Bukit Bintang, we took rapid kl bus 103 to Suria KLCC. We found Petrosains at the top floor but maybe it was due to weekend, it was simply too crowded. The admission ticket is RM 12 for an adult, RM 7 for a kid. A family package for 2 adults and 2 kids costs RM 24. Obviously we would go for this package but definitely this is reserved for our next trip.
We were walking aimlessly in KLCC; we wanted to go to the 2 storey Kinokuniya but we knew we would walk out hours later, missing shopping at other shops. Then I saw a familiar face! My heart almost missed a beat; is she Patricia? I counted the number of children around her; not really right but then I saw her hubby - short spiky white hair. I am quite convinced that she is Patricia, even if I made a mistake, I will just apologised and walked away quickly. I summoned some courage and asked " hello, are you Patricia X?" She turned around and admitted. I quickly introduced myself! I was really happy to meet her as I always enjoy reading her blogs. And this is really a coincidence to meet at the same place at the same time. I told her we would be returning home soon. Her family would be going to other parts of Malaysia before heading home.
The variety of food available in food courts located one floor below and same floor as Petrosains was enough to make us continuing more and more food into our tummy. The hotplate chicken with yee mee costs RM 6.50, a decent plate of roast chicken rice costs RM 5.50 etc definitely cheaper than the food court in Lot 10 or even Jalan Alor.
Talking about Jalan Alor, it is just a street with food stalls on both sides, Business is especially good during the night. Men will be showing you their menu to hope that you will stop at their stall. J enjoyed its char kuay tiao at RM 5. He bought it for 2 consecutive nights as supper. Each stick of satay (chicken, mutton or beef) costs RM 0.60. We forgot to try the roti canai at RM 1.00 which is similar to our roti prata. This is Isa's favourite but she has been feasting on other food that she did not mind missing roti canai at all.
Stalls along Jalan Alor usually do not list their prices for food which made me very uncomfortable and I prefer to eat elsewhere.
Our hotel offers a buffet for seafood steamboat at RM 19.90 for an adult and RM 15 for a child. For such prices, we feasted on crabs, prawns, squids, slices of fish, clams, cockles, different types of meat-balls, fried rice, fried noodles, just to name a few. During that night, the little restaurant has no customers other than us! We were just too happy to have the restaurant to ourselves. Everything is self-service; the food is on the tables and we simply take whatever we like or want and place it in the steamboat which has 2 slots for different types of soup. The waitress appeared once a while to clear our plates. To end our feast, we topped up with a few cups of chocolate ice cream. We spent slightly more than 2 hours in this restaurant. When we left, we were simply holding our tummy because we were just too full.
My family spent close to a week just in KL, Malaysia. I am amazed that we could stayed there for such "long".
We left home in the early morning. I saw lightning flashes to my far west and when we were about to board the coach, light rain started. We took not much notice on the wet weather but only later then we found that the worst flood has occured at Orchard Road during that morning.
We took one of the luxury coaches, Aeroline, for our trip. I will blog on Aeroline separately. After checking in Radius International Hotel which is conveniently located close to Bukit Bintang, we changed to our swim suits to enjoy a dip.
A trip to Chinatown (Petaling Street) is almost a must for us. We enjoyed squeezing in the crowd with both locals and tourists at the alleys filled with goodies. There were plenty of food stalls offering delicious local food along the streets. We had a bak gu teh dinner.
We have heard so much about Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. People said the existence of these places was the brainchild of an ex-Malaysia PM. J decided to go to Putrajaya. From Bukit Bintang subway station, we took a train to KL Central Station which is the main railway station. This is also the place where Express Train from KLIA (KL International Airport) called KLIA Express or KLIA Transit starts and ends. Putrajaya and Cyberjaya is located somewhere along the journey from KL Central to KLIA. The fare on this posh train does not come cheap. A return fare costs RM19. In about half an hour, we reached Putrajaya station. We took a bus (almost all the buses) to Precinst 1. Putrajaya seems to be divided into 20 Precincts and this station where we have just alighted is located at the edge of Putrajaya. The journey was quite long to Precinct 1. The fare is ONLY RM0.50 - really value for money and unbelievable! Along the journey, we had a closer look at some of the government buildings. Passengers in the bus were few, probably because many drive or already working in the office.
The main attraction to Putrajaya includes a visit to one of big mosques called Putrajaya Mosque, located within walking distance to the Prime Minister's Office. Although I was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and long pants and J in bermudas, we were asked to put on the pink coats before entering this sacred place. It is an experience to enter a mosque to experience its serenity.
We took a 45 min cruise on the big man-made lake right in the heart of Putrajaya. This cruise is pretty expensive and costs RM50. We bite the bullet and spent RM135 for 2 adults and a child. When cruising in this big lake, we saw magnificient designs of various important buildings such as Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Accounting Department, Labour Department etc and bridges! There was a live commentary on the various buildings around the lake in both English and Malay. If only a cup of hot drink was included, then I would say this cruise is perfect.
Plenty of shopping to be done at many shopping centres along Bukit Bintang. The popular ones include Lot 10, Sungei Wang, BB Plaza, Berjaya Times Square etc. During this trip, we "discovered" a new posh shopping mall called The Pavillion, located diagonally opposite to Lot 10. There are about 6 storeys in this mall. On the 6th floor, there is a real spacious Times Bookstore - a perfect space to spend hours and hours, either reading, browsing the books or surf internet via its wi-fi.
In each shopping mall, there is at least a food court besides numerous restaurants. The stalls in the food court in Lot 10 charges an additional 5% for government tax on top of the listed prices for food. Just outside this food court, there is Isetan Supermarket. The japanese bento was going on offer and we bought a big bento for only RM 7.50, considered cheap in our context.
From Bukit Bintang, we took rapid kl bus 103 to Suria KLCC. We found Petrosains at the top floor but maybe it was due to weekend, it was simply too crowded. The admission ticket is RM 12 for an adult, RM 7 for a kid. A family package for 2 adults and 2 kids costs RM 24. Obviously we would go for this package but definitely this is reserved for our next trip.
We were walking aimlessly in KLCC; we wanted to go to the 2 storey Kinokuniya but we knew we would walk out hours later, missing shopping at other shops. Then I saw a familiar face! My heart almost missed a beat; is she Patricia? I counted the number of children around her; not really right but then I saw her hubby - short spiky white hair. I am quite convinced that she is Patricia, even if I made a mistake, I will just apologised and walked away quickly. I summoned some courage and asked " hello, are you Patricia X?" She turned around and admitted. I quickly introduced myself! I was really happy to meet her as I always enjoy reading her blogs. And this is really a coincidence to meet at the same place at the same time. I told her we would be returning home soon. Her family would be going to other parts of Malaysia before heading home.
The variety of food available in food courts located one floor below and same floor as Petrosains was enough to make us continuing more and more food into our tummy. The hotplate chicken with yee mee costs RM 6.50, a decent plate of roast chicken rice costs RM 5.50 etc definitely cheaper than the food court in Lot 10 or even Jalan Alor.
Talking about Jalan Alor, it is just a street with food stalls on both sides, Business is especially good during the night. Men will be showing you their menu to hope that you will stop at their stall. J enjoyed its char kuay tiao at RM 5. He bought it for 2 consecutive nights as supper. Each stick of satay (chicken, mutton or beef) costs RM 0.60. We forgot to try the roti canai at RM 1.00 which is similar to our roti prata. This is Isa's favourite but she has been feasting on other food that she did not mind missing roti canai at all.
Stalls along Jalan Alor usually do not list their prices for food which made me very uncomfortable and I prefer to eat elsewhere.
Our hotel offers a buffet for seafood steamboat at RM 19.90 for an adult and RM 15 for a child. For such prices, we feasted on crabs, prawns, squids, slices of fish, clams, cockles, different types of meat-balls, fried rice, fried noodles, just to name a few. During that night, the little restaurant has no customers other than us! We were just too happy to have the restaurant to ourselves. Everything is self-service; the food is on the tables and we simply take whatever we like or want and place it in the steamboat which has 2 slots for different types of soup. The waitress appeared once a while to clear our plates. To end our feast, we topped up with a few cups of chocolate ice cream. We spent slightly more than 2 hours in this restaurant. When we left, we were simply holding our tummy because we were just too full.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
For Sale: A dining table & 4 chairs
I have a wooden dining table and 4 chairs for sale. They are all in excellent conditions and the cushions of the chairs are still covered by the plastic sheet.
Table: Length 144cm, breadth 89cm and height 76cm.
I am selling cheaply and price is negotiable.
Interested, please email me at starlight1968sg@yahoo.com.sg
Thanks.
Table: Length 144cm, breadth 89cm and height 76cm.
I am selling cheaply and price is negotiable.
Interested, please email me at starlight1968sg@yahoo.com.sg
Thanks.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
On Vacation Leave
Finally I managed to take 2 weeks of vacation leave from work. There are still plenty of work to be done but I decided to take a break. The training programme for new officers that I have been planning since I moved to my new workplace still needs some more work before I can call it a completion.
The courses that I will be conducting in late June and early July have been done and I just need a few more rounds of revision before I can stand in front of the class to conduct.
It has been very relaxing to stay at home by just doing nothing much. I spend quite some time reading news online. I listen to old songs and music from Youtube. Isa and I are very happy to be at home, reading books and watching tv programmes together.
Isa likes to sing and I enjoy listening to her. Isn't this quality time with my precious?
The courses that I will be conducting in late June and early July have been done and I just need a few more rounds of revision before I can stand in front of the class to conduct.
It has been very relaxing to stay at home by just doing nothing much. I spend quite some time reading news online. I listen to old songs and music from Youtube. Isa and I are very happy to be at home, reading books and watching tv programmes together.
Isa likes to sing and I enjoy listening to her. Isn't this quality time with my precious?
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Friday, June 04, 2010
Mathematical Modelling Outreach & Lee Peng Yee Symposium
Mathematical Modelling Outreach and Lee Peng Yee Symposium was held at River Valley High on 31 May to 4 June 2010.
Event Details:
These are two consecutive events featuring active student participation in mathematical modelling activities and expert sharing. Organised by the Mathematics and Mathematics Academic Group, the target audience includes Singapore schools (Primary and Secondary), academics, and practitioners.
Isa and 3 other classmates represented her school to participate in this event. Although I have no idea what this event is about, I take it as an experience for Isa to visit River High High which is one of the best schools in western Singapore. Also, this is also a chance for her to "work" with her classmates and even get to know pupils in other schools.
Prof LEE Peng Yee is one of the best lecturers I have had when I was in NUS. He taught Real Analysis which is his forte. He is humourous and humble, despite he is highly intelligent (see his white hair!)
I did not know that he has left NUS and now with NIE. I am very sure those who have studied Mathematics in NUS many years ago, would have known Prof LEE.
Back to Isa's participation, her group designed a jackpot which looked cool on the paper but could not work at all. This jackpot won a second prize for her team and each participant received a graphic calculator. Now, this is my first time seeing this new toy which I believe she can make use of it when she goes to the secondary school.
The first week of the month-long school holiday is almost over.
Event Details:
These are two consecutive events featuring active student participation in mathematical modelling activities and expert sharing. Organised by the Mathematics and Mathematics Academic Group, the target audience includes Singapore schools (Primary and Secondary), academics, and practitioners.
Isa and 3 other classmates represented her school to participate in this event. Although I have no idea what this event is about, I take it as an experience for Isa to visit River High High which is one of the best schools in western Singapore. Also, this is also a chance for her to "work" with her classmates and even get to know pupils in other schools.
Prof LEE Peng Yee is one of the best lecturers I have had when I was in NUS. He taught Real Analysis which is his forte. He is humourous and humble, despite he is highly intelligent (see his white hair!)
I did not know that he has left NUS and now with NIE. I am very sure those who have studied Mathematics in NUS many years ago, would have known Prof LEE.
Back to Isa's participation, her group designed a jackpot which looked cool on the paper but could not work at all. This jackpot won a second prize for her team and each participant received a graphic calculator. Now, this is my first time seeing this new toy which I believe she can make use of it when she goes to the secondary school.
The first week of the month-long school holiday is almost over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)