Boon Lay Air-con Bus Interchange

The old bus interchange has turned into the new extension building of Jurong Point. The new Boon Lay Bus Interchange is fully air-conditioned and has 60 bus bays with escalators linking from JP2 Level 3, near Fairprice Xtra, JP2 Basement 1, beside Stalford Learning Centre, and 3 linkages from JP2 Level 1.

Boon Lay depot, the busiest, largest and newest air-conditioned bus interchange in Singapore was opened on 27 December 2009. Together with Jurong Point Shopping Mall, the MRT station and itself, it is part of the Boon Lay Integrated Public Transport Hub.

The fourth air-conditioned bus depot in Singapore, the $24 million facility, will serve 150,000 commuters daily, nearly double that of the second-largest air-condiitoned bus interchange, in Toa Payoh.

Ang Mo Kio and Sengkang, the 3rd and 4th airconditioned bus interchanage. In 2011 we can expect Clementi and Serangoon will undergo similar makeover.

Photo by courtesy of ST

Christmas is round the corner

Christmas is the time when Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. A global festival, it is all around the world celebrated. A time for beloved traditions that are honored on 25th December, year after year, the most popular holiday of all. The festival of Christmas brings happiness, joy and love.
Christmas is celebrated differently by the the various countries and cultures of the world. It is interesting to see how different countries celebrate Christmas.

Christmas In BETHLEHEM
The little town where Jesus is said to have been born is the site of the Church of the Nativity, which is ablaze with flags and decorations every Christmas. On Christmas Eve natives and visitors alike crowd the church's doorways and stand on the roof to watch for the dramatic annual procession. Galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses lead the parade. They are followed by solitary horseman carrying a cross and sitting astride a coal-black steed. Then come the churchmen and government officials. The procession solemnly enters the doors and places an ancient effigy of the Holy Child in the church. Deep winding stairs lead to a grotto where visitors find a silver star marking the site of the birth of Jesus.

Christmas In CHINA
Christians in China celebrate by lighting their houses with beautiful paper lanterns and decorating their Christmas trees, which they call "Trees of Light," with paper chains, paper flowers, and paper lanterns. Chinese Children hang muslin stockings and await a visit from Santa Claus, whom they call Dun Che Lao Ren (dwyn-chuh-lau-oh-run) which means "Christmas Old Man.".
Since the vast majority of the Chinese people are not Christian, the main winter festival in China the Chinese New Year which takes place toward the end of January. Now officially called the "Spring Festival," it is a time when children receive new clothing, eat luxurious meals, receive new toys, and enjoy firecracker displays. An important aspect of the New Year celebration is the worship of ancestors. Portraits and paintings of ancestors are brought out and hung in the main room of the home.

Christmas in Singapore
Christmas Light-up stretching continuously from Tanglin Road, Scotts Road, Orchard Road to Marina Bay area, the myriad of Christmas celebrations promises both residents and visitors, an exciting and memorable time this festive season. The wide range of activities include countdown parties, mega concerts, internationally acclaimed performances, art exhibitions, special programmes at Singapore’s attractions, attractive shopping promotions and tantalising culinary treats that will bring festive cheer to one and all.

Christmas Celebration Ideas for You
How are you planning to celebrate Christmas this year? If you have not yet decided, then I hope the following Christmas celebration ideas are of some help to you.

• Present gifts to your loved ones
• Visit a Church
• Make Christmas cakes
• Arrange parties at home or go out for dinner

Do you like any of those items shown above ? Delicious and tempting to lure you to have them for your Christmas celebration ?

Share with us on how you celebrate your Christmas. We welcome your comments here.

Brittany Murphy death sparks speculation over cause

Actress Brittany Murphy, known for her roles in films such as "Clueless" and "8 Mile," died after suffering a cardiac arrest at her home, police and hospital officials said. She was 32.

Actress Brittany Murphy first made an impression on audiences in 1995's "Clueless" as Tai, the socially insecure friend of Cher ( Alicia Siliverstone). Following her iconic role in 'Clueless,' Brittany appeared in more than 25 movies, including 1997's "Bongwater," "Girl, Interrupted" in 1999, "8Mile" and "Sin City."

Los Angeles, Investigators later said foul play was not suspected in the death.

Murphy's family meanwhile appealed for privacy.
"In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy," read a statement released by the actress's spokeswoman.

As we mourn the loss of such a talented young actress, we trailed into some of the talent of Brittany Murphy. In addition to acting, Murphy also enjoyed a successful foray into music, collaborating with British DJ Paul Oakenfold on the single "Faster Kill Pussycat," a club hit that reached number one on the dance charts. In the dancing penguin animated hit film "Happy Feet," she performed a cover version of Queen's "Somebody to Love" and Earth, Wind & Fire's "Boogie Wonderland."

On a side note, earlier this month, when Murphy and her husband of two years, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, returned to Los Angeles, he lost consciousness on the plane and was rushed to hospital.

We will miss our talented Brittany Murphy. We welcome your sharing here.

Recipes for Kueh Ambon

Recently we have organised a trip to Batam and the tour guide had recommended us this kueh. A few of us bought a box each home. Out of curiosity, after the trip, I wanted to know the recipe for the kueh. From the internet, I established that the name for the kueh is called Kueh Ambon.

I have managed to find the following recipe from Asiarecipe to share with those who are interested.
Ingredients :

• 15g instant yeast
• 110ml warm water
• 80g plain flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• pandan leaves
• 350 coconut milk
• 30g butter
• 250g sugar
• 120g tapioca flour
• 6 eggs
• a pinch of salt

Instructions

Mix yeast, warm water, 1 tsp of sugar and plain flour in a bowl. Stir till batter is smooth.

Cover and leave in a warm place for an hour.

Cook pandan leaves, coconut milk and salt over low heat.

Stir in butter and leave it to cool.

Pour in the batter and sugar.

Beat briefly.

Add in tapioca flour and eggs.

Beat at low speed for a while and add in coconut milk mixture.

Pour into a lined tray and leave to prove for 2-1/2 hours.

Bake in a preheat oven at 170 degree for 15 minutes and then lower to 150 degrees and bake till cooked.

Once you have tried it out hope to hear your comment.

Share your recipes or good eating places with us

When it comes to food, I think it is dfficult to lay claim as its own and over the origins of some popular dishes. Our recent debate caused some uneasiness among food experts and food critics in Malaysia and Singapore when Dr Ng claimed that food such as Hainanese Chicken rice, chilli crab, nasi lemak and bak kut teh belonged to Malaysia.

Just within the first 11 months, Malalysia recorded its highest tourist arrivals this year at 22 million and RM 50 billion in reeipts. With a projected forecast for next year's arrival at 23 million tourists and reeipts to expect at RM52 billion. It is apparent and understandable why the The Malaysian Tourism Ministry goes all ways out to promote the industry.

The Ministry launched the new website, fabfood1malaysia, as part of the campaign to promote popular local food.
By any chance, if you have tasted any of these popular dishes, do drop us your comments.

Smart cities not just about clean air

Do you want to know which are the countries rated as the "Smartest" cities ?

• Singapore
• Hong Kong
• Curitiba, Brazil
• Monterrey, Mexico
• Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• Seattle, the United States
• Houston, US
• Charleston, South Carolina, US
• Huntsville, Alabama, US
• Calgary, Alberta, Canada

You can read more about the articles, written by Joel Kotkin, here.

The articles was also published in ST Friday, 11 December 2009.

Take a look and share your comments.