a beary good hostel

2011-12-29T11:05:00.003+08:00

Growls, and so it seems that the end of 2011 is approaching.........

Beary Whaaat? It's Beary Best!!!

2011-11-14T11:36:00.016+08:00

So in the last week, we have been having lotsa fun playing around in our facebook page...

Starting with the age old question of what might be the name of our next Beary-assuming-we-have-a-new-Beary-hostel.

Yes we do get that a lot! From the moment the first guest strolled into a Beary Good hostel in Feb 2010, we have been asked... "...so... what's gonna be the name of the next hostel?" countless of times...

Beary Awesome?

Beary Cool?

Beary Fantastic?

Beary the Matrix?...

Well, anyway.... we got a whopping list of responses within a short 2 hours!

(Ps: make a mental note on the first response by Tinai Lert!)

For their wonderful suggestions, 5 lucky friends won a free night stay at our hostel. (Interestingly 3 of them have already claimed the prize! That's really quick!)

And the more observant folks have been asking us for the meaning behind the "beary whaaat?" profile pic. Did you notice that?

Well, the time has come. Actually, it's because we can't hold back much longer~

Good news simply has to be shared!

We are proud, pleased and very happy to announce our latest addition to the Beary family...

Presenting to you... ahemm.... surprise? surprise!

beary best! will be our 3rd hostel in Chinatown Singapore! and we are in time to open our doors before 2011 come to a close!

Located along Upper Cross Street, we have yet again managed to retain our tradition of having the best and most convenient locations for our hostels. :)

The ever useful Chinatown MRT station is yet again a short 2 minutes walk away. Getting to Pagoda Street, where our a beary good hostel Headquarters is located... takes just 3 minutes. And within a 10 minutes stroll, you will find yourself at Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Raffles Place (yes we have verified that against google map!)

But wait it's not just about location. We did not decide to call it BEST for no good reason.

Beary Best offers various dorm types to fit your preference... from 6 bed, 8 bed dorms and even a Ladies dorm! And you can expect even more top notch facilities at the same ever affordable prices!

We will reveal more details in the coming weeks... Including some sneak previews of the dorm rooms. Unfortunately, we don't have any "artist impression" photos to put up. We don't like "artist impressions" because:

i) we ain't no artist (we are simple people with no talents and without the money to afford fancy designers...)

ii) nothing beats showing the real thing (and it's definitely worth the wait!)

So STAY TUNED and if you are planning to make your way to Singapore... and you just can't wait for another week.... Click here to book now! or email us at BESTreservations@abearygoodhostel.com

Smile!!!

Halloween's Update!

2011-10-31T12:21:00.009+08:00

Past two days, we threw a party in our hostel since it was Halloween! Take a peek on how much fun it was and what you've missed!

Did you see a cat somewhere?

Pizzas.. drinks.. hanging out..

1,2,3,4,5,6 devils!

More devils?!!!

Even more!

Devils unite with pride! :p

Meoooww *purs*

:O!!

Had a santa without his red suit that night..

Me spider on me cheek...

Such a hardworking ghost... I meant host. :p

And out to the city we go..

All's good. :)

Who would forget a beary awesome night like that? We certainly wouldn't and we hope that October has been good to all of you! :B

Travel Now to A Beary Good Hostel!!

2011-07-08T13:24:00.002+08:00

♥♥♥♥♥♥ Here's the awesome video Christian and Andy has done!! ♥♥♥♥♥♥

Check out other videos on travelling at http://www.youtube.com/bananamanatv!! :D

Lotsa Love ♥♥♥,

Joyce

Beary Famous!

2011-06-25T15:51:00.003+08:00

So on Friday, Christian and Andy came to film Beary Nice! to include us in an upcoming travel show! (Yay!! More people will know of our beary good services and hospitality! :D)

Christian and Andy interviewing Ila, our Beary own Singaporean Guide!! :p (Really, there's hardly any place in Singapore that she does not know of!)

Filming Dorm 2 (Blue room!!)

*CHEESE*

Goofy Andy would go into any position to get the best lighting/angle hahahaha

Right after they left, Richard came by. Richard is the author for the book "Rough Guide to Singapore/Malaysia".. And he plans to include A Beary Good Hostel and Beary Nice! into his latest collection of the travel guide! :)

Beary Famous indeed! Hehe :)

Lotsa Love ♥,

Joyce

Beary Artsy

2011-06-03T17:18:00.004+08:00

So 26 Beary Artistic Taiwanese guests from the MAAD event went out at 10AM, leaving me all lonely in the hostel :(:( So I sought company from the guestbook.

By one of the Taiwanese Artists! :)

A dainty little bear formed from small little pen strokes :)

Impressions of our welcoming reception! :)

By vietnamese Yo-yo-ers :)

Ohhhh the resemblance ♥♥♥♥♥

Lotsa Love ♥,

Joyce

Beary Tourist-y : Marina Bay Sands

2011-06-02T16:33:00.005+08:00

Got an invitation to the premiere of Cirque Eloize iD at Marina Bay Sands. The show was awesome!! The standing ovation from the whole theater was very very veryyyy well deserved. :D

That's 8 chairs, if you were counting!

This guy in red juggled 9 balls at his maximum (in every direction you can imagine)

The Trampoline finale that made the whole theater cheer for a solid 5 minutes. :D

The tickets are priced at S$65 to s$125, available at the Marina Bay Sands Box Office! :) The Lion King and Music from Andrew Lloyd Webber are also showing now!

Marina Bay Sands has more to offer than just quality Musicals and Circus performances. Visit the Art Science Museum where you discover the mysterious ways art and science connect. The unique exterior of this building..... I can't understand how it works. (Well you see, it takes the shape of a lotus flower. Where exactly is the center of gravity?!)

There, go figure.

Want a bird's eye view of Singapore? Go to the Sand Sky Park! :) The view there is breathtaking, both in the day and at night.

You may also want to visit the Casino if you're feeling lucky! :)

Before you leave, go to the Helix Bridge in the evening to get some beautiful pictures of the bridge and the night view of Marina Bay Sands :)

Marina Bay Sands is one of the places in Singapore where it makes me feel like I am a tourist myself when I'm there :) So, it's a place that you should not miss as a tourist! :D Do share with us pictures that you have taken if you go there! (So we can replace our google-d images in this post.. haha)

Check this space again for more posts about events happening in Singapore and our tourist hotspots!

Lotsa Love ♥♥♥,

Joyce!

A BEARY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2011-05-20T16:59:00.008+08:00

So on a peacefully quiet afternoon at Beary Nice!.. Yay and I were chatting while Luke and Josh were fooling around with our bear's lovely sunglasses..

(♥_♥) Luke you sure look really cool here... (More female stalkers on facebook aye)

Josh joins Luke and.... (♥_♥) (♥_♥) Cuteness overload!!!

So as we continued chatting, we found out it was Josh's 22nd Birthday! (K actually we were eavesdropping on his conversation with his nan.. :p) We HAD to do something. Josh goes off to take a shower and I called for help to deliver a cake for our dear birthday boy! Luke and Yay then pops a bottle of champagne (awesome stuff from France) when Josh comes out from his shower! The birthday boy was grinning the whooole time :D

Cheers! :D

Meanwhile... My beloved friend was running up the beary long flight of stairs to get the cake to us before Josh leaves for his birthday dinner. *Whewwwww* We made it!! Lit the candles at the stairway and brought the cake in.....

Surrrrrprise!!! :D (Just look at how happy J is!)

Beary happy Josh with Beary accomplished me! :)

A group picture of allllll of you who made the surprise possible!! (Luke and Yay don't forget to come back before August to visit!! )

Lastly,

Happy 22nd Birthday Dear Josh!

( Missing all of you already :[ )

Lotsa Love ♥♥♥,

Joycelin

The best backpacker hostels in Singapore?! :)

2010-11-19T19:27:00.004+08:00

Got an msn from Paula, our beary good ex-host and she said her friend happened to see this article published by Cnngo.com. Typically I won't just click any link fearing those nasty viruses or trojans especially those sent via msn but this time round, just had to do it.. ha ha...

Actually our day host Ila mentioned to me a couple of days ago that a journalist/writer dropped by our hostel to sort of do an interview but I wasnt around. Was pleasantly surprised that our hostel has been selected as one of the best hostels in Singapore! A bit unfortunate that I did not get to meet the journalist/writer of this article else I would have explained why we came up with the 'cheesy' name a beary good hostel.. but nevertheless, am happy to be mentioned although not too sure how they came up with the ratings... :)

Here's the article for your reading pleasure ya!

p/s: Also thanks to our beloved guest Amar Naik for giving a nice review. Really appreciate it and glad you had a nice stay at our hostel!

Click here to read more!

Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010

2010-11-10T11:04:00.003+08:00

The Standard Chartered Marathon has been going on for 8 years and the number of runners keeps growing. Many from other countries specially come to Singapore just to participate this event. We have some bookings from guests in beary good whom will be participating the run, too!

So, avid runners, did you sign up for the run? Well, one of our beary brave host did and will be running this international marathon happening on 5th December 2010 (Sunday), from 5.00 a.m. So, Run, Shan, Run!!! We will be supporting you, gal!!

Where are you, beary nice?

2010-11-08T22:05:00.006+08:00

To answer your burning questions and to prove how close beary nice! is to the Chinatown MRT and how easy it is to locate us, one of our lovely host, Diane, created a photo guide to lead you to us @ beary nice! Enjoy for those visually starved folks.. hehe..:)

Thanks, D!! :)

So what are you waiting for?

p/s: Oh, when you come out of the long escalator from the MRT, remember to turn your head towards left, you'll see a beary good hostel's white sleepy bear logo greeting you! hehe..:)

a story about beary nice!

2010-11-07T22:47:00.023+08:00

Gosh.. I know I know, I have gone missing.. totally. :) But really, it's all for a good cause. Was terribly busy in the process of 'making' beary nice! our newest hostel @ Smith Street and now that it's finally opened, phew.. it's all good.

Really thank you so much for all your support! We've hit a whopping 100 guests in our first week of opening and the enquiries are flowing in. Really thank you!!

So, why beary nice!? Well, Bill and myself have always wanted to extend a beary good hostel @ Pagoda St due to the overwhelming responses from our satisfied guests and we felt so bad for guests whom we are unable to accommodate due to our limited capacity, so we decided to open a sister hostel, called beary nice! to keep beary good company.. ha ha! :)

We had alot of trouble searching for the right location initially, took us months! as our main focus has always been constant and that is to provide a place where the guests would be able to conveniently locate us and also definitely be central to everywhere else in Singapore! Where else but must be near the MRT/Subway/Metro, right?

I'm sure all of you know by now and can count the number of steps a beary good hostel is located, which is right outside of Chinatown MRT Station, Exit A: Pagoda Street. Well, beary nice! hostel is just only 2 minutes away from a beary good hostel! Smith Street (beary nice!) is famously known as the food street @ Chinatown Singapore, whereas Pagoda Street (abearygoodhostel) is known for it's busy bustling street for shopping for souveniers, clothes and even electronics! Now, that's what we call a lethal combination! We purposely chose the busiest street in the heart of Chinatown!!!

So here are some photos of the 'process of making beary nice!', some behind the scene photos, the work, the labour, the sweat, the battles, the tough decisions we had to make just to deliver a cosy and colourful beary nice! hostel just for you!! :)
colours: tonnes of paint were splashed all over the walls (okay, maybe I exaggerated a little! but let's just say, a lot of paint were used to colour beary nice!)..hehe..:)
planning: humm.. should I place it here? even made my trusty contractor to take some shots so I can 'visualize' it. Everything we do, we make sure the guest will use it comfortably, ok!
decisions, decisions: like choosing lightings..
more decisions: choosing tiles....
loads and loads of shopping.. the car was always filled up to it's capacity each time we got out of a store!!! We've learnt to ignore lotsa stares from passerbys...
battles: dealing with contractors who are always talking on the phone!! (just kidding, without them, we wouldn't have made it! Thanks Sunny and Eric!) constant monitoring: had to be there daily to make sure all renovation works and carpentry are done properly!!!
Not shy!! Tolerating attention seeking renovation contractors: Haha.. no kidding, this jolly chap was so excited that I told him I'm gonna take pictures and post it on the web, he dived into every shot and started cam whoring.... I have many other shots... trust me...
Lotsa D.I.Y.S: To stamp our blood and sweat into the hostel, we take upon labourious tasks like painting furniture.... (don't worry, we have wiped off any visible blood stain and sweat *grin grin*)
Resorting to child labour: to keep our budget low, the DIYS includes engaging free child labour to fix up furniture...(note: no children were harmed in the process of the making of beary nice!)
beary nice! signages: the most important of all, our beary nice! signature logo!!

The final touches!!! And that's it! I present you the lovely, spacious, cosy beary nice!! *tsk tsk* We even had guests staying over before our opening on 28th October 2010! :)

Exterior view of beary nice! Rustic old and charming shophouse, about more than 60 years old!
beary nice! Reception... we maintained the ever popular reception logo where all guests love taking photos!
super cosy lounge fully equipped with comfy sofa, rocking chairs, surfing stations, wii, dvd player, 42" plasma tv, etc!!
our bright and neat functional pantry that comes with microwave, fridge and utensils! :
Our lovely cosy dorm rooms: Funky Orange Dorm Room
Cool Blue Dorm Room
Ever Green Dorm Room

Okay, that's it from me for now. I still have more photos to share. Maybe will do it later after I catch my breathe... (or rest my fingers).. ha ha.. later loves!!!

Singapore Lantern Festival 2010

2010-09-12T11:29:00.005+08:00

Hey Hey, been wanting to blog something about the Lantern Festival happening soon. About 2 weeks back, I was walking along Pagoda Street around midnight and saw a bunch of workers setting up lanterns all over Chinatown. Quite a sight, really nice and peaceful to be able to admire the colours and serenity. :)

Here are some info that you might find useful while visit Singapore during this period:

Chinatown Lantern Festival Street Light Up
- Huge lanterns and fairy lights brightened up Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road and the street bazaars along the side streets.
- From Sat, 11 Sep 2010 to 10 Oct 2010
- From 7pm till late nightly.
- Expect the festival was launched on the evening of Saturday, 11 Sep 2010 near Chinatown MRT - with a flurry of energetic activities.

Street Bazaar
- Pagoda Street, Terrenganu Street, Sago Street and Chinatown Complex become pretty busy with vendors selling mooncakes, savouries, lanterns and other festive wares.
- From Thur, 9 Sep 2010 to Wed, 22 Sep 2010.
- From 11am till late daily.

Stage Shows
- A good mix of traditional and comtemporary entertain at Kreta Ayer Square (near Buddha Tooth Relic Temple).
- From Sat, 11 Sep 2010 to Wed, 22 Sep 2010.
- From 8pm nightly.

Mass Lantern Procession
- From 7.30pm on Sat, 18 Sep 2010.
- The procession starts at the open field near Outram MRT Station and ends near the river banks in Clarke Quay. Join in with your own lanterns!

Lantern Festival Events @ Singapore River
- the huge lanterns near Clarke Quay and on the River, and the cultural performances near The Central.
- Nightly, 8-22 Sep 2010.

So, enjoy the lights and mooncakes, folks! :)

It's the Mid Autumn Festival 2010...get yer groove on!!!

2010-09-11T18:18:00.001+08:00

Tonight, Chinatown will be ablaze with the lights from many many lanterns. It's the start of the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Mooncake or Lantern Festival. Do take a walk around the area and immerse yourselves in the festivities. Click on the link below for more info on all the activities schedule and do enjoy yourselves :)

YourSingapore.com - Mid-Autumn Festival 2010

Something Random, Something Nice

2010-08-31T15:03:00.010+08:00

Many guests left many random things behind the hostel.

As one would say, fun is only restricted by your imagination :)
So on some occasions, you will find some guests not sleeping. But instead doing some things which they themselves couldn't comprehend why.

**** I did witness the entire process, and a picture was taken in the toilet. Sadly I have no idea where is the picture. But since such memorable event should not be forgotten, so I depicted the picture based on my memories. Which is simply bears from different lands crowding in the small shower room, having fun :) ****

And sometimes ending off the night with pork stew in the washer.

Along with the sincerity of a smile,differences were forgotten.
Friendships across the border are forged.

With the echoes of the laughter,
Imprints of the smiles.
Can you see it?
Many left a part of their wonderful memories behind:)

So now, what would you leave behind in the hostel? :)

- Paula :)

Featured in newspaper, beary nice! :)

2010-08-12T09:33:00.007+08:00

Our little hostel was briefly mentioned in our local newspaper, "Straits Times" for the Singapore's National Day special on 9th August 2010. A month back, a journalist was walking around Chinatown looking for 'new shops' residing in the good old conserved shophouses in Chinatown for his article on "Old shophouses house new shops". I received a text message from Diane asking me to call this guy because he wanted to interview me... and well, I called him and the rest are all in the small little article (actually we spoke more than that and funny the photos seems to be missing.. hehe... oh well..) :)

Anyway, it felt good to be mentioned in the news again! The last time was a surprised one but this time round, we know what and when it's going to be published. I must say, its a different kind of feeling. Here's the previous article in case you've missed it and don't know what I'm yakking about.. ha ha!

Are you hungry this month? Well, maybe you are a ghost? :)

2010-08-11T09:02:00.009+08:00

Yesterday when I came back from Malaysia, saw alot of people burning incense sticks and lighting candles along my neighbourhood block and then I was thinking, what's the occasion? Ahh... then I remembered that my mum briefly mentioned to me over the weekend that it's the start of the Hungry Ghost Festival this month... to be exact, 10th August 2010. :)

Yup, it's the time of the month where the chinese believes that our spiritual friends from the Gates of Hell are released to roam around and visit their dearest ones for a month. It's sort of like Halloween but much more spiritual I guess because at the start of the month, people will start to pray, burn incense sticks, papers and light candles along the road to ensure that the spirits are not lost and welcomes them... it's also the time to 'feed' the spirits in the form of prayers, fruits, roasted meat, rice and cakes.

The reason why it's called Hungry Ghost Festival is also because the spirits are locked up in Hell, right, so, in that 'world', they are not very well fed, so upon release, the spirits will 'eat' non stop but in truth, more like in accordance to my mum, when one dies and becomes a spirit, one will always feel hungry because a spirit is always empty inside. So, we, Chinese will pray and bring out the best offerings for the spirits hoping, this month, they will be well fed, satiated and go back to Hell once it's the end of the festival.

This is also the time of the month my mum will not allow us to travel abroad, especially places that have water which means the beach is a big no no. Superstitions believes that if we travel during this time of the month, well, 'accidents' tend to happen more. Probably because the spirits may feel a little naughty, angry, lonely or whatever and want to sort of 'drag' people down to Hell with them... I know, I make it sound so crude and evil, but it's superstitions and it's up to each person's believe. :)

You can see these happening around Singapore, especially in the heartlands but definitely in Chinatown!!! There will be Chinese Opera and upbeat singing stage performances to 'entertain our spiritual friends' and it's free for all throughout the month of Hungry Ghost Festival. If you can find seats in the front row, please please DO NOT sit on it as it is reserved for our special guests, the spirits. If the spirits are being cooped up for 11 months for the rest of the year, with no entertainment at all, I'm sure they deserve a VIP front row seat, ya! Oh ya, those singing performances that happens in the evenings and nights are called 'Getai'.

Since our hostel is located right smack in the middle of Chinatown (no kidding!), do immerse yourself in this one of a kind festival and maybe you can spot one or two spirits while you are at it!! ha ha! :)

What's Happening: Hungry Ghost Festival (7th Month Festival)

Where: Chinatown, Open Field beside Spring Street Singapore

When: 10 Aug - 7 Sep 2010

Enjoy the Festival, folks!

Singapore's 45th Birthday on 9th August 2010!!

2010-08-03T23:47:00.006+08:00

So, there'll be roadblocks, fireworks and lotsa parades happening on 9th August. Just wanna inform our dear travelers that you could also join in the fun for Singapore's National Day celebrations! Probably can catch the spectacular fireworks, aerial acrobatics and also the parade of the Mobile Column. This year's National Day Parade (NDP) marks not only a return to the historic Padang after five years, but also the first mobile column display featured since then. The Mobile Column, a crowd favourite whenever it is featured, will be the highlight again in this year's NDP. This year, there will be more than 200 vehicles featuring the SAF's 3 Generation capabilities and Home Team's assets. It will roll pass City Hall and into the heartlands.

The Mobile Column will bring the National Day Parade Celebrations from the Padang to different parts of Singapore. The Mobile Column will move to the heartlands after the drive past at the Padang along three different routes (North-Eastern, Northern and Western routes). They will travel through various townships, arriving at the five Heartland celebration locations of Sengkang, Eunos, Bishan, Woodlands and Choa Chu Kang. Here's the route which the Mobile Column will cover. :)

NORTH-EASTERN ROUTE - EUNOS AND SENGKANG
ST ANDREW'S ROAD->MARINA BOULEVARD->BAYFRONT AVE-> RAFFLES AVE->NICOLL HIGHWAY->MOUNTBATTEN RD->SIMS AVE-> UPPER PAYA LEBAR RD->UPPER SERANGOON RD->HOUGANG AVE 8-> HOUGANG AVE 6->SENGKANG CENTRAL->COMPASSVALE RD-> SENGKANG SQUARE

NORTHERN ROUTE - BISHAN AND WOODLANDS
ST ANDREW'S ROAD->PARLIAMENT PLACE->FULLERTON RD ESPLANADE DR->NICOLL HIGHWAY->MIDDLE RD-> VICTORIA ST->JLN SULTAN->KING GEORGE AVE-> KITCHENER RD-> SERANGOON RD->BALESTIER RD-> MOULMEIN RD->THOMSON RD->LORNIE RD-> BRADDELL RD->BISHAN RD-> ANG MO KIO AVE 8-> ANG MO KIO AVE 5->YIO CHU KANG RD-> UPPER THOMSON RD->SEMBAWANG RD->GAMBAS AVE-> WOODLANDS AVE 7->WOODLANDS AVE 4-> WOODLANDS AVE 9->WOODLANDS AVE 5-> WOODLANDS SQUARE

WESTERN ROUTE - CHOA CHU KANG
ST. ANDREW'S RD->HILL ST->RIVER VALLEY RD-> HOOT KIAM RD->PATERSON HILL->PATERSON RD ->ORCHARD RD-> KILLINEY RD->RIVER VALLEY RD ->DELTA RD-> ALEXANDRA RD->COMMONWEALTH AVE ->COMMONWEALTH AVE WEST->TOH TUCK AVE->BUKIT BATOK EAST AVE 3-> BUKIT BATOK CENTRAL->BUKIT BATOK WEST AVE 2-> BUKIT BATOK WEST AVE 5 ->BUKIT BATOK RD-> CHOA CHU KANG WAY->CHOA CHU KANG AVE 4-> CHOA CHU KANG WAY

Tips for Watching National Day Fireworks 2010 for FREE

Don't miss the fireworks for Singapore NDP 2010! This year, the fireworks will be launched from 9 locations:

- The Padang
- City Hall
- Esplanade Theatre
- the waters of Marina Bay
- Suntec City
- Pan Pacific Hotel
- Ritz Carlton Millenia Hotel
- UOB Plaza & Maybank Tower

Best Picnic and Photography Spots to Watch Fireworks in Singapore:

1)The Esplanade Theatre Waterfront Promenade
A very convenient spot overall.
You need to find a good spot if you don't want to see the construction sites in your fireworks photos.

2)The Esplanade Bridge
A good place if you want the Merlion included in your fireworks photos.
However, you still need to a wide-angle lens because the fireworks are pretty near.
This spot is incredibly crowded during the New Year's Eve Countdown fireworks.

3) Merlion Park
Go to the Merlion Park if you want to hear the loud booms and to feel the fireworks 'falling on you'.
A difficult place to get everything into your camera unless you use a fish eye lens or a wide-angle lens.
Suitable to take children to, but crowded. You'll need to get there early and occupy the kids meaningfully.

4) Clifford Pier
A small area available to the public. Better if you book a seat at One on the Bund restaurant (see below).

5) The Promontory @ Marina Boulevard NEW!
This spot was a fireworks photographer's favourite before the re-construction took place. You get sweeping views across the water towards the Marina Bay hotels.
Now refurbished, it's a lovely green space.
Likely the venue of some carnival or fair during fireworks night and therefore a good spot to take kids to.
Some photos of fireworks as seen from Marina Boulevard.

6) Marina Bay Sands Waterfront Boardwalk NEW!
This newly completed timber boardwalk is situated just in front of Marina Bay Sands. It takes you all the way to the water's edge.

7) Helix Bridge NEW!
The spiralling steelwork may hinder your view of the fireworks. But it also creates an interesting perspective.
There are also uninterrupted platform areas that protrude over the waters, which offers an interesting vantage view over the skyline.

8) Marina Barrage
Farther away than all the other viewing spots, but offer a 'sense' of seclusion.
Take the MRT to Marina South Station. Then SBS Bus No. 400 or the Marina Barrage Shuttle Bus to the Barrage.

So practically any waterfront location at Marina Bay will be a good spot to watch the fireworks for NDP 2010 (as well as the flypast). Expect the fireworks to be launched near the end of the Show Segment, probably around 7.30pm - 8pm. Obviously, you'll need to turn up earlier to find yourself some space.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
In the event of bad weather (or for health safety and other pertinent reasons), the NE Shows and Parades may be delayed, cut short or postponed. If this happens, the fireworks will be similarly affected.

So, hope some of you will be able to catch some of it and truly feel the spirit of Singapore when the nation celebrates it's 45th birthday! :)Best

Happy Birthday P!

2010-07-23T23:17:00.005+08:00

Yupz, just did a little surprise pre-birthday celebration @ hostel specially for dear Puspa. And glad that my plan worked, Puspa was caught off-guard. Well, her real birthday is tomorrow, 24th July 2010 but she's not working on her birthday, of course, so I had to do it one day earlier. Here are some of the photos taken just now! More photos can be found at abearygoodhostel facebook! Happy Birthday, P! Hope you like the gift and cake! :)

P's Birthday Cake

Yup, that's P totally embarrassed by the surprise.. hehe..:)

"I wish I can go for spa every single day!!"

P's Gift, a crazy lamp!!

She is one of the craziest person I've ever met, so, when I saw this cute lamp with "CRAZY" on it, told myself, this is the one I must get for her!! ha ha!

Once again, Happy Birthday, gal! :)

p/s: Sorry Paula, I missed celebrating your birthday last month cos I was busy celebrating mine a day before yours..hehe...-_- but I do have something specially for you when you are back on your shift tomorrow, ya! :)

Highlights: Come play at the bay! Saturday, 17th July 2010

2010-07-17T15:33:00.003+08:00

Alot of happenings today at Marina Bay area! Five events converge on Marina Bay with two offering free exhibitions, music performances and movies.

1) Carnival @ Marina Bay
When: Today (17th July 2010) and Tomorrow (18th July 2010)
What's happening:
- FREE Screening of Avatar @ 8.15pm tonight at the Promontory
- Jazz, Chinese orchestra and drumming concerts
- Activities include zorb balls (left), paddle boats and water tricycles
- Viewers at the Promontory can also see the Singapore National Day Parade rehearsal fireworks @ 8.15pm tonight and a Cosplay runway show tomorrow

2) Night Festival: New World 2010
When: Today (17th July 2010), 7pm to 2am

Where: Singapore Art Museum, SMU Green, National Museum
What's happening at the Singapore Art Museum:
- Flea market featuring clothes, accessories and household items starts at 6pm
- Art exhibitions such as the Art Garden for kids
- Interactive performances such as Abusement Park, in which the basement has been turned into a dungeon, and Music Hall, where visitors can sing along to Indonesian karaoke

What's happening at the SMU Green:
- Cambodian acrobats perform balancing acts and stunts

What's happening at the National Museum:
- Six satellite dishes project strobe lights and sounds culled from solar winds and radio waves

3) The New Paper Big Walk @ Marina Bay
When: Tomorrow (17 July 2010), 7.30am
What's happening:
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will flag off some 20,000 participants at the Singapore Flyer. The 4km route will snake past various sites including the Promontory @ Marina Bay, the newly-completed Mist Walk and Clifford Pier.

4) Youth Olympic Games rehearsal
Where: At the Marina Bay floating platform, for performers in the Opening Ceremony

5) National Day parade rehearsal
Where: At the Padang, for students only. Some roads will be closed today for the show.

Pizza Night and An Animal in the hostel?

2010-07-10T11:17:00.006+08:00

Hey there, just wanna share some photos of Pizza Night we just had yesterday.

There should have been more photos but Puspa did not manage to take them as we were too distracted by an 'animal' roaming about in the hostel last night. Yup, we accepted an animal as a guest yesterday. The animal chose our hostel to stay because of the cute bears and how appropriate is that since The animal is looking for a place closer to its natural home setting. Since the zoo does not offer hostel like facilities, The animal will have to make do in a beary good hostel! ha ha!

The things we have to 'tolerate' to make ends meet, nowadays... :)

Okay, to prove that I'm not making this up, I took videos of The animal. This animal has mixed personalities. It can turn into an Elephant, Horse and Monkey. Enjoy the videos folks!

As you can see in the 3rd video, I tried making Puspa to make any animal noise, but she just refused to do it.. and Nicholas, naturally cant stop himself, he is afterall THE ANIMAL!! Oh yes, The animal is called Nicholas. And we fed him too....

p/s: Thanks to Nicholas for being such a sport. I really had a good laugh last night! Hope you have a good roam about in Singapore today!

A beary Happy post!!!

2010-07-09T12:46:00.005+08:00

Just wanna express my happiness to the world, something good happened to the hostel today. Can't really explain what exactly but it's a really, really happy news! And I wanna celebrate by buying drinks for all the guests in the hostel today!!! Yup! Drinks on me! TODAY!!! 9TH JULY 2010!!!!! And Bill, my bro suggests we have PIZZA night today, so yup, free pizzas too! 7:00pm hot piping pizza to be delivered!!!

5 heartland neighborhoods for a taste of real Singapore

2010-07-07T20:25:00.002+08:00

Singapore may be known for its wide variety of exotic foods, bustling shopping malls and vibrant nightlife. However, the true Singapore spirit will always remain in the roots of the heartland neighborhoods where its rich culture comes alive.

1. Little India

Go to anywhere within Little India and you will immediately feel its rich Indian culture. Dubbed "the heart of Little India", the Tekka Centre is one of the many places you must visit. Although the exteriors of this place may seem unappealing, you will experience the Indian community at its rawest. Some of the products offered here are a riot of colors of Indian sarees, bangles, antiques, and even face jewelries. While you’re there, also be sure to visit the Tekka Wet Market in the first level. The poultry there is of the freshest and cheapest throughout Singapore as well, given that the butchers will de-skin or de-feather them right in front of your eyes.

Other places to visit are the surrounding temples, artsy stores and of course, the 24/7 mega mall, Mustafa Centre.

2. Telok Blangah

Translated to mean ‘cooking pot bay’ in Malay due to its cooking pot-esque perimeter of the neighborhood, Telok Blangah is situated at the south of Singapore. If you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle from the city, and to breathe the freshest air the country has to offer, Telok Blangah is the perfect location. One of the must-visit places would be Mount Faber, where it offers a panoramic view of the skyscrapers and other buildings in downtown and other nearby areas. And if you’d just like to have a quiet time alone with Mother Nature, head over to Labrador Park. The peacefulness of the park and mere sounds of water splashing against the rocks on the beach will certainly revitalize and nourish your soul. Also, expect to find many historical relics left behind by the British forces from World War II.

3. Geylang

Geylang is known for its authentic local food, fresh durians and the notorious (but legal) red light district. The streets, typically numbered from 1 to 42, are named lorong or lor, which is a direct translation in Malay.

Many of the food stalls are located at two-story shop houses, and are open from the afternoon till late at night. One of the more popular food stalls located here is Leong Kee at Geylang Lor 11, famous for its savory bak kut teh which is a Chinese pork soup. Another famous spot is People’s Prawn Noodles located at the next street street, Geylang Lor 12. Many locals flock there every day for its unique and genuine taste of prawn noodles.

4. Chinatown

A community enclave for the Chinese since the 19th century, Chinatown is one of the few places in Singapore that has retained a significant portion of its historical and cultural roots. Many of its quaint shophouses are still around and most of them have been upgraded.

Needless to say, the food in Chinatown is a must-try while you are over there, especially the famous Bakkwa, which is a Chinese salty-sweet barbecued pork jerky. Although it is normally eaten during the Chinese New Year, locals find the taste so hard to resist that it has become a popular gift year round.

5. Holland Village

Extremely popular with the expatriates, Holland Village (Holland V for short) offers a large selection of dining, shopping and bars. Many of Singapore’s most popular local food chains such as Crystal Jade, Thai Express and Frolick are all located here. And while there are many other fine restaurants and bars in the area, none can beat the popularity of Wala Wala. They are especially known for their tasty and crispy pizzas and 1-for-1 cheap cold beers during happy hour. The restaurant-bar is also famous for their amazing live band and live broadcast of football matches.

Note: This article is extracted from CNNGo Singapore.

5 levels of weird: Singapore foods you know you should try

2010-07-07T19:28:00.006+08:00

Sorry for the hiatus folks, have been so sick to my stomach, puking like mad and can barely do anything at all for the past weeks.. Now that I'm better, finally get to browse around my favourite sites and soak up all the news and happenings that I've missed! and yes, I have been that sick till I cant even surf the net. :P

Anyway, talking about puke, I found this article very very interesting or maybe a little yucky. For those of you who ummmm... can't stomach weird/odd/bizzare food (which I personally not a fan of weird food too), well, do skip this blog entry. :P

Give the fried noodles and chicken rice a rest and expand your gastronomic horizons with some 'delicacies' from the stranger side of Singapore's foodie character. We start with the plain uncommon, moving through unusual and end at the downright bizarre.

1. Kacang pool/phool or fhoul

This is the Southeast-Asian rendition of the Middle-Eastern dish ful medammas. The version here has beef mince mixed with pureed and chopped beans (primarily fava or broad beans) seasoned with local spices and bathed in a sauce that's much like satay peanut sauce. Toppings include chopped onions, sliced green chilies, and an egg, sunny side up. Squeeze some lime over it, break the egg yolk and mix. Mop it all up with warm, toasty baguette slices.

An Arab family runs Fhoul Madinah Istimewa Original Kacang Pool at 1 Geylang Serai, @02-114 Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre. Mamu's Kitchen at Block 1 Bedok Road, Stall no. 26 Bedok Food Centre, also does a mean and hearty version.

2. Fuzhou UFOs (oyster cakes)

These fritters are nicknamed UFOs because they resemble little flying saucers. Anthony Bourdain describes these as “deep-fried Foochow-style beignet of oysters, minced pork, prawns and batter” that are “pure goodness”. Best eaten fresh with some chili sauce and washed down with a cold glass of sugar cane juice. Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake has been selling these little treats for over 50 years. They proudly display Bourdain’s photo and an excerpt from his book "The Nasty Bits" describing how he enjoyed the snack. Find them at Maxwell Road, #01-05 Maxwell Food Centre (Tel: +65 9344 1296).

3. Eel skin crisps

If you didn't know what these were made of, you'd probably think they were great fish crackers. But the remarkable crunch comes from the delicate skin of eels. Some menus list them simply as “deep-fried fish skin”. They are increasingly popular in Chinese cze-char (cook and fry) restaurants as an appetiser, and they are often served with a savory soy-based dip. The skin still stays fairly crisp even when drenched in the broth. Be warned, these crisps are dangerously addictive, and the fact you’re chomping on the skin of eels will quickly be forgotten. Until you finish.

Ask for it at casual Cantonese eateries Sha Tin Kitchen, 10B Lorong 3 Geylang (Tel: +65 6747 2483) or Wo Peng at 476/478 Macpherson Road (Tel: +65 6747 9892).

4. Steamed shark head

Basically throwing anything away is a waste, so some restaurateurs made a dish out of the normally inedible gelatinous shark head. There's no meat on the cone-shaped bone, except for gelatinous shark cartilage and some fat, but that very texture is what is coveted by aficionados. A lightly sweetened soy-sesame sauce is all that's needed to season the dish, but some like it with more intense sauces.

Tian Jin Hai claims to have invented the dish in Singapore. They recently resurfaced at a stall at 70 Zion Road, Zion Riverside Food Centre #01-09 (Tel: +65 6385 7831). You can also get steamed shark head at the no-frills, retro restaurant Old Mother Hen at 136 Sims Avenue (Tel: +65 6841 8789).

5. Crocodile paws

Certainly not one for the squeamish. You really do get a whole crocodilian paw, claws, skin and all in your soup or claypot when you order this. It’s frighteningly huge. Once you summon the guts to sink your teeth into it, you’ll find the skin is soft, chewy and gelatinous like sea cucumber. But why would anyone want to eat this reptile? Well, oit is alleged that crocodile gives a whole host of health benefits like improving metabolism, vitality, immunity, and of course, the libido. And it tastes like chicken.

Cafe de Hong Kong (586 Balestier Road, #01-01 Eastpac Building. Tel: +65 6255 3865) does many familiar cze-char favorites well, but its lone exotic dish of braised crocodile paw always grabs patrons’ attention. You’ll need to give them notice at least one hour ahead for this special dish. There is also a stall called Crocodile Kingdom specializing in all dishes crocodile at Block 51 Old Airport Road #01-107 Old Airport Road Food Centre. Tel: +65 9240 0886.

Note: This article is extracted from CNNGo Singapore. :)

Top 10 places to shop in Singapore

2010-06-21T11:32:00.004+08:00

Got another article from CNNGo that I found really useful and interesting about shopping in Singapore! It's Great Singapore Sale season, people! Anyway, I added a little bit more information on how to get to these places in the article. :)

1. Haji Lane
For vintage duds look no further than Haji Lane. There you’ll find rows of adorable boutiques brimming with local finds, all at great prices. It will be quite the unpredictable treasure hunt so be sure to leave time for the trip, especially for shops like Dulcetfig, Loft, Soon Lee, Rusty Buttons and Ohsofickle. Check out CNNGo's more comprehensive coverage of vintage shopping in Singapore.

Getting there: Haji Lane is a stone's throw away from Bugis MRT Station in the neighborhood of Kampong Glam.

2. Parco Marina Bay
The newly opened Parco Marina Bay is a welcoming addition to Singapore’s overcrowded web of malls. The S$10 million, 85,000 square feet complex is located in the sleepy Millennia Walk but offers plenty of quirky retail and eating spots, many of them new to Singapore, to keep the ladies busy for a good part of the day.

Getting there: 9 Raffles Boulevard #03-02 Millenia Walk. Parco Marina Bay is near Promenade MRT station exit A.

3. Mustafa Centre
You know a shopping spot is hot when the government has to issue a court order to close a floor down for over-crowding inspections. Mustafa Centre, which spans two complexes in the middle of Little India, is open round the clock and is known to carry everything from ethnic jewelry to the latest electronics. Every traveler and local pressed for time heads to Mustafa for last-minute shopping and purchases, so if you want to avoid the hordes, go in the early morning or after midnight.

Getting there: 145 Syed Alwi Road. The nearest MRT station to go Mustafa Centre will be Farrer Park MRT (NE8).

4. ION Orchard
Call it a monster mall if you will. ION Orchard, in all its futuristic, spaceship-like glory, spans eight retail floors (and 48 more residential floors) and cost S$2 billion to build. The mall has over 333 stores with high fashion brands and gourmet dining venues thrown into the mix.

Getting there: 2 Orchard Turn, near Orchard MRT station.

5. Sungei Road Thieves' Market
If you’re hunting for all things worn, torn and retro, the Sungei Road Thieves’ Market won’t disappoint. While not quite as swashbuckling as the name suggests (in this case the‘thieves’ hark back to the 1930s), Singapore’s oldest flea market stretches between Kelantan Road and Weld Road and offers a hot and cheerily disorienting shopping experience. For more, check out CNNGo’s $5 treasure hunting experience at the market.

Getting there: Along Jalan Besar near Sungei Road, between Kelantan Road and Weld Road. The nearest MRT will be at Little India MRT station (NE7), about 10 minutes walk.

6. Chinatown
Singapore’s Chinatown is one of the most dynamic in Asia, spilling over with souvenir shacks, Indian temples, traditional Chinese medicine shops and nighttime hawkers. If you’re planning to navigate through this complicated web, CNNGo has an interactive walking tour map to guide the dazed and confused.

Getting there: Take the northeast MRT line to Chinatown MRT station (NE4). By the way, our hostel is located right next to Chinatown MRT station, Exit A: Pagoda Street! :)

7. Little India
Messy, loud but alluringly vibrant, Singapore’s Little India draws everyone from thirsty backpackers to locals on a last minute shopping dash. With art galleries, unscrubbed restaurants and vegetable stalls all nicely crammed into 700 by 500 meters of space, Little India is a must see on any tourists’ circuit.

Getting there: Take the northeast MRT line to Little India Station (NE7) and exit at Racecourse Road. Little India is bounded by Racecourse Road, Syed Alwi Road, and Jalan Besar.

8. Ann Siang Road
The Ann Siang Road neighborhood is a boho-creative hub of designer fashion boutiques, French patisseries and niche bookstores. The area is lined with delightful old shophouse façades and makes for a delightful afternoon stroll.

Getting there: Ann Siang Road is a five to 10 minute stroll from Chinatown MRT station.

9. BooksActually
For book hunting or some quiet me time we love BooksActually, an independent bookshop on Ann Siang Road specializing in fictional literature. The quietly charming bookstore eludes the frenetic pace of Singapore and is the perfect place to lose yourself. If you’re lucky you might even stumble across rare copies of Lemony Snicket first editions.

Getting there: BooksActually is located at 5 Ann Siang Road. Ann Siang Road is a five to 10 minute stroll from Chinatown MRT station.

10. Bugis Junction
Formerly Singapore’s red light district, Bugis Junction is now nicely cleaned up to offer an ultra agreeable shopping mall experience. Part of the mall takes the form of an air-conditioned shopping street, complete with glass ceilings, and kids love getting soaked at the outdoor fountain at Bugis Square. While you are Bugis, take a stroll to Bugis Village, a flea market to get the best bargains in town!

Getting there: Bugis Junction is located right next to the Bugis MRT Station (EW12).

Note: This article is extracted from CNNGo.com.

NEW ITEM ON SALE!!!

2010-06-19T04:23:00.000+08:00

As modeled by Boo, here's something for those of you who like it just a little bit darker :)

Isn't it just too cute to resist!!! Plenty of cute designs in stock. Do get them before we run out :)

Selling @ S$2.00 a piece :)

Sands SkyPark @ Marina Bay opening on 24th June 2010

2010-06-18T15:13:00.009+08:00

Just read an article on Sands SkyPark in the newspaper today. Looks interesting. Each country tries to build something bigger, taller, unique and spectacular... nothing seems be really impossible. Stretching longer than the Eiffel tower laid down or four and a half A380 Jumbo Jets, with an impressive 12,400 square meters of space, the Sands SkyPark can host up to 3900 people. The gravity-defying cantilever is one of the largest of its kind in the world. From this privileged observation deck, hundreds of visitors at a time can feast their eyes on the unforgettable panorama view.

Having to drive past the Marina Bay Sands every now and then, kept thinking when will this piece of massive architecture be opening its doors to the public! And with a huge height phobia, I'm still apprehensive as to whether should I risk my life to make a trip there when it's open to public next week. I chickened out on free ride at Singapore Flyer, mind you. -_- This is really something that I haven't overcome yet and I doubt I can do so in this lifetime. I'll probably pee in my pants, instinctively crawl on all fours and try to find the safest spot to be at when I'm way up there!

Nevertheless, that's just me. I'm sure for those who loves to take nice pictures of Singapore, it's probably one of the best place to see the whole of Singapore, I think. hehe...

Anyway, just wanna share some interesting SkyPark fun facts that I saw in the newspaper today. :)

The length of the SkyPark is 340m. If the Eiffel Tower in Paris were laid on the ground, it would be shorter than that and the SkyPark's 1.2ha rooftop garden is large enough to park 4 1/2 A-380 jumbo jets
The 150m-long infinity pool, which overlooks the city's skyline, is the highest outdoor pool in Singapore
The pool, which has three linked 50m pools, contains about 1.4 million litres of water
The garden has 250 trees and 650 plants. The large trees have stainless steel restraints at the root balls, which are tied to precast blocks to prevent them from toppling in strong winds
The SkyPark covers 1.2ha, equivalent to 10 Olympic-size swimming pools. It was designed by architect Moshe Safdie, whose works include the acclaimed Salt Lake City Public Library in the United States and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Israel
About 200 tonnes of bolts were used in Skypark's steelwork
Over 9,000 aluminium panels make up the Sands SkyPark Hull cladding, which is the SkyPark's underbelly
About 2 million pieces of fixings such as screws, bolts and nuts, and stainless steel rivets can be found in the hull cladding system
The SkyPark can take up to 3,900 people at any one time. The building has lightning protection
Groups of up to 160 people jumped up and down on the cantilever at different locations for a recent stress test to measure vibrations and movements

You can buy your tickets from Sistic. They have admission time 2.00PM, 3.30PM and 5.00PM. I think they want to limit the number of people going there at one time in case the whole place topples down... hehe *kidding*. I think this place going to be a hit for marriage proposals, wedding photoshoots, anniversaries, celebrations, etc.. :)

For more information on Sands SkyPark - Marina Bay
Address: Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue
Tel: 6688-8868
Height: 200m
What: Sprawling rooftop garden on the 57th floor houses The Sky On 57 restaurant run by celebrity chef Justin Quek; a restaurant-bar; the Marina Bay Club for hotel guests; a 150m swimming pool; and a public observation deck
View: The SkyPark offers an unrivalled view of the city, Marina Bay area and central business district. You can see as far Johor and the Indonesian islands of Bintan and Batam.
Opens: Next Thursday, 24th June 2010. The public obeservation deck will be opened to public from 2pm. 500 first-day tickets, priced at $20 each, includes a special commemorative cap. Normal operating hours after 1st day: 10am to 10pm. Tickets cost $20 (adults), $14 (children aged between 2 and 12 years) and $17 (senior citizens 55 years and above).

Oh ya, in the article, it also list down other places where you can have excellent view of Singapore:
1) Tiger Sky Tower
Address: 41 Imbiah Road, Sentosa
Tel: 1800-736-8677
Height: 131m (the height of a 50-storey building)
What: The tower has an air-conditioned viewing cabin that revolves around a column and gradually ascends and descends
View: As far as Pulau Ubin and Jurong Island in the north, and Sisters' Island and Pulau Bukom in the south
Info: www.skytower.com.sg

2) Singapore Flyer
Address: 30 Raffles Avenue
Tel: 6333-3311
Height: 165m (height of a 42-storey building)
What: It is one of the world's largest observation wheels. Each of the 28 air-conditioned capsules can take up to 28 people on a 30-minute ride
View: Located on the south-east tip views of the city, central business district and the F1 circuit. On a clear day, you can see Batam and Bintan, Johor and other parts of Malaysia
Opens: Daily, 8.30am to 10pm. tickets from $20.65 for a person
Info: www.singaporeflyer.com

3) Equinox Complex
Address: Swissotel, The Stamford
Tel: 6837-3322
Height: 226m
What: This has 5 restaurants and bars - Equinox Restaurant, New Asia, Jaan Restaurant, City Space and Introbar - on levels 1, 70,71 and 72. There are also 4 private dining rooms.
View: The F&B venues offer a stunning view overlooking the Padang, Esplanade, Marina Bay area and Central Business District to as far as Malaysia and Indonesia
Opens: Daily
Info: www.swissotel.com/singapore-stamford

4) 1-Altitude
Address: One Raffles Place
Tel: 6536-4939 (CityGolf), 6438-0410 (1-Altitude and Stellar)
Height: 282m
What: An integrated sports and lifestyle venue on the top floors of One Raffles Place. The outlets include 1-Altitude Gallery & Bar on level 63; Stellar fine-dining restaurant level 62 and 282 and CityGolf simulated golf facility on level 61
View: Located in the heart of the Central Business District, it offers unobstructed views of the Marina Bay area, overlooking Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Flyer
Opens: CityGolf opens daily, 10am to midnight; 1-Altitude Gallery & Bar and Stellar will open next month
Info: www.citigolf.com.sg

5) Top of the M
Address: Mandarin Orchard Singapore, Orchard Wing
Tel: 6831-6288
Height: 167m, about 3m higher than Bukit Timah Hill
What: A chill-out bar on level 38 that draws tourists, hotel guests and hipsters
View: A dazzling skyline of Orchard Road and its bustling shopping belt
Opens: Fridays and Saturdays (5pm to 2am), Sundays to Thursdays (5pm to 1am)
Info: www.meritus-hotels.com

6) Roof Garden
Address: Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road
Tel: 6238-1051
Height: 63m
What: A pretty, landscaped garden on levels 11 and 12 with art installations and F&B outlets such as Victoria Peak Chinese Cuisine, Juriya Penthouse and Tung Lok Seafood
View: Orchard Road area
Opens: Daily
Info: http://www.orchardcentral.com.sg/

Enjoy folks! Hope you find this piece of info useful! :)

4 months old, time to shed old baby skin and in with the new look!

2010-06-17T21:50:00.006+08:00

We've just turned 4 months old on 14th June 2010. Still a baby in the business but it seems that we have doing this for the longest time. There's still so much to do, so much to improve... like for instance, our beary good blog. I must say, when I first created it, I just literally took the standard template provided by blogger and my objective was to just have a platform to share stories, provide updates, photos and happenings.

We were so busy trying to get ready for the opening on 14th February that the blog was something that we just did till the very last minute, which was created just a few days before the opening! I have to admit it that it was such a rush job, I did not even care how it looked cos back in my mind, I kept telling myself that after things have settled, I will change the blog outlook, make it nicer, presentable... hehe... but I guess the dust took quite a while to get settled and I finally made myself sit down and shop around for a simple and nice skin for a beary good blog.

We are still thinking of migrating the whole blog over to Wordpress but till we get that sorted out, I think I'll just settle with this new simple look and do away with the ugly orange and outdated template which was created hastily in the first place. :) I'm very sure any template that I've chosen is way better than the old one!!

For those have not seen the old one, well, trust me, you've not missed out anything at all. :)

Anyway, just some fun facts to share, I just did a count of the number of guests who stayed with us since we opened our doors and oh my, we have about more than 3000+++ guests till date!!! I regret that I'm unable to be there all the time at the hostel to meet every single one of you but for those that I did, it was a wonderful experience to at least get to know you! I'm so glad that we have a good team of hosts at a beary good hostel whom one way or another have gotten acquainted to you and are very passionate with their job and with the nice reviews that we've got, it does makes it all worth it!

So, just wanna leave this with a small thank you note. :)

Many, many thanks to you!
You brought real delight
And helped make our day
More happy and more bright!

40 Singapore food we can't live without

2010-06-16T16:04:00.000+08:00

So what Singapore food can you eat day after day after day?

Singaporeans are simply obsessed with eating. For the best food, they will queue endlessly, they will traverse the island, and they will eat at all hours. Many have been known to come back after migrating simply because they miss their favorite foods. Much of it is humble but insanely delicious street fare found in food centers and coffee shops throughout the island.

1. Chicken rice

It’s everywhere -- at hawker stalls, food courts, luxury hotels and even at the zoo, but Singaporeans just can’t get enough of it. Chicken rice is often called the “national dish” of Singapore. Steamed or boiled chicken is served atop fragrant oily rice, with sliced cucumber as the token vegetable. Variants include roasted chicken or soy sauce chicken. Don’t miss out on the dipping sauces -- premium dark soy sauce, chili with garlic, and pounded ginger. Play around with different combinations to discover new tastes.

If you are put off by perpetual queues at legendary Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (Stall 10, Maxwell Food Centre), you can dine in air-conditioned comfort instead at Boon Tong Kee.

2. Char kway teow

There is no stopping Singaporeans from indulging in this high-fat hawker favorite. Flat rice noodles stir-fried with lard (for best flavor), dark and light soy sauce, chilli, de-shelled cockles, sliced Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, Chinese chives and sometimes prawns and egg. Essential to the dish is good “wok hei” or breath of wok, the qualities and tastes imparted by cooking on a wok using high heat. Many now choose to omit the cockles but char kway teow will always be incomplete without the sinfully rich fried pork lard pieces.

One of the island’s best char kway teow is at a humble hawker center in the east. Hill Street Fried Kway Teow at Block 16, Bedok South Road, #01-187. tel +65 9042 131.

3. Wonton or Wantan mee

The name “wonton” literally means "swallowing of cloud" in Cantonese. Indeed, the dumplings with their flowy translucent skins resemble wispy clouds when suspended in soup. Most Singaporeans prefer the dry version of the noodles. Wonton noodles look simple but the perfect one is elusive. The thin egg noodles need to be of the right texture, the sauce has to be well-balanced, and the pork or shrimp dumplings ought to be juicy and meaty. At many places, you’ll find the sliced char siew (Chinese BBQ pork) is often papery dry and red with artificial dye but that hardly deters fans of the dish who seem to prize the noodles and dumplings.

Try the cult favourite Hong Mao Wonton Mee but note they open early and close early (7am to 4pm, closed Mondays) and there is at least a half-hour wait. 128 Tembeling Road.

4. Carrot cake (chai tow kuay)

No, not the sweet Western cake loaded with orange carrots. This "carrot" is more of a white radish (daikon). Rice flour and grated radish is mixed and steamed into large slabs or cakes. These are cut up into little pieces and fried with preserved turnip, soy sauce, fish sauce, eggs, garlic and spring onions. It’s amazingly good. You can have it “white” or “black” (with sweet dark soy sauce added). Also known as fried carrot cake or chye tow kueh, this grease-laden belly warmer is available at many hawker centers.

Look for old stalwart Heng Carrot Cake at Stall 28, Newton Food Centre, Newton Circus Road.

5. Chili crab

Another national signature, chili crab is one of the most requested dishes for anyone who comes to Singapore. There are more than a dozen ways to do crab (black pepper, salted egg yolk, cheese-baked, etc) but chili crab remains the bestseller. It’s certainly not something to be consumed daintily. The spicy chili-tomato gravy tends to splatter, but crab enthusiasts love it so much, they’ll mop everything up with mini mantou buns.

Roland Restaurant claims to be the creator of the dish. They are at Block 89 Marine Parade Central #06-750, tel +65 6440 8205.

6. Bak kut teh

Bak kut teh, meaning "pork rib tea" is most likely of Hokkien or Fujian origin. Meaty pork ribs are lovingly boiled for hours with lots of garlic, pepper, medicinal herbs and spices. Early 20th century port coolies often relied on this as a tonic to strengthen bodies and health. These days, bak kut teh is simply enjoyed for its taste. There are two styles -- the clear, peppery Teochew broth and the darker, more herbal Hokkien stew. You tiao (fried crullers) are the perfect croutons for soaking up the soup, and a hot pot of Chinese tea (ideally Tieguanyin) helps dissolve or wash down the fats ever present in the meaty ribs.

For the Teochew variety, try Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Eating House at 208 Rangoon Road, tel +65 6291 4537. For the Hokkien version, try Sin Heng Claypot Bak Kut Teh at 439 Joo Chiat Road, tel +65 6345 8754.

7. Sambal stingray

Singaporeans love their seafood and they love their spices. Sambal is a versatile chili paste blended with spices, shallots, candlenuts and often belachan (fermented shrimp paste). Sambal-coated cuts of stingray are wrapped in cleaned banana leaves and grilled to smoky perfection. The sweet, tender flesh is a perfect canvas for all the complex spices and BBQ flavor.

Check out award-winning Leng Heng Seafood BBQ and enjoy your BBQ by the sea. Stall No. 6, East Coast Lagoon Food Centre, East Coast Lagoon Road.

8. Fried Hokkien mee

Yet another dish favored by hardworking laborers of the past. Thick yellow egg noodles mixed with rice vermicelli are cooked in a rich seafood stock, and tossed with prawns, squid, small strips of pork belly and deep-fried lard pieces. A small kalamansi lime is always given should you prefer some tangy juice to cut through the greasiness of the dish.

Tian Tian Lai (Come Daily) is practically an institution, and deserves its hype. Come to Block 127 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 #02-27, tel +65 6251 8542.

9. Rojak

Rojak is actually a Malay word used to describe something made from a random mix of unrelated things. But any derogatory undertones are erased when one refers to the fruit salad that bears the same name. Rojak does have an odd mixture of ingredients. Bite-size pieces of fruits, vegetables, dried tofu, fried you tiao (dough fritters) and cured cuttlefish are tossed in a prawn paste sauce topped with crushed peanuts. Grated bunga kantan (pink ginger buds) add a sensuous fragrance. The result is a wild mix of sweet, spicy, sour and savory flavors.

HK-Hollywood superstar Chow Yun Fat is a fan of Balestier Road Hoover Rojak. The rojak here has jellyfish instead of cured cuttlefish. Block 90 Whampoa Drive, #01-06 Whampoa Drive Food Centre.

10. Bak kwa

This chewy snack is like salty-sweet BBQ jerky. Bak kwa (dried meat) is made from pork although now halal versions made from chicken exist. These squarish BBQ meat sheets are popular as gifts for friends and relatives at Chinese New Year. Throngs will form at shops despite elevated prices. Bak kwa can be eaten on its own, with bread or with homecooked food.

The king of bak kwa is undisputedly Lim Chee Guan at 203 New Bridge Road, tel +65 6227 8302. Or try Bee Cheng Hiang’s spicy pork at its 28 outlets islandwide.

11. Economy rice

Possibly one of the best value meals you can get at hawker centers and food courts. Choose from a wide array of meats, vegetables and side dishes to accompany white steamed rice. Popular choices include sweet and sour pork, curry chicken, steamed egg custard, braised tofu and stir-fried mixed vegetables. It’s predominantly Chinese food, and very much like what many Singaporeans would make at home.

The heartlands have it. Try Economic Mixed Vegetables Rice at Block 341 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, #01-13 Teck Ghee Market & Food Centre.

12. Kway chap

Delicacy for some, Fear Factor food for others. The Chinese have always made full use of the animal they eat. Here, pork offal (stomach and intestines in particular) are braised until tender in soy sauce and herbs along with meat, tofu, boiled eggs and fish cake. If you are lucky, pig’s tongue and ears may be available too. Best eaten with kway (rice flour sheets) in broth but some opt for steamed rice or yam rice. Tangy chili dipping sauce is a must.

Try Guan Kee at Block 211 #01-01, Toa Payoh Lorong 8. Tel: 9739 6960

13. Oyster omelette

Known as “or luak” or “hao jian” locally, this Southern Chinese dish is another grease-laden supper favorite. Potato starch is mixed into the egg batter to give it a thicker and semi-gooey consistency. Oysters are added just a few seconds before serving, so that they are not overcooked. Hawkers have now started using plump Korean oysters, instead of smaller oysters. As a healthier option, they are also replacing lard with vegetable oil.

Ah Chuan Fried Oyster Omelette whips up a mean omelette with crisp edges and serves it with a sourish chili sauce. Block 22 #01-25, Toa Payoh Lorong 7.

14. Katong laksa

This is a Peranakan (Straits-born Chinese) influenced dish consisting of thick rice vermicelli in a rich, spicy coconut gravy. The soup is thick, opaque and slightly gritty from the abundance of ground dried shrimp, which gives it the umami kick. The Katong version has noodles cut into smaller lengths, so it can be easily scooped up with a spoon alone, along with a good amount of soup. No chopsticks or forks are given. Stir in the dollop of sambal and fragrant laksa leaves or daun kesum and inhale.

There have been Katong laksa wars in Singapore for over a decade now, with stalls fiercely professing to be the original. No matter your pick, they all taste equally good. Try 328 Katong Laksa at 51 East Coast Road, tel +65 9732 8163.

15. Fish head or fish soup bee hoon

The freshwater toman (snakehead fish) is boiled in milky fish stock along with a handful of healthy greens. Fish head aficionados will devour the bony meat, lips, cheeks and eyeballs. If you’re squeamish about fish head or prefer boneless convenience, go for the boiled fish slices or fried fish chunks, which are just as popular.

Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon struck gold by adding a dash of XO brandy to the fish stock. Block 46 Holland Drive #01-359 Holland Drive Food Centre, tel +65 6778 3691.

16. Yong tau foo

One of the healthier options in the hawker food arena because it features fresh vegetables and tofu. Yong tau foo (stuffed beancurd) will see items stuffed with fish paste or minced meat paste (Hakka-style). Pick the items you like (including choice of noodles) and have it served either dry-style with generous lashings of sweet sauce and chili, or soup-style with clear soybean and anchovies broth (some stalls offer a curry gravy option).

Special Yong Tau Fu has an impressive variety of homemade items, served in a good broth. 482 North Bridge Road, #01-87 North Bridge Road Food Centre.

17. Bak chor mee

Bak chor mee (minced pork noodles) gained some notoriety a few years ago when it starred in a satirical podcast. A good rendition of this popular Teochew dish will have fluffy minced pork, succulent stewed mushrooms, crispy tee por (small deep-fried pieces of flatfish or sole), springy noodles in a dark vinegary sauce. Let the hawker know if you wish to omit the sliced liver pieces.

The owner of Seng Kee Minced Pork Noodles boasts more than 25 years of experience and is known for occasional wok theatrics. Try his famous fish maw soup as well. 316 Changi Road, tel +65 6345 7561.

18. Peranakan kueh

These desserts are a carnival of color, much like the culture of the creators. Under the Peranakans’ deft touch, simple local ingredients like tapioca, banana, glutinous rice, coconut milk and gula melaka (palm sugar) are transformed into a huge assortment of delectable kuehs.

Bengawan Solo carries a good variety at many locations throughout Singapore. Or try Glory Catering right in the Peranakan enclave of Katong at 139 East Coast Road, tel +65 5344 1749.

19. Bak chang

The legend is somewhat morbid -- Chinese peasants throwing rice dumplings into the river to distract fish from eating the body of beloved poet and patriot Qu Yuan who drowned himself as a protest against corruption. Today, more than 2,000 years later, these dumplings commemorate his life during the Duan Wu Festival. The rest of the year, they are a great snack in a pack. The Hokkiens who love salty food fill the glutinous rice dumplings with braised pork belly, mushrooms and chestnuts. The Peranakans lean towards the sweeter side with minced spiced pork and chopped sugared melon strips.

Get your dumplings early at Hoo Kee Rice Dumplings. They sell out really fast, even before lunchtime. Best to call and reserve in advance. 7 Maxwell Road #01-18 Amoy Street Food Centre, tel +65 6221 1155.

20. Kaya toast

Kaya is a coconut custard jam, sweet and fragrant. When slathered onto thin slices of warm toast with ample butter, the sandwich it makes is simply divine. Down it with a cup of thick black coffee. Many locals have this for breakfast supplemented by two soft-boiled eggs with soy sauce and pepper.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast still makes the best since 1944 with locations all over the island. www.yakun.com

21. BBQ chicken wings

In many a hawker center, you will see rows of chicken wings glistening and turning on a roasting spit. Singaporeans love ordering these wings as a side dish, frequently as a large plate to share among family and friends. Best eaten hot and with a garlic chili dip. A spritz from calamansi limes add sweet tang to the wings. This finger food is great with beer or sugarcane juice.

Kris BBQ serves wings that are evenly marinated and grilled. Block 85 Bedok North Avenue 3 #01-02.

22. Chin chow grass jelly

The kids love the slippery jelly, and the adults appreciate its yin or cooling properties. Dubbed chin chow (immortal grass), grass jelly purportedly helps prevent indigestion and lower blood pressure. The herb Mesona Chinensis is boiled and cooled to make deep black slabs of firm yet chewy jelly. It can be made into a drink or served in a bowl as dessert. Modern toppings like palm seeds, longan and honey sea coconut make this traditional dessert more appealing to youngsters.

The grass jelly is still homemade in a wooden bucket at Zhao An Granny Grass Jelly. Quench your thirst at 505 Beach Road, #01-58 Golden Mile Food Centre.

23. Teh tarik

Teh tarik or pulled tea is tea with showmanship. Indian tea-makers pour a stream of hot milk tea back and forth between two vessels held as far apart as possible. It looks a lot easier than it is. The result is a frothy drink that’s well-mixed. You can request for teh halia (milk tea with ginger) as well.

The Sarabat Stall is a hole in the wall but customers flock here at all hours. Soak in the atmosphere of the Arab and Muslim quarters while you enjoy the tea with snacks. A drink here costs less than US$1. 21 Baghdad Street.

24. Satay

This is Southeast Asia’s rendition of the kebab with a few unique twists. There’s the peanut dip, sweet and spicy. The marinade of local spices that totally transforms the meat. The thin wooden skewers made of bamboo or stem of coconut leaves. And the refreshing sides of chopped raw cucumber and onions, along with ketupat (rice cakes steamed in woven coconut leaves). It’s a joy to watch your satay being grilled over an open charcoal fire. The aroma heightens the anticipation and the enjoyment.

Haron’s Satay has chicken, beef, mutton and even babat (tripe) satay. Stall No. 55, East Coast Lagoon Food Centre, East Coast Lagoon Road.

25. Ayam penyet

What? Flattened chicken? Yes, that’s what ayam penyet is. Large pieces of chicken are smashed with a mallet to allow the marinade of many spices to permeate thoroughly. The chicken is then deep-fried to a crisp golden brown. It’s originally Indonesian but has taken Singapore by storm in the past few years. Ayam penyet is usually served with lots of crispy batter, fried bean curd, tempeh (soybean cake) and vegetables. The real star is the delicious sambal belachan relish that’s an explosion of complex flavors.

If you are brave, go for the spicy hot version at Waroeng Penyet. The restaurant is at Block 81 Marine Parade Central #01-638 is best but there are food court franchise outlets elsewhere.

26. Ngoh hiang

Once the snack of choice at street wayang (theatre) performances, this medley of fritters is now popular as a teatime nibble. It’s a strange combination of deep-fried bean curd, prawn fritters, pink pork sausages, liver rolls, fish cakes, century eggs and cucumber slices. Ngoh hiang (five spices) itself refers to the Hokkien minced-pork roll that is made with lots of five spice powder but can also be used as the generic name for the fritters.

Hup Kee Wu Siang Guan Chang or China Street Ngoh Hiang is one of the few stalls that still makes the items by hand. Stall 97 Maxwell Food Centre, Maxwell Road.

27. Nasi lemak

Singaporeans are in love with lemak (richness bestowed by coconut cream). The Malay breakfast dish of nasi lemak (rich rice) has rice cooked in coconut milk served with a spicy sambal, fried anchovies, fried peanuts, and perhaps an egg and cucumber slices. It’s simple but satisfying. The Chinese have adopted the dish and thrown in a multitude of other side dishes like sausages, fried chicken wings, luncheon meat, fish cake, and various cooked vegetables.

Selera Rasa Adam Road No.1 has the Brunei royalty getting takeaways at Stall 2, Adam Road Food Centre, 2 Adam Road.

28. Mee Siam

Despite its name, Mee Siam (Siamese noodles) did not come from Thailand. It’s a Malay breakfast dish. Pre-fried thin rice vermicelli is served in a spicy light gravy made from taucheo (fermented bean paste), dried shrimp, sugar and seafood stock. Tamarind gives the dish its signature tartness. Toppings include cubed fried bean curd, chopped chives and sliced boiled egg. But note, there are no cockles in Mee Siam.

Zaiton Selera Rasa serves Mee Siam right in the heart of the Central Business District. 11 Collyer Quay, #01-04 The Arcade, tel +65 6226 3713.

29. Indian mee goreng

This Indian-Muslim classic of spicy fried noodles is a hybrid invented in this region in the 1950s. Indian immigrants borrowed the use of the wok from the Chinese and started frying yellow egg noodles with their own favoured ingredients -- tomatoes, egg, green chilies, mutton mince, cabbage and diced potatoes. It takes skill to wok-fry the noodles to a moist but not mushy ensemble. Oddly, in Singapore, mee goreng tends to sport a bold, almost garish red appearance not found elsewhere.

You’ll find many stalls offering good Indian-Muslim fare at the Ayer Rajah Food Centre, Block 503 West Coast Drive.

30. Popiah

Sometimes lauded as the Asian burrito, this healthy snack is like a Chinese spring roll that’s not deep-fried. The name popiah refers to the soft, paper-thin skin made from wheat or rice flour. It’s smeared with a sweet sauce, chili sauce, minced garlic and is used to wrap ingredients like braised turnip or bangkuang (jicama), carrots, bean sprouts, Chinese sausage, shredded omelette, crushed peanuts and even shrimp or crab meat. Many Singaporeans love to hold popiah parties at home, as rolling your own popiah (easier than it looks) can prove to be the best entertainment at times.

Kway Guan Huat makes one of the best popiah on the island, and offers DIY party sets. They still make the skins by hand in a little pre-war shophouse at 95 Joo Chiat Road, tel +65 6344 2875. www.joochiatpopiah.com

31. Roti prata

You will find roti prata (flat bread) in practically every neighborhood in Singapore. Watch as the Indians knead and flatten an oiled ball of dough, and flip it with practised flair until the dough is a tissue-thin sheet. This is then folded into multi-layered pancakes and griddle-fried til crisp. It’s usually served with curry or a sprinkle of sugar. Nowadays, prata makers get creative with all kinds of fillings and combinations -- cheese, mushroom, durian, ice cream, honey, banana, cashew nuts, and even sardines.

Sin Ming Roti Prata serves it crispy, fluffy and gently chewy. Their fish curry is the perfect dip. Block 24 Sin Ming Drive #01-51, tel +65 6453 3893.

32. Murtabak

These are huge and for the very hungry. The dough is similar to that used in roti prata, but it is super-sized and stuffed with minced mutton and onions. Like roti prata, murtabak is often fried in a pool of ghee or oil. Chicken and sardine versions have surfaced for those who find mutton too gamey.

Singapore Zam Zam Restaurant is the undisputed king of murtabak. Go for a hearty supper at 697-699 North Bridge Road, tel +65 6298 7011.

33. Otak/Otah

It isn’t clear how the name otah or otak (brain) came about for this snack, but perhaps it is brain food after all, since it’s predominantly made of fish. Fish that’s mashed and mixed with coconut milk, chili paste and spices, wrapped in banana leaves and grilled over charcoal. Otak is a frequent accompaniment to dishes like laksa and nasi lemak, although it’s also eaten as a snack on its own.

Otah Inc. is modernising the otah. They have come up with otah taquitoes, otah toast and flavoured otah pastes. B1-K11, basement of Bugis Junction Shopping Centre, 200 Victoria Street, tel +65 6884 4650.

34. Fish head curry

Waiter, there’s a decapitated head in my soup! Well, that’s the highlight. A whole large head of red snapper stewing in curry gravy. Surprisingly, there’s a lot of meat to be had on the bony head, but the best (and most tender) part is the cheeks. This dish is purely a Singapore creation. About 30 years ago, an Indian restaurateur here decided to use fish head (not an Indian delicacy) in his curry to please Chinese customers. It became a runaway hit, spreading even across the Causeway to Malaysia.

If you’d like the whole experience of eating fish head curry with steamed rice on banana leaves, try Banana Leaf Apolo at 54 Race Course Road, tel +65 6297 1595.

35. Nasi Padang

The cuisine of Padang from Sumatra, Indonesia, features many spicy dishes to go with rice. A bedazzling smorgasbord of more than 30 dishes is available at some places. Nasi Padang also suits communal dining as a group can share dishes and enjoy a bigger variety at the same time.

Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang is packed with the office crowd on weekdays, so go early. Their BBQ chicken in coconut curry, beef rendang, tauhu telur (deep-fried mound of tofu and egg) and quail eggs in sambal are divine. 13 Circular Road, behind Boat Quay, tel +65 6536 5302.

36. Dum briyani or Nasi Briyani

Briyani or biryani originated from Persia and eventually found its way into the hearts of spice-loving Singaporeans. The fluffy basmati rice grains, dappled gold and orange from saffron and spices, go so well with meat and gravy. Dum cooking is the method where pre-fried boiled rice is layered with par-cooked meat, and then pressure-baked in a sealed vessel. This way the meat infuses the rice with its flavours.

Ali Nachia Briyani Dam serves succulent and flavorful mutton with his briyani at The Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, 30 Keppel Road. tel +65 9389 2615.

37. Curry puff

The curry puff is possibly the country’s favorite tea-time snack. Deep-fried like samosas, these are generally filled with curried potatoes, chicken and a slice of egg. The popularity of the curry puff has spawned puffs with other fillings like sardines, black pepper chicken, tuna and sweet yam.

Tip Top Curry Puff (Block 722 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 #01-2843, Hiap Hwa Coffee Shop) sells the thick crust variety, whereas 1A Crispy Puff ( with eight locations islandwide) features the flaky, multi-layered spiral puffs. www.1acrispypuffs.com

38. Goreng pisang

The Malay snack of goreng pisang (banana fritters) have found fans from all races in Singapore. The deep-frying helps caramelize the natural sugars in the bananas, making them even sweeter than before. Some Chinese versions have unusually delicate and puffy batter.

Lim Kee (Orchard) Banana Fritters offers banana and other fritters with crispy batter that stays firm for hours. Stall 61 at Maxwell Road Food Centre, Maxwell Road.

39. Ice kachang

Shaved ice desserts are always a popular treat in the hot tropics. Ice kachang (ice with beans) evolved from the humble ice ball drenched with syrup to be the little ice mountain served in a bowl, drizzled with creamed corn, condensed milk, gula melaka and brightly coloured syrups. Dig into it and you’ll discover other goodies hidden within -- red beans, palm seeds and cubed jellies.

Many will brave sweltering weather for the snow-like ice at Annie Peanut Ice Kachang. Best of all, she sprinkles roasted crushed peanuts generously on top. Block 6 Tanjong Pagar Road, #02-36 Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market and Food Centre (branch at #01-07 Far East Square).

40. Cendol

This dessert is named for the soft, greenish noodle bits it comes with. The very best cendol is still the simplest -- just coconut milk, shaved ice, gula melaka, light green cendol and a dash of salt. These days, other toppings like kidney beans, grass jelly cubes, creamed corn and even durian paste and vanilla ice cream have found their way into this dessert.

Cendol Geylang Serai serves old school cendol in convenient takeaway cups. Find them at 1 Geylang Serai, #02-107 Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre, tel: +65 9485 5845

Note: This article is extracted from CNNGo.com. A very useful site with recommendations on the what to see, eat and do in Singapore! Go check it out! :)

Dragon Boat Festival (16 June 2010) + Rice Dumpling Festival

2010-06-15T13:16:00.000+08:00

Head on down to the Bedok Reservoir, a quick 20-minute taxi ride east from the city, and watch the annual Singapore Dragon Boat Racing Festival. While here, you’ll catch dragon-boating crews from all corners of the world compete for honours in this prestigious competition. Dragon boat teams consist of 22 able-bodied members who furiously pit their rowing skills against one another in search for the ultimate glory.

It‘s a sport that has its roots in ancient China, and like numerous ancient Asian sports, dragon boat racing also has a rich and mystifying heritage. Its origins begin with the death of the great poet Qu Yuan, who lived in the Chinese kingdom of Chu. An incorruptible Minister of State, Qu Yuan apparently became so upset with the acts of corruption within his government that he threw himself into the Mei Lo River in despair.

The rowing action of the dragon-boaters thus symbolise the desperate attempts of the village fishermen at beating their oars on the water to drive away man-eating fish as they tried to rescue. While the fishermen were not able to save Qu Yuan, the tradition of throwing cooked rice dumplings (also known as ”ba chang”) wrapped in silk or banana leaves to appease the spirits of the river continues in today’s festival activities.

Today, dragon boat racing is a more cheerful spectacle. Show your support and cheer as the beautifully decorated boats splash and race across the surface of the water, and witness a whole range of ancient rites that are still performed here, including the showering of the dragon head of the boat before each race.

Dragon Boat Racing is a must for all sports fans, as it is a competitive, vigorous sport with lots of action, thrills and spills; and is just as ideal for great day full of wholesome family fun and entertainment. What’s more, dragon boat racing, with its fearsome drumbeats, mesmerising chants and intense camaraderie is also a joy to watch and savour.

The Kallang River just outside the Central Business District is another venue where you can take in dragon boat racing. Here, various dragon boat racing clubs have practices and competitive sessions during the weekends, and it’s a perfect place if you want to give the sport a go and get some hands-on practice.

Information taken from Singapore Tourism Board website. For more information, visit http://www.yoursingapore.com

Boo-boos of the 1-week-old host

2010-06-12T23:25:00.000+08:00

If you are checking out on a Wed, Thur, Fri, or Sat, chances are, you will see me, the newest host at a beary good hostel.

And if you do see me, please, do me a favour.

Before you even say "I would like to check out", or even "Hello", please give me your key card and make sure I take it & keep it.

It was a relatively peaceful day at a beary good hostel today. Until I was preparing for two groups' arrival and lo and behold, I was missing two key cards.

It could mean a few things:
1) I'd collected them back from the guests & lost them (somehow).
2) I didn't collect them from the guests.
3) Someone had stolen the key cards (gasp!)

Before I could embark on my 'hunt-for-key-cards' mission, the two groups of people suddenly appeared in front of me, one after another.

So it was Melissa using half her brain trying to check in a group of 3 & another group of 8 whilst trying to think about her missing key cards.

So, if you are reading this and you belong to the group of three from UK, and the group of eight from Hong Kong, now you know why I'd looked so distracted and unsmiling. It's not that I don't like you. Yeah.

Back to the hunt.

Someone must be looking out for me, because the two guests were still in Singapore! One of them was coming back for his luggage, and the other was putting up at another hostel. So it became a matter of sitting & waiting and hoping for the best.

And what do you know?

The key cards were still with them & they remembered that they'd forgotten to give the cards back to me.

The sweetest thing I'd heard all week. Phew.

So. Do me a favour. If it's Melissa checking you out, please give me your key card first.

(Whether or not you get back your security deposit is another story. Heh)

Till the next story!

A NOT so beary good technical glitch! Sorry!

2010-06-03T21:02:00.000+08:00

Its funny how much we rely on technology nowadays that we are almost crippled when something happened to our system or we experience any technical difficulties with the email that acts as a 'communication link' between us and our fellow travellers who makes enquiries from all over the world. Well, today is THE day.

We did not receive a single website booking enquiries since midnight of 3rd June 2010 till 8pm today. So, we thought, wow... it feels weird, no enquiries at all from the website? Really? We got bookings from hostelworld, hostelbookers but none coming from the website. Then we realised something must be really wrong.

And true enough, our server was down. =(

Anyway, would like to apologise to those who submitted their reservation details and did not get a reply from us. That's because it did not reach us at all. So, would really appreciate it if you could re-submit the reservation details again @ http://www.abearygoodhostel.com/book.asp. It's working now.. I've tested it.

My sincere apologies, folks!!

So so sorry for the trouble and hope to hear from you guys soon!

Muacks!
Lisa K

31 May & 1 Jun - Special 2 Days Midweek Sales and you ask why we do this?

2010-05-27T23:59:00.000+08:00

Because we think you deserve it...
Because Great Singapore Sale is coming...
Because we have been fully booked for almost half of the month..
Because really, we are beary nice people...
Damn it, because we just feel like it... *grin*

31 May & 1 Jun - Special 2 Days Midweek Sales - Beds are going as low as SGD 10.
(Only for bookings made via Hostelworld / Hostelbookers! - Hurry, limited beds available)

Don't say we don't give discounts ok!!!

Adieu Bunny BonBons Galore!!! Welcome Melissa =D

2010-05-27T07:09:00.000+08:00

These dinners are suppose to be a quarterly thing but alas, due to an unexpected turn of events, we found ourselves gathered for one barely 2 moths after I went to the first one. Look Ma, I made it to 2 dinners, WOOHOO!!! :P

The location: Ma Maison, @ The Central Mall

Time: half 7, even though SOME of us were late, points fingers at the Bunny :p

As the old adage goes, Good Food, Good People & Good Conversation!

Escargot with garlic butter...oui magnifique!

Beef straganov with rice case in egg...OISHI!!!

Specialty of the House: Hamburger Steak...NICE =D

Of course, not forgetting desserts. From the top, we have cheesecake, brownie ala mode & caramel pudding!

Here's a photo of the whole crew with new member, Melissa. Welcome to the party mate : ) Btw, I'm not usually so chirpy, I'm grouchy most days : )

The Bunny got away with a stash of goodies...Have you ever seen a bunny that loves Doraemon? Well here you go...hahaha!

Adieu me tweet, off to the land down under you go, don't do anything I wouldn't =D

Best Value Award

2010-05-20T12:44:00.000+08:00

Early this month, we received an email from Hostelbookers, saying we won an award in March 2010. We thought it was a hoax or something.. ha ha... but after clarifying further, we found out that it was indeed a legit award. Although surprised with this pleasant recognition, gladly we receive it. We are only opened on 14th Feb 2010, so, to be able to get an award, was quite a bonus. :)

So what's the award we got?

*drum roll*

"BEST VALUE AWARD"
(we posted it up on our website, so, check out the cute little banner, courtesy from hostelbookers! http://www.abearygoodhostel.com)

ha ha... I really think it is quite a valid award, not to mention the excellent location our hostel is and the endless list of facilities and continual upgrades to serve our guests are always happening, our bed rates offered are indeed value for money!!

So, what are the list of facilities we provide in a beary good hostel?
- Security (key card access + security cameras)
- Free Wi-Fi
- Free use of net books at our lounge
- Free basic breakfast provided
- Free all day hot water /tea / coffee
- A chill out and comfortable guest lounge with DVDs, PS3 and Wii console
- 24 hours reception & NO curfew
- Shared bathrooms with hot and cold water
- Basic pantry facilities (microwave, toaster oven, fridge)
- Storage room
- Spring mattress
- Air conditioned rooms and lounge
- Big lockers
- Fresh linen and pillow
- Two types of blankets offerings (Quilts or Throws)
- Free use of Bath gel
- Free use of Iron + Ironing Board
- Self-service Laundry
- Concierge Service: Information counter, maps, etc!

Additional services available:
- Various snacks/drinks and convenience items sale (cheap cheap!!)
- Nice fluffy towel - SGD 1
- After hours left luggage - SGD 4
- Skype headphone and microphone - SGD1
- Padlocks - SGD 4
- Basic toiletries

Actually, I could go on and on with the list but I think you get the idea, ya! So, yes, we will offer you the best value to all our fellow travellers and hopefully make your stay in our sunny island a comfortable and unforgettable one!!!

Adios!

Crazy 6th JULY ONE Night ONLY Sale!

2010-05-20T05:48:00.001+08:00

To reward our good old fellow travellers, we decided to do another crazy promotion but only if you book early! For one night only, 6th July, ALL beds will be priced at SGD12/night! So, what are you waiting for, BOOK NOW! :)

Singapore F1 Season - Beds are now available!

2010-05-20T05:46:00.000+08:00

Early bird gets the bed! F1 Season Beds are available Now! Grab it while you can!

The Singapore Formula 1 night street race returns again and will be held from 24 to 26 September this year. Be part of this exciting non-stop action event of the year! Expect a week-long of street parties, concerts, firework display and much more!

Beds are going for SGD29 nett /night only from September 21st - 26th and they are selling out pretty fast. So hurry, BOOK NOW!

*Did we not mention that we are only a quick 15-20 min walk to the nearest Circuit gate? =D

Upgrades! Upgrades! Upgrades!

2010-05-12T23:06:00.000+08:00

Been a while since I wrote something... well, busy busy busy... Thanks to all the good ratings and reviews, a beary good hostel is almost fully booked every single day, so it has been fantastic! Thanks so much for all your support. Love you all! :)

Well, we have just turned 3 months old since opening our doors to the world on 14th February!! We continuously try to upgrade ourselves and gather feedback from our valued guests and one of those commonly received comments that we have been getting is that our aircon is too cold! Well, some guests like it really cold cos of the hot and humid weather in Singapore and some like it warm and cosy.. so, trying to please everybody as usual, we decided to upgrade the blankets!!! And as we are a backpacker's hostel, budget has always been an issue, and we are no 5 star hotel (maybe we could try opening one, 10 years later perhaps!! A Beary Good Hotel!! ha ha!) but we try our best to provide top quality services and products and continue to maintain affordable price for our dear budget travellers! These quilts are not cheap, mind you!!

So, here it is!! Our latest addition... nice, warm fluffy quilts!! (we still provide fleece blankets on top of this for guests who needs double warmth, so just request for it from our beary friendly host). Hope this will keep our guests super cosy and enjoy a good night sleep.

Lisa K
www.abearygoodhostel.com

Too TOO WARM : {

2010-05-12T03:42:00.000+08:00

Wearing a tank top and sitting under a ceiling fan does not make for a cool Pa : {

It's half 3 on a Wed morning and I am trying to get work done. This heat is not helping at all!!! Ah well, shouldering on.

JackAss is on and I wonder why it even got made into a movie. Not just 1 but 3 of 'em. Guess watching the lads making a fool of themselves is funny : )

I wonder if anyone actually reads our blog. Drop us a line eh. We welcome feedback. Tell us what you'd like to see on our blog. Till then, back to work : )

One Month...

2010-04-27T20:37:00.000+08:00

Woohoo, it's been a full month since I've started work here and it has been grrrreat!!! Took me that long just to blog something, hahaha :)

See Lisa I finally wrote something :)

I LOVE this job! I've met sooo many wonderful and nice people. I'm missing some of you :( Maybe you'll come back some day eh :)

I will try to organize more movie nights like the ones before me have done...might get those coming to dress to a theme even :)

Uhhh, am seriously beary BEARY hungry today...food donations are appreciated :) :) :)

Hello Everybody...

2010-04-15T04:24:00.000+08:00

I wanted to make my first blog sound witty and well put together but my creative juices aren't really flowing at the moment so it'll have to keep for another day. So I'll just post some pics. I'm sure everybody loves looking at pics :)

Two lovely ladies, Lea(to the left) & Sakshi(to the right) having a kodak moment with our gorgeous Diane.

A last pic together before Lea leaves for home. Adieu my friend. Will meet again soon :)

A Beary Wonderful Treat

2010-04-15T03:50:00.000+08:00

Ahhh...food GLORIOUS food...mmmm : )

We have been a very well-fed bunch since Sakshi's been here. The baked goods she brings us...uh yum!

Do I even have to elaborate after this : )

Yer a gem Sakshi!!! Thank you beary much : )

This is how you watch a Horror Flick, a beary good style

2010-04-09T00:37:00.001+08:00

There are so many ways one could do to avoid watching the scary part of a horror movie. Today, Puspa decided to forgo her sleep after her night shift stint and wanna relax herself after a massage and watch a couple of movies at the hostel. Anyway, we were so amused by the way she was watching the horror movie, SHUTTER (a thai scary movie), besides hurling occasional vulgarities when the so called "ghost" suddenly appear on the screen and coupled with some high pitch screams (and trust me that woman can really screeccchhh!!)... what's so amazing was how tortured she looked and how painful the whole process was for her in watching the movie, I'm just thinking why the hell did she have to put herself through it in the first place! Anyway, I don't need to explain, the photos we captured secretly shows how our dear beary good Puspa reacts to the horror movie.

Oh ya, take note on how cool Rosemarie (one of our guest) looked throughout the whole show... ha ha... and Puspa, well.. ermm... you'll see what I mean.

The covering eyes using both hands position (Rosemarie with -_- look)

The "peek-a-boo" plus hugging safety pillow position (Rosemarie with -_- look)

The full coverage pillow position (This is to ensure that the ghost doesn't suddenly jump out to scratch Puspa's face and Rosemarie again with -_- look)

The full coverage using pillow plus both hands position (Rosemarie is still showing -_- look)

The "in denial" position - surf and cover eyes using one hand (Rosemarie decided to ditch Puspa)

And all the time, Puspa wasn't aware that we took her photos using our security cam... not until we made it famous by uploading it to Facebook! Both Nas and me had a real good laugh! Thanks Puspa for making our day!

Signing off from abearygoodhostel!

Lisa K

We are famous!! or maybe not so... yet... ha ha

2010-03-29T00:09:00.000+08:00

It's been a long while since I wrote something here.. argh.. been real busy... ha ha... anyway, have something interesting to share here!! Well, I received an sms this morning from an old pal and this is what it says "Hey saw a beary good hostel featured in today's papers. Congrats! :)"

Well, I must admit it, I was really shocked and don't deny that got a little excited cos I thought when you are featured in the media or papers or something, well, at least somebody would have informed you right? unless it's bad press or something... So immediately we quickly bought a copy of the local newspaper downstairs, The Sunday Times and flipped through the pages hastily and found this:

How cool is that? I guess our name was randomly selected to support this article...:) Nevertheless, was pretty happy about it. Free advert, why not?? ha ha...:)

Also, finally abearygoodhostel's namecard is READY!!! Yes, it took us this long to have it printed but we just wanna make sure it turned out right!! :) Would like to take this opportunity to thank Mei Kit dear who painstakingly drew and design the map for us and made the card look sooooo awesome!!! Thanks so much my dear!! MUACKS!

So, anybody wants a piece of this? Get it from our friendly host at the reception counter!

Hugs,

Lisa K

www.abearygoodhostel.com

Tom Cruise(ed) away.

2010-03-17T05:30:00.000+08:00

Its pretty early in the morning, or extremely late into the night depending on how you look at it.

Sitting here at the reception table, the spinning fan and radio logged in to power98 fm are the only sounds i hear.

If i were to tilt my head over to the right and peek at the comfy orange IKEA couch, i can almost imagine tommy sitting there with his hoobo berms and shirt with the laptop in his lap going,

"watchaa starin at bro? " he would say with a raised eyebrow and snigger.

haha. shit i miss that character man. stupid trigger- happy american.

but thats the sad part about being a hostel host. the only sad part in fact. It comes when you get the opportunity to meet fantastic people, and you learn so much from them. (sometimes the bad stuff too) haha.

and then suddenly. they leave.

and most of the time, they don't take you along with them(lol)

Im quite sentimental and cheesy for a guy. but shit man, i really really wish tommy were back here:(

haha. tommy, come back to visit anytime u like man:) i know you're gonna be reading this pretty soon!

and to all the other people coming or are currently staying here. DON"T make friends with me.

cos if you do, you might never leave this hostel. (evil laugh here)

Charles
Night shift Host

A Quiet Night

2010-03-09T05:04:00.001+08:00

Its 5 in the morning and my sleepy eyes from the intense shifting of my body clock lay testament to the immense amount of annoyance at the slightest noises that emit from the cozy corners of a beary good hostel.

sorry guys, im a little out of steam today. but when i get back the next time round, ill be back with loads more fun stuff for all:)

FREEBIES: International Tourist Guide Day 2010, Saturday 13 March 2010

2010-03-05T21:36:00.000+08:00

Wanna have FREE tours in Singapore Chinatown? Well, 13th March is THE DAY to take note. Details are as follows for those of you intending to stay over in Singapore. :)

Date : Saturday, 13 March 2010
Venue : Kreta Ayer Square
Registration : 9:30AM

First Tour : 10:00AM
Last Tour : 3:30PM

Free Tours :

1. Secret of the Clans

2. Happiness, Success and Longevity

3. Call of the Faithful

Free guided tours by members of Society of Tourist Guides (Singapore).

Each tour takes 1 hour and offered in English and Mandarin.

Hugs,

Lisa K

http://www.abearygoodhostel.com/

Movie Madness!

2010-03-02T23:52:00.000+08:00

What happens when you've got a bunch of great people, drinks, a cozy corner and a real kick-ass movie?

you get a very beary distracted hostel host trying very beary hard to concentrate on his work and gives up after awhile to join in the fun.

its amazing what a movie can do.

Media studies thought me that movies contain media texts. in every scene, the media texts displays virtual sub-conscience messages which allows our minds to retain that memory and even possibly connect it to our lives.

which is why most 1st dates and group outings revolve around movies.

and here at abearygoodhostel, i'd hate to see the mayhem and absolute eurohia once the movie ends, and people from the different walks of life start debating.

Thank God Ive a small storeroom right behind me to hide in, in case things turn ugly. ha ha ha.

I miss Arianna and cenk, the pioneers of movie madness!

haha. those two jokers would watch movie after movie after movie after movie after movie and practically FORCE me not to concentrate on my work.

If i get fired after this blog entree, I'm gonna move in with you guys in the states man. hahahahah!

Cheers one and all!

blogging LIVE frooooom a.. Bearryyy Goooood HoooSSSTeeeeLLLLLLLLL!!

Charles:)

12.14am

Thanks Tom, you've certainly helped me get by my Fears. What on earth would i do without you? :)

2010-02-23T02:00:00.001+08:00

Tales From the Crypt.

2010-02-22T03:12:00.000+08:00

Its Interesting how interesting things can get when its 3 in the morning and imagination... well, tends to get a little lethargic, and decides last minute to go on some kind of overly zealous maze- of- horror sprint.

In simpler terms. i was scaring myself silly with my own imagination.

tom and i were just chilling around and talking. Great Chat with the chap. we started off easy with topics like education, national service. things like that. Until i had to open my mouth and mention about ghosts.

after a brief hair raising interlude. I told him to switch the rainbow 6 game back on and go shoot some terrorists while i let the sound of flying bullets and exploding grenades calm my frayed cowardly nerves.

I never thought i would actually feel so comfortable discussing about my fears with anyone. let alone any of the guests here. its quite a family orientated environment i would say. Nevertheless.

I'm a pretty cool guy. But when it comes to things like that.. scares the bejeabbers out of me.

so if you're planning on holding up this hostel, and i happen to be on watch, don't bother bringing your weapons or your muscles .

just put some black paint on your mum's face and check her in.

.Also prepare the taxi fare for me to the nearest hospital to treat my cardiac arrest.

An experience no other hostel can ever provide.

and in this case for me. beary beary scary:) hahaha.

This is Charles, one the most cowardly Hosts. So do me a favour if you are dropping by, leave your ghosts stories for the day shift gals.

Cheerios!

a beary good FRIENDS Checking in and out!

2010-02-21T23:30:00.000+08:00

It's a pity I can't take photos of every single guest that stayed in abearygoodhostel. That would have been awesome. I was running about trying to make them feel at home, make sure everything is working properly, and keeping the place clean and sometimes, just slipped my mind to take photos. Luckily, managed to take a few and there are some photos taken by the wonderful guests whom I hope will email the photos over so I could upload it to facebook/blog. Anyway, here are some of our beary good FRIENDS!! Miss you guys!

David, Suzanne and Yours Truly

Dan the Bear Man! Got wasted the first night he arrived.

Thanks to Tomas who sang and played his guitar while the rest of the people socialize @ our bearygood lounge...:)

Say Cheese Everybody!!

From Left: Stuart aka Panda, Me, Andrea, Evelyn, Suzanne and Rebecca

Amp explaining to the sweet Korean ladies on Bak Kut Teh or something... cos the Korean ladies were on a Food Trip! :)

From Left: Tommy, Evelyn, Rabbit Eater Joachim (hehe!!) and Guitar Playing Tomas

Guess Who? Stuart after a night of partying, coming back the hostel to find our gift to him... a puke bucket! ha ha

This is just the tip of the iceberg on what's been happening in the hostel. hehe... anyway, will upload more happenings and action.

p/s: I just brought the PS3 over to the hostel this evening.. I'm sure some game playing is happening as I'm blogging now! he he...

Till then... sayonara!

Hugs,

Lisa K

http://www.abearygoodhostel.com/

a beary good LOOK: Part II

2010-02-21T17:15:00.000+08:00

More photos around the hostel to share and bring you closer to abearygoodhostel. Our hostel is always a work in progress. So many things we want to do to make it a more cosy and homely place. We received alot of common feedback that the place is colourful, vibrant and most important of all... COSY and HOMELY. Yay! That's our main goal and I think we are getting there and reaching it! Anyway, more on the hostel.........

Entertainment Corner

Games and Books (Travel, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Business, Fantasy, etc!!)

Magazines and Books!!

hehe... ok, more books... well you get the picture, ya!!!

Security Card Access System located at each door (that's my fingers by the way... haha!)

We are watching YOU!!! Security Cam @ Main Areas

Feedback and Display Corner

Bear Corner???.... (actually I'm not sure what to call this area)

Cute Gallery along the Stairway from Entrance

We handpainted these old wooden frames and placed it all over the hostel ;)

Yup, that's about it. I still have more photos of the cool and wacky guests!! Maybe tonight. Now, it's time to do some check-ins!

Adios!

Muacks!

Lisa K
www.abearygoodhostel.com

a beary good LOOK

2010-02-20T23:44:00.001+08:00

Time for me to blog again...:) Trying to keep this blog alive and provide some useful tips and information. Anyway, tomorrow, Sunday 21st Feb 2010, we will turn ONE week old and really can't imagine how we managed to pull it off. There were ups and downs but hey, we survived!!! It's been crazy. We had wonderful guests and we still do...

Well, been wanting to upload and share more photos of how our cute cosy little hostel look like! So I decided to put up in the blog now. So, presenting a beary good "looking" hostel.. ha ha!!

The Entrance

The Reception (that's me pretending to look busy..hehe)

Our cosy and colourful lounge

Internet Kiosk (spanking new netbooks) and the whole place is Wi-Fi-ed

Breakfast Counter - Communal Style

(tsk tsk, that's Bill in the background, pretending to be surfing, ha ha)

Games Galore (Nintendo Wii and large collection of Books)

The Funky Blue Room

Spacious Dorm Rooms

The Cool Green Room

Shower and Toilet Area (Hairdryer provided, mind you!)

Bright Yellow Shower Rooms and Toilets

So, what do y'all think? We welcome feedback on how to improve our hostel!! Feel free to drop us a note.

Next blog, I'll be putting up photos and some videos of our abearygood FRIENDs!!!

For now, it's time to sleeeeeppp, something that I wish I could have more... wonder can I have 48hours within a day... he he...

Good Beary Hugs from Lisa K

A surprise Birthday celebration for dear Ulybie!

2010-02-20T00:20:00.000+08:00

18th Feb 2010 is a day to remember! It's Ulybie's birthday and we decided to surprise her. And she shocked us instead by crying soooo much! Haha... anyway, it was good fun and we are glad to have our guests to sing her a birthday song.

Anyway, on behalf of abearygoodhostel management: "Happy Birthday, Ulybie"!! Work hard for abearygoodhostel, ok!! :)

Hugs,

Lisa K

abearygoodhostel

Event Not To Be Missed: Chingay 2010 - Asia's Grandest Street and Floats Parade

2010-02-17T22:31:00.000+08:00

Just to share an upcoming event which should not be missed!!! Singapore Chingay 2010! Details as follows:

Event Dates : 19th Feb 2010 to 20th Feb 2010
Time of Event : 8.30pm (19 Feb) and 8pm (20 Feb)
Venue: : F1 Pit Building

The Chingay Parade Singapore is an annual street parade to celebrate Singapore’s multi-cultural uniqueness, and is a colourful extravaganza of exciting floats and performances. Chingay is part of Singapore’s unique way of celebrating the lunar new year.

Chingay Parade Singapore 2010 will take place at the F1 Pit Building at Marina Bay. Visitors can purchase tickets for seats at the 36,000-strong grandstand or simply stand along the parade route.

Chingay has enjoyed a long tradition, with its first parade dating back to 1973. Its name, 'Chingay', was coined from its phonetic Hokkien equivalent, which means 'the art of costume and masquerade'.

Ticketing
Pls refer to event website

Website
http://www.chingay.org.sg
Chingay Parade Singapore 2010 妆艺大游行

Flowers galore

2010-02-10T16:59:00.000+08:00

Just wanted to share that the hostel received some nice congratulatory flowers!! Thanks to Mummy and Cousin Ting and family. :)

From Mummy

From Cousin Ting and Family

Oh ya, love the message on the flowers and hope it will come true! MUACKS!!!! Thanks ya!

07 Feb 2010 Soft Launch: a beary good and auspicious day

2010-02-07T23:47:00.000+08:00

Yup, today is THE day for the opening of a beary good hostel! Well, just a small launch, as we follow the Chinese custom (or we try to...he he), my mum went to a chinese temple a couple of weeks back and asked the 'master' for a good and auspicious date to 'open' our hostel business. And it was advised that 7th of Feb 2010 would be the best date for us to open our business (figuratively), and the little 'opening ceremony' must be done before 11am.

So, what's the little ritual that we need to do? Well, we have to decorate our main door with a red cloth. RED is an auspicious colour for the chinese as it represents wealth and prosperity. So, here is what our little bear logo sinage looks like. :) It's as though we are trying to dress sleepy bear up. :)

Next, my mum burnt some incense and walk around the hostel and prayed for success of our hostel business and smooth delivery. Next, she laid some offerings for the prayer.

Offerings for our small opening ceremony

All those items for offerings, the pink flour cake, oranges and pineapple all symbolizes wealth and prosperity. Then, its done! Just a simple praying and we are off to a good start for our business!

Thereafter, with the help from Amp, she took some nice photos of the hostel and the surrounding areas. :)

Then we went for a nice lunch and off to do some last minute shopping for the hostel! :) It's been a long tiring day but it's very fruitful. Will share more but need to Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz first, so later folks......

Big Beary Hugs,
Lisa K
abearygoodhostel

Tips: FREE SMRT Chinatown Shuttle Bus Service and Extended Train Services

2010-02-07T23:22:00.000+08:00

Got this info from a good pal on free shuttle bus service and extended train services just for the chinese new year. Details as per below. So for those travellers coming down to usher in the Year of Tiger, you can make full use of this service. :)

The Beary First Post!

2010-02-06T21:07:00.000+08:00

Greetings everyone! This shall be my very first post in our blog. Wow, it'll be just 7 more days to go for the Grand Opening of "a beary good hostel". We are into our last mile for the completion of our renovation work and gearing up to make sure that our hostel will be ready for all our guests from all over the world!

The responses for our SGD2/bed/night from 14 Feb till 21 Feb has been overwhelming. We are almost booked for the week and more... thanks for all your support! We will make sure you will have a beary good stay with us.

The atmosphere around Chinatown is simply wonderful. The streets are filled with people every single day till midnight! The stalls selling new year goods, people haggling over prices could be heard along the busy street and so many people can be seen whipping out their cameras to take nice shots of the vibrant colours of Chinatown. Its a joy to be located at one of the busiest street in Chinatown, nestled amongst the heritage shophouses @ Pagoda Street.

Pagoda Street

Thanks to Amp for helping to take some nice shots of the hostel and Chinatown surroundings today! So, will share and give a little sneak peek of what our little hostel gonna look like! :)

Left: Main Door, Right: External Signage

Personally love our cute little sleepy bear logo. :) The signages are big and brightly coloured to ensure that our guests will be able to locate our small little hostel. hee hee...:)

abearygoodhostel signage, view from 2nd floor

As you can see, from the photo above, the MRT/Subway station is just right outside of the hostel. So, when we say 10 sheltered steps, we mean it... :)

Our brightly coloured internal windows

We played around with colours to bring life to the good old shophouse, retaining it's original heritage structure and injecting a vibrant feel in our little hostel. :)

Our good bear at our reception

Yes! we are very proud of our logo, so it's all over the hostel. ha ha... :) Anyway, these are some of the photos and you have not seen the last of it!!! Many more will be shared with you as frequently as possible to bring you closer to our humble little inn we call a beary good hostel. In the mean time, do come and visit our website @ http://www.abearygoodhostel.com or join as abearygoodhostel Fan in Facebook to get more updates!!

Beary good hugs,

Lisa K