IT'S NATIONAL DAY! PROMOS PROMOS PROMOS!

Any plans for this upcoming National Day Holiday? Already Friday evening and still brooding about where to CELEBRATE and PARTY on this special occasion?

Worry not, I present these exhilarating promotions at these participating outlets to excite YOU and your FRIENDS! Come down now!!!

Drinks Category

1) eM By The River (Chillax by the river)

Escape from the crowd and enjoy a blissful evening by the river. Be special and celebrate this Singapore’s 49^th birthday with your loved ones at eM By The River this Saturday.

PROMOTIONS

1-for-1 Singapore Slings (Only on 9 August 2014)

Address: 1 Nanson Road #01-05; The Gallery Hotel Singapore

Tel: +65 6836 9691 for reservations

For more info: http://www.em-n-em.com/

2) Bikini Bar and Coastes (Sunset, sea & sand)

Fancy a night on a beach relaxing away from the mainstream crowd? Come down to Bikini Bar and Coastes this Saturday and enjoy the following.

PROMOTIONS

Singapore Sling @ 2 for $25 nett

Black Cherry Caipiroska @ $12/glass nett

2 Heineken Jugs @ $68 nett

Marrenon Petula Rose Luberon @ $12/glass or $58/bottle nett

Smirnoff Black Label Bottle with any Mixers @ $150 nett

Address: 50 Siloso Beach Walk #01-06; Sentosa Singapore

Tel: +65 6631 8938 for reservations

For more info: http://www.coastes.com/

3) Kinki (Rooftop edgy bar)

Voted as one of the Singapore’s best rooftop bar, Kinki is an edgy and funky Japanese style restaurant with a newly open rooftop bar. Now they are offering National’s Day Promotion. Please note: By reservations only.

PROMOTIONS

Drink package for 8 pax ($549++)

2 bottles Moet & Chandon champagne

1 bottle Belvedere or Glenmorangie Original

Address: #02-02 Customs House, 70 Collyer Quay

Tel: +65 6533 3471 or email:  enquiry@kinki.com.sg  for reservations

For more: http://www.kinki.com.sg/

4) Intermezzo Bar (Staycation)

Book a staycation at Orchard hotel today and chill away your evening at the Intermezzo bar with the following promotions running for the month of August 2014!

PROMOTIONS

Whisky Macallan, 12 yrs $240++

Tiger Beer $15++ 1 for 1 whole day

Daily – Happy Hour Specials 1-for-1 Housepours (5pm to 8pm)

National Day Special: Singapore Sling Cocktail $24++ (1 for 1 whole day)

Address: 442 Orchard Road, Orchard Hotel Singapore, Singapore, 238879

Tel: +65 6739 6668 or email: intermezzobar.ohs@millenniumhotels.com for reservations

For more: http://www.millenniumhotels.com.sg/orchardhotelsingapore/dining/intermezzo-bar.html

5) The Pelican Seafood & Grill (High life)

Wanna enjoy the gorgeous fireworks while celebrating our nation’s birthday this year? Strategically situated at the One Fullerton whilst away from the crowd, The Pelican Seafood & Grill provides you with a load of breathtaking views packed with fireworks on this awesome night.

PROMOTIONS

Drink promotion package for 8 @ $549++ (See 4-course set dinner below.)

2 bottles Veuve Clicquot Brut champagne

1 bottle Belvedere or Glenmorangie Original

Address: 1 Fullerton Road, #01-01, One Fullerton, Singapore 049213

Tel: 6438 0400 or email: enquiry@thepelican.com.sg for reservations

For more: http://thepelican.com.sg/

6) Overeasy (Best view)

Indulge in the best view of the fireworks at Overeasy on this National Day. Watch Marina Bay glitters with your family and friends, and spoilt yourself with some comfort food like the legendary Mac & Cheese, The Truffle Burger, or Texas Chili Cheese Fries. Enjoy an OverEasy Spiked Milkshake and other signature cocktails while the skies light up right overhead.

PROMOTIONS

1 for-1 Housepour spirits, Draft Beer & House wine

(UOB exclusive 5pm-10pm on Saturdays)

Call 9129 8484 or email overeasy@overeasy.com.sg  for reservations

For more: http://www.overeasy.com.sg/

  

7) Loof

Don’t fancy the fireworks? Visit Loof for a National Day celebration with an extra-aromatic satay, Potong ice cream to rekindle the old days and the Great Mama Shop Sale, with locally inspired goodies galore. Sip on a Singapore Sour and munch on some local flavor like Chilli Crab Cheese Fries, while the collaboration between DJ Marvin Gold and violinist Cadenza surrounds you with sounds grounded in house and thick with rhythm. Revel alongside fellow cool cats and an almost-forgotten national icon (Hi, Kitty!) for a National Night to remember.

Address: 331 North Bridge Rd, #03-07 Odeon Towers Extension Rooftop, Singapore 188720

Call 9773 9304 or email loof@loof.com.sg  for reservations

For more: http://www.loof.com.sg/

Foodie Category

1) Forlino (High Life)

Enjoy the spectacular views of Marina Bay waterfront and indulge in one of the best spots in town to catch our National Day aerial display live, and not forgetting the much-awaited glittery fireworks with Forlino’s National Day buffet dinner.

PROMOTIONS

Chef Kentaro’s contemporary Italian cuisine

(including three exclusive dishes he created just for this special occasion to pay tribute to Singapore’s birthday - Chili Crab Raviolone, Hamachi Satay, and MS8 Tajima Wagyu Satay.)

Free-flow beverage (soft drinks, red/white wines, beers and Prosecco)

Live caricature

Address: 1 Fullerton Road, One Fullerton #02-06, Singapore 049213

Tel: +65 6690 7564 for reservations

For more: http://forlino.com/

2) Orgo (Best Skyline)

A rooftop restaurant and bar overlooking the amazing skyline of Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands, Orgo serves their happy hour till 8pm daily. On this special occasion of National’s Day, Orgo is also having a promotion as per the following.

PROMOTIONS

6pm -830pm Buffet + Free flow drinks

$140 per pax/ $70 per child (Under 12)

Address: 8 Raffles Avenue, #04-01, Esplanade-Theaters on the Bay, Roof Terrace, Singapore 039802 

Tel: 6336-9366 or email: info@orgo.sg for reservations

For more: http://www.orgo.sg/

3) Fern & Kiwi (Best value)

PROMOTIONS

August Special ($49 each!)

1 bottle of Matakana Saurignon Blanc or Merlot

1 Cheese Burger or Fish & Chips with 2 pint red rock beer

1 double lamb shank Williams

1 Shooter Bottle

Address: 3C River Valley Road, #01-02/03 The Cannery, Clarke Quay, Singapore 179024

Tel: +65 6336 2271 or email: info@fernandkiwi.com for reservations

For more: http://www.fernandkiwi.com/

4) The Pelican Seafood & Grill (Best food)

PROMOTIONS

4 Course set dinner ($120++ per pax)

Serving raw jumbo scallop salad

Home-cured Norwegian salmon

US beef striploin or yellow fin tuna loin

Whoopee pie

Complementary glass of Veuve Clicquot Brut

Address: 1 Fullerton Road, #01-01, One Fullerton, Singapore 049213

Tel: 6438 0400 or email: enquiry@thepelican.com.sg for reservations

For more: http://thepelican.com.sg/

5) Oriole (Best Coffee)

PROMOTIONS

Straits 7 (Signature coffee only available in Oriole’s Chinatown café)

Top up $2++ with any order of 1 main or breakfast item

Alternatively, $6++

$49 voucher for 49 winners who correctly guessed the ingredients used
(Hints on Oriole’s FB page: OrioleCoffee)

Tel: 6238 8348 or email: enquiry.pp@oriole.com.sg for reservations

For more: http://www.oriole.com.sg/

6) Bedrock bar & Grill (Steak & Grill)

PROMOTIONS

5-course Glenmorangie Whisky Pairing Gastronomy ($138++)

NY strip steak

Prime beef carpaccio

Saga-Gyu ribeye

Tel: 6238 0054 or email: enquiry@bedrock.com.sg for reservations

For more: http://bedrock.com.sg/

7) Fat Cow (Whisky Pairing)

PROMOTIONS

4-course Glenmorangie Whisky Pairing Dinner ($148++)

Entire month of August

Tel: 6735 0308 or email: enquiry@fat-cow.com.sg for reservations

For more: http://www.fat-cow.com.sg/

El Nido: Hidden Paradise

“Waking up with a sea view, crystal clear waters and embracing sea breeze, it is indeed a haven for us city dwellers.”

That is what I got at the end of the 6 hours drive. That is if they are fast. If not it might take up to 8 hours on the rocky mountain roads. To be honest, it was a painful decision my partner and I had to make while we planned for the trip. It ain’t easy, to make a 12 hour trip to and fro just to visit an area for 2D2N. But like me tell you straight up, it was all worth it. Even my partner who was so reluctant to visit El Nido had to admit it was all worth it at the end of the trip.

We took up Tour A after much research on the internet. Since we can only afford 1 island hopping tour, we took up the much recommended one. I can only say pictures and words do not do justice to the place.

Back to some introduction of the island.. For those who have been to Phuket or Krabi, the nature of the shops there are quite similar, but unspoiled by the waves of tourist who travel there. I supposed it is because of the long tedious journey to reach this unlikely haven. When you arrived at El Nido, you have to take a tuk tuk lookalike or walk into the town proper as the buses and vans are not allowed in due to the nature of narrow roads and to protect the town from massive damages that might be caused by traffic. 

There are 2 main beaches in El Nido proper, one being along the shop front of the numerous restaurants operating there and one is the infamous La Cabanas. 

We have to trek though this road for about 2 minutes to reach the beach. To be honest, It may look like nothing here, but when we reach the entrance to this road, it was a little horrifying, it looked nothing near the coast. But the view is so rewarding. 

And one thing I loved the most was the stretch of restaurants along the beach. <3 

Like a scene we see in movies, dining along the beach, soaking our feet in the cooling sea is the best feeling ever!! As we spend our night indulging in live bands, cold beer and feet in the water, our journey in Philippines is slowly coming to the end.

The following morning, we went to the long anticipated Tour A!! Wheeee! Bundles of excitement on this one. We waited for the tuk tuk to come and pick us up to the beach area where we onboard our hire for the day! Funny thing is when the tuk tuk came, there was already 2 ang mos on board. Mind you, the tuk tuks here are unlike those in Bangkok which are relatively larger. Tuk-tuks here can fetch up to 5 people or maybe 6 with petite size. But to be honest, 2 is the most comfortable number.

Anyway how, we managed to get to the shop to register our names and get our goggles and supplies for the day and we head out!!! The rustic feel of this place is no joke. Think about Phuket or Krabi or Langkawi island hopping, the boat usually gets to a dock or ferry for you to board right, this is not the case here. We have to walk like 15m into the sea? Hahahaha. It was rather shocking for me since I’m really short. The water is already almost at my chest level when I reached the boat.

And our journey starts…

Secret Lagoon

Only entrance to the secret lagoon..

 7 Commandos Beach

A guide to finding your perfect job. (Like your perfect man)

I have always been in wanderlust for a long time now. I couldn’t stand a desk bound job in a office setting for now at least, I couldn’t bear it. Finding a perfect job is awful, it’s so difficult, especially for  people like  me, in  their  20s,  torned  between  living  everything  behind  and travelling or to start paving out their career path. It’s torturous. After a long while spending thinking  about  my perfect job, I  finally realized  it’s akin to  finding  your  perfect  man, or women per say. How should I put it, there is no perfect job out there. Sorry to burst all your little bubbles  of hope, all jobs  have their own fair  share of stress  and problems, which is a fact. BUT there is something else which we can all achieve, finding the best job for ourselves.

        1. Classic 3 prong

Looks familiar? Haha. I think things in life are often balanced by these 3 classic words. Of course striking a balance in these 3 would be the best, but more than often 1 of these factors have to be slightly sacrificed.

      2.  Everyone is different.

Something that works for me might not work for you. For instance, I can live with a man who doesn’t have an extraordinary income but dote on me like hell, but some women need the wealth in their life. Notice how is it similar with your career? I like a job with great flexibility (Quality). Sometimes it also means working beyond regular hours. For some, having a high pay is of utmost importance, and usually it means boring or extremely stressed jobs. For some, they would prefer a stress free job but might indicate a lower pay range.

3. What can you give up?

If we gonna start asking what do we want, we usually end up with unrealistic answers leading to a futile discussions. So an easier way would be to ask yourself what can you give up. Can you give up high wages for a stress free job? Can you give up your hours for your passion? What is the least of your concerns? Money? Flexible working hours? Stress free? Career prospect? Or could it be even nasty boss? Or the need to meet clients? As we slowly build up this list of realistic wants and don’ts, there, you may have finally found a direction to work towards to.

I think by understanding these 3 concepts, we can better understand what we want to achieve in life. It’s a little like the elimination method but hack it, it works! (ps. That's how I found the perfect man for me! Wheeee!)

Now, just a little photo of my Taiwan Trip as an appetizer! 

Sunrise on 陽明山 pinyin: Yángmíngshān

Puerto Princesa: Home to the Natural Wonders of the World

The motive here was simple. The legendary sub-terranean River. Time has named this place 1 of the 7 natural wonders of the world, despite all the wonders that nature has brought us. I suspect there must be a reason.

So we arrived at Puerto Princesa, by now the small airports don’t surprise us anymore. Funny how fast people get used to things. It was a little dreadful knowing that this would be our final stop before we head back to reality.

With a huge comfortable pickup from the airport, we arrived at the hotel and a light lunch after we unpacked. It totally feels like Phuket here, no idea why but this place gives me the same feeling, maybe because there’re more ang mos* (Caucasians) here than elsewhere.

It was really impromptu but we decided to go for a firefly tour since we have nothing on for our first night. It was the first for my boy and he really enjoyed it. The only other time I went on a firefly tour was years ago and I felt that I enjoyed this a lot more, although a little scary at first.

The entire tour comprised of a buffet dinner, which was fabulous, and a private firefly tour for groups of 2 in their small little boats. And by small, I mean small, it can only take a maximum of 4 people including the navigator, which is why it’s so scary! The width of the boat is only a little wider than my hips! Oh gawd! But the entire tour was actually amazing, we saw how fireflies will light up in sync when you shine red light at them. They light up like a Christmas tree!!! So amazing. Sadly I did not take any photos since it was too dark and I was too engrossed. But nothing can beat the first hand experience in those boats watching the amazing firefly *pun unintended*. Of course there are also little planktons in the water that light up a little when we the boatman paddled.  We already thought this was amazing enough for Mother Nature, but what comes the next morning was even more amazing at the underground river.

Before we even set foot into the underground river, we waited at the port waiting for our ride to come! As we reached the island housing the underground river, there was also another deadly attraction – Monitor Lizards, or what the locals known as Bayawak. And so the tour starts. It was like a cruise in a huge cave and the beauty will only be underrated by the use of words.

As we went back for our buffet lunch then a zipline adventure! The other people said they saw sea turtles whilst zipline. Envy max!!! 

Note: All photos are unedited.

Cebu: An Unexpected Journey

Our stay in Cebu city is a really short one. But I really need to emphasize on the hotel that we stayed in, and usually it could only meant extremely good or bad. Well, in this case, *drum roll* I find the services in the hotel I stayed in was extremely good, on top of the fact that it is situated right in the city area and the price was economical.

But it was about 40min drive from the airport and there was no transfer, we took a cab. We researched and realized most of the hotels residing at the main city area do not provide airport transfer. But Wellcome hotel is rather established since the cabbies all knew where I was referring to, so you don’t have to worry that its some ulu (singlish: secluded) hotel.

So as we reached the hotel, the first great new came in! They upgraded us to a deluxe room! Whee! They also have this small roof pool which was amazing with a sunbed overlooking the crowded city life.

As we only have a short night stay here in Cebu, we washed up and we left for our sumptuous dinner as the 2^nd great news came!!As we were asking for directions to the mall, the kind receptionist offered to give us a ride there!

It was really unexpected because she was actually explaining how it only took less than 10min walk to the mall and next moment as we knew it, she was already waving to her colleague and telling them to bring us there. For this issue, I really need to comment and compliment their service. AND YOU KNOW WHAT?! They gave me a name card for me to call them to pick us up when we are done. How sweet!!!

And so after the mall, a sweet night rest and a sumptuous breakfast buffet at this very hospitable hotel, we end our journey in Cebu.