Michi Photostory

Even though we only have a few hours of sleep, we still wake up early because we’re excited to start our Singapore Tour. We ate breakfast and left at 9AM. According to gothere.sg, travel time is 67 minutes via train and bus. The fare is SGD1.76 each. 


Directions: 

1. Walk to Newton Station. 
2. Board the train towards Jurong East Station and alight at Ang Mo Kio Station. 5 stations later. 
3. Take Exit C and walk to bus stop at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 
4. Board Bus 138 and alight at Singapore Zoological Gardens, 30 stops later. 
5. Walk to Singapore Zoological Gardens. 

Newton MRT Station is just 3 minutes walk away from Sheraton Towers, I brought my son’s EZ Link Card (child) but I was informed that it was expired already. My son is 7 years old so he needs to use the regular EZ Link Card. I purchased two EZ Link Card, SGD12 (SGD5 card cost and SGD7 value) + SGD10 load x 2 = SGD 44. 



This is already my third visit to Singapore but I was a bit nervous because I haven’t ridden public buses during my previous visits. But I was glad that riding bus is not difficult, all you need to know is the bus stop, bus number and destination. We rode Bus 138 and the last stop was the Singapore Zoo. 

At last, I was back in Singapore Zoo after 9 years,  we went to the ticket counter first and the line was very long. I bought Park Hopper Plus Tickets SGD79 for adults and SGD59 for kids. The staff asked me, what date are we going to Night Safari? I had no idea that I needed to reserve for Night Safari, my initial plan is will go to Night Safari kung hindi pa kami pagod after River Safari or Singapore Zoo. Anyway, I need to give a date so I just chose Friday, our last night in SG. 


The Park Hopper Plus Ticket allows you to visit River Safari, Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, and Singapore Zoo within one week. The only zoo that is not located in Madai Lake Road is the Jurong Bird Park. 


We can visit Singapore Zoo or River Safari but we decided to start our tour in River Safari because we’re already late for the first show of Singapore Zoo. From the ticket counter, we just walked to the River Safari Entrance. 

The Rive is Calling...

IKEA is not only known for affordable stuff and easy-to-assemble furniture. It is also famous because of the Swedish Meatballs so it is also on my list to taste this popular meatball.


I was disappointed when the Swedish meatballs were not available in IKEA Tachikawa so I was really looking forward to our Singapore trip. 


So for our third night, we went to IKEA Alexandra to eat our dinner. On the first floor, we only saw few tables and counters. I immediately checked the menu and I was sad because I only saw, chicken wings, ice cream, and hotdogs, hmmm same fate in Japan. I was excited to eat Swedish meatballs and then wala pala. So we just ate chicken wings, hotdog sandwiches, and ice cream. 

A family safari is a once in a lifetime experience and careful packing can ensure that it's a positive and memorable one. What you haul with you is of extreme importance, especially if traveling with children. For adventurers traveling to distant, exotic lands, here are five items a safari tripper can't do without.


Outerwear

A lightweight down jacket is ideal for the extreme weather shifts one is likely to encounter in the African bush. Though the days can be sweltering, the nights are often chilly. A lightweight jacket that is amply warm and compressible will keep you warm in the evening and early morning but will shed easily and can be compacted down enough to fit into your day-pack. 

A Hat

A sturdy, wide-brimmed hat is essential for long days in the sun. A simple baseball cap will not suffice in these conditions. You will need something that provides coverage for your neck and ears, as well as eyes, so an actual canvas safari hat is best. The material allows it to be crushed and stuffed into a bag or back pocket when it's not needed, the brim extends over the ears providing optimal shade and many safari hats come with a cord that you can secure under your chin in windy climates to ensure it stays atop your head. After all, it's not called a safari hat for no reason. 

Socks 

There is no substitute for wool socks on safari. Tromping through foreign terrain can wear on your extremities, but wool provides both the padding and warmth required to keep those tootsies in working order. Be sure that your socks and the rest of your clothing items are beige and nude colors. Not only do you want to blend into the environment while trying to spy the wildlife, but bright colors may attract unwanted attention. Blue, in particular, will garner the attention of tsetse flies that are wont to nibbling on tourists. 

A Smartphone

A smartphone with a good camera should be at the top of your list (or at least immediately under "passports"). Lugging around an additional item like a camera is unnecessary if you find a phone that comes equipped with a good one. The LG G5 has a 16MP dual camera with both normal and ultra wide-angle lens ideal for capturing the wild game and picturesque landscapes you'll find on safari. 

Sanitation 

For on the spot sanitary needs, antibacterial baby wipes reign supreme. Germ-fighting and disposable, you will find 101 uses for these while on the trail and a whole host of things that you never realized would need cleaning. Saline solution is another multipurpose item you may overlook as you pack. Not only is it good for rinsing your hands and eyes, it's perfect for flushing your nasal passages after a long and dusty tour of the bush. You would be surprised what can get stuck in there, and be trying to keep up with clogged sinuses can be miserable. 

Though a family safari is the chance of a lifetime, if you don't pack smart, it can also be a disaster. Pack for comfort, sanitation and mobility and you and your family are sure to make the most of your trip.

Whenever we travel overseas, I don’t usually include shopping in my itinerary because I have a limited budget and I prefer to visit interesting places than waste my time in shopping malls tapos wala din ko mabibili. Hahaha!


But things change when you are married, you find joy in visiting Home stores even you don’t have shopping money. When I learned that there is IKEA in Singapore, I included this in my itinerary but unfortunately I was not able to visit it two years ago. First reason, I could not find the shuttle bus going to IKEA Tampines and lastly, I don’t want to take taxi kasi namamahalan ko. Boo! But I regret that kasi sayang naman effort namin and we were in SG na that time.

So I promised myself, by hook or by crook I will go to IKEA. I added this on my itinerary when we visited Singapore last month. It was my birthday celebration so I will visit my happy place.There are two IKEA in Singapore and the nearest branch from our hotel is IKEA Alexandra. 

Read: Sheraton Towers Singapore

Day 3: IKEA Alexandra

I did not have second thoughts, we took taxi on our way to IKEA Alexandra. We had dinner first and I was sad because I only saw chicken wings and hotdog on the menu, hmmm same fate in Japan. I was excited to eat Swedish meatballs then wala pala. So we just ate chicken wings, hotdog sandwiches and ice cream. 

Read: IKEA Tachikawa


So after dinner, we started shopping na, I already have the list of the things that I wanted to buy and I was happy that most of them are available in IKEA Alexandra. When we reach the second floor, I was surprised because there is another restaurant pala, grrr! Nandun ang meatballs, Waah! So I told my husband, we will go back again next time. I just bought some stuff that will fit our luggage. 



Note: Always BYOB or Bring Your Own Bag Always or else you will buy extra bag or carry your own stuff. No bagger so pack your own stuff. 

Day 5: IKEA Alexandra 

The initial plan is to visit Gardens by the Bay but we canceled it and visited my son’s Ninong in Singapore and after that, we had late lunch in IKEA Alexandra. Like I said to my husband, we will not go back to Manila ng hindi ko natitikman ang swedish meatballs. Lol 

It was not easy to find a vacant table and the lines were very long so patience is a virtue. We ordered Swedish Meatballs, Salmon, Blueberry Cheesecake, Almond Cake, and drinks. I can’t remember the exact price of each meal but the bill is less than SGD30.

Read: Food Trip at IKEA Alexandra



After lunch, we checked the store again. I was really contemplating whether to buy Raskog or not. If you remember my post a few months ago, my husband was not able to buy this because he doesn’t want to pay for excess baggage.


Read: IKEA Bangna

I have extra kilos but the problem is I don’t have extra luggage but thank God, I saw this Eco Bag in IKEA and it fits the Raskog box. Ang because of that, nakapamili pa ko ulit. Yehey! 



Then we went back to hotel to get our luggage and off we went to the airport. After check-in, I said to myself, sayang sana binili ko pa yung bookshelves may 30 kilos pa pala ko. Lol Anyway, I was so happy with my shopping Haul at IKEA.

Not in the photo is IKEA Timer (Stam), nagamit ko kasi agad. hehehe!

My husband immediately assembled my Raskog and I’m now using it for our school supplies. :)


Read: 5 Days in Singapore

I always make homemade pizza at home because it is so easy to make, I only need a slice of bread or store brought pizza dough + my choice of toppings. I know I can make my own pizza dough but I’m so scared when I see the yeast in the list of ingredients because I tried making bread before and it was not successful.

Read: Homemade Pizza



But few months ago, I attended a Bread Making Class so it gives me the confidence to try baking with yeast. Last month, I tried making pizza dough from scratch, I just look for recipes on the internet. It was my first time so the shape of the dough is not round and I put so much cheese so it overflows. My husband likes the dough because it is so soft even it is no longer warm.



Read: The Day I Learned How to Make my Own Bread



Last weekend, I made a homemade pizza again but this time, I tried a new recipe and I was happy because I was able to make a round dough. Hehehe! I did not put a lot of cheese to avoid overflowing. Ending, kulang sa cheese ang result. Hehehe! The dough is on the chewy side so my husband prefers the first pizza dough but my son liked this pizza compared to the first one. 



Update October 2019

Our family loves pizza and it is one of our comfort foods. I’m glad that I can make my own pizza dough from scratch. I’m using the recipe of Sallys Baking Addiction “Homemade Pizza Crust Recipe”, the recipe only needs 6 six ingredients so if you have warm water, yeast, sugar, olive oil, salt, and all-purpose flour, you can definitely make your homemade dough. The steps are easy to follow too and you can make two pizzas in one recipe. If you only need one pizza, you can store the dough in your freezer which I did.



What I like about homemade pizza is you can use whatever toppings that you like, whatever is available in your pantry or fridge. Since my son likes Pepperoni Pizza, I bought a pack at Landers and nakadalawang pizza na nga ko, hindi pa rin ubos so I have reasons to make pizza again. I like the taste of my pizza dough but I need to improve its shape and thickness.Since the pandemic, I’ve been watching Chef RV’s video and over a month ago I tried his pizza dough recipe. What I like about his recipe, you just need to mix everything and put them in the fridge overnight. So the following day, you can already make your own pizza. This is now my new favorite pizza dough recipe. My only mistake was, I did not put a lot of cheese but my two boys love it.

Every time I see new instant mix in S&R, I will always buy one so I can try it. I bought Duncan Hines Tres Leches few months ago but it was only last week that I finally bake it.


The box includes the mix for the batter and mix for the milk syrup. I just followed the directions. 

You need 3 eggs, 1/2 cup water for batter and 3 1/2 cup milk for milk syrup.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease sides and bottom of 13x9 pan. 
2. Blend cake mix, water and eggs in a large bowl at low speed until moistened. Pour batter into cake pan. 
3. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool in a pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Poke holes in cake with fork, 1/2 inch part. 
4. Blend contents from small packet and 3 1/2 cups milk in small bowl. 
5. Pour milk syrup over top of cake in pan slowly. 
6. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.


I left the cake overnight. The following morning, I can still see the milk on top of my cake. It was hard for me to slice the cake because of the milk syrup on top. It doesn’t look good. It seems that the 3 1/2 cup milk is too much for the cake. The cake is not just moist, it is super wet. Cake na may sabaw? 

Ang layo dun sa picture sa box

How I wish, I did not put make the milk syrup anymore so we can just eat the cake as is or slice the cake and just pour milk syrup before eating. My son said, it is like a cold pancake, if you know what he means. Pancake with sugar and milk.

It was not hit to my family, parang napipilitan na lang kainin para di sayang pera. Hehehe! I will not buy this instant mix again.

For the last two Singapore trips, I always booked a three-star hotel because I wanted budget accommodation. #traveltipidtips I can’t remember the name of the first hotel because it’s nine years ago already but it is located in Little India near Mustafa Mall, the taxi driver was not even familiar with the hotel so he asked for the hotel's number so he can ask for direction. We stayed at South East Asia Hotel two years ago, an old affordable hotel in Bugis. One train ride from Changi Airport. 

Read: South East Asia Hotel

With our recent trip, my husband booked the hotel for us so I was a bit excited because we’re going to stay in a five-star luxury hotel. Sheraton Towers Singapore is located in Scotts Road, 2 2-minute walk to Newton Interchange Train Station, 6 6-minute walk to Newton Food Centre and 10 minutes walk to Orchard Road. 


From Changi Airport, we just took a taxi on our way to the hotel. The staff immediately assisted us in getting our luggage from the taxi trunk to the lobby. I gave our passports to my husband and I checked the lobby. 

It was my birthday but I did not prepare any food because we were going to leave and I was preoccupied with chores. I need to finish the laundry para wala na maiiwan because I’m sure I have so many clothes to wash and iron after the trip.

I was busy checking and packing our stuff just to make sure that we would not forget anything. My husband put all the luggage in the car and off we went to the school to fetch our son in school. We went straight to the Park N Fly to park the car, I just brought extra clothes for my son so he would not travel in his school uniform. 

Travel Tax

At the airport, I went straight to the travel tax counter so I could pay for our travel tax (Ethan + Me). It is my habit to prepare the exact money so I was holding P2630 and I was surprised when the staff told me that I needed to pay P2430. Wow, I just read the news last July 26 that they are planning to remove or reduce the travel tax, may nagbago agad. There is no more P200 processing fee for RTT (Reduced Travel Tax). #changeiscoming 

Manila to Singapore via PAL 

Cafe France Lasagna. Handa ko! hehehe!