Saturday, December 31, 2016

Visiting the Future World at ArtScience Museum Singapore

It’s another day at Singapore immigration. A Sunday afternoon, when we line up with a bunch of other people, catching a flight out. My cousins, one of them is Andrew’s favorite uncle, dropped us off a few minutes earlier. We haven’t passed the border when Andrew asked: “when are we going back to Singapore?”

“Soon,” I replied. “When ArtScience Museum changes it exhibition.” Which by the time I wrote this entry, Big Bang Data had wrapped up and supposedly continues its journey somewhere else. So, it’s time for us to plan another Singapore trip.



The hand-shaped museum at one corner of Marina Bay Sands is the newest addition to our favorite dating place in Singapore. Its changing exhibitions, touch-and-feel as well as interactive sections always keep the children busy. It’s a museum alright, but a family friendly one. Something we’re always longing for on our weekend dates. Anyway, we arrived at theArtScience Museum on Friday noon, me and two tweens (Andrew and my cousin Audrey).

First we have to line up and it took us about 15 minutes to reach purchase the tickets. Ticket counter is now located at the basement (which is where Big Bang Data and The Future World also located) and the lobby has transformed into an exciting-looking cafĂ© we would try next time. I paid my tickets and the kids got in for free. It’s Family Friday at the museum, where up to 4 children younger than 12 can enter for free with a paying adult. So it’s a real bargain when you pay SGD 30 for 3 people (kids ticket alone costs about SGD 19 each) to explore all three exhibitions in the museum.

How to reach ArtScience Museum? Took the MRT to Bayfront Station, exit Marina Bay Sands and follow signs to the museum. There are buses too, just find one that stops at Marina Bay Sands.

The Future World is recommended by many, but the lady at the ticket counter said that the exhibition is timed and the next admission would be at 1PM. We’re roughly 50 minutes away, so we decided to turn left from the elevator and entered Big Bang Data.

Monday, December 26, 2016

The Best (Gyu)don Search: A Tale of Two Cities

“Gyudon is rice, with meat and half-cooked egg on top. It’s salty, well, it’s delicious.” ~Andrew
This past year, the” Gyudon” has become an important part of our life. The obsession with meat and raw/half-boiled egg yolk on top of a bowl of rice started with a family brunch at Sumire Yakitori House in Singapore. Located in Bugis, the Japanese restaurant was first discovered by Andrew’s uncle and aunt who reside in our favorite city-country. They stopped by there after church on Sundays and found the small restaurant delicious as well as homey. So there we were, trying out their menu.

Their most delicious dish is called Stamina Don, stir fry pork belly rice with homemade ginger sauce and raw egg yolk. On our second visit to the restaurant, Andrew ordered two bowls and finished them out in no time. Andrew, needless to say, fell in love with their don and upon returning to Indonesia looked for a similar flavor with no match so far. Maybe because it’s pork? But I’m the kind of person who doesn’t believe that a single ingredient can make that big of a difference. It has to be the whole combination.


Stamina Don of Sumire