on the Go with Bo!

Screening the Singapore skyline from a rooftop terrace

It's Friday night and everyone needs a drink by now :-)

So where is one to go to get a spectacular setting, a great choice of cocktails and to feel a bit groovy?  The Screening Room.  Located on Ann Siang Road in Chinatown, this a wonderful bar to start off your evening.  Although you can also eat here and watch movies too, I've only come here for drinks.  The roof-terrace is modern and hip, and has a great view of the Chinatown rooftops in the vicinity and the Singapore Skyline right behind.

If you're heading to Chinatown for dinner, or to any another restaurant for that matter, this is the place to start off your evening.

Singapore Arts Festival

Singapore has been doing a lot lately to attract the arts.  A point in case is the Singapore Arts Festival that runs from May 23 - June 22.  I had seen the posters around town of a man in a bathing suit and bathing cap standing amidst lying bodies.  You should have seen my surprise when I read that the title of that particular dance was The Architecture of Silence and that it was performed by the Slovene National Theatres Opera and Ballet Maribor/Ljubljana.  From Slovenia.  My little country!!!  A small dot on the European landscape. Always confused with Slovakia!!

Any country that invites my national dance troupe has got to be high on my list :-)

Of course I had to go see the performance and it was outstanding.  I was totally impressed.

And that's how I found out about the Singapore Arts Festival.  Take a look at their program.  There are a lot of great performances scheduled, as well as free street performances.

Virtual tour of Singapore ... and a haircut?

Actually, the story starts with a haircut!

The other day I went for a hair-cut:  $10 in 10 minutes.  It's a chain of hair salons called EC House where you insert a $10 bill into a machine, you receive a ticket, then you wait in line till it's your turn ... and finally you get your hair cut.  All in 10 minutes!  If you're after a perfect cut with colouring, then I don't recommend you go here.  But if you just want a simple and quick haircut ... I swear by this place!

Anyhow, this story was not meant to be about the haircut.  But at these salons, while you're getting your hair cut, there is a screen in front of you playing movie previews and various ads.  And this is where I found out about this website.

www.singaporevr.com

You can get a virtual tour of many places around the island.  It's very well done and a good way to explore Singapore prior to coming here.  Or just to fulfill your curiosity.

And that's how a haircut and a virtual tour of Singapore are related!

My favourite food courts

Let's admit it ... Singapore and eating go hand-in-hand.

However, what you may be surprised about is that unlike in Europe, where no one eats in shopping malls, and in North America, where food courts are synonymous with fast food, the food courts in Singapore have excellent restaurants and choice of food.

Some of my favourites are:

> Food Republic in Wisma Atria, Suntec and Vivo City

These are what I call fancy hawker centres, which are located in shopping malls and are thus air-conditioned :-)  OK, OK ... it's cheating, I know ... and the location is not entirely authentic, but the food is just as good.  And the variety outstanding.

> Paragon on Orchard Road:  food court is in the basement and has some great Japanese and Chinese restaurants (Din Tai Fung is my favourite)

> Plaza Singapura on Orchard Road:  the food court is again in the basement.  Not as fancy as Paragon, but with great little eateries.  Try Sakae Teppanyaki for an open dining experience.