Fort Canning Park & National Museum of Singapore: Where Nature Meets History, Art & Culture

Fort Canning Park is an iconic hilltop landmark in Singapore which has witnessed many of the island's historical milestones.

The park dates back to when Malay royalty once ruled in medieval times. Through time, it served as the Headquarters of the Far East Command Centre and British Army Barracks. The decision to surrender Singapore to the Japanese in 1942 was also made on the hill, in the Underground Far East Command Centre, commonly known as Battle Box. More recently, the park has turned into a venue for celebrations and plays host to exhibitions, concerts, theatre productions and festivals. Weddings, parties and gatherings are also a common sight at the park's expansive lawns.

The park was originally known as Bukit Larangan, or 'Forbidden Hill' in Malay as it was believed to be haunted. It was renamed Fort Canning in 1861 after Viscount Charles John Canning, the first Viceroy of India. 

Although small in terms of area, the hill has a long history intertwined with that of the city-state due to its location as the highest elevation within walking distance to the downtown city area. Today, the 18-hectare space surrounded by centuries old gateways and gazebos is a hotspot of attractions—from ancient artefacts for history buffs to manicured lawns for outdoor recreation and lush greenery for nature lovers. 

The charming boutique Hotel Fort Canning, is also situated within the premises.

Back in 2014, we stayed at Hotel Fort Canning as part of a babymoon staycation and spent a few days leisurely exploring the park. We hadn't been back since and it had always been on my list of places to visit with the kids. 

Fort Canning Park

A few months ago, I picked Fort Canning Park as a scootering venue for the girls followed by a visit to the National Museum of Singapore located nearby and finally a family lunch at Hotel Fort Canning to relive some fond memories.

After parking, one of the first sights we came across was the Gothic Gate. This archway serves as the entrance to Fort Canning Green and is marked with the letters “IHS” which translates to Iota Eta Sigma (the first three letters of the Greek word of Jesus).

There are enough sign posts and information boards so you can go about exploring the park in an organized manner. If you go with kids in tow, I encourage you to let them read for themselves and try to grasp the history of our Little Red Dot 😊

The ASEAN Sculpture Garden is the first garden that we encountered. There are 5 sculptures signifying different things that are put up for display in the garden.

We came across The Battle Box aka the Underground Far East Command Centre. During the Second World War, Lieutenant General Arthur Ernest Percival (Commander of British Forces) used the underground bunkers at Fort Canning as his commanding base.

I remember the 9-Pound Cannon from my previous visit to the park. Dating back to the 19th century, the cannon was said to be fired thrice daily to announce the hour; it was also fired to warn about town fires or even as a salute. The South Battery sits next to the cannon, and this is where the main gun battery was mounted to defend Singapore.

Fort Canning Park has wide open paths flanked by soothing greenery that makes it a great location for scootering, cycling, walking or running. 

Recipe of the month: Mexican Salad

It's high time for a salad recipe methinks 😁

You all know what goes on during the year-end holidays right? You take off from work, go places, meet friends and family, cook up a storm, eat out at fancy places and in general, indulge in merriment without a care in the world. Self-control goes for a toss and you may find yourself stuffing your face at any time of the day or night with yummy goodies, partaking in a bit more alcohol than usual (mulled wine anyone?) and enjoying one too many buffets. The overeating combined with lethargy for a span of a month or maybe even two indeed makes a difference. December-Jan is when the numbers on the weighing scale increase sharply, prompting all kinds of frantic New Year resolutions regarding health and fitness 😂 That is definitely what happens to me!

So, I'm bringing you a delicious and satisfying salad recipe just in time for the holidays so that in addition to the unspeakable amount of carbs you are invariably going to consume, you remember to get your nutrients, fiber and protein. This Mexican salad would be a wonderful addition on your Christmas or New Year dinner party table. 

I have made this grain-free salad multiple times and it always is well received. I usually make it as a side salad with a Mexican meal or as a side to go with burgers, pizza or sandwiches. It doesn't have too many ingredients and is very simple to put together. I make two variations of the same salad (which I have mentioned in the recipe below). Try both and decide for yourself which one you like better. Also, do check out the notes section at the bottom of the recipe for more tips. 

Here's sincerely hoping to bring you more salad recipes in 2023. Happy holidays 💗

Christmas Special: Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Hello December! I'm so glad you are here 🎄🎅 Typically, I can't wait to get out of Singapore as soon as December rolls around. But this year, I'm happy and content to be right where I am 😊

I can't tell you how long I've been wanting to make gingerbread cookies for Christmas. It has been one of things on my to-do list ever since I can remember. This year, I have finally managed to tick it off. And in the spirit of celebrating gender equality, I haven't just made gingerbread men but gingerbread women as well so I'm going to collectively term them 'gingerbread folk' 😄

My husband and I both love ginger as a spice. We like gingersnaps and tend to buy them whenever we spot them at grocery stores. And my love of cinnamon has already been extensively documented on the blog. So making gingerbread cookies was a no-brainer really. The key ingredient for these cookies is the dark molasses which is a byproduct of making sugar. This mildly sweet sticky syrup with a distinct flavor is what gives the gingerbread cookies their signature color, taste and texture. 

I' pretty sure I have mentioned this on my blog before but I'm reiterating just for the benefit of those who may not know. I generally don't prefer hard and crispy cookies. My kind of cookies are the soft and chewy variety. So that is exactly the kind of recipe I set out looking for. I found one and I felt like it would turn out the way I wanted it to. 

As I was baking these cookies, our home was filled with such amazing smells. Christmas was literally in the air! Even the girls who were busy playing in their room behind a closed door came out to the kitchen following the scent and asked "what smells so good in here?" 😄 The cookies were perfumed with a medley of warming spices, slightly crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside and had the right amount of sweetness (for us). I used a royal icing mix for decorating the cookies which made things easier. I'm not very good at piping or frosting in general but I was pleased with the outcome. 

Decorating these cookies is a really fun holiday activity you can do with the little ones. Our daughters really enjoyed decorating and then devouring their own cookies. From this recipe, I made only one batch of cookies. I've stashed the dough for the second batch in the freezer. The girls have made me solemnly swear that I'll let them decorate some more gingerbread cookies when I make the next batch 😊

We got our Christmas tree and decorations up a week ago, we've wrapped the presents, I've soaked the fruits for my annual Christmas cake and one batch of gingerbread cookies has been made and distributed. We are looking forward to catching up with friends and loved ones, cooking a lot of yummy food and having an enjoyable holiday season 😊

If you are looking for some holiday baking inspiration and haven't tried making these gingerbread cookies yet then give it a go. If you have children, get them involved and watch their little faces light up in glee!

Whether you are staying home this year or travelling overseas, I wish you and yours a joyous holiday season. 

Take care, be merry and stay safe 💗

Book review: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees is a historical fiction novel by American author Sue Monk Kidd. 

An angsty white teenager with a tragic backstory learns about self-acceptance and forgiveness with the aid of a feisty group of black women and unlikely members of the natural world. 

The Secret Life of Bees was originally published in 2001. The novel has since sold more than eight million copies worldwide and has been translated into 36 languages. It also stayed on the New York Times best seller list for two and a half years. It won the 2004 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards (Paperback), and was nominated for the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction.

The novel was adapted into a 2008 award-winning film of the same name directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood starring Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, and Paul Bettany. 

***Plot***
The year is 1964, a time in the US history that marked a breakthrough for the civil rights movement. The place is racially-charged South Carolina where tensions between whites and blacks are simmering. 

14-year old Lily Owens witnesses her black maid, Rosaleen, experience horrific racist abuse for a trivial altercation. She impulsively breaks Rosaleen out of jail and flees her troubled childhood home to get away from her emotionally distant and often abusive father. 

Going only by an old and mystifying photograph belonging to her deceased mother, she lands on the doorstep of the Boatwright sisters in Tiburon, South Carolina. The three unmarried black sisters named after certain months of the year live in a pink house on a large bee farm and make a living selling honey. An inherited statue of a black Mary is at the crux of the sisters religious and spiritual beliefs. It stands as an eternal symbol of hope, strength and freedom for the oppressed. 

Lily is accepted an as apprentice beekeeper and Rosaleen as a housekeeper by the eccentric Boatwright trio. They temporarily move in with the sisters. Lily is anxious to uncover the secret of her mother’s history and connect the dots that will reveal if her intuition that originally brought her to the Boatwright family was right. 

Lily needs to come to terms with her past, overcome her regrets and learn how to forgive in order to find peace and start living again. 

A Walk in the (Jurassic) Park: Jurassic Mile, Singapore

Today's blog post is from a family outing that we went on MONTHS ago. It was my intention to post it soon after but that clearly didn't happen 😬 From a personal perspective, I'd say the theme of 2022 seems to be - so much to do and so little time! 

Despite not traveling a whole lot in the past few years, we visit Changi airport very often 😄 It is actually one of our favourite hang out spots because all our shopping needs are met under one roof and it houses several of our go-to restaurants (Shake Shack, A&W, Tonito and Sankranti). Not to mention, the kids love visiting the Jewel Rain Vortex and Canopy Park. 

Living in the West, it is a relatively long drive for us but we don't mind it because we invariably have a good time. 

Jurassic Mile is Singapore’s new(ish) and largest permanent outdoor display of life-sized dinosaurs located along a section of the recently opened Changi Airport Connector, a 3.5km cycling and jogging path that links Changi Airport to East Coast Park and the Park Connector Network. 

Now, let me tell you that our children aren't what you would term 'dinophiles'. They have watched Jurassic Park a few times, have flipped through a couple of children's books on dinosaurs and can identify the easily recognizable (popular) dinosaurs such as T-rex, Velociraptors, Triceratops, Stegosaurus and Brachiosaurus but that's just about it. We took them to Jurassic Mile mainly as a learning experience with the hope of getting them more interested in dinosaurs and the field of palaeontology. 

At Jurassic Mile, more than 20 different prehistoric creatures from nine different species stretch over a 1-kilometre of the cycling and jogging path. Expect to see carnivorous and herbivorous species, defensive dinosaurs, as well as those that fly. The tallest dinosaur stands at almost 5 meters high. 

We started our morning by visiting Changi Beach Park for a spot of exercise on a blisteringly hot Saturday. We quickly realized that the weather was hardly conducive for exercise (we had no plans of suffering a heat stroke!) so we didn't stick around for long. 

We drove to Changi airport Terminal 4 and parked there. From the parking lot, it is a short walk to Jurassic Mile. Fortunately for us, there were not many people so we were able to take a good look around. 

The starting point of the Jurassic Mile is this red Pterodactyl. 

The path is somewhat narrow and certain stretches of it are lined with dino prints. Cute right?

The first exhibit we came across was the Triceratops. This dinosaur had a parrot-like beak and huge frill at the back of its head. It combined a gentle, plant-eating disposition with three fearsome-looking horns that were probably used both in courtship and keeping hungry tyrannosaurs and raptors at bay.

In addition to a metal fence there is also a net covered roof (to prevent any nasty golf ball incidents) so the pictures unfortunately will look like this. I did however manage to get a few shots by positioning the camera in between the metal bars. Keep in mind that drones are not allowed. 

The baby Triceratops is a new addition.

Ankylosaurus was a heavily armoured dinosaur covered with thick and bony plates that were fused to its skull and other body parts. With a club-like bone at the tip of its tail, the Ankylosaurus could damage any attacking predator by swinging it.

And yes, I realize in hindsight that I have not managed to capture the tail which is an important feature of this dinosaur 😛

Restaurant review: Podi & Poriyal, Singapore

I've been MIA for a short while because my social calendar in the first half of November was all over the place. It is only this weekend that I've managed to find my bearings and the first thing on my agenda is getting back to blogging 😁 I am bringing you a restaurant review today. 

I had been hearing about Podi & Poriyal for a very long time mainly via social media. You know the only area where I have FOMO is when it comes to restaurants that generate buzz. So predictable no? 😆 I was able to finally check out the restaurant for myself a few months ago with my family. 

Nestled in the heart of Little India, Podi & Poriyal is an offering from Arpanam Pte Ltd, a social enterprise, started by the Nadathur Family in Singapore. Arpanam aims to provide enriching experiences that celebrate Indian culture, art, traditions and customs. 

The restaurant is housed in a pre-war heritage building with a brick facade diagonally opposite to the Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple in Little India. The location is relatively less crowded and quieter compared to the eateries located closer to Mustafa Centre and the Little India Arcade. 

Both al fresco and indoor dining options are available. The muggy weather compelled us to retreat to the cool comfort of the restaurant. 

On entering the warm and inviting space, you feel transported to an upscale family-run eatery in a small South-Indian town. Even though the size of the space is small, it is clean and tastefully done. I loved the tall wooden pillars at the entrance representative of traditional Chettinad architecture, the feature wall made up of kitchen tools and utensils from a bygone era, the vibrant wallpaper and the different varieties of exterior + interior patterned floor tiles. The walnut-hued wood accents, interesting ethnic elements and sober earthy colors lend a calming vibe to the space. 

All the decor elements including the light fixtures, fabric blinds, upholstery fabrics, curated contemporary art and framed photographs of yesteryears add to the cultural appeal of the restaurant. 

For the unversed, 'Podi' refers to a spice blend in Southern India, one that is sprinkled on food to spike the flavor profile of a dish. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadi use the term 'Podi' whereas in Karnataka the equivalent term is 'Pudi'. On the other hand, 'Poṟiyal' is a Tamil word for any fried, or sometimes sautéed, vegetable dish (in Kannada the same thing is called 'Palya'). It is usually made by shallow frying shredded or diced vegetables and greens along with spices. 

Podi & Poriyal offers diners a menu of wholesome South Indian vegetarian fare. Re-establishing long forgotten South Indian recipes is at the heart of this restaurant. The menu changes constantly, is carefully crafted and offers an assortment of homely meals and snacks. Also, the restaurant highlights different types of food depending on the time of day. Set meals and regional snacks are offered during lunchtime and evening respectively. Eclectic cocktails and bar snacks are available in the evening. My husband and I need to return to check it out 😁

At the heart of the kitchen at Podi & Poriyal is Jamuna paati who draws inspiration from the recipes of her own childhood and reflects fresh, nutritious food. Her meticulously planned menu includes healthy alternatives to rice, with fresh seasonal vegetables cooked in authentic South Indian spices which are a treat for the senses. The restaurant kitchen steers away from using artificial colours, preservatives, MSG, or the use of aluminum vessels. All dishes are geared towards wellness, freshly prepared with no microwaving involved. Healthier substitutes such as rock salt, coconut sugar, raw sugar and jaggery are used in their preparations. Also worth noting is that Podi & Poriyal is a low-gluten restaurant with several of their dishes being gluten-free. Also, there are dishes that are indicated as vegan.

Family Holiday to Bali, Gili Island and Lombok

After ages, I'm so glad to finally bring you a travel-related post. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, travel had been out of the picture for so long that I had forgotten what it even felt like. 

We recently went on a one-week island hopping trip to Bali, Gili Islands and Lombok of the Indonesian archipelago. It was a much-needed break for all of us plus a chance to get away from the perpetually gloomy/rainy weather in Singapore that had started to get depressing. 

We have been to Bali twice before (if interested you can check out the first blog post here and the second one here) but we love the Island of the Gods so much that we could go there again and again. This time we decided to combine Bali with some of the nearby islands. 

This post is going to be less wordy (by my standards) and more photo-heavy. What with a picture being worth a thousand words and all 😄

Since we had already explored Bali in the past, our original plan was to fly to Bali from Singapore and just spend a few hours there before taking a fast boat on the same day to Gili Islands. 

Our flight from Singapore was very early in the morning for which we woke up hours before the crack of dawn and drove to the airport yawning and bleary-eyed. But unfortunately for us, we happened to fly Scoot (which I'm sorry to say is a dreadful airline) and our short flight to Bali was delayed by more than two hours which made us narrowly miss the fast boat to Gili Islands that we had pre-booked, not to mention the check-in at the resort on Gili Air which had also been booked in advance. Needless to say, I was pretty miffed about the whole thing. The husband on the other hand was typically unfazed (I find that mildly annoying 😆). 

Landing in Bali itself appeared to be a riveting development for our children so while they started playing some arcane game at the airport, we sat down together and mulled what to do about our situation. We found out that there were no other fast boats to Gili Islands on that day so we made the decision to stay in Bali and travel to Gili Islands the next day. First we contacted the fast boat operator who was very obliging and immediately offered us a refund on our booking. We then contacted the resort on Gili Air who was also understanding of our situation and considerately waived off our room charge for the first day. After that, we scrolled through TripAdvisor and booked a resort that was closest to the fast boat harbor and then booked a fast boat to Gili Islands the next day afternoon. Having solved the issues arising from the flight delay, we promptly booked a taxi to our resort in Bali and were on our way. 

Bloo Lagoon Eco Village is an eco-resort that overlooks the ocean above Padangbai in East Bali. Padangbai is a busy port where most people take the ferry to/from Lombok and onwards to the Gilis, Komodo Islands and Flores. The property is located around 55 km away from the Ngurah Rai – Bali International Airport. It took us around 1.5 hours to get there but the drive was scenic so we enjoyed it. The girls were refreshed by a nap in the flight and were completely preoccupied counting the number of animals they spotted - stray dogs, cows, chickens, goats among others. They were also fascinated by the lush natural landscape and the lack of skyscrapers that they are so used to seeing in Singapore. 

When we go on holidays, we usually do considerable research before booking our stay. Since this was an unexpected and a complete on the spur of the moment booking, we had done none of that. But fortunately for us, on reaching the property we realized we had made a good choice. 

Bloo Lagoon is a great place to get in touch with the East Balinese culture via sustainable tourism. Each of the 25 imaginative, distinctive and elegantly designed villas which make up this hill top resort enjoy panoramic views over Blue Lagoon Bay and Mount Agung. 

Bloo Lagoon is an alternative for those travelers who treasure contact with nature and wish to live in harmony with it. It is an ecosystem that attracts birds, butterflies, frogs, geckos, and plants. Occasionally monkeys and monitor lizards can be spotted. Having stayed at eco-resorts in Bali before, we knew exactly what to expect and were even looking forward to it. 

We had booked two connecting villas suitable for families and it couldn't have been more perfect. We had comfortable, clean and tastefully done rooms keeping environmental sustainability in mind with breathtaking panoramic ocean views. 

Just look at this view 😍