Tag: Singapore

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Singapore keepsakes 2018 in retrospect

Hi guys! Time for another blog.

Just to let you know, we pulled off an online Induction and Turnover Ceremony in just a week, and there are lessons in doing so. Now, I take my body off and look at my Google Photo albums. I have backups of my past travels from Baguio, Cebu and Singapore there.

Now that it is expected that travel will be much more costly in the New Normal, I would like to take the time to reminisce my travels prior to the start of the pandemic.

I have said before in my C3AFA Singapore 2018 Travelogue that if I won’t make it to the said event – which was marking its 10th year – I will regret it for the rest of my life.

I’m glad I made the decision to go.

Let me open the album of photos from my Singapore trip, as there are more stories beyond what I’ve told in the travelogue.

It’s best to fly as the sun rises to get the money shots

My flight to Singapore is around 5:30 in the morning, just in time for me to see the sun rise. I am reminded of our flag carrier’s memorable “Sunlight” ad with Kevyn Lettau singing to he tune of song of the same name.

As a central trading and transport hub in Southeast Asia, it’s not surprising that ships come and go into the country-state. This image shows just how many ships are in the sea as we approach the airport.

Going around

On this first trip, I am carrying a small luggage bag plus a backpack and a smaller bag. I’ve considered bringing a bigger luggage bag, which I did so when I went to Baguio. It sure is quite tedious to carry more bags.

There are a handful of moments at Suntec City, which includes seeing the “Big Picture” that the Exhibition Centre has, the first time I ate Kaya Toast, and that moment where I was asking for directions at the reception of the mall and then suddenly the receptionist asked me if I’m Filipino, then guide me to where I’m supposed to go.

I’ve seen videos of the AFA ticket queue through the post-event aftermath features online, so I’m not surprised when I saw it in person. This is coming from someone who have bought tickets in advance.

Digital TV roll-out in Singapore

By the time I arrived in Singapore, Digital TV has rolled out, and analog TV will end by December 30. The public information campaign has been aggressive – from train ads to channel notices and videos shared on social media.

In my personal opinion, Filipinos have yet to see this strategy be realized.

As far as I see it, the definition of Digital TV in the country has been almost dilapidated to pieces. We are not yet done explaining what Digital TV means to the grassroots so they can understand, and competition among broadcasters did not help.

As far as I see it, the masses’ focus for network loyalty has shifted into full overdrive as the then-dominant broadcaster got refused the privilege to operate its broadcast on terrestrial frequencies.

Despite all these, I still have the confidence that we can elevate its definition and intended purpose to the grassroots.

C3AFA Singapore 2018 moments

There are lots of things that I’ve mentioned in my C3AFA Singapore guide posted last year, but I’ll share more keepsakes for you.

Some photos here includes me, my friends and the rest of the community that I may or may not have known personally. Twitter is a home to a lot of eventers, and I’m glad to meet them in person.

I just feel that they are too powerful for me to get in touch with, so I settled with watching what they do and capture their moments.

I also took my time to pose with the standees so I can tell my mom that I am there. You don’t usually see me taking photos of myself.

Always capture the surroundings whenever, wherever you can

Singapore at day is great, but Singapore at night is fantastic. The city lights, the Marina Bay, the Jubilee and Helix Bridges which are great spots for cosplay photos, the Changi Airport…

I want to get back to all of it, stay a bit more, and get to the other unexplored areas as well. I haven’t seen the Sky Garden, or Universal Studios Singapore.

Whenever you can, wherever you are, capture the moment with your eyes first, and with your camera next.

That would be it for the photos from Singapore. Thanks for reading until the end. After the exhausting schedule, I plan to get back in action this month with new content. As always, keep yourselves safe.

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I want to go to C3AFA Singapore. What do I need to do?

keepsakes.’ guide on how to have your taste of the C3AFASG experience

Hi guys! I’ve just come a long way from Otakufest 2019 in Cebu — my photo album is up on Facebook, the latest podcast will feature a series of recordings from the Queen City of the South.

By this weekend I expect to use most of the footage I captured to create five videos that will be uploaded on both YouTube and Facebook.

Before I get to this (and that McDo Teriyaki Burger that’s sprawling on my news feed and making me hungry), let’s talk about C3AFA Singapore: They’ve announced the dates already — November 29 to December 1, 2019.

Do you want to go? Is it your first time to go? I have A LOT to say about my first-time experience visiting Singapore.

Although I didn’t get to Marina Bay Sands or Singapore’s Chinatown or Orchard Road or even Universal Studios Singapore (chances are you’d want to get there), I hope this guide of mine covers the basics.

(Of course, you get your passport ready.)

  • Have at least Php15,000 for your flight (surest rate since there’s seat sale in less than an hour from now). After you buy that plane ticket, plan out your itinerary as early as possible. I’ll tell you why in the succeeding pointers.
  • After getting your plane ticket, save up for the itinerary. Expect to spend an equivalent of Php1,500 to Php2,000 a day. (If you’re with BPI/BDO, they have currency exchange service, ask customer service to avail of this. If not, go to Makati and look for a currency exchange.)
  • As you get off from Changi Airport, you may see this Singapore Tourist Pass being sold at Changi Recommends. You can buy there if you want the discounts — else, go straight to the Changi Airport train station to get it. Since we’re talking about itinerary here, if you want to go to a lot (I mean A LOT) of destinations in Singapore, this is a recommended buy.
  • I’m the kind of a guy who doesn’t rely on Free WiFi, so I bought a travel SIM Card on Klook which I claimed at a Cheers convenience store inside the Changi Airport lobby. You can choose from either StarHub, M1 or SingTel on Klook — I chose M1.
  • Now, if you’re just in Singapore for C3AFA, look for a store that sells a NETS Flashpay prepaid card. I love using this a lot. This card is like a beep card, and it can be used for traveling via bus/trains to even buying food from 7-Eleven. KLOOK can deliver this for you in a week or so depending on your location.
  • Speaking of NETS Flashpay, you can top up (load) the card at the MRT Stations (at no additional charge), or at a nearby 7-Eleven (additional top-up charges apply).
  • This brings me to my point why you need to plan your itinerary: Budgeting. You can distribute your budget this way: NETS Flashpay for transport and 7-Eleven, cash for the hawkers and the shops.
  • There are some places that you can’t use NETS Flashpay prepaid cards, such as this Thai Supermarket inside Golden Mile Center. They only accept NETS Flashpay credit cards (this is another kind). That said, please keep some spare cash, maybe SGD10s or 20s.
  • Always go for trains if you have a specific destination in mind (For example, Suntec City’s at the Promenade MRT station). If you want to go on a wanderlust (or just want to get lost), ride the bus.
  • Speaking of buses, there’s a separate entry and exit point in each SMRT bus. Please tap your card on entry and exit. Also please familiarize yourself with how the country’s bus system works.
  • Since C3AFASG is held at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, you may want to look for a stay near that area. I stumbled upon Five Stones Hostel at Beach Road as I change my booking, and I set myself there in stone.
  • If you’re going for a shared room, it’s best to have someone you know with you. For example, Five Stones is where one of my friends stay; so I booked right away. Luckily for me and my friend, we saw each other in the same room!
  • This, setting aside the fact that there are others who will share the same room and take their rest. Of course, this can be a bit challenging, but if you’re there to sleep and not make unnecessary noises, no problem at all.
  • My stay has a common dining/watching/internet area at the ground floor which is great. Five Stones also has a paid breakfast add-on, meaning you can have your breakfast at their pantry with all the cereal and milk and bread and so.
  • Have a travel adapter with you. Singapore uses the three-pronged plug type G. In my case, we rented an adapter plug for SGD20.

The age of photos before eating is dead. Long live photos after eating.

  • Don’t be afraid to ask where is the nearest hawker in the area. My stay is a a walking distance away from the Golden Mile Food Center, where there’s this stall serving Hainanese Chicken Rice — and it’s so delicious that it got featured in the newspaper one time ago.
  • Also, the stall beside it serves delicious, freshly-squeezed cane juice. Spend maybe around SGD10 in three stalls and feel full afterwards.

The age of photos before eating is dead. Long live photos after eating.

  • Don’t leave Singapore without eating Hainanese Chicken Rice AND Ya Kun’s Kaya Toast. There’s a Ya Kun near my stay, and also at Suntec City so you can’t miss it. Klook previously has a listing for the Kaya Toast but I think they’re not available at the moment.
  • Speaking of not being afraid to ask, if you are lucky enough to ask directions at Suntec City’s information counters, you may be actually talking to a fellow Filipino. This was a great moment for me.
  • Please don’t get sick in Singapore — whether if that’s headache, or flu, don’t get sick. Drugstores like Guardian don’t sell medicines in tablets — they sell in blister packs, which is quite expensive for me; but then it’s Singapore.
  • If you do feel that you get exhausted, why not get freshly-squeezed orange juice straight out of the vending machines there for SGD2–SGD3. Drinking this helped me survive an exhausting day there.
  • Don’t blink — Singapore is so fast paced, I felt like 12:00 am is early for me. The sun sets at 7:00 pm or so, not the usual 6:00pm sunset in Manila. This amid the fact that both cities have the same time.

I remember shouting Rithe’s name during the C3AFA 10th year anniversary Red Carpet, aside from Tokumaru Oguri-san who leads WCS Inc. and the World Cosplay Summit.

  • Protip: C3AFASG has something in store for everyone — my photographer friends take cosplay photos at Suntec Singapore lobby and the Sky Garden, some went inside and met Rithe (who eventually became the other half of Team Singapore for World Cosplay Summit 2019), you can attend the concert as a regular or as a VIP.
  • For photographers, you can shorten “May I take a picture of you?” to “Photo can?” Can, meaning it’s possible/yes. From here on, we’ll start learning Singlish. (Also, bo jio can mean “ah, this one’s not inviting me” as far as I understood. Correct me if I’m wrong.)
  • Speaking of VIP, they have lotteries for guest artists that you can sign up for — if you’re lucky, you get a signed poster handed out to you on the spot. (In my case, I got a nano poster). Oh, another thing: Don’t be late for the concert or you’ll lose your seat even if you reserved it.
  • Suntec Singapore has water dispensers. Bring your water container with you.
  • Keep an eye out for 24-hour convenience stores that has automated bill/coin dispensers.

Still can’t go to C3AFASG after all of this laid out to you? Don’t fret, I’ll share to you my experience in a 40-minute full-length feature: