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We all missed being able to travel during the dark and uncertain days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when Vaccinated Travel Lanes were introduced, few of us were interested. After all, undergoing numerous PCR tests is uncomfortable and being subject to quarantines, especially if you catch COVID, is hardly how anyone wants to spend their holiday. So, a lot of folks became 'tourists in their own country'. And staycations, or staycays for short, became popular. Being cooped up in one's home for too long does that to people. But now that we can freely travel without needing PCR tests and quarantines (and face masks for that matter), some have opined that staycays are no longer relevant. I, however, think otherwise. Here are five reasons why. Photo: Paolo Nicolello, Unsplash 1. It's less of a hassle compared to going overseas. Planning an overseas holiday is complicated. You need to book flights, consider where you'll be staying and figure out an itinerary. That means you'll have to do research (Google and YouTube) to come up with a list of places and activities to do at your destination. This also results in having to figure out the logistics and transportation that go along with said activities. How difficult this will be is subjective. But some form of planning is required. In comparison, a staycay only requires me to plan when to take leave and check out the room rates for the hotel my wife and I wish to stay in. Then, we just pack light. There is no need to wake up early or stay up late to catch a flight. Flying off to another country is fun, but it requires planning, time and effort 2. Forgot something? No worries. One of the advantages of staycationing is convenience - you don't have to go or look far to find say, toiletries or swimwear. There's also no need to exchange currency (or worry about exchange rates and which money changer to go to). I don't have to subscribe to a roaming service either. One thing that worries me before my wife and I fly overseas is whether we've left anything charging. If we're on a staycation, we wouldn't be concerned because hey, if needed, we can return home to check. Not having to worry about such things is why staycations can be more stress-free compared to a holiday overseas. You can still eat well in Singapore - just go to your usual haunts while on a staycation 3. There might be food issues. Trying new food is one of the biggest reasons for exploring other countries. You can really get to know another country's culture by keeping an open mind and sampling their local fare. However, not all of us are fortunate enough to have travel companions with the same mindset. If your family members are the type who 'can only eat local food' or worse, only want to patronise restaurants from global F&B chains, holidaying overseas is probably inconvenient for you. But if you're on a staycation, then your less adventurous family members should have less to complain about, which might result in less stress for you as well. Hotels like Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore can make you feel like you're in an overseas resort, even if you haven't left the country 4. Consider medical concerns. Not everyone is blessed with good health, even for those who work out regularly and watch their diet. Sometimes, genetics just gets the better of you. If you have family members that can't travel due to underlying medical concerns, a staycation is a good alternative. Frankly, being able to find a hotel that gives you the feeling that you're not in Singapore is not easy. But perhaps a getaway to Sentosa (which is not on the 'mainland') might suffice. Although you'd still be in Singapore, staying at a hotel means not having to clean your room or worry about running the air-con 24/7. Not having to think about chores is a stress-reliever, which is what holidays are about. 5. Staycations generally cost less. A three-night stay at a local hotel (provided you haven't booked the Presidential Suite and aren't eating all your meals there) can be cheaper than a six-day holiday overseas, so when I feel like I need a quick break from work, a staycation really does the trick. Well-meaning colleagues always mention that part of the hotel budget could have been used for air tickets. Or that we should have redeemed our miles instead. But these suggestions overlook the fact that going overseas entails other costs as well. These include currency exchange, your hotel, food, and pocket money for shopping. When we're overseas, there's a tendency to want to eat more food and buy more stuff because you might not find the same things back home.

Siala, SQ price all time high now this is the only way the food delivery rider can fly. What happened? A food delivery rider on Tanjong Rhu Road had a nasty accident while trying to make a right turn, as he was obscured by another car from the view of an approaching taxi, leading to a T-bone collision. The food delivery rider was going to enter what seems to be a condominium when a yellow taxi appears out of nowhere and slams into the bike. The rider was sent flying off the bike, its parts flying across the road while he landed headfirst on his helmet. That helmet probably saved his life, as we see him get up soon after the crash. Bro said nothing would stop him from delivering the food: I hope whoever he delivers to gives him a big tip. Online chatter People are saying it’s the rider’s fault due to not checking his own blind spot. In my opinion, that’s fair enough since they’re already cutting across many lanes and would be blocked by the grey car. The taxi shouldn’t have all the blame since they don’t seem to be speeding and clearly made an attempt to stop. ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

Affordable flying drones. These are simple versions. The expensive ones range from a thousand of dollars upwards and comes with on-board full HD recording camera for aerial viewing. Will be playing and experimenting with them soon.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Japan-drone-maker-s-flying-motorcycle-to-hit-the-skies-next-year?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20211026190000&seq_num=17&si=44594 Japan drone maker's flying motorcycle to hit the skies next year A.L.I. Technologies starts taking orders for $682,000 Xturismo The Xturismo is the first 'hoverbike' to make its debut in Japan. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) ERI SUGIURA, Nikkei staff writerOctober 26, 2021 16:16 JST OYAMA, Japan -- On a nearly empty racetrack in the foothills of Mt. Fuji, a Tokyo-based drone startup unveiled its vision for the future of transport: a flying motorcycle able to hit speeds of up to 100kph. In a scene straight out of a sci-fi film, the driver fired up the Xturismo, which rose several meters off the ground and cruised along the track for about a minute and a half. Reporters and guests -- all wearing earplugs against the deafening noise -- looked on. Developed by A.L.I. Technologies, the "hoverbike," as the company describes it, weighs 300 kg and is capable of carrying a single rider. According to the company, it can travel at its top speed for up to 40 minutes. A.L.I., which is backed by Kyocera and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital, started taking orders for the bike the same day it was unveiled and plans to deliver the limited-edition run of 200 vehicles to customers by the first half of next year. The price is set at 77.7 million yen ($682,000). Powered primarily by an internal combustion engine, Xturismo relies on two main propellers to stay aloft. The bike is equipped with the same altitude control technology A.L.I. uses in its drone products, allowing it to glide smoothly through the air. "We would like to propose a new lifestyle with this floating vehicle," CEO Daisuke Katano said at the unveiling ceremony. In addition to leisure, the bike could also be used to help rescue people from accidents on the water, said a member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party who attended the ceremony. A.L.I.'s four-year achievement comes as the race to sell flying motorcycles heats up around the world. U.S.-based JetPack Aviation recently said it had succeeded in a flight test of a prototype of the Speeder, reportedly setting itself on course for a launch as early as 2023. Pre-orders start at $380,000. French startup Lazareth is also developing a flying motorcycle. 'We would like to propose a new lifestyle with this floating vehicle,' said Daisuke Katano, A.L.I. Technologies chief executive. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) Investment has been pouring into flying cars, with Toyota Motor investing 43 billion yen in U.S.-based Jobby Aviation in January 2020. HT Aero, a flying car startup backed by Chinese electric vehicle company Xpeng, said last week it has raised over $500 million in its latest funding round. Honda Motor revealed last month that it has been developing a flying car as a part of its 5 trillion yen research and development over the next six years.

Remember the time when a video of an LTA enforcement officer that stopped an offending PMD rider by giving the rider a good kick, causing the offender to fall off his PMD? Now, something similar is going viral in Malaysia. According to The Star, the incident happened in Sibu, a town in Sarawak, Malaysia where two police officers were conducting a spot check at Jalan Temple around noon. A motorcyclist that was approaching the road block decided to turn around to avoid them but failed to do so when one of the officers acted quickly by giving the biker a martial art-style kick. In the report, Sibu OCPD Asst Comm Stanley Jonathan Ringgit explained that the offender works at the a hotel nearby and has several offences to his name. Other than not having a driving license and having a modified bike, its road tax has also expired and it was not covered under any insurance too. 46687388_923477234821643_832602979362855331_n.mp4

Redzuan: Malaysia's first-ever flying car to be revealed this year KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Malaysia's first-ever flying car – driven by local technology – is expected to be unveiled this year, says Datuk Seri Redzuan Md Yusof (pic). The Entrepreneur Development Minister said a prototype of the car already exists. "This year is a realistic target because we have the technology. It is all about the speed of implementation," he told reporters after launching the Growth Malaysia initiative here on Tuesday (Feb 26). He said the car would be safe and capable of flying at low altitude at a reasonable speed. "Investment to build the prototype was slightly over RM1mil," he said. Mohd Redzuan said the flying car project is a way for the government to create an environment that stimulates people to think about new technology. "We are providing the catalyst and ecosystem to stimulate the people to think beyond what we do today," he said. He said the project is also to utilise the country's capabilities in the aerospace, drone, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and automotive sectors. "Malaysia has the skill set to excel in the field of aerospace, drone, UAV and the national car. We need to use our skill set because the bottom line is we want to be a producing nation," he said. However, he said the project is separate from the third national car project envisioned by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. On Growth Malaysia, he said the initiative is led by online to offline platform operator Fave to help Malaysian offline retailers to go digital in terms of payments, marketing, data and financial services. Fave founder Joel Neoh said the initiative aims to help 100,000 restaurants across Malaysia to grow digitally by 2020. He said collaborators for the initiative included Grab Malaysia, Maybank, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, Funding Societies and Productivity Nexus for Retail and Food and Beverages. – Bernama

and this

Got back recently from a most interesting trip to Xi'An China. This was a couple trip (left our kids at home, they got school lah), and also a belated birthday celebration for dear Wife. We wanted to try something different, so we decided to go to Xi'An, the historic capital of China, to take a look. Based on our research, there was so much to see. Didn't want to Scoot to Xi'An Yes, I know that Scoot flew direct to Xi'An. But, hey, birthday celebration - so can spend a bit more lah. We ended up flying to Xi-An on China Eastern, in Business class. China Eastern flies through Shanghai, so the schedule was: 1. 17 May MU 566 - dep Singapore 2310, arr Shanghai 0440 2. 18 May MU 2335 - dep Shanghai 0645, arr Xi'An 0930 This flight turned out to be an adventure in its own right! When we got to the airport on 17 May evening, there were long lines at the check-in. At first I thought the Economy check in was just slow, but something wasn't quite right because the line wasn't moving at all! We headed to the Priority Check in, only to be told that our flight was re-timed to next morning 0800hrs! DUH! Apparently the Shanghai Airport unilaterally did the re-timing, due to some bad weather over Guangzhou. What to do? Either we waited at the airport and let them put us up at a hotel, or we go home. Counter staff told us that there were more than 500 pax that were due to fly (because 2 flights were re-timed), and if we wanted the hotel option, we had to wait for the bus to come, and the hotel was somewhere downtown (i.e. not airport hotel). So we decided to take a taxi home so that we could have a proper sleep, and come back to the airport early tomorrow morning (i.e. before 6AM). We got to the airport before 6AM the next morning. We knew we had to change our connecting flight. We would have missed MU 2335 (dep Shanghai at 0645hrs). So the China Eastern counter staff changed our flight to MU 2162, dep Shanghai at 1730hrs. Based on our re-timed MU566, we would have landed in Shanghai around 1300hrs. So a 1730hrs flight was the next available fight out. At least we got seats. So we felt relieved. They issued our boarding passes (for both legs) and checked our luggage through. Ok, it was time to go to the lounge at Terminal 3 to relax. China Eastern uses the SATS Premier Lounge at Terminal 3. With our lounge invites issued by check in counter, we got in. It was very busy that morning! Even the China Eastern cockpit crews were there having their breakfast. Fortunately we could find some seats, but the staff were slow in clearing up used cutlery, making the place look very messy, as the video below shows. Well. the mess didn't bother me too much. I got some breakfast, including meat congee, laksa, noodles, otah-otah. Soon, it was time to board, and we made our way to the gates, which was a rather long walk at the end of the Terminal. When we got into the gates, I noticed that the cabin crew were still at the gates. Was the aircraft even here? Well there was no aircraft at the gate! Oh no, no plane, no need to go to Shanghai! Well, fortunately, the plane arrived shortly thereafter, being towed in. Managed to take this video clip. I think the plane was parked at a remote stand overnight, that's why they had to tow the plane to the gate. Travel Insurance Documentation Oh, before I forget, we had bought travel insurance for our trip. So we would be able to claim something from the insurance policy due to such a lenghty delay, but important to get an official letter from the Airline to prove that the flight was delayed. We asked at the check-in counter, and they told us to get the letter at the boarding gate. We asked again at the boarding gate, and indeed they gave us 2 copies of the letter. My point is that if you don't ask, you won't get anything. This is what the letter looked like. Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner Thrilled to see that the plane was one of their very new Boeing 787-900 aircraft! We were in for a treat because this model of aircraft carried their latest Cabin products, which you will see later. Boarding commenced shortly and a wonderful sight greeted us when we boarded the Business class cabin. It was gorgeous and very classy indeed! I was seated in 8L and my wife in front of me in 7L. Flight Experience on China Eastern Business Class The flight experience was very nice. We ended up taking off at around 9AM (instead of 8AM). All the seats could turn into a flat bed at a push of a button. Even though the flight to Shanghai was not long (under 5 hours), I had time to take a short nap. My wife told me she watched movies throughout as there was some Chinese show that she liked. They didn't have menus at the seats. Rather, the stewardess comes around to take your orders for the meal after takeoff. In that process, she showed me the menu. I made a flight review video, and I hope you enjoy watching. When we arrived in Shanghai, we had an aero-bridge and walked straight into the Terminal. After the earlier fight re-timing, we were expecting any more surprises, but a bigger challenge was to come! Stay tuned for more...

Any lucky chaps here? heard that it'll arrive at changi tomorrow

Hi all, want to bring my kids kite flying this weekend... where's a good place??

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/entertainment/gold-90-5fm-s-the-flying/1557394.html?cid=FBSG Mark van Cuylenburg, better known as The Flying Dutchman, shared this with listeners Tuesday morning, saying that he was going to be pursuing his own interests. His last show will be on Wednesday. SINGAPORE: After 18 years of charming listeners with his voice, GOLD 90.5FM host The Flying Dutchman (FD) will be leaving MediaCorp. FD, whose real name is Mark van Cuylenburg, shared this with listeners Tuesday morning (Dec 30), saying that he was going to be pursuing his own interests such as travelling with his wife. It's been an incredible 18 years but life is about evolving, its about change and change has to be embraced. It's very exciting," said Mr van Cuylenburg, who will be signing off from the show on Wednesday. FD started his career with the then Radio Corporation Singapore in December 1996 and had spent 17 years hosting Class 95FMs The Morning Express and over a year hosting GOLD 90.5FMs The Gold Breakfast Show. Said Ms Erina Cook, Assistant Vice President of Gold 90.5FM, Radio, MediaCorp: Ive had the pleasure of working with Mark since he joined Class 95FM in 1996. He has connected well with listeners and he willingly shares his experiences and ideas with colleagues. I wish him a good break. Vernetta Lopez will continue hosting The Gold Breakfast Show, said Ms Cook.

http://dereklow.co/what-its-like-to-fly-the-23000-singapore-airlines-suites-class/ nicely written

75K per annum considered high flying banker in London? market must be really really bad sia.... that's barely a bank teller/counter wiper pay in MCF. LOL but to be able to give up everything and live in the wild is really amazing... i doubt i could even last a week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yn2uyQJ1jc

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/11/tech/innovation/flying-aircraft-carrier/ quick, still got 10 days to submit your proposal.

小林飞刀！！ really salute these old man, 65 years old and 80 years old can still have so much energy to fight why would they want to send a 80 years old to jail?

America's Cup, the worlds oldest sporting trophy between nations, started on the weekend. Shown on Fox Sports. The racing is fast and intense, but the boats are just down right amazing. Averaging 35+ knots (or 65km/h) around the course. The pictures speak for themselves...

Anyone flew etihad b4? Good or not?

Not fresh from the oven but nevertheless still intriguing. Hate traffic jam? The ultimate freedom, as the company put it.

Really unbelievable that some air forces are still flying this dubbed "Flying Coffin" due to its extremely high accident rate records Guess this Russky-built 60s-era fighter, NATO codenamed Fishbed, still got its fans not out of fancy but out of necessity... From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp...1209074/1/.html Syrian fighter pilot defects in new blow to Assad Posted: 21 June 2012 1950 hrs DAMASCUS: A Syrian pilot was granted political asylum after landing his MiG fighter jet in neighbouring Jordan on Thursday, in the first such defection of a revolt a watchdog says has killed more than 15,000 people. "The council of ministers has decided to grant the pilot, Colonel Hassan Merei al-Hamade, political asylum," Jordanian Information Minister Samih Maaytah told AFP after a government official said the Russian MiG-21 had made an emergency landing at a base in Mafraq near the border. Syria's state television said the warplane was flying near the border when contact was lost at 0734 GMT, and Jordan said it crossed the frontier minutes later. The opposition Syrian National Council said: "The plane took off at high speed and flew at low altitude from a military base between Daraa and Sweida in the south of the country... to avoid detection by radar." "The pilot is from Deir Ezzor (in eastern Syria) and his family is known for its opposition" to President Bashar al-Assad's regime, spokesman George Sabra added. Tens of thousands of soldiers have defected from Syria's armed forces since the revolt against Assad's rule erupted in March last year, thousands of them joining the rebel Free Syrian Army, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. More than 120,000 Syrians fleeing the violence in their homeland have taken refuge in Jordan, according to the Amman government. The United Nations has registered 20,000 of them. Diplomats, meanwhile, stepped up efforts to stem the bloodshed, with Arab states demanding that Russia stop supplying arms to Syria and the United States and Britain reportedly working on a transition plan. "Any assistance to violence must be ceased because when you supply military equipment, you help kill people. This must stop," Arab League deputy chief Ahmed Ben Hilli told the Interfax news agency. Ben Hilli also called for the mandate of United Nations and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to be revamped, and for Iran's inclusion in talks on ending the conflict. "To make (the Annan) plan work, we need to find a new mechanism and the mandate of the special envoy must be reassessed, so we can be sure that all the sides are observing the plan," he said without elaborating. UN chief Ban Ki-moon discussed the situation in Syria with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday on the sidelines of an international conference in Rio de Janeiro, a spokesman said. The diplomatic flurry came as British newspaper The Guardian reported that Washington and London were working on an initiative for regime change in Damascus based on Annan's UN-backed plan that calls for a "Syrian-led political transition." But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said any peace plan for Syria that calls for Assad to leave power and go into exile would not work because he would not quit. "A scheme according to which President Assad should leave somewhere before something happens in terms of a cessation of violence and a political process, this scheme simply does not work from the very start," Lavrov said. "It is infeasible because he will not leave." Lavrov, whose country remains in close contact with Assad's government, indicated that the Syrian leader was not ready to negotiate his removal from power because he was convinced he still enjoyed popular support. "I do not think Assad will be sitting down at the negotiating table," said Lavrov, pointing to the results of a widely criticised May 7 parliamentary election which he said showed a majority still backed the Syrian leader. Robert Ford, the US ambassador to Syria, called on Syria's military, from foot soldiers to senior officers, to reconsider their support for Assad, warning those committing atrocities will be hunted down and prosecuted. The US and the international community "will work with the Syrian people to locate the military members responsible for this violence and hold them accountable. And we will support the future Syrian government's efforts to bring those people to justice," Ford said in a message on his Facebook page. In the latest bloodshed, at least 93 people were killed in violence across Syria on Thursday, among them 52 civilians, 38 soldiers, and three rebels, the Syrian Observatory said. At least 13 civilians were killed in the flashpoint central city of Homs and another two unidentified people died in nearby Qusayr, the Observatory's Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Streaming video from Homs on the bambuser.com website showed smoke billowing from a residential district as the staccato of automatic gunfire was punctuated by the thud of mortar blasts. The bombardment aborted an attempt by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Red Crescent on Thursday morning to evacuate trapped civilians, but the agencies vowed to try again later. "Unfortunately the team had to turn and come back due to shooting," ICRC spokesman Hicham Hassan said. "We are going to try to enter the old city once again this afternoon." Hundreds of people are believed to be trapped in the historic heart of Syria's third largest city and are unable to flee or find shelter because of the fighting, the Geneva-based agency said. According to a new toll it gave on Thursday, the Observatory said at least 10,480 civilians, 3,715 soldiers and 830 army defectors have been killed since March last year. - AFP/ms/de

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/...613-352542.html

work in Raffles. since 10am, there are like around 15 times already aeroplane, non-commercial type, zooming through the air. NDP is near... but fly past don't need to practice so many times right? some more in CBD strange ar.