One of the lovely things about taking a tour with us in Singapore is that you will not only learn about the culture and our love of the little red dot, but you will also form a friendship with our Hello! Singapore tour guides.

We were so excited when Gail Holloway, one of our tour guests, got back in touch to let us know she had published her first book! Gail came on our evening History and Culture Tour in Singapore. You can see in the pictures below that she had a wonderful time exploring the city and also was able to meet Hello! Tours CEO/Founder Laura Blackhall.

First photo: Gail (from left) beside Laura, all smiles after a day in Singapore. Second Photo: Gail and friends Locked in a jail cell in the former Supreme Court

You can now grab a Kindle edition of her new book in Amazon and visit her website https://www.gailholloway.com/ for more information about her new book, travel blogs and to keep yourself updated on her new future projects.

Cherry Blossom Footsteps: Adventures in Japan and Hong Kong

Author: Gail Holloway
Format: Kindle Edition
Buy it here: Amazon

Twenty-something Lauren is embarking on her first-ever overseas adventure - to Japan for the cherry blossoms, Zen gardens and majestic temples, where she makes use of her uni studies. She then travels on to Hong Kong, where she traces the 1960s footsteps of her beloved nan, in more ways than one. This enchanting tale follows Lauren on a fun journey, through two vibrant Asian cultures. With ancient history, modern life, new friendships and romance, Lauren’s is a story of discovery - of new lands, and herself.

Photo and description credit: Amazon

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2020 was definitely a challenging year for everyone. A lot of plans, events, trips were canceled because of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus. The world stopped and borders were closed. Despite the challenges that everyone had experienced, people all over the world are resilient in overcoming the new normal and are hopeful for the year 2021.

In Singapore, the city welcomed 2021 with fireworks and a light show at Marina Bay.

Video courtesy: CNA

New year’s celebration probably is very different now from all over the world. How did your country celebrate new year's eve?

Hello! Singapore Tours team is very hopeful with what the year of the OX has to offer! We believe that we will all see you again in the year 2021!

#singaporean #welovesingapore #exploresingapore #meetthelocals #instagood #photooftheday #sg #tourism #travelbug #natgeotravelpic #lonelyplanet #hellosingaporetours #ilovesg #hellosg #streetsofsingapore #singaporetour #visitsingapore #thisissingapore #singaporeinsiders #newyear2021 #singaporenewyear

This year COVID-19 has put a stop to our ability to travel. We want to keep in touch and bring Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo to your doorstep. Hello! Tours team has come up with a very special program for all of you!

Every month we will send you a postcard and a thoughtfully chosen local gift with a video blog from one of our Hello! Singapore Tour guides telling you more about your gift and the place that we bought it. Your monthly membership fee will provide our team with some much-needed income. In return, we will select meaningful souvenirs, write a heartfelt message, and offer you discounts on future tours, when we can all travel freely again.

The Holiday by post membership program is available in all our 3 locations. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan! Perfect for your personal collections and gift especially this coming Holidays!

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Chinese Ink Painting is an art form that started thousands of years ago. It refers to the application of paint on rice paper and typically embodies philosophical concepts. The Chinese ink painting can be a quiet scene or storytelling with a poem at the side of the painting.

In this single-session Chinese painting workshop, we will teach you how to paint peony flowers which symbolizes a happy life, happy marriage, good health, and prosperity.

Learn 2 main techniques in Chinese painting:

• XieYi (写意) Ink and wash painting, in Chinese shui-mo (水墨, "water and ink") also loosely termed watercolor or brush painting, and also known as "literati painting".

• Gongbi (工筆), meaning "meticulous", uses highly detailed brushstrokes that delimit details very precisely.

Duration: 2 hours

Beginners class schedule: Sunday 10am to 12noon

Overview:

• Discover the traditions of Chinese painting and learn the history behind Chinese Ink painting.

• Learn the fundamentals of Chinese painting tools and techniques, experiment with Chinese artistic tools and styles, guided by a professional.

• The trainer will demonstrate and teach the complete process to create a peony Chinese painting.

• Create your very own Chinese Ink painting (Peony flower) on rice paper

Group Capacity: Minimum of 3 pax. Can take up to a maximum of 10 pax.

Pricing: Expect to pay US$ 55 per person

Activity Inclusions

• Chinese brush (Medium and Small size)

• Chinese Ink

• Chinese painting color

• Rice paper / Rice paper card

• Water

• Palette

Location: East Coast Singapore

Logistic: Accessible by public transport and also by our private hire vehicles.

 

Booking cancelation and refund policy

• If the Art Center cancels a class/workshop, they will have the option to transfer to another date or receive a 100% refund.

Refund Policy

• 100% refund with seven or more days’ notice prior

• 50% refund with six or less days notice,

• No refunds will be made after the start of the 1st class.

Let us take you back on the journey that our forefathers made to Singapore when you book our Grandfather's story residents tour.

One of the most notable temples that you are going to visit with the help of your Hello! Singapore tour guide, is the Thian Hock Keng Temple, also known as the “Temple of Heavenly Happiness”. It is first built around the 1800s serving the local Hokkien community, where seafarers and immigrants gave their thanks to the sea goddess Mazu for a safe sea passage on their arrival to Singapore.

Early immigrants to Singapore offered incense to the goddess while today's worshippers pray for peace, protection, and good health.

Visit the Thian Hock Keng temple on our Hello! Singapore Residnets’’ tour.

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DAN’S ROCKSTAR TACO

Now that social distancing in Singapore has finally relaxed, people are now allowed to visit their friends for some get-together! Our Hello! Singapore tour guide Dan took this chance to have a taco night with his friends.

Tacos are popular around the world, with each country offering their own flair to the classic Mexican street food. Dan grew up in California but have been living abroad for over 14 years - 8 of which have been in Singapore. Tacos are Dan’s go-to comfort food when he is feeling homesick. He realized that he’s not the only one in Singapore who craves a good taco and taco nights in the flat are like Christmas dinner - where friends come together, munch on tacos, and drink margaritas until the wheels fall off. 

Hello! Singapore tour guide Dan having fun with his taco night buddies.

Dan is a bit of a Rockstar attitude toward cooking where he does according to what he likes and hopes other people like it too. This particular taco night he decided to make carnitas - but instead of pork, he used beef cheek. He was introduced to beef cheek in Andalusia, Spain, where they often use it in a stew called “Carrillada”. In his layman's understanding of the meat, beef cheek tastes like a flank steak, but is a bit more tender and has a less ‘stringy’ texture when slow-cooked.

In Singapore, there are many cultures that don’t eat pork or beef - so if you need to substitute a slow-cooked pork butt, his recommendation is trying a beef cheek (and vice versa).  

Mexican Taco ala Dan

MARINADE:

1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup of soy sauce
¼ cup of olive oil
½ an onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro

The following can be any version of Taco Seasoning you prefer. Dan kept it simple with the 3 ingredients below, adjust the measurements until it smells right all together.

1 tablespoon of paprika
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of chili powder

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

800g Beef Cheek
20 tortillas (From La Mexicana)
1 Carolina Reaper pepper (From La Mexicana)
Few tablespoons of olive oil (I’ll explain later)

Dan note: The extras are up to you; I prefer shredded pepper jack mixed with cheddar cheese, guacamole, sour cream, shredded iceberg lettuce, and a dash of Cholula.

Method:

• Combine all the MARINADE ingredients and marinate the beef cheek for at least an hour (I recommend at least 12 hours to really get the flavours in the meat). 
  
  Dans’ Rockstar advise: Make a margarita for yourself, you deserve it after completing step one. 

• Put the beef cheek, with the marinade in a stew pot. Add water until the beef is fully submerged. Add a sliver (like, 5mm wide, max) of the Carolina Reaper to the pot for a little kick. 

• Simmer on very low heat for 4 to 6 hours. While this simmers, you can have another margarita. You may also prepare the extras that you like to have with your tacos.

• Once the meat is finished and your guests are ready, put the meat in a bowl with some tongs. Set the table with your extras and everything except the tortillas.

• Corn tortillas should be warmed up just prior to serving. I use a cast-iron skillet that can fit 3 corn tortillas in at once. I coat the skillet with olive oil (no idea how many tablespoons that is and your skillet will be different anyway) and let the tortillas warm-up around 30 seconds each side and bring them out 3 at a time, nice and warm.

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As tourism work was greatly affected worldwide because of the Pandemic, Gene, one of Hello Singapore tourist guide, found a side gig that allowed him to be active and moving around. Just like among other tour guides who can't keep still and needs to keep moving, Gene wanted to make the most of his free time.

So what has he been doing? For two to three days a week, at 6 am in the morning, Gene cycles to an industrial area near his home. The massive 4 storey building has many different small to medium scale food processing and food packing companies, making produce like rice noodles, different tofu products, or slicing fresh chicken for packing. However, on the rooftop, it's a different industry altogether. 

Gene has found work as a farmhand at a large, rooftop, hydroponics greenhouse, in a land-scarce Singapore! He is learning the whole process on the farm which includes seeding, harvesting, packing, and maintenance. It has been fun and also quite hard work, but for Gene, nothing beats harvesting rows and rows of produce, especially harvesting Genovese Basil also known as Sweet Basil!

Hello! Singapore tourist guide Gene inside the green house.

He says, the heavy aroma of basil is pleasantly intoxicating and makes for a therapeutic work experience every time. Along with the small group of workers, it's a nice little community for bonding. Other produce grown includes lettuce, chye sim, some mint, and rosemary. Sometimes if there are leftovers from the harvest like basil, Gene takes it home.

Making use of the freshly picked basil from the farm, Gene has learned to make delicious fresh pesto!  Experimenting with different pesto recipes, and also trying a few pasta dishes to go with the fresh pesto, He recently made a basil walnut pesto (pine nuts are just too expensive), which he then attempted to make spaghetti pesto with broccoli, brown mushrooms, prawns(shrimp) for his parents and sister. It was quite a small victory because they really loved it! Yum!

Spaghetti Pesto ala Gene

Pesto Ingredients:
6 ~8 cloves garlic
1/2 cup walnuts (use pine nuts if you want)
4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pasta ingredients:
350g Spaghetti
1 small head broccoli chopped to bite size pieces
3/4 cup sliced brown mushrooms
30 deshelled frozen prawns (small)
2 cloves sliced garlic
Olive oil for frying
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup pasta water (saved from cooking pasta)

Method:

• Combine all Pesto ingredients in a blender or food processor and use the pulse blending function, so that pesto is slightly grainy looking and not blended too fine.

• Sufficiently thaw frozen prawns and pat dry. Then when ready, start first with boiling, salted (1 tablespoon salt) water. When boiling, add spaghetti to cook for 7 mins.

• At the 5 mins mark, add the broken up broccoli in the same pot as pasta and cook for another 2 mins together.

• Save 3/4 cup pasta water and put aside, then drain off all remaining boiling water.

• Run pasta and broccoli in tap water till cooled down or dunk in a pot of room temperature water to cool pasta and broccoli. Then set aside.

• Heat pan on med-high heat add some olive oil and fry sliced garlic for 2 min. Then add prawns to fry for 2 to 3 mins. Remove prawns, set aside.

• In the same pan with oil and garlic, stir fry mushrooms for 3 minutes, then add the pasta and broccoli and fry for another 3 mins. Add the fried prawns in the mix for 2 mins, then turn off the heat completely. Add some of the saved pasta water in the mix and stir in 10~12 tablespoons (or to your preference) of the fresh pesto you made. Continue to stir and mix. Add more pasta water if required and salt and pepper to taste.

• When sufficiently mixed, plate up to serve.(Serves 4)

Gene’s friendly note:

• Salt and pepper are added at the end to taste.

• Use more garlic if preferred.

• Lightly toast walnuts for a little more flavour, but cool them down before adding for blending. Hazelnuts, almonds, or pecans can be used too.

• Pasta water adds some starchiness and volume to the final pasta dish.

• Frozen deshelled prawns are used for convenience. Make sure sufficiently pat dry with a paper towel before frying for nice searing.

• Use whatever mushrooms, or a mixture to as you please.

• Use whatever pasta that you like.
  
  Enjoy your delicious fresh spaghetti pesto with broccoli, mushrooms, and prawns!

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It has been three months since Hello! Singapore tour guide Richard started as a Safe Distancing Ambassador with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), where he was assigned to precincts including Chinatown, Little India, and Orchard Road.

During his off days, he continues with some household chores like visiting the market for fresh ingredients, and also trying out some recipes for various dishes including prawn noodle soup, crab meat omelet, Yang Chow fried rice, prawn laksa, tomato garlic crayfish, lobster rolls, and many more!

His family members get to be his food tasters for his experiments and they always give their honest opinions!

Here is one of the recipes that I’d like to share:

Kanton Lobster Roll

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 Brioche long buns (split at the top)
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 kg frozen raw lobster tails
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice I tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon celery salt

Preparation

1.       Steam the lobster tails for about 8 minutes, remove the shell, chop into chunky pieces, and chill.

2.       Spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter onto the outer sides of the buns.

3.       Heat a cast-iron pan for 2 minutes, then toast the buns in the pan until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes
per side. Remove the buns from the pan and set aside.

4.       Mix the mayonnaise with the lobster meat. Arrange a quarter of the lobster meat inside each bun.

5.       Melt the remaining butter and stir in the lemon juice. Drizzle the mixture evenly over the lobster in
each sandwich.

6.       In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, thyme, celery salt, and pepper, then sprinkle over each
lobster roll. Garnish with parsley on top.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Richard hopes this pandemic situation will improve so everyone can once again travel have fun on our Hello! Singapore tours. In the meantime, do try out the above recipe and experience the joy of cooking at home!

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A DAY WITH SU LING

Ever heard of the Korean fever? No, it’s not a real disease but is definitely contagious. Thanks to NETFLIX, Korean movies are becoming a big hit that even our Hello! Singapore Tour guide Su Ling has developed a liking for Korean dramas. She found solace in watching during her free time. She loves the creativity, originality of the story line and she found they are on par with Hollywood drama/movies, if not better!

Su Ling Loves to learn new things, she is currently into some metaphysics study where you can learn about the personality, strength, weakness and lucky period of a person. They are not fortune telling, but about the original energy imprint of a person that gives rise to the personality, strength, weakness, blind spot of a person. A very interesting book indeed!

Hello! Singapore Tour Guide Su Ling enjoying her Metaphysics book.

Her highly recommended Korean movies are:

WALK IN THE PARK WITH GEE SOO

A few months ago, we have given you a sneak peek on how our Hello! Singapore tour guide Gee Soo spends his free time as a Social Distancing Ambassador. Now that we are in the last quarter of the year and social distancing is starting to relax in Singapore, we had a quick catch up with Gee Soo. He shared with us his latest favorite things to do in Singapore.

Gee Soo loves the outdoors and nature parks, he made sure that he spends his day out with his bicycle which he named, KEKO (does it sounds familiar?). His favorites are Dairy Farm Nature Park, Botanic Gardens & Jurong Lake Gardens.

Channeling his artistic side, Gee Soo also loves to paint! This guy has so much talent!

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