My sister, who is based in SG, gave my mother a travel gift to Singapore on the latter's birthday. When my mother requested me to accompany her in this trip, I packed my things and flew to SG with her amidst the whirlwind of intertwining projects at work, to the rage to my boss.

Singapore has places that are NEVER-TO-MISS. Sentosa Island is a great place to go. You can go to Underwater Adventure, watch the Dolphin Show and have fun at the Luge. You can also drop by their zoo, or watch the safari animals at night or simply have a quiet time to the Botanical Garden. But, what I would like to present here are the mundane and the ordinary that adds flavor to the uniqueness only Singapore can spell out.

1. Murtabak

   This is an Indian food. It's mainly fish, with many spices, wrapped in a roti prata (an Indian bread of some sort). It is superb as it is healthy. There is this small halal restaurant in Killiney Road, right behind SingTel which offers this. My sister brought us there on our very first breakfast in SG. We enjoyed the murtabak so much that the next day, mom and I went there again and ordered two servings. We forgot that a serve is good for 2 - 4 persons!

2. Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee

   If you are in noodles, then fried hokkien prawn mee is for you. It's a mind-blowing piece of a noodle wonder! It's hokkien noodle sautéed with prawn and bean sprout and stuff. We has prawn mee at The Food Republic at Vivo City.

3. Kaya Toast Kaya

   This is  made of coconut jam of some sort. You will really follow its aroma anywhere your nose spots this amazing jam. It's usually spread on a toasted wheat bread with butter. I came from a country where coconuts grow everywhere but it was only in Singapore that I tasted kaya.

4. 3 for $10 Stores

   Singapore is not alien to Prada, Calvin Klein, Gucci and other big names in fashion and style. It has stores and malls that cater only to the richest in Asia and other foreign nationals. However, in its effort to serve the elite, it also serves the not-yet-so-rich and everyone in between. 3 for $10 store has an exciting collection of caboodles which you can get for every 10 dollars; from silver rings, shades, watches, hairpins, notebooks, t-shirts, wallets, earrings, picture frames, vases and everything else. Just perfect for anyone on a budget vacation.

5. Cold Storage

   I love this quaint and small store which offers just basically everything you need. They have friendly staff and the service they give is great. I was lost in somewhere in Kalang, when I went to see a friend who plays tennis at this gym of some sort there. I ended up buying goods from this store and the staff were nice enough to show me the back my hotel. Since then, whenever I need stuff for my kitchen, I only go to Cold Storage.

6. Fruits

   I am sure that Singapore doesn't have the luxury of land enough to supply the country's demand for fresh fruits. I don't know how they manage it but they have a wide variety of fruits sold at a very lovely price. Grapes, bananas, apples, peaches, kiwis, pears, ect…mom and I got them fresh. EVERYDAY!

7. Tissue here, tissue there, tissue everywhere

   Whether you are in Suntec City or in the public toilets in SG, a big fat roll of tissue paper awaits you in each cubicle. I happen to have this really bad experience of trying to relieve myself and walked into a toilet with no tissue paper. It was disaster! But in SG, even if you go to the ugliest building in the block in a very, very immediate time, CHILL! There is a roll of tissue paper. PROMISE.

8. Buses and Taxis

   Singapore has a very comprehensive transportation system. Each bus stop has a directory of buses with their routes, numbers, and time of arrival. They have electronic collection system that gives you the convenience of using top-up cards, saves you the time scavenging for coins after each time you get on and move down from the bus.
   
   Taxis are another story. Their cabs are equipped with GPS for easier address location, credit-swipe-card just in case you run out of cash and you opt to use your credit card, telephone and a service payment receipt.
   
   Drivers are very polite and very courteous. They are very neat in their crisp white long sleeves and their neckties. 10 points for them drivers!

9. Cleanliness

   First I would not believe it. Singapore is the cleanest country in Asia. So what?! There's got to be some place there which is not clean. Well, there is. BINGO! Little India, it's not very clean for sure. There are actually cigarette butts everywhere. But, who am I not to be forgiving when anywhere else in the city is SPOTLESS? I really made an effort to actually stretch my neck to see garbage. Well, what did I see instead? THE CLEANEST COUNTRY IN ASIA, if not in the WORLD!

10. People

    This country is a melting pot of Chinese, Malay, and Indian races working together in a very healthy manner such that a country's success like that of Singapore has been achieved. There are also quiet a good number of Americans, Europeans and Australian based there, representing their respective companies back home. Some, opted to spend retirement years in SG. Filipinos, Indonesians and people from mainland China choose to work there.
    
    Their co-existence is remarkable. If the world would treat and respect each other like these Singaporeans, then, world peace would not be so difficult to reach

Only one toy, the Button Yo-Yo has to be prepared in advance. Take advantage any opportunity to discuss the trip with the kids, and use these activities to emotionally prepare the kids for the trip.

Here are 10 simply taught games, appropriate for back seat drivers who would otherwise drive you crazy, and for when-are-we-gonna-get-there passengers. These games will enhance their hand to eye coordination, and allow you to concentrate on the road ahead.

The Smoking Guns

This takes a minute to teach, and a-round-trip drive to master. That's the beauty of it.

One hand forms a fist with the thumb outside.

The other hand clenches the thumb and extends the index finger, with all other fingers closed.

All at once you switch.

I suggest you try this sober at first. After you get out of the car, and are safely at your destination, you may try it after a few drinks. See how you do then. This is fun for the whole family.

Knees-Nose-Shoulder

1. Place both hands on the lap. 2.The right hand reaches for the nose, and the left one goes for the shoulder. 3.The two hands return to the lap, then, 4. The left hand goes for the nose, and the right tries to reach the shoulder.

It sounds easier than it is, but that's the idea.

For a photo example of this, go to Picable.com in the People/Kids category.

The Brain Mix-Up

Part One:

1. Cross one hand over the other, palm to palm with thumbs down.
2. Place the palms of your hand together
3. Interlace your fingers together.
4. Pull both hands inwards toward your body, holding them together and below your head so you can look at your fingers from above.

Part Two:

If you are alone in the back seat, look at your fingers and decide which one you want to try to pick up. If you are with another person, have them point to the finger they want you to pick up. If they physically touch it, your brain will be able to locate the finger is, so don't be a wimp, tell them to point only. Without the touch, you will have to practice to be able to easily locate and raise the finger. This is because you crossed you hands twice, and your brain has to get used to the change.

This is a good activity to do when you stop for a stretch.

Arm Coordination:

1. Reach for the sky.
2. One arm goes down, the other extends to the side.
3. The arm that went down now goes up again, while the arm that was extended goes down.
4. The arm that was up goes down, while the arm that was down returns to it's extended position.
5. The arm that was down goes up, and the arm that was extended too, goes up.

Inside the car the kids can practice with their hands only. Tell them that they are penguins, and they can't spread their wings too wide.

For a photo example of this, go to Picable.com in the People/Kids category.

Paper Plate from a Flat Piece of Paper: (The Frame)

1. Fold two sides of a paper into the center.
2. Fold both sides of the internal fold out to the edges on both sides.
3. After folding those sides out close them again.
4. On the folded edges, fold four triangles on each corner making sure that they are folded straight on the lines. These are the supporting beams of the frame once it's opened.
5. Cover those triangles with the two rectangles. 6.This is the last step: While holding down the two rectangles with your spare fingers, grab the corners of one side of the folded page, push your thumbs into the corners of the paper while holding on to the triangles at the edge. Pull up and out. Like magic, the paper will pop up. Now you have to strengthen the sides, and make folds on the corners and the base of the plate. Repeat this process on the other side.

With this skill you can host a party without buying polluting plastic plates, make picture frames for gifts or memorabilia, and decorate the insides with artwork. If you want to make a box with a lid, all you do is repeat the process, but make the first folds a bit less tight.

Examples

Paper Cup from a Flat Piece of Paper: (The Fish)

1. Fold a piece of paper in half lengthwise.
2. Fold the two sides of the page into the center to create two triangles. This should look like a rocket.
3. Pull up and then push the center of each triangle to create two cones.
4. Turn the page over, then fold the two protruding triangles over.
5. Fold the bottom of the page up over the folded triangles. Turn over and do the same thing on the other side.
6. Put your longest finger in the point of the big cone, open and fold the whole thing in half.
7. The fins of the fish are now folded over. This can be decorated with shiny materials and made into a mobile a magnate can be glued on one side and decorate your refrigerator door. You can stick it on a car window to create a paper aquarium; the fish will be appreciated from both sides.

At parties have your guests make their own paper cup with this technique. They'll be able to drink at least once from this paper cup. If you use thicker paper, it's possible to drink from it a few times. Baking paper is even better. Have your guests write their name on it, and see whose cup lasts the longest.

The Button Yo-Yo:

This is something you're going to have to prepare in advance. The kids can make the button yo-yo interesting and with a permanent marker or colorful glittered nail polish, and decorate the button with swirls or any design they come up with.

The whole thing costs less than a bar of chocolate, and the sweetness will last a few thousand kilometers.

You'll need: A big button with two holes, 70-cm. of strong string to thread through the holes of the button. Both of the ends of the string are threaded through the holes and tied securely.

To start the spin of the yo-yo you hold the ends of the string with both hands, positioning the button in the middle. With a jump-rope movement swing the button in one direction until the string is twisted up tightly, and then start to pull your hands outwards so the button spins around and the string unwinds. You let it unwind, and wind up again. Before it stops, pull out again so that the perpetual motion continues.

I've played with this yo-yo as an indoor small area game, where the yo-yo is passed from one to another without losing the perpetual motion. This is a doable challenge, and you can have tournaments with a medal awarded to the champion yo-yo button player or team at the end of the ride. It is also good exercise for the arms.

Blind Man's Golf

Picture this: You are at a restaurant. The service is a bit on the slow side. You have paper place mats on the table. You have the standard colored markers, the ones I've that tend to dry up when the caps are left off. They are actually the best because they won't make permanent stains on clothing.

How to begin:

Draw the blind man's golf course on the paper place mat. It can have one sand pit, and one forest, and anything else that the players suggest as booby traps. Decide how many penalty points a player will receive if he or she stops in those areas. Five holes will probably be enough for the first time. For every dot and number on one side of the course, draw a hole with a corresponding number on the flag. That's where you have to end up “hitting the ball.”

The Game:

As in seeing man's golf, the idea is to get the lowest score. Each player when his or her turn is up prepares to tee off. You can open and close your eyes as many times as you want before you move your colored marker towards the hole. Once you've started to move towards it, you have to keep your eyes closed. After you've made your move, you open you eyes. How close are you to the hole? Will it take another turn, or maybe two? If you stop in the sand pit or in the forest, you tally the additional penalty points to the number of times you moved with your eyes closed until the mark stops in the hole.

Star Wars

Here is something else you can do with the paper place mats. Fold one in half. Each of the two players decides on their alien design. They should be the size of a big button. Again, decide how long you think you'll be waiting, and draw that many aliens on either side.

The Game:

Each player has to knock out the enemy alien ship. Make sure that each player uses a different colored marker.

1. Make your guess mark with your colored marker, on your side of the space field.
2. Fold over the paper and go over that same mark again this time on the outside of the page, making sure that the ink seeps through the page in order to mark your opponents field.
3. If you “hit” the alien ship, in other words if the ink is in anyway touching your opponents ship, you cross it out. If not, better luck and skill next time. Now it's your opponent's turn.

Shoot, Go for Cover, Reload

This is for two players:

Both players have to have ammunition. They can get it by slapping on their knees twice at the same time, and at the same pace, and reaching over their heads and behind them. Now they both have ammo, but each time they use it, they'll need more. So, now they can protect themselves by crossing their arms across their chest. If they do that at the same time, the next time they slap their laps twice they can try to “kill” their opponent get more ammo, or protect themselves again. The rhythm is: Two slaps on the lap, and one of the three options. See you at High Noon, stranger.

Happy Trails to All of you Brave Travelers.

Now for the tongue twister:

One small boy, he felt smart
Two small boys, they both felt smart
Three small boys, they all felt smart.

Note: Don't forget to say the words “both” and “all,” it makes a difference.

Once you've learned it without a slip, you can pass it on.

Please be safe, don't drink and drive. Stay alive for the long and interesting road ahead.