Petronas Towers at dusk

Christmas @ a mall

A fish sculpture

Fountain

Liberty on wheels @ Genting

Chilly, misty afternoon @ Genting

Looooooong cable car

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Wishing all of you and your loved ones a very Happy & Prosperous Diwali

Thought the mid week holiday doesn’t give much reason to cheer.  Still, look at the bright side of the holiday.

As usual, say no to the noise and smoke generated by the crackers.  Spend some quality time with your family and friends.  Isn’t that what holidays are all about?

Ya, this blog has more or less taken a backseat.  Not that i have lost interest.  Just that there is so much to do and so little time.  Only 2 more months to end the year.  Great things to come in a few months time.  Cant wait for 2012.

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Wishing the best of Onam to you and your loved ones.

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And so the 40 odd days of lent comes to a close.  Wishing the blessings of the day to you and your loved ones.

Happy Easter

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Wishing all a very happy Republic Day.  Enjoy the holiday

Picture courtesy: Santabanta

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Over the new year holiday, went to Marina Bay Sands here in Singapore.  No regrets at not having gone earlier.  Honestly, there is nothing great about the place.  The hotel looks like 3 giant pillars and doesn’t even look pleasing in the day time.  Maybe the interiors of the hotel are world class, but the noisy crowd in the lobby of the hotel dragging their luggage around combined with a few girls standing around the doors dressed in cheongsam looking utterly bored and uninterested.  You wonder if this was what they could produce after spending more than SG$ 5 billion?

The whole shopping place looks as if all the premium brands of the world have been rounded up and put up in a giant warehouse.

There was nothing pleasant about the place.  It looked like a hodge podge of ideas.  Too much of money spent but hardly any class in the stuff.  The other structure sticking out like a sore thumb was the helix bridge.  Neither does it protect you from the rain nor from the sun.  Only God knows why they built that structure.

Maybe the whole thing looks awesome in the night.  And yes, it does look good in the pictures (taken at night).  Maybe the hotel up above and the rooms are terrific.  But the general view of the whole place was a big thumbs down.  The shops were all deserted with people not even interested in window shopping.  The only place (as usual) that was filled with people was the food court.  Just like any other eating joint in Singapore, it was chock a block with people and no place to sit.

The Casino was out of bounds for me and Iam surely not stupid enough to pay $100 to go in to gamble or even to look around.  It too looked crowded inside just like the food court.

The best thing about the place is the spectacular view of the skyline of the business district.  The view was great.

Would love to go see the Resorts World Sentosa too, but this experience has simply dampened my expectations.  So, that can wait.

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Wishing all of you and your loved ones a very Happy & Prosperous Onam.

Though am back in Singapore and have no chance of celebrating Onam at home with friends and family, i had the opportunity to have an early Onam lunch.  Mum made sure to make parippu, avial, thoran, sambar, pappadam, injicurry, pachadi and rice payasam for us last week itself.

Back at work after a 2 week hectic trip to Hyderabad.  Had no chance to meet any friends in person and even call them up.  Am sure most would be angry and disappointed with me.  I promise to make it up on my next trip home

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Will be back in Singapore on 22nd August.

Meanwhile, hearty National Day wishes to everyone in Singapore and Independence Day wishes to everyone in India.

Hope to have lots of Haleem this time around.   Yay Hyderabad, here i come.

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The world’s largest fountain @ Suntec Singapore

Lit up balls in a pool outside Esplanade

A view of the under construction Marina Sands as seen from the roof of Esplanade

Buildings lighting up the night skyline at Raffles

The Esplanade

A view of the Fullerton hotel with the Maybank building in the background

The Merlion spewing water

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Yup, its the 60 years since India became a Republic.  Have we gone the right way or wrong?  Well, there is still time for such discussion.

Meanwhile, best wishes of the day.

Above picture source: Santabanta

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