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Delicious And Affordable Places For Halal Food In Singapore

In Arabic, the word “Halal” means lawful or permitted. So Halal food is the specific type of food which is allowed under the Islamic dietary guidelines. Finding Halal eateries in Singapore is an easy task as we are surrounded by them. However, it is quite hard to find places that offer delectable Halal dishes without burning your pocket.

On that note, I bring you the “Delicious And Affordable Places For Halal Food In Singapore”:

1. BUMBU RESTAURANT

Looking for a good Halal restaurant to satisfy your cravings for Thai or Indonesian food? Look no further as Bumbu Restaurant offers a selection of Asian dishes at highly reasonable prices!

This humble restaurant is located in a shop-house that fuses the beauty of the past with the innovative dishes of the present. The place is filled with spectacular Peranakan photographs and antiques, which were collated by the owner himself. The marble tables and doors embellished with carved motifs completed its “old-world” charm.

Let your palate experience the wonders of Thailand and Indonesia by tasting their dishes such as Mango Salad, Green Curry Chicken, Beef Rendang, and Tahu Telor. Bumbu’s buffet with over 20 mains and a variety of desserts costs under S$20.

Image Credits: facebook.com/bumburestaurant

Location: 44 Kandahar Street, Singapore 198897

2. SELERA RASA NASI LEMAK

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak is a food stall located at Adam Road Food Centre. It is known for its Halal rice dishes as well as its fried chicken wings. You can easily spot the stall as it frequently has a long queue of people that may extend until the end of the place. Once you get your food, you will realize that spending your time on the queue is worth it! The average price per person costs about S$19.

A hungrygowhere.com user named “Singapore Gordon Ramsay” even wrote this pleasing review:

“I ordered the royal rumble set which consists of fish, chicken, ikan bilis, fried egg, otah, and the most amazing basmati rice. The chicken wing is crispy enough but, the flavor does not have much impact. One important component I must point out is their fragrant rice. Why? It makes them stand out from their competitors.”

Location: #01-02, Adam Road Food Centre, 2 Adam Road, 289876

3. I AM CAFÉ

At the junction of Haji Lane and North Bridge Road resides a go-to eatery for people who adore picturesque food at budget-friendly prices. It is not hard to fall in love with the Instagram-worthy European food offered by the I Am Café.

They have almost everything covered from pastas to burgers as well as coffee to mocktails! You must grab the chance to avail their fries & mayo, mocktails, and starters for only S$5.10 this National Day. The promotion is valid until 11pm today (August 9, 2016).

Worry not if you cannot come on the #SG51 as I Am Café serves the savory Charcoal Grilled Juicy Beef Burger ($13.90) and the yummy Homemade Beef Meatball Pasta ($14.90) all year round!

Location: 674 North Bridge Road #01-01, off Haji Lane, Singapore 188804

Image Credits: facebook.com/Iamathajilane

Go out and makan! 🙂

Sources: 1 & 2

How Much Money Do Singaporean Olympic Athletes Make For Each Medal?

Olympics is the world’s biggest international multi-sport event that is conducted every four years. Officially known as the “Games of the XXXI Olympiad” and popularly known as “Rio 2016”, the 2016 Summer Olympics takes place in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). More than 10,500 athletes will compete for the prestigious medals that are up for grabs from August 5 to 21.

The games features 28 sports including Archery, Fencing, Diving, Table Tennis, Golf, and Rugby Sevens. 33 venues across 4 regions of the city were allocated especially for these sporting events. The dedication of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee expands beyond venues allocation as they aim to “deliver excellent Games, with memorable celebrations that will promote the global image of Brazil, underpinned by social and urban sustainable transformation through sport, contributing to the growth of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.”

Olympic athletes who are able to bring home the bacon can reap the sweetest rewards of their victory. By sweetest rewards, I pertain to the cash payouts. The money that Olympic athletes receive for each type of medal varies by country.

You may be surprised to know that most Southeast Asian countries including Singapore are pretty generous when it comes to winning this global distinction. For instance, Feng Tainwei’s Olympic bronze medal in 2012 (Women’s Single – Table Tennis) earned her a quarter of a million dollars.

Image Credits: www.facebook.com/fengtianwei

This amount is in accordance with the Multi-Million Dollar Awards Programme (MAP). MAP is an incentive scheme set by Singapore National Olympic Council in 1990s. In the recent years, MAP provides monetary payout to the winning Singaporean athletes of the Olympic, Asian, Commonwealth, and Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

According to the MAP 2012-2015, here were the payouts given to the successful Olympic athletes:

INDIVIDUAL MEDALS

GOLD: S$1,000,000

SILVER: S$500,000

BRONZE: S$250,000

TEAM EVENT MEDALS

GOLD: S$1,500,000

SILVER: S$750,000

BRONZE: S$375,000

TEAM SPORT MEDALS

GOLD: S$2,000,000

SILVER: S$1,000,000

BRONZE: S$500,000

Image Credits: pixabay.com

These attractive awards were sponsored by the Tote Board and the Singapore Pools. Instead of having five rings as a symbol for the Olympics, perhaps five dollar signs are more suitable! 😉

Magnificent Cafés In Singapore That Fit The Student’s Budget

As café rates continue to soar, searching for a spot that offers good food minus the shocking price tag becomes difficult. I totally get that! So, here is a humble list of trendy and affordable cafés of every kind.

Go out and makan with your friends!

1. FOR THE SWEETEST STUDENT: WINDOWSILL CAFÉ

Windowsill Café serves the finest pies and tarts, which go for approximately S$8 per slice. The brains behind it are two brothers named Jonathan and Sean Gwee. Food has been their longstanding passion as they operated some food stalls from Pandan Valley to Takashimaya. Their pies and tarts are crafted with close attention to details and mixture of honest ingredients. When you are here, do not skip on their highly-recommended flavors such as S’mores, Strawberry Lemon, and Banana Cognac.

Image Credits: www.facebook.com/WindowsillPies

With the aesthetically pleasing slice of pie and a cup of hot coco (with latte art), you can definitely take the perfect #FOODPORN shot!

Location: 95 Soo Chow Walk, S575382

2. FOR THE PHO-BULOUS PUPIL: LITTLE VIETNAM RESTAURANT & CAFÉ

Little Vietnam Restaurant & Café is a popular place where you can find budget-friendly yet authentic Vietnamese food. Your pocket and your belly will be satisfied after one seating as the average price per person is only S$12. You and your peers will enjoy the extensive menu of the classic Pho, noodles, and rice dishes.

Image Credits: chubbybotakkoala.com

It is a good idea to drop by Little Vietnam after school because their operating operating hours is from 12 noon to 11:30 pm.

Location: 511 Guillemard Road, #01-25/29 Grandlink Square, S399849

3. FOR THE LASAGNA LOVER: SUPER DARIO LASAGNE

A true-blooded Italian, Dario of Super Dario Lasagne, brought the first café that showcases lasagna as their star. It is always a good idea to reward yourself for a well-executed homework by devouring one (or two) of Dario’s bountiful plates of homemade lasagna for as low as S$9.80. The menu is coupled with drinks, breads, salads, and desserts.

Image Credits: facebook.com/sdlasagne

Check out their delicious menu, here: superdariolasagne.oddle.me.

Location: Super Dario Lasagne Café, #04-17 City Square Mall, S208539

4. FOR THE TENSION-FILLED INDIVIDUAL: TO-GATHER CAFÉ

“Created with Togetherness in mind,To-gather is a home away from home for the young and the young-at-heart (except the fridge is never empty here).” This statement encapsulates the essence of To-gather Café.

It offers generous portions of Western food that cost below S$18. If you feel satiated already, you can share your meal with your beloved friend. That is what togetherness is all about after all!

Consider sipping a cup of their hot Espresso (S$3.20), Café Mocha (S$4.50), or Tea ($4.50) to ease your academic or work stress!

Location: 84 Bedok North Street 4, #01-25/27, S460084

5. FOR THE HEALTHY LEARNER: VEGGIE COTTAGE

Camouflaged within the neighboring grocery stores is a beautifully casual café called Veggie Cottage. It serves a wide array of Asian and Western vegetarian food such as Avocado Salad, Claypot Tofu Rice Set, and Spaghetti Bolognese. They also sell cupcakes to satisfy your sweet tooth.

With seriously inexpensive prices ranging from S$2.50 to S$10.80, you will surely wear a smile while browsing their menu.

Image Credits: https://www.facebook.com/162388397257546/photos/a.162391280590591.1073741826.162388397257546/575124989317216/?type=3&theater

Image Credits: facebook.com/162388397257546/photos/a.162391280590591.1073741826.162388397257546/575124989317216/?type=3&theater

Location: 13 Dalhousie Lane, S209682

You do not have to be a student to enjoy these great places with budget-friendly prices! 🙂

Sources: 1 & 2

* Get a FREE Samsonite Black Label Richmond Spinner 75cm luggage worth S$950 and $20 cash rebate 
when you sign up for a HSBC Revolution credit card at www.hsbc.com.sg.

4 Possible Ways To Earn Money When Pokémon Go Hits Singapore

Do you want to make some money while you are catching ’em all? Apparently, it is possible.

1. DRIVE TRAINERS AROUND THRU UBER

If you are excellent at navigation and you are eager to earn a decent amount of money, you can consider becoming an Uber driver for Pokémon trainers. Having a car is not a strict requirement as most Uber drivers rent their cars. In fact, Uber Singapore has a list of preferred rental partners.

You simply need to be familiar with the Singapore roads as well as the areas where plenty of Pokémon will inhabit. This type of service has become popular in United Kingdom where an Uber cabbie by the name of Bahri Takyuz charges about £25 or S$44 per hour to drive the Pokémon trainers to the Pokéstop hot-spots in the Capital.

2. SELL YOUR CARD COLLECTION

Take advantage of the current hype by selling your card collection before Pokémon Go hits Singapore!

As an avid Pokémon fan back in the day, you probably have a mighty card collection consisting of the common and uncommon cards. If these cards are still in mint condition, you can sell them online through marketplaces such as Gumtree and Ebay. They can go for about S$20 per card and five common cards can easily bring you S$100! Isn’t that amazing?

Image Credits: pixabay.com

You can get more money by selling the rarest cards that may sell for thousands of dollars. When put to good use, that amount of money can help you pay for a loan or a holiday.

3. OFFER YOUR SERVICES AS A POKÉMON

Almost every kid that grew up in the 90’s wanted to become a Pokémon trainer. In time, this childhood dream will soon turn into a reality. Be the very best trainer that you can be by regularly practicing your skills upon the game’s release.

Put this talent into good use by offering to catch some Pokémon for other players. There will always be some players who want to get ahead in the game as quickly as possible, without much concern for the process. They are even willing to pay for it!

For instance, an American named Ivy posted a Craigslist ad that charged for US$20 (about S$27) per hour. What started as a joke became a source of decent income as she got lots of requests from other players including a lawyer and a pregnant woman. That is just one individual…imagine if you were to open a website exclusively for this type of service!

4. “LURE” YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENTS

You can drop a “lure” to attract more customers to your local business establishment, restaurant, or cafe. Find out how you can do this by visiting this helpful link.

Pokemon Go is set to alter the Singapore’s gaming field once it hits the island. Enjoy this newfound game to the fullest, but do not forget to create a line between the real and the virtual world. The greatest adventures are still the ones you share with the people whom you love the most.

Sources: 1 & 2

Important Things To Consider Before Purchasing A Fitness Studio Membership

“California Fitness closed… what now for its members?”
“California Fitness abruptly shuts branches in Hong Kong.”
“California Fitness closes all branches in Singapore.”

Image Credits: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/The_ONE_California_Fitness.jpg/512px-The_ONE_California_Fitness.jpg

In the light of the recent headlines, California Fitness members voiced out their battle cry either to the authorities or to the netizens. I greatly sympathize with these people as I remember a particular event which happened two years prior.

In 2014, Affinity Yoga shut down its operations and hundreds of members had to suffer its consequences. Lots of my friends where at disbelief because of the abrupt closure of the place that they invested so much money in. To avoid being caught in a situation like this, take these several factors into careful consideration:

1. CREDIBILITY AND RELIABILITY

Before signing up for a membership, it is crucial to do a background check on the fitness studios that you are interested in. You do not want to be the next victim of a scam whereby a gym closes down a month after they ask you for a large sum of money in exchange of an attractive package. So look for fitness studios with credible international names such as Fitness First and True Yoga. However, being internationally recognized is not a surefire factor that the studio is reliable.

Let us take the California Fitness into the table. Although California Fitness has two decades under its belt, it ceased its operations in Singapore. Hundreds of former members have filled their complaints to the Small Claims Tribunal and the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) since last week. While some of their members took the battle to social media platforms such as Instagram. A member by the IG username of genixbw wrote: “Joined 18 April 16 , Closed down on 19 July 16. Fuck u #cali #californiafitness #rip.”

This scenario highlights how important it is to analyze the reliability or the consistency of the services and the studio’s standing as the time passes.

2. PERSONAL SCHEDULE

Much like a cultivating a blossoming romance, improving one’s physical health takes time and dedication. If you are not willing to commit at least 4 hours per week then, you shall bother paying for a membership! You do not to unintentionally flush your money down the drain just because your schedule is too tight.

If you can afford the membership but not the time, please reconsider your plans. I know how the work culture is a pervasive part of a Singaporean’s lifestyle, but taking care of one’s health is important too. Will you at least spare a portion of your weekends for a good workout?

3. ACCESSIBILITY AND LOCATION

Aside from the two key factors mentioned above, you must examine the location of a studio. You either choose a studio that is near to your workplace or to your home. If you want to sweat it out on the weekdays, check out the studios near your workplace so you can workout during your lengthy lunch breaks. And if you prefer to sweat it out on the weekends, get a membership at a studio near you.

Most of the gyms and yoga chains in Singapore have different branches that are scattered islandwide. For instance, Hom Yoga has two studios in Singapore and two studios in Sydney. You can choose to go to their Central branch at the Orchard Road or to their CBD branch near Raffles Place MRT.

Hom Yoga is a contemporary boutique yoga studio that offers hot and non-hot classes. Choose from a range of their hot classes such as Hot Hom, Hot Ashtanga, and Hot Flow as taught by internationally trained yoga instructors. What separates Hom Yoga from the most is its minimalist ambience and premier services complete with the staple facilities.I suggest that you go for their 1-week trial for S$32 to get a feel of all their classes.

4. COST OF SERVICES

Singapore is no stranger to expensive fitness studio costs. In fact, some of the premier gym memberships shoot up to S$2,000 a year. Many people cannot afford the high-priced memberships as well as its adjacent personal training fees. This is why you must look for other ways to get the best rates in town. Start by reading this helpful list: “Places To Find The Cheapest Gym Memberships In Singapore”.

5. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

You know those fine lines that you ignore on a regular basis? I am not talking about the seemingly noticeable lines on someone’s face! I am talking about the fine lines that make up the terms and conditions (T&Cs) of your studio membership.

By accepting the T&Cs, you are agreeing to anything and everything that the gym or yoga studio ask from you in the present until the future. This is why you must read the T&Cs carefully and more frequently. Be vigilant about the rules and regulations, late payment fees, termination clauses, concessionary rates, membership entitlements, and healthy liabilities.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

I hope this list helps you to find a fitness studio that is worth your money, time, and effort! 🙂

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