Saturday, October 4, 2025

Snippets of Singapore and Singaporeans (4 October 2025)

The iconic People's Park Complex in the heart of Singapore's Chinatown has been refreshed with a new coat of white and red paints.

People's Park Complex

Click here for URA completes structural study on People’s Park Complex ahead of anticipated conservation.

This was how it looked like before the paint job.

Click here for More than 50 MASSAGE PARLOURS in This Shopping Mall?! 🙌 新加坡最多按摩店的商场 [People’s Park Complex].

For your further refreshing, here are some articles and clips on life in Singapore and Singaporeans.

Click here for Billy Koh bridges cities through music | Find Me A Singaporean :The World's My Stage 稀游记之世界我的舞台 E8.

Click here for Dr Chua Jia Long breaks world record, conquers Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming in 23 Days.

Click here for Why Singapore Built A 150m-Deep Oil Cave | Singapore Hour.

Click here for Excessive screen time – our eyes are bearing the greatest brunt and the long-term damage is worrying.

Click here for Truth About Living in Singapore for 6 Years as a Japanese.

Click here for The Italian Who Brought The World’s Oldest Pizzeria To Singapore | Singapore Hour.

Click here for 24 hours with a Wood Fire Butcher Chef: Butcher's Block.

Click here for Not for sale: He manages UOB’s 2,800 artworks.

Click here for Why This Neighbourhood Is A Gentleman’s Paradise | Singapore Hour.

Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.


King Grouper Fish Soup

Generally, good fish soup in Singapore is easy to find in just about any hawker centre. 

The usual sliced fish used for the soup are either batang (Spanish Mackerel; a sea fish) or toman (Giant Snakehead; a freshwater fish). You could find many such stalls with their loyal following of repeat customers. To my knowledge, competition is friendly.

So far so good. Wait till you try grouper (from same family as Sea Bass; an ocean fish), if not already done so, at, say, King Grouper Fish Soup.

With more outlets now, you do not have to travel all the way to Changi Village to enjoy grouper at King Grouper Fish Soup. The outlet featured here is located in Food Junction at NEX mall.

Get ready for a memorable fish feast

The grouper fish slices are super fresh, smooth in texture, tasty and thick-cut but so tender that they do not feel chunky at all. Meatballs are added to 'beef-up' the flavour. Unless you are sharing your soup or have a huge appetite, the small-size order would be more than adequate to satisfy your penchant for really fresh fish.


For the  standard fare, go for grouper. If you are giving yourself a treat, try the premium red grouper.

Teochew style sliced grouper fish

Super fresh sliced fish

Full steamed ahead and your meal is ready promptly

Besides pairing your fish soup with rice or noodles, there are are also other sides available such as fried fish roe (best kept secret addition, imho) and fish maw.

Grouper fish head with added fish maw


Click here for ULTIMATE fish soup showdown! | Food Finders Singapore S7E8.

As per general advisory, please consume all food in moderation.

Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.




Friday, October 3, 2025

Be Kind To People

This is a gentle reminder to be kind to another person. 

May your life be like a fountain of kindness.

As it is, life is already tough. Be generous to offer a cup of refreshing kindness that conveys your human touch to make people you meet feel a little better because you are considerate and show that you care.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." -- Aesop


You can be kind with the words that you speak. Top on the list is to keep anger at bay. Anticipate and be prepared not to over-react to any unexpected event or worst-case scenario in life and hold your horses so that you do not unleash those poison darts from your mouth on other people (and yourself). Words spoken are liked spilt milk which could not be retracted. Berating another person harms both yourself and the victim(s) of your verbal abuse.

"Goodness is about character - integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people." -- Dennis Prager


You can also show kindness with empathy. As you are not in the other person's shoes, you do not know what that annoying or agitating person in front of you may be going through-- their current circumstances, struggles and issues. People are not uptight or constrained for no reason. And, on a fair day, people wants to live a happy life and not cause trouble to other people.

"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again." -- Og Mandino


If you are in a position to help, your willingness to go the first mile or even an extra mile would go the distance to alleviate another person's predicament and/or plight.

"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." --Saint Basil 


When you show kindness, you create a cycle of blessing and ripple effect to enrich your community and contribute to making our world a better place.

"Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver."   -- Barbara De Angelis

"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end." -- Scott Adams 


Sign up for the Kindness Revolution today. There is no registration and subscription fees. All it takes is your willingness to go for it. 

"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson


Click here for Ripple (Award Winning)- Kindness and good deeds will come back to you.

Click here for The Kindness Song | Official Lyric Video | Songs for School.

Click here for Bon Jovi - Have A Nice Day.


Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.


Saturday, September 27, 2025

You Can Overcome Your Inner Struggles

Every living person experiences inner struggles without exception. Take heart, you are not alone.

Image credits: YouVersion app

Besides sharing your challenges with trusted people who care for you, you could expand and stretch your mind through reading and finding out more on how to cope and live life as a survivor or overcomer.

For your refreshing, here are some resources on the internet:

Click here for Short Story About Jealousy and Kindness | Moral Lesson | Motivational Story.

Click here for How to Stop Suffering in Life | Story of a Bird | Motivational Moral Story.

Click here for How to stop suffering in life ? | A powerful motivational story | Learn english through stories.

Click here for From Debt and Diabetes to Hope: The Untold Story of Jeremy from Two-Wings.

Rest, ponder and plan for your next flight

Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.

Snippets of Singapore and Singaporeans (27 September 2025)

The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2025 is happening around the corner on 3 to 5 October 2025.

Click here for more details.

The event promotion, preparation and buildup are in full swing.





Part of Marina Bay street circuit

The seats and fencing are being assembled

For your further refreshing, here are some articles and clips on life in Singapore and Singaporeans.

Click here for Singapore artist Priscilla Tey wins top prize at World Illustration Awards 2025.

Click here for Voices For Animals founder Derrick Tan wants people to give senior dogs a chance.

Click here for Singapore racing film Oversteer nabs best feature film and director wins at Vienna Independent Film Festival.

Click here for How Singapore Stays One Of The Cleanest Cities In The World | Singapore Hour.

Click here for How Singapore became obsessed by shade.

Click here for 3 Unique Boutique Hotels For Your Next Singapore Getaway | Singapore Hour.

Click here for Why this Malaysian millionaire chose Singapore over US and UK.

Click here for The truth about Singapore I learned from 200 foreigners.


Thank you for reading
Daily Refreshing

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Snippets of Singapore and Singaporeans (21 September 2025)

If you like chrysanthemum tea and something floral like rose syrup, you would find Yeo's fusion of orchid with chrysanthemum tea right up there in your alley.


The subtle hint of orchid provides that added complementary jazz to elevate the all-too-familiar taste of chrysanthemum to a whole new level of taste and enjoyment.

Click here for Yeo’s Orchid Chrysanthemum Tea—A Floral Twist in Every Sip! 

If you are visiting Singapore, you could find that there is a lot of walking to do. Here is how you can literally and figuratively carry an extra pair of legs with you.



For your further refreshing, here are some articles and clips on life in Singapore and Singaporeans.

Click here for Chef Kenneth Foong's path to Michelin star ⭐ | Find Me A Singaporean: The World's My Stage.

Click here for Where To Find The Best Italian Pizza In Singapore | Singapore Hour.

Click here for Never Too Small: He gained 3 million followers by showing off tiny homes around the world.

Click here for What It's Like To Live Next To A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Singapore Hour.


Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.


Volkswagen ID.Buzz -- second sighting

Further to the earlier post of 23 August 2025, this is the second sighting of another gleaming Volkswagen ID.Buzz.

It has arrived for sure and is adding vibrancy to the electric car evolution.







Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.


Saturday, September 13, 2025

Happiness On Your Terms

There is no guarantee that you would be happy all the time even if you are Richie Rich who can afford all the trappings of life. There could be days when you experience setback or got hit by a curve ball.

Work with what you can control. For instance, if people dish you with undesirable remarks or vibes, stop being a victim by gently rejecting their impression of you from taking roots in your mind. Guard your own happiness because you owe it to yourself to be happy and resist the things that hurt or depress you.


Go to a nice cafe and enjoy a good cup of coffee or tea with a slice of cake, pie or scoop of ice-cream. Exercise, cycle, swim or go for a run. Go for walks, visit an art gallery or meet up with close friends. There is so much that you can learn and do to find your own happiness.


Whether within a social circle of people who care for you or on your own, you can find happiness.

Here are some refreshing ideas for you:

1. Cultivate a social Milieu -- one or more groups of people with whom you have close and regular contacts.

Click here for What an 85-Year-Long Harvard Study Says Is the Real Key to Happiness.


2. Get into the flow with Mindfulness

While thinking of the past and future, be engaged in the present and seize the gift of the here-and-now. Savour the nuances, intricacies and depths of each moment, and be alive more fully.

Click here for Flow State: How to Get in the Zone.


3. Be open to Conversation

Making conversation is a lost art as people are now readily retreating into the virtual world of their mobile devices instead of making that in-person human connection.

Click here for I sat next to a 95-year-old solo traveler on an international flight. Now my pen pal, she's taught me a lot about life.


4. Make time for personal Solitude 

You have to get comfortable with being alone, get to know the true you and define the person you aspire to become. You will become better at being you, change your world and inspire others to do the same.

Click here for Psychology says people who prefer being alone to constant socializing have these 12 rare advantages.


5. Expand your Empathy

Ever asked yourself 'Why am I me and not someone else in another country or set of circumstances?'?

Accept who are you and make the most of the cards that have been dealt to you. Be thankful and find ways to pay it forward by helping other people.

Click here for A Family's Turning Point.

Click here for Trading Kiwis For A Meal.


Please feel free to post a Comment or two in this blog post on what makes you happy or share your advice on how to find happiness.



Click here for Enchanted Cafe where the above photos are snapped.

Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing. Have a nice day!



Friday, September 12, 2025

Snippets of Singapore (13 September 2025)

The birds and fowls are going about their business of scavenging for food at Raffles Place in the heart of the Central Business District.

These pigeons know what bread looks like.

These valiant Free Ranger fowls have walked the distance and
crossed many roads safely to get here. 

For your further refreshing, here are some articles and clips on life in Singapore.

Click here for From running to yoga, sportswear brands want to become your new social circle – here’s how they do it.

Click here for Commentary: Teenagers know vaping is harmful. That doesn’t mean they’ll stop.

Click here for Catholic High student buys apples with his own pocket money to cheer elderly residents in Bukit Batok.

Click here for I used to think my mum had no dreams of her own. Now I see that she set them aside for me.

Click here for ‘Mr Chicken Rice’: British teen’s love for S’pore’s national dish lands him job at popular eatery.

Click here for Singapore's Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawkers: Selamat Datang Warong Pak Sapari | On The Red Dot.

Click here for No tickets, no auditions, no gatekeeping: The open street jams putting people in one big band.

Click here for What’s Brewing In Singapore’s Coffee Scene | Singapore Hour.

Click here for This Singapore mum built a hidden urban farm in Jurong – here’s why she’s fighting to save it.

Click here for The Scavenger Hunt That Shows You What To Do In Holland Village | Singapore Hour.


Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.


Saturday, September 6, 2025

Short Story: Sophia's Confetti

People around us have a way of placing us in a mold. While it is advisable to be open to what others have to share based on their knowledge and experience, you could gently decline what does not suit you (in your mind) with, "No, thank you." But, where the advice is proven to be sound, do eat humble pie and benefit from it.

The following short story which is generated using ChatGPT is for your refreshing.


Sophia Tan had just turned twenty-nine, and her aunties had declared it the “last call” at every family dinner.

“Ah girl, if you don’t marry soon, later all the good ones taken!” her Aunt Cecilia said, stabbing her chopsticks into the roast duck as if it were her last chance at happiness.

Sophia smiled politely, but inside she was crumbling like an underbaked pineapple tart. Every wedding invitation that arrived in her mailbox felt less like an invitation and more like a cosmic reminder: You’re running late, my dear.

Her best friend, Marcus, a cheerful lawyer with a fondness for kaya toast, tried to cheer her up one Saturday morning at a kopitiam.

“Marriage isn’t the finish line, Soph,” he said between sips of kopi. “It’s more like signing up for a marathon where you’ll be sweaty and cranky half the time—but you choose to keep running because you love who’s running beside you.”

“Wow,” Sophia said, laughing. “So romantic. You make marriage sound like National Service.”

Still, the thought stayed with her. That evening, as she walked home, the sky was blushing with sunset and little tufts of white clouds drifted above like slow-moving confetti. She stopped, tilted her head back, and for the first time in a long while, she felt… lighter.

I’m already whole, she realized. Not a half waiting for another half, not a puzzle piece searching for a missing corner. She had a career she loved, friends who made her laugh until her stomach hurt, and the ability to dance terribly in her own living room without apology. Marriage, she understood, would never be the thing that completed her.

A week later, at yet another wedding dinner, Sophia sat beside a distant cousin who spoke proudly about his wife’s beauty and his new car, as though marriage were a glittering trophy case. She smiled politely but thought: This is not what I want. Beauty fades, money comes and goes. Love that endures is about giving, forgiving, and choosing someone again and again—even on days you’d rather throw them out with the laundry.

When the bride and groom raised their glasses, Sophia clapped wholeheartedly—not out of envy this time, but with hope. Hope that when she did marry, it would not be because of pressure, age, or fleeting charms. It would be because she had found someone she wanted to sacrifice for, laugh with, and walk beside on stormy days and sunny ones alike.

Later that night, Marcus texted her: So, do you still think you’re running late?

Sophia smiled at her phone. Nope, she typed back. Turns out I’ve been dancing to my own rhythm all along. The right partner won’t rush me—they’ll join the dance.

Outside her window, the moon shone bright, and for once, Sophia felt no fear of missing out. She was already living fully—and love, when it came, would only be an encore, not the opening act.


Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.

Dancing With Clouds

There is something enchanting about watching white clouds on a bright and sunny day which, inter alia, might conjure a cotton-packed pillow for you to rest your head or a cotton candy for you to savour that added sweetness of happiness.

Let ChatGPT leads you by the hand now as you take up this dance with the clouds in the following article and poem.

There is something almost magical about watching clouds drift across the sky. They move at their own unhurried pace, reshaping themselves with each passing breeze—pillars dissolving into wisps, heavy forms breaking into lightness. To simply look up and follow them is to step out of the constant press of time and into a gentler rhythm, one that reminds us that change is natural, that nothing is fixed, and that beauty can be fleeting yet deeply meaningful.

Clouds, in their quiet grandeur, can soften our mood. They invite us to pause, breathe, and wonder. Their shapes—sometimes whimsical, sometimes solemn—mirror the movements of our own inner world: a wandering imagination, a stirring of memory, a search for meaning. In their play of light and shadow, we glimpse the reminder that life itself is never only bright or only dark, but a dance of both.


As companions of the sky, clouds uncover lessons we often overlook. They teach us patience, for they never rush their journey. They teach us surrender, for they shift without clinging to any single form. They teach us hope, for even the heaviest storm cloud eventually breaks to let the sun through.


In watching clouds, the mind grows spacious. We remember that life is larger than our worries, that like clouds, we too can reshape, move forward, and become something new. They enrich our thoughts with metaphors of resilience, impermanence, and wonder. And sometimes, in their drifting silence, they return us to a simple truth: to be alive is already a gift, and to look up is to rediscover joy.


Dance of White Clouds

White clouds drift on a canvas of blue,
carefree dancers in the sunlit air.
They beckon me with gentle grace,
a whisper: come, there is room for you too.

I watch their shifting, playful forms—
a bird, a sail, a dream unspooled.
They charm me into lifting my gaze,
into loosening the weight I hold.

Their rhythm is freedom,
their music is silence,
yet my heart feels the beat—
a call to step into life’s wide circle.

So I rise, unafraid,
to join the dance they began long ago,
to find my joy in motion,
my voice in the wind,
my expression in the endless sky.


Thank for reading Daily Refreshing.

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Short Story: Granny's Shades

When we are prepared to face the truth, it liberates us with an added grace to live life to the fullest.

The following short story is generated using ChatGPT for your refreshing:-

Photo by Anton Be on Unsplash

Sharon had grown up with a curious image of her grandmother—always in those large tinted shades, even when the curtains were drawn and the house was dim. As a child, she thought it made Granny mysterious, almost like an old movie star. Her mother, Esther, always said gently, “Granny has sensitive eyes, dear. That’s all.”

Now sixteen, Sharon noticed things her younger self never did. She saw how Granny avoided visitors, how she kept to her corner of the living room like the sunlight itself might betray her. The shades weren’t fashion anymore—they were armor.

One rainy afternoon after completing her school assignments, Sharon came to sit next to her grandmother for a chat. The house smelled of ginger tea. Granny sat at her usual spot by the window, shades perched heavy on her face.

“Granny, you know…” Sharon began hesitantly, “I always wondered what you really look like without those.”

Granny froze, her hand tightening around her teacup. For years she had rehearsed excuses, but none seemed to fit anymore. Sharon wasn’t a little girl asking innocently—she was a young woman, looking for truth.

With trembling fingers, Granny lifted the shades and set them on the table. Her eyes—gentle, tired, but still shining—met Sharon’s. The room felt suddenly bare.

“Sharon,” she whispered, “your mother told you I wore these for my eyes. But it wasn’t the light I was hiding from. It was the past.”

Sharon leaned in, heart thumping.

“When I was young,” Granny continued, “I made choices I thought were the only way to survive. I worked… in places a young woman should never have had to. And then I had your mother. She was my light, my chance to start again. But the shame never left me. I thought if I covered my eyes, no one would see what I carried inside.”

Sharon’s throat tightened. She had never imagined her quiet Granny carrying such a story.

“Granny…” she reached for her grandmother’s hand, “you don’t have to be ashamed with me. You raised Mom, and you gave her everything you could. Isn’t that strength?”

The tears came then—hot, unrestrained. For decades Granny had held them back, fearing judgment, fearing she’d taint her daughter and granddaughter with her history. But Sharon’s hand was steady, warm, insistent.

“My darling,” Granny said through tears, “I thought my past defined me. But maybe love—yours, your mother’s—was what defined me all along.”

Esther, who had been standing quietly by the doorway listening, stepped forward. She placed her hands on both Sharon and Granny’s. “Ma,” she said softly, “you don’t need to hide anymore. We’ve always loved you, shades or no shades.”

For the first time in years, Granny smiled fully, without the tint of darkness between her and the world. The rain outside had stopped, and a thin ribbon of sunlight pierced through the window, resting gently on her face. She didn’t flinch.

“Maybe,” she said, lifting her chin, “it’s time I let the light in.”

Sharon squeezed her hand. “And we’ll be right here with you, every step.”

That day, Granny’s shades stayed on the table. She never picked them up again.

And though the years behind her still held sorrow, the years ahead glimmered with something she hadn’t dared to believe possible—freedom.


Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.

Snippets of Singapore (23 August 2025)

If you are thinking of keeping a memento of your visit to Singapore, the following Lego set might well be suitable for you.





Places of interest featured:
1) Marina Bay Sands
2) Gardens by the Bay
3) The Fullerton Hotel
4) Lau Pa Sat 
5) One Raffles Place
6) OCBC Centre
7) Boat Quay


For your further refreshing, here are some articles and clips on life in Singapore.

Click here for This ex-Power Rangers TV star is living in Singapore with a startup aimed at transforming community events.

Click here for The toy collector in Singapore who turned his passion into a thriving lifestyle.

Click here for Buses, Trishaws, Mobile Hawkers: History Of Singapore's Vibrant Streets | Let Me Tell You A Story S2.

Click here for Kidnapped as a teen, the Mexican chef behind Papi’s Tacos in Singapore reveals how he beat the odds.

Click here for ‘Meat’ The Australian Who Works In A Wet Market | Singapore Hour.

Click here for 60 Must-Try Singapore Hawker Food To Celebrate SG60 – A-Z List From Ayam Penyet, Chicken Rice, to Zi Char.  


Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.

Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Electric cars are no longer a dream but a present reality in Singapore with a growing population of varieties such as BYD, Hyundai, MG and Tesla. 

Lo and behold, this is the very first Volkswagen ID.Buzz sighted recently.







Click here for Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB 7-Seater | Sgcarmart Reviews.  


Thank you for reading
Daily Refreshing

Sunday, August 17, 2025

TOP 1 Home Made Noodle

You can't judge a book by its cover, but by its content and reviews. Likewise, don't judge a food stall by its appearance. Rather, take a closer look of the food that is being served as well as reviews. Yes, food that looks good usually tastes good.


If you have time to spare, say, 30 minutes, it would be worth the wait for you to queue for TOP 1 home made noodle. 



Follow the steps outlined at the stall and place your orders. I went for ban mian, clear soup, white fish and meatball.



At first taste, I was blown away by the super rich flavour of the soup which was unlike anything that I have ever tasted. This is reason enough to make another visit, if I have the luxury of time to wait for my turn.



The noodle was outstanding with its springy non-soggy firm texture and it is like an atas (refined) handful of top-notch pasta at a down-to-earth price.



This was indeed a memorable bowl of soup and ban mian that would linger on till the next opportunity.

Click here for Top 1 Home Made Noodle: Super shiok fully customisable QQ ban mian & tom yum mee.

Click here Top 1 Home Made Noodle – Four Tasty Soup Bases To Pair With Ban Mian.

Click here for I Found The Best Fish Noodles in Singapore SG Bukit Timah Exploration.


Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.