TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

Singapore, Marina Bay, Marina Bay Sands, ArtScience Museum What counts as a bucket list item? For me, a bucket list item don't have to be something extraordinary. It can be something simple, something close to my heart. I do not have to climb the highest peak in the world or travel to the ends of the world to qualify a bucket list item; although those epic adventures would certainly have counted as not just bucket list items but special bucket list items! Bucket list items can be achieved closer to home, in one's own backyard or anywhere as long as it fulfils a special place in one's heart. ****************** Being a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise, I was naturally very excited when the "Star Wars Identities"  exhibition was staged in Singapore in the first half of this year. Needless to say, I made time to visit. Although I wish that there were more range and depth in the exhibits, I am still grateful that I was able to visit in person. ...

  "Looking at the Moon, Up in the night sky, Sitting in my room, Wandering where I will travel to next, My fantasies take flight. "  -  Timothy Tan, author of this blog - tankstraveltales   Stain Glass on Ceiling, National Museum, Singapore (2016)

A "vacation" by any other name....... As international border closures remain strictly in force, I have decided that an overseas vacation pre-pandemic style is simply neither possible nor practical. While it is true that I can theoretically travel to a couple of destinations currently, the required administrative loops and hurdles that I will have to jump through just to travel to these "select" destinations immediately made even the idea of leisure travel impractical. For example, based on the number of COVID testings one have to undergo just for a one or two-week trip, which can be as many as four or even five tests, simply don't make sense. Besides the costs involved (assuming an average of USD$110 per test), there are still the inconveniences of having to travel to designated clinics for these tests, queue up, wait, waste precious vacation time and to top it all the up, grapple with the amount of extra paperwork just to prove that I am vaccinated and also do...

There are the normal ways of going about doing things and there are the innovative ways to do the same things. In Taipei City's Beitou District, the Beitou Public Library is an example of innovation and creative artistry. While the library building itself is both an architectural wonder and a breadth of fresh air in creativity, the interiors of this beautiful library boasts the same creative ingenuity. Examples include the reading areas. There are outdoor reading areas which look out into the greenery and neighbourhood scenery, bringing readers close to nature. While for those who prefer to be indoors, some of the indoor reading and study areas have been created to resemble the ambience of a warm and welcoming cafe rather than a blend public library. The clever use of architecture and design promotes not just an innovative approach to city living but also introduce a gentleness into the lives of the local people. Indoor reading and study area, Beitou Public Library, Beitou, Taipei ...