Merry Medley at Gardens By The Bay

Tis the season to be jolly at the Gardens By The Bay with a whole host of festivities both indoors and out with “Merry Medley” in the Flower Dome and “Christmas Wonderland” in the Meadow. In the crisp climate of the Flower Dome, Christmas cheer takes centrestage in the Flower Field with poinsettias, amaryllis and Christmas roses gracing charming yuletide seasons.

Stroll amidst the woody evergreen fragrance of majestic conifer trees…

Cocooned in giant snow globes, a lovely ballerina delicately turns as her accompanying soldiers watch on...

At the centre of the Flower Field, a troupe of smartly-dressed toy soldiers and an angelic orchestra join in the merry medley…

Nutcracker dolls here are depicted in the form of a solider, knight or king, each with a huge mouth and big teeth. Originally, nuts can be shelled by putting in the mouth of these dolls…

At night, the Flower Dome takes on a magical glow
as the enchanting winter wonderland filled with the fresh aroma of flowers…

 

With a beautiful blue-green cone-shaped crown and exuding a sense of magnificence, the Noble Fir is ideal for a Christmas tree as it looms up over nine metres to create an ideal centrepiece for the Flower Field…

The snow globes are transformed into laminated crystal spheres
with the spell of the twirling ballerina enchantingly beckoning you forward…

  

The Noble Fir (Abies procera) is a western North American fir that is tall and beautifully-symmetrical, with blue-green needles turned upward, exposing the lower branches. Its ability to last for a long time and its stiff branches make it an excellent Christmas tree. Further afield, the huge tower lay amidst snow at the centre of the Flower Field depicting yuletide scenes with Nutcracker Dolls, ballerinas, angelic choirs...

 

Looking like their true lily cousins, the Amaryllis are bulbs with trumpet-shaped flowers. They come in a dazzling array of colours, sometimes combining shades of pink or red, with white. Some of these flowers have a single row of petals (single flower form), while others have a few layers (double flower form)…

 

According to German folklore, the Nutcracker at night comes alive to defeat the evil Mouse King in battle, brings good luck to each household…

Modelled after the Kobe Luminarie, a light festival held in Kobe Japan to commemorate the Great Hanshin Earthquake, these  elegant Italian-designed light structures illuminate their way forward, symbolizing an everlasting message of peace and hope...

Merry Medley Garden Trail

Join daily “Ask Me” tours as they share fascinating botanical facts and anecdotes about the floral display from 11 November 2016 to 05 January 2017 at 11am and 3pm daily (1-6pm on 03-04 December).

Tours last approximately 15 minutes and available free on a first-come, first-served basis. To participate, gather at the “Ask Me” poster near the Flower Field. Tours will begin when a group of at least five is assembled.

Floral Display Promotion

Local residents with Christmas Wonderland ticket will enjoy $4 off local admission rates for the Double Conservatories. Present your Christmas Wonderland ticket at the Gardens By The Bay ticketing counters to enjoy the offer from 11 November 2016 to 05 January 2017.

For more details, visit www.gardensbythebay.com.sg for the latest information.

Read More

Japanese Business Expo - Takasaki Day

Located in the northwestern part of the Kanto region about 100 kilometres or a one-hour Shinkansen ride from Tokyo, Takasaki is the largest city in the Gunma Prefecture with a population of around 370,000. Takasaki is situated within a dense network of expressways and high-speed train lines. Its strategic location helps the city shine as an industrial hub with over 30,000 companies based in Takasaki City itself.

As a manufacturing hub, the Gunma province has over 140,000 employees in more than 6,000 manufacturing firms - many of which are based in Takasaki. The city is also the seat of world-class research institutes, bio industry and advanced pharmaceutical industry, contributing significantly to Japan’s economic and industrial growth.

Prosperity Daruma Dolls at the entrance of the Expo...

(What are Daruma Dolls, find out more in Merlion Wayfarer Goes World here)

At the recent Japanese Business Expo held in Singapore recently, several global brands and leading companies showcased their cutting edge technologies, solutions and products in fields such as machinery, metals, chemicals and waste disposal.

The perfect chance for Singapore and regional companies to discover the opportunities in the industrial hub of Takasaki, the Japan Business Expo - Takasaki Day showcases many sectors across different industries, be it travel, tourism, shared services, research and development, infocomm technology, food processing, energy, waste management, or consumer goods.

“This exhibition is a powerful step towards nurturing excellent business relationships between Takasaki and Singapore, to the benefit of both Singapore and Japan.”

-- Hidehiro Yoshii, Department of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, Japan --

Kinsei Sangyo Co., Ltd. (キンセイ産業)

Established in 1967, Kinsei Sangyo provides waste incineration plants with their special gasification technology, providing environmentally-friendly solutions to the waste management industry, engineering firms, hospitals and furnace manufacturers. With a track record of more than 200 plants and 70 international patents, Kinsei Sangyo’s solution is highly-automated, perfect for companies seeking more technologically-savvy solutions.

In addition to its high-performance and economical energy solution, Merlion Wayfarer was impressed that this solution requires almost no auxiliary fossil fuels and creates minimal pollution. Waste is disposed of without any pre-treatment required, reducing operating costs even further. The burners here made are also highly-adaptable to incinerate any waste materials, from animal/plant waste, medical waste, to industrial waste and even rare metals.

Incinerators in Kanto, Japan - Gunma (plastic, paper) and Saitama (food waste)...

Incinerators in Chugoku, Japan - Hiroshima (wood, textiles) and Okayama (medical waste)...

Incinerators in other Asian countries - Korea (hospital waste) and Thailand (plastic, wood, fibre)... 

For more information on Kinsei Sangyo, visit www.kinsei-s.co.jp/english/ or email global@kinsei-s.co.jp.

Makino Brewery Inc. (牧野酒造株式会社)

Sake has played a central role in Japanese life and culture for the past 2,000 years. Made primarily from rice, sake is a fermented beverage using koji, a micro-organism and yeast. It has an alcoholic content of between 13-16%. Brewers tend to take advantage of the pure and fresh natural water available in many parts of japan to make excellent sake, which can then be served either warm or chilled, depending on the season.

Makino Brewery takes pride in their history of more than 320 years, consistently winning gold medals in national sake and National Tax Authority contests in Japan. Its trademark Osakazuki (大盃) is one of the most delicious sake brands in Japan. This tasteful and elegant sake is made from carefully-selected sake rice grain and cold spring water from Mount Haruna in Kurabuchi in Central Japan.

Ginjoshu (吟醸酒) is sake made using white rice which has been milled so that only 60% (or less) of the grain remains. It is characterized by a fruity, and somewhat floral bouquet with a clear, crisp flavour. If the rice is polished down to 50% or less, the sake is called Daiginjoshu (大吟醸酒).

Merlion Wayfarer had the chance to try Makino Brewery’s Daiginjo (大吟醸). Premium Limited, where distilled alcohol was used in the process. The taste is rich, with a smooth finish…

  

This is Junmai Ginjo (純米吟醸) counting with 60% milled rice as its main constituent. It provides a full-bodied yet lighter taste…

The Nama Chozo (生貯蔵酒) is sake that is not heated for pasteurization after the final mash is pressed. It is characterized by a light and fresh flavour...

The Ume Liquor (梅酒) is made from Japanese apricot with the Osakazuki sake base. A perfect balance between ume extract and alcohol is achieved by aging the whole fruit, with the stone still inside. The delicious tang of Umeshu comes from citric acid in the fruit, and the refreshing flavour stimulates the appetite. The addition of alcohol to the fruit during production means that the ume flavour can be extracted not only from the flesh and skin but also from the stone.

For more information on Makino Brewery, visit www.makino-sake.co.jp/about-makino-brewery or email info@makino-sake.co.jp.

Read More

Responsible Business Forum Singapore 2016

The 5th Responsible Business Forum (RBF) on Sustainable Development was held in Singapore on 22-24 November 2016 at Marina Bay. During this Forum, delegates examined each of the 17 SDGs in-depth with case studies and perspectives from businesses, governments, UN agencies, investors and international experts.
  

With 34 SDG workshops to choose from, delegates designed their own RBF 2016 agenda around the goals most relevant to their organisations and participated in discussions around action, innovation and collaboration. The Forum also aided companies to better understand the SDGs and the opportunities in supporting governments to achieve them.

In the workshop on the "Life On Land" SDG for "Sustainable Development Goals", Justin Adams, Global Managing Director, Lands of The Nature Conservancy facilitated a conversation between Jemmy Chayadi, Vice President, Sustainability, APRIL; U Tin Htut, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Myanmar; and Moray McLeish, ‎Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, Asia, Olam International. Through their short session, they discussed ways to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. On the topic of forest torching, the panellists proposed that close cooperation with the government is required to provide alternative means for the farmers to earn a livelihood.
  

At the Forum, there was also the opportunity to hear from the teams in the ASEAN Impact Challenge. The Challenge is designed to encourage, empower and support innovators across ASEAN to work for social progress through business. It was encouraging to see the youths of today showcasing their incredible ideas to improve social progress across the region.
   

For more on the Forum, visit www.responsiblebusiness.com for the details.

 

Read More