Singapore Changi Airport - Time Lapse video

Here's the video I promised you shot from the Changi Airport Terminal 1 Viewing Mall.
It was taken this afternoon from 12 noon till 2.00pm but the video is compressed into a time lapsed movie of 2 & 1/2 minute duration. Taken with my Olympus EPL1 camera.



Watch in HD for better quality. Select 480 or 720p.    ----------------------here  ^

Viewing Gallery at Changi Airport T1 is open

I had a pleasant surprise today when I dropped by Changi Airport Terminal 1.

If you are a plane spotter, you will know that Changi Airport terminals T2 and T3 are very unfriendly for plane spotters. The viewing gallery is placed within the upper levels overlooking the inside of the lower level (the transit hall) before looking out unto the apron, through the panels on the lower level.

They designed the public viewing area almost 30 meters away from the outer glass panel. This makes it near impossible to see the aircrafts on the apron. Probably in view of security.

I knew that renovations had been going on at the older Terminal 1, at least it was the last time I visited. When I was there today, I popped by to see if the public viewing area was just as bad as T2 and T3.

Surprise #1. Renovations were completed.
                    I later learned that it was completed months ago.

Surprise #2 . The viewing gallery at T1 extends right to the apron wall ! Yes!
                     This means an unobstructed view of the aircrafts on the tarmac.

Albeit, you can only see the central apron between T1 & T2, but that's a vast improvement over the miserable viewing conditions at T2 and T3.
My guess is that glass technology has improved so much to allow this new freedom?

The viewing gallery, now called the Viewing Mall, has a front about 50 meters long which affords a very wide view over the central apron.

Curiously, the floor  just beside the glass front is transparent.
You might get an initial fright if you step onto the glass panel and then look down at your feet to see the floor 20 meters below! The picture above shows people standing on the glass floor panel.

When I was there this afternoon, there was a private party going on to welcome the Finnair "Angry Birds" plane which had flew non-stop all the way from Helsinki. It arrived about the time I was there (but not on my account). That's the Finnair plane in the background in the picture above.

The Finnair party which I was not invited to. 

I'll be back one of these days to do a video of the aircrafts on the tarmac. Stay tuned.

Aim at the fly

Okay, I promise this will be the last of my toilet blogs!
(I know when I gotta go, I gotta go.)

I was at the new Terminal 3 at Changi Airport last week when I took a leak at the toilet near the Basement 3 Food Court.
Inside the mens' urinal, there is a fly near the drain hole. Not a real fly but one that imprinted onto the urinal!  The obvious thing a man will do is to pee at the fly.

This simple but brilliant brainwave was created back in 1999 by the staff at Amsterdam Schipol Airport who proved that the little fly improved cleanliness on the floor by 85%.

Now maybe the authorities will have to reword their infamous warning to Fine $500 for not flushing or Shooting the fly!

I was told that a similar problem arises in the ladies with some who 'hover' instead of sitting.
Wonder if anyone can come up with another brainwave for the ladies?

No such thing as a free lunch?

No takers for a free trip!

In the year 2000, I gave up my job traveling on business and took on an ‘earth bound’ job. Over the past years I had travel almost everywhere, including making round-the-world trips. One of the perks was frequent flyer points.
I had milege points from almost every airline program including Star Alliance, One World and independents like EVA, ANA, MAS etc.

In Nov 2001, I was informed by Star Alliance that 125,000 points were to expire by 31st Dec that I had to utilize or forfeit.

I offered all my colleagues a free trip to almost anyway. You think they would jump on this chance? No! None of them actually believed I was genuine. There's no such thing as a free lunch! they said.

With the deadline almost due, I finally decided that I would take a trip by myself then to London and by First Class on SIA. In all my years, I had not flown first class and this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and it took exactly 120,000 points for a 1st class ticket.

The day before I was due to make the booking, I bumped into Joyce, a colleague whom I remembered had just got married to Fred, who used to work with me at another branch.
“Hey, how would you and Fred like a free honeymoon anywhere in Asia?” I asked.
“No catch, just that I had to go along and you have to pay for your own hotel and meals”

And so it was that Joyce and Fred made their first overseas trip to Japan with me in February 2002. We flew Business class on ANA. Stayed 5 days and toured Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.

The following year when again I had to utilize my frequent flyer points, you can bet there was no shortage of eager friends!

Changi Airport ANA Business Class Lounge___________ Fred & Joyce

Joyce & me______________________________ Tokyo Japan

Tokyo for the 18th time.

Day: minus 1.
Changi Airport. Waiting for departure.

Another short 4D3N visit. Just to enjoy my favorite city again.
This trip was a on, off, on again, off again, on again event that sort of dampened the whole spirit but anyway, I was determined to go regardless. Even my traveling companion kept changing.
If my count is right, I guess the 18th for me.

Since the expectations of all my kakis seem pretty high this time, especially since they knew I was travelling but had them all guessing the destination and with whom I was going with. So for those whom I said ‘Bali this time’, apologies. It’s Tokyo, Japan, as half of you guessed right.

I will describe my itinerary on a daily basis on my blog from my hotel room each night starting from the 15th .
You can email any request to my personal email at hjtann@mac.com.
I will upload all the daily photos to my picasa web album so you can see where I’d been during day.


Signing off from the free terminal at Changi airport.

Traveller's nightmare - lost luggage!

When you travel often, inevitably someone will ask if you had some strange or funny incidents on your travels, usually about lost luggage, turbulence, etc. Well, there is actually one very hilarious incident about a lost luggage. The funny part is that I had not even left the country nor even arrived at the airport and had my luggage lost!

Back in 2002, the MRT had just started a new direct train service from Boon Lay to Changi Airport. Was going to Tokyo and thought why not try out the service. Lugged my luggage to the station and had to transfer at Jurong East for the eastbound train to Changi.

At Jurong East station, by coincidence, a Chinaman (Chinese expatriate working in Singapore) with his wife and child, were beside me on the same platform also heading for Changi Airport with their luggage in tow. We all entered the same cabin but sat opposite each other.

At the time when this new train service started, the train had specially installed racks for bags and luggage near the doors. I placed my Samsonite on the rack and the Chinaman placed his 2 bags beside it.

Further along at Tiong Bahru Station, the Chinaman's wife and child got off the train. When it departed, the Chinaman suddenly realised that his wife was still holding on to his train ticket.
In a panic, he started asking around if anyone had a mobile phone he could use, to call his wife. The only one who had, said that unfortunately he had to get off at the next station which was fast approaching. So the Chinaman said that he would get off with the kind young man to use his mobile phone.

When the train stopped next at Outram Station, the Chinaman grabbed his 2 bags from the rack and got off the train. I know you're thinking.... he took my bag, but no, hee hee. ....wait for it...

There was a young lady with her boyfriend seated next to me. And just at the moment that the train sounded "Doors are closing", I heard her say to her beau " Hey!, he left his bag behind!!"
In a flash, she got up, rushed across aisle, grabbed MY bag and tossed it out the door just a fraction before the doors slammed shut!

"That's mine!", I screamed. We both looked at each other, the girl red with embarrassment and I red and flustered. And we could both see the Chinaman outside waving his hands frantically saying "It's not mine! it's not mine" as the train pull away from the station.

Of course, I had to stop at the next station and rode another train back to Outram to pick up my luggage , which luckily the Chinaman had presence of mind to hold for me till I arrived.

That was the only other time I had lost my luggage on my travels.
The next time, I'll tell you about this same Samsonite luggage who decided to go to Hawaii for vacation while I was heading for home from LA