Spent time with family in Copenhagen without a hefty price. (Have a family vacation without spending too much money.)

Added on 7 Jan 2017:
Here is an idea. I spent half an hour in Copenhagen with my family without leaving the comfort of the living room.

I see so much of the world from my armchair and I just love the (missing) price tag. Don't they say it is the company that matters?
AK, you are terrible! Bad AK! Bad AK!
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Some time ago, I suggested to my family that we should have "stay-cations" which basically is to have vacations in our home country of Singapore and that was what we did for Chinese New Year. There are so many things to do and places to see in Singapore. Well, at least I think so.

"Stay-cations" are less stressful and they can be just as fun as vacations. In fact, I found the "stay-cation" we had this year a lot more fun and comfortable than the vacations we had in Japan a year or so ago.

CNY in Universal Studios, Singapore.

The old folks are familiar with things in Singapore and they didn't have to suffer discomfort in their joints from the cold of winter. So, it was very comfortable for them which I thought was a big plus. We didn't have to worry about their health as much.

We decided to take the MRT to visit the different attractions in order to feel what it is like to be a tourist in our own country. There is much to be said about the efficiency of our public transportation network that is good. Well, the MRT didn't break down on us, luckily.

Did we go to a resort? Nope, this was in Botanic Gardens.

At the end of the day, we went home feeling happy, having enjoyed each other's good company which is what really makes family vacations meaningful. It is about spending quality time together as a family.

We didn't have to bother with packing and unpacking of luggage. We didn't have to bother with checking in and the clearing of customs. We didn't have to bother with foreign exchange. We didn't have to bother with language issues.

Of course, a big plus about "stay-cations" is the cost savings. We probably spent less than 10% of what we would have spent as a family if we had chosen to vacation in Japan even with the much weakened Japanese Yen, for example. So, I was spending a bit more freely in those three days. I let my hair down, so to speak.

A few nights ago, after dinner with a friend, I decided to go for a brisk after dinner walk in the Marina Bay area. There were people walking, blading, jogging etc. I could tell that probably more than half were not Singaporeans. I really felt like a tourist in my own country again.

Here are some photos taken with my phone's camera that night:

Very beautiful. We should enjoy our own country more often. It doesn't cost us much to do so.

Try having "stay-cations" instead of having vacations from time to time as a family. I am sure you will discover the many benefits of doing so for yourself.


NEW PHOTOS ADDED 
(23 August 2016):

Taking in the sights, I enjoy long walks which usually last about an hour around Marina Bay at night. Quite beautiful, don't you think so?


Related posts:

1. A day in MBLM.

2. Your children will become what you are.
"I was out and about when I overheard a conversation a father was having with his young son whom I thought must be 9 or 10 years old..."

3. AK's birthday wish is ....
"When my family asked where would I like to go to have dinner to celebrate my 43rd birthday, I suggested Whampoa Market! "

Who is AK? Really, who is he?

Added (17 Jan 17): 
I am sometimes surprised by the kind of things people say about AK especially when these are people who AK don't know and they don't know AK either. 

Yet, they are quick to judge and say some really terrible things without the slightest compunction. 

I am even more surprised when 有头有脸 (see translation here) people behave in the same way. 

Why the need to say anything so virulent about AK who is a mere blogger? I wonder.
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One of the things I care about a lot is my privacy. As my blog got a bit more popular recently, I got a bit more worried about how my privacy could be compromised as I have been asked before why I stay anonymous?

Yesterday, through conversations with two readers, this matter popped up again.

As there possibly could be similar conversations in future, I thought I should just share the conversations from yesterday. 

Then, I would have a blog for me to direct curious readers to in future.

So, this is a bit like a FAQ link, if you like. 

AK is lazy lah.





Chat 1:

M: Why u wan to put on a mask

AK: aiyoh... i always say it is so that people dunno who i am and won't borrow money from me, actually, there is a more serious reason

M: Oh

AK: you know i share a lot of very personal info in my blog de... I am able to feel comfortable doing that because i am anonymous

M: Yeah. I agree

Credit: Eu Jin Lee

Chat 2:

P: Hi there Assi Ak, I just started to follow you on fb, instead of troubling my friend J who is also your fb friend to give me an insight...is there a page or a blog page I can access to your bio...maybe?

AK: Access to my bio? I dun understand this. Do you mean to be my FB friend?

P: Not so much fb frens...More like, who you are, what you did before...? Cos urs is investing blogging...

AK: Oh, haha... I think you won't find any info like that. I am a hobbyist blogger and a very private person. You will find that most hobbyist bloggers in this niche are very private.

P: But, why are they asking you for opinions on investment? ....you are freddy

AK: Freddy? Ya, I also dunno why... -.-"

P: Freddy kreuger

AK: Yikes! That is from a horror movie, right? Don't scare me... -.-

P: Ya..cos u mask urself.. Ok...I will ask J, why he is following you. Otherwise, you are no different to those kopi tiam uncle.. lol
AK: Oh, I assure you that is a very good description except that I don't go to kopi tiams. I stay home mostly.






Privacy is important to me. 

It is important for me to say that I am comfortable doing what I do now because I am an anonymous blogger.

Related post:
My blog as a business?
"... anyone who has followed my blog for a while would know that, for me, blogging was something that happened not by design. I started this blog out of boredom and curiosity."