Looking for some souvenirs for yourself and your beloved ones?
Close to the conference venue, the Pagoda street opposite the Chinatown MRT (subway) station offers a variety of souvenir shops that you will want to explore. Generally speaking, the shop owners don’t mind if you haggle a bit. And the lines of shops will lead you to some of the most popular restaurants, just in case. 
Posted on July 21st, 2008 by Long
Filed under: what to do | No Comments »
It’s great !!! SIGIR’08 is held at the same time as the durian (IPA: [ˈd(j)ʊriən, -ɑn]) season; a fruit that is unique only in this South East Asia region. Many love this fruit and even revere it as “The King of Fruits”. Many others misunderstand and loathe it so much for its “unique” odor. I warn you, some of my friends (especially those not from this region) even treat this fruit as a disease =) Below is the picture of the fruit.
The Singaporean government has a love/hate relationship with this fruit. On one hand, it loves the fruit as such it makes a national icon out of this fruit. Take a look at the picture below and you’ll understand what I mean. Arguably, this iconic building is better known as “the durian” rather than “the esplanade” (I have no idea to spell it correctly and this is my fifth year in Singapore [Eds. note: it's correct :-)] ).
On the other hand, it “hates” it as such it forbids the fruit to be carried in the train, bus or taxi. You can always try to hide the fruit with your unique creativity, but I don’t think you can hide the odour =) Oh ya, the penalty varies, but it’s perhaps similar to buy 100 more durians. Here’s the sign to watch out.
Now, I hope I can convince you that it is worthwhile to eat “this king of fruits”, the follow up question you may have is where to get it. The answer is it’s everywhere !!! You can just call the cab and tell the driver: “Uncle, durian”. They’ll all know. But, there is one favorite place I often go because of the price and the nuance. The place is called Geylang and I show it here. The stall looks like a market place and the fruit is priced at 10 SGD for three. Three durians is really a lot of fruit.
A last word: this fruit is high in cholesterol, so you have been warned. A traditional way to reduce the hazards (the cholesterol as well as the strong odour to some extent) is to pour water into the empty shell of the fruit after the pulp has been consumed and drink it. Or you can eat it alongside mangostee (nicknamed the Queen of fruits), which is considered to have a cooling effect to your body.
Last but not least, enjoy the conference and don’t forget the durian.
Posted on July 19th, 2008 by hendrase
Filed under: food | 2 Comments »
Dear all, SIGIR is now in full swing. We’d like to invite yourself to blogging about SIGIR 2008 and linking back to here, through your comments and posts here.
We’ve created a generic user “sigir2008″ (with the SIGIR 2008 wireless internet password - ie “inS******2008″) to allow *you* to write up your own blog post. Please write any comments you have to address to the general SIGIR 2008 public and/or to the organizers. We just ask that you limit editing to your own posts, as a courtesy to others.
We’ve also created a Google Map of places around the Copthorne Waterfront to help you get around town. This is also open to the public and your annotations are more than welcomed!
Posted on July 18th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
A couple of short tips based on others’ questions.
1. Clothes to wear. Singapore’s unofficial uniform is t-shirt-bermudas-sandals (Bermudas are the same as “shorts”). There was a recent Straits Times article on this a few week’s ago. You can go practically anywhere in this outfit. However, for dressing up and going out, slacks and a short-sleeved dress shirt with shoes are just fine for all occasions. Jeans here are adapted for the climate and are made of particularly thin materials, which makes them suitable for casual, going out dress.
2. Electrical components. Singapore’s AC plugs are the same as the UK (for the obvious historically related reason, just like Hong Kong). Bring your trusty AC universal adapter. Upscale hoteliers may be able to provide such adapters for you at the concierge, or have universal plugs in the rooms. We advise that you come with an adapter.
Personally, I recommend bringing a charged second battery that you can switch to during the conference. We will have WiFi throughout the area, but finding a spare electrical socket may be more of a problem.
If you’re buying consumer electronics to take back (say from Sim Lim), please note that the electrical properties may make it difficult or not worthwhile to bring a product back. Please check with your store before purchasing. Another problem that people have encountered is that TV transmissions here are in PAL format (e.g., the United States uses NTSC format), so TVs and game consoles used here may not work when used in other countries. Caveat emptor.
3. Exchange rate and money: Plus and Maestro systems for ATM are everywhere and can be used to withdraw monies from your home bank account (thank you for supporting our economy!). Currently, 1 USD buys 1.34 SGD, 1 Euro buys 2.14 SGD, 1 GBP buys 2.70 SGD.
Got more questions? Fire away…
Posted on July 16th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
It is interesting to note that there is a company set up to perform walking tours in Singapore in not so touristy places. It appears to me that the places mentioned in their tour itineraries seem to be good places to consider. Personally, I do not really recommend paying the fee to join their tours, but the decision is entirely up to you.
Posted on July 8th, 2008 by Yee Fan
Filed under: food, singapore, what to do | 1 Comment »
Singapore Food Festival during this July would definitely be a unique opportunity for you to easily know more about Singapore diverse cuisines with famous dishes such as Satay, Hainanese Chicken Rice and Chilli Crab.
The Opening Celebration, from 4-6 July, is a review of
Singapore’s hawkers of the 50s and 60s with over 40 stalls for you to enjoy!
In the second weekend of July (12-13 July), we would have the heritage food trail:
@Chinatown: cuisines of different Chinese dialects
@Malay Heritage Centre at Kampong Glam: local meals
@Little India: vegetarian food fair.
Near to our conference period, we would have:
18-20 July: Uniquely Singapore seafood event. Enjoy the famous Singapore Chilli Crab
on the warm shore of East Coast Beach.
26-27 July: Barbecue at Sentosa with live music. Enjoy the dishes you like in the relaxed ambience at Sentosa with music…something to be remembered!
Many other food events with no less fun such as food challenge, Chef’s Secrets
take place everyday around Singapore during this month. And I am sure
they would give you the best food for thought of the Sigir 
What’s more? Bring along your passport to Singapore Visitors’Centers to get Singapore
Sampler vouchers, which would entitle you to a free sampling of any three local
delights.
So what are you waiting for? Singapore’s best dishes are waiting for you!
For more details, please visit the Singapore Food Festival website at:
http://www.singaporefoodfestival.com
Posted on June 7th, 2008 by hung
Filed under: food, singapore | 1 Comment »
For visitors who like intellectual games and would like to interact with the locals, you may consider stopping by at the Singapore Intellectual Games Center located at the Bishan Community Club. Four intellectual games organizations are housed under one roof:
Note: For players who intend to play only Go, I personally recommend going to the City clubhouse at Bugis instead for a better playing environment. No comments on the other three organizations as I know nothing about them. I am currently an inactive member of the Singapore Weiqi Association, but am writing in my own capacity.
Posted on June 3rd, 2008 by Yee Fan
Filed under: games, singapore, what to do | No Comments »
Singapore, while quite the clean and lush garden city, offers and additional attractions of being a natural hub for visiting the surrounding countries. While the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) would be happiest if you spent all your tourist dollars in town, there are certainly many destinations of interest that are reachable by a short flight, or bus or boat trips.
We’ve seen many visitors, whom having come from so far away, decide to splurge out and jet out to the palaces at Angkor Wat (Siem Riep is your closest city) and to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi being popular destinations). Certainly worth your while to go, but also consider some less popular (and more tranquil) places. Angkor Wat is mobbed during tourist high season (read: right before and after SIGIR), so if it’s historic palaces you want, you may fare better going to Cambodia but to palaces more off the beaten track. In Vietnam, Hoi An is quickly becoming a popular destination for its tranquil landscape and quaint, multicolored town. Thailand’s Bangkok may be a shopping haven, but consider Chiang Mai for its bastion of temples or Krabi for beautiful rock formations, sea and sun (I have a soft spot for rock climbing venues).
Chances are if you’re reading this post now, you’ve already planned something, or don’t have the time or money to plan an elaborate getaway. Relax, there are still plenty of ways to get a feel for the surrounding South East Asia countrysides. Here are some pointers for you:
Posted on June 2nd, 2008 by knmnyn
Filed under: beyond SG, what to do | 1 Comment »
In a few previous posts, we already highlighted a few of the nature spots in Singapore. In May 2008 (quite recent) the Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore’s urban planning division; self acknowledged sim city folks :-P) opened up a series of parks stretching from right outside the Vivocity shopping mall and stretching all the way West to NUS, where our university is. The park, called the Southern Ridge, features two architecturally distinct bridges and a very nice treetop canopy walk that’s entirely free of charge. This a great budget way to spend two hours to get your fitness walk and commune with nature in our urban city. Perhaps start late afternoon near the Alexandra Arch bridge and end your walk at Vivocity. You’ll be treated to nice views of the city and harbor and a nice sunset, and end up in Singapore’s (current) largest mall, with plenty of eating options to satisfy your cravings.
Posted on June 2nd, 2008 by knmnyn
Filed under: food, nature, what to do | 1 Comment »
It will be the South-West Monsoon Season between June and September in Singapore, when you are visiting for SIGIR 2008. You might experience late morning or early afternoon showers — however, they won’t affect most of the plans you might have. Just in case, you can check out the weather forecast or even the real-time satellite image of this area.
Posted on May 12th, 2008 by Long
Filed under: nature, singapore | No Comments »