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After a hearty breakfast we set off to Serangoon to meet a school friend of my wife. Together we took the bus to the famous Orchard Road, known for its huge and luxurious shopping malls.
We had actually wanted to visit a Vietnamese restaurant whose owner is deaf himself, but it was closed for the New Year celebrations.
The real “people’s breakfast”
Instead, we enjoyed a classic set in a kopitiam:
• Kaya toast & eggs: The highlight was dipping the sweet coconut-egg-jam toast into the savoury soft-boiled eggs seasoned with soy sauce – a perfect umami taste.
• Special tea: I had a tea with notes of jasmine and chocolate. In Singapore, tea is often brewed strong and finished with condensed milk, which gives it this creamy, cocoa-like note.
Goosebumps at the National Stadium
After a stroll between the skyscrapers, we visited the National Stadium at the Singapore Sports Hub.
It was fascinating: we were allowed to walk onto the pitch for free! From the seats we marvelled at a unique light show on the huge dome. (More about the stadium in my post Singapore’s National Stadium: An Engineering Marvel of Sustainability.)
A sea of lights and prominent encounters
In the evening we went to Gardens by the Bay with our friends and their son. The boy is hearing but signs very well, which was wonderful.
Together we dived into the sea of lights of the New Year figures.
Then something incredible happened: we saw two prominent figures up close!
In the middle of the crowd we spotted Tony Tan Keng Yam, the seventh President of Singapore, and Member of Parliament Baey Yam Keng.
They were also visiting the festive exhibition. After this eventful day we headed home on tired legs.
That’s it for today!
Throwing coins at bells is a popular tradition at Chinese festivals and in temples, and we were able to experience it during the 2026 New Year celebrations in Singapore.
Here is the meaning behind this custom:
• Luck and blessings: hitting a bell with a coin symbolises “activating” good luck. When the bell rings, it is seen as a sign that your wishes have been heard.
• The four bells: different bells often stand for different areas of life. Under the bells you can see hearts with Chinese characters that represent specific wishes:
• Prosperity: that wealth flows in from everywhere.
• Academic success: progress in learning and at school.
• Happiness and contentment: that everything goes as you wish (ruyi).
• Career advancement: moving up step by step.
• Donation for a good cause: the coins thrown are usually collected and donated to charity or to maintain the temple or venue. So it is a good deed at the same time.
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