Happy New Year! Whether you were out celebrating the final moments of 2020 last night or watching fireworks from the heartlands, many might be relieved to see the year come to an end. 2020 was quite the year — the pandemic locked us indoors, work made a transition into our homes, and travel was limited to virtual tours — but as we enter 2021 in Phase 3, we take comfort in the fact that we are moving towards a vaccination plan and can congregate in groups of eight.

So how will you spend the first weekend of the new year? Here are some ideas on where you can go with your family and friends:

1. JAPAN RAIL CAFE

Still having itchy feet to travel? JAPAN RAIL CAFE and Japan Airlines (JAL) have announced their first-ever collaboration! Diners will be able to enjoy a selection of in-flight meals in the café from 2 to 31 January 2021.

Prepared by SATS, Japan Airlines’ inflight caterer in Singapore, you can choose one of two popular meals — Salmon Miso Yaki, $25, and Chicken Takiawase Tamago, $23 —available for lunch and dinner. Meals will be served true to form on JAL trays and compartmentalised into two appetisers, a main and dessert. Only 600 meals are available during the month-long promotion so don’t miss out!

In addition, Japan Airlines’ Singapore-based cabin crew will be at the café every Saturday and Sunday of January starting from 9 January 2021, from 12pm to 6pm, to share with interested customers the art of wrapping gifts with furoshiki, as well as folding origami.

2. Aliwal Tracks

You may have been to Kampong Glam but have you “heard” it? With digital performances, behind-the-scenes footage and virtual exhibitions, Aliwal Tracks is a 13-part web series inspired by the sounds of Kampong Glam starring some of Singapore’s leading street, urban and traditional artists and creatives based in Aliwal Arts Centre.

Meander through the streets of one of Singapore’s most vibrant enclaves and explore hidden street art, age-old stories from residents as well as sounds and beats of Kampong Glam through explorative and performative videos centered around the everyday sounds of the neighbourhood. Visit www.aliwalartscentre.sg/aliwal-tracks to “hear” Kampong Glam from a new perspective.

3. Faith Beauty Love Hope – Our Stories, Your ACM

Want to know the stories behind the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM)? The exhibition showcases more than 60 timeless masterpieces in ACM with personal reflections by the ACM community, including contributions from a conservator, a security supervisor, student volunteers, and the museum director, among many others.

Visitors are invited to experience these timeless objects up-close, and to reflect on and celebrate our strengths in this time of challenges and disruption. The stories are both revealing and intimate — you may just find yourself reading stories and thoughts that echo your own.

The exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. from now until 28 February 2021. Admission tickets are available for sale online here.

4. Otah & Friends

Enter a whimsical game of hide-and-seek at Gardens by the Bay with Singapore’s first otter-themed escapade. Running from now to 26 February 2021, the people behind The Bubble Tea Factory has created a colourful world where visitors can participate in an adventure to find Otah before the cookies in his oven burn. The adventure lasts for 45 minutes and participants will be able to look for clues and be rewarded with lemonade and soft-baked cookies from homegrown bakery, Whiskdom.

You’ll also be able to take many cool shots of the visually stunning 2,500 square feet fantasy world. Tickets are $15 per person or $60 for groups of five, and there’s a minimum of two people to play (children below the age of 12 will need to be accompanied by an adult). Otah & Friends is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and for ticketing and more information, do visit their website.

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