Travel Advisory 旅游咨询

China - Hong Kong SAR

中国 — 香港特别行政区

Hong Kong being a popular tourist destination had attracted 65 million tourists last year.

香港是个受欢迎的旅游目的地，去年吸引了6500万旅客。

Hong Kong protest started from March 31, 2019.

香港抗议活动于2019年3月31日开始。

After 189 days, there are still no signs of stopping.

过了189天，仍然没有停止的迹象。

Questions are mounting over whether Hong Kong remains a safe destination to visit.

关于香港是否仍然是个安全的旅游目的地的疑问不断增加。

Many countries have issue travel warning to their citizens.

许多国家已向其公民发出旅游警告。

Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, UK and USA have either issued travel alerts, travel advisories or travel warnings about the situation in Hong Kong.

澳大利亚、加拿大、爱尔兰、日本、新西兰、韩国、台湾、阿拉伯联合酋长国、英国和美国已针对香港局势发出旅游警戒、旅游咨询或旅游警告。

Singapore Consulate-General in Hong Kong asking Singaporeans to defer non-essential travel to Hong Kong in view of the large-scale protests.

有鉴于大规模抗议活动，新加坡驻香港总领事馆要求新加坡人推迟不必要的旅游。

P/S: These photos are courtesy of my Hong Kong sworn brother.

注：这些照片是香港结拜弟弟借出的。

Sentosa Merlion Tower 圣淘沙鱼尾狮塔

Singapore - Sentosa

新加坡 — 圣淘沙

The Merlion Tower was built in 1995

鱼尾狮塔建于1995年。

It is the Big Mac of the seven Merlion statues in Singapore.

它是新加坡七个鱼尾狮雕像中的巨无霸！

The plane area is 500 square meters and the height is 37 meters.

平面面积为五百平方公尺，高三十七公尺。

The Merlion Tower will be open until the 20th of this month, after which it will be demolished and given way to the future development of Sentosa.

鱼尾狮塔将开放到这个月20日，之后就会被拆除并让路给圣淘沙未来的发展。

Once again, there is nothing in this world that is permanent.

再一次验证了这世上没什么东西是永久的。

Suddenly remember an ad phrase: It does not matter whether something can be eternal, so long as you have ever possessed it.

突然想起了一则广告词：不在乎天长地久，只在乎曾经拥有。

Sayonara Kitty 再见了吉蒂猫

Malaysia - Johor (Sanrio Hello Kitty Town)

马来西亚 — 柔佛（三丽鸥吉蒂猫主题乐园）

The only directly authorised Hello Kitty theme park outside Japan, which opened in September 2012, will cease operation on December 31 this year.

2012年9月开幕的日本以外唯一直接授权的吉蒂猫主题乐园，将于今年12月31日结束营业。

Kitty fans better hurry down to do your pilgrimage for one last chance.

吉蒂猫迷们趁现在还有机会赶紧去朝圣。

Do not wait until the door is locked, then you will have to fly to Japan, its birthplace, to have closed contact and say "Hello Kitty".

莫等到时大门一锁，要跟吉蒂猫有亲密接触，就要搭飞机去它的出生地跟它 say "Hello Kitty" 喽。

Lastly, "さようなら Hello Kitty".

最后，"さようなら Hello Kitty"。

P/S: さようなら (read as Sayonara) means goodbye

注：さようなら 意思再见

Change 变

Singapore - Chinatown

新加坡 — 牛车水

The annual Mid-Autumn Festival is here again.

一年一度的中秋节又到了。

This year Mid-Autumn Festival, Chang'E is very busy.

今年的中秋节，嫦娥非常忙。

What exactly is Chang'E busy with?

嫦娥到底在忙什么碗糕呢？

Busy appearing in the newspaper and change faces.

忙着上报及变脸。

The makeup artist Chang'E engaged this year must be cuckoo.

嫦娥今年请来的化妆师，应该是头壳进水。

Turned feminine Chang'E into musculine Mulan!

婀娜多姿的嫦娥竟然变阳刚的花木兰！

Before and after face change

变脸前后

The main newspapers are scrambling to report

各大报章争相报道

Perhaps the moon is scared by the face changing Chang'E, this year Mid-Autumn Festival full moon is the smallest of the year.

可能月亮被嫦娥的尊颜吓到缩水，今年的中秋月是今年内最小的满月。

Joke aside, let's know some astronomical facts.

开个玩笑，让我们来了解一些天文知识。

The moon rotates around the earth in an elliptical orbit.

月球是在椭圆轨道上绕地球转动的。

The average distance between the moon and the earth is 384,000 kilometers, so the nearest is 356,000 kilometers and the farthest is 406,000 kilometers.

月球和地球平均距离为38.4万公里，所以最近约35.6万公里，而最远约40.6万公里。

Due to the distance, through the naked eyes, the diameter of the moon can have a difference of one-eighth in size.

由于距离的关系，通过肉眼看月亮大小之分的直径相差为八分之一。

P/S: The English spelling of 嫦娥 is Chang'E, remove the apostrophe and it becomes change; no wonder this year Chang'E needs to change faces! Wathehaha!

注：嫦娥的英文拼写为Chang'E，而英文change的意思为变；难怪今年嫦娥需要变、变、变脸啦！哇的哈哈！

Getai 歌台

Singapore

新加坡

There are many sayings about the origin of the culture of getai, but most of them agree that it should be derived from the Zhongyuan Festival.

歌台文化起源有多种说法，但其中多数人赞同的应该源自于中元节。

The seventh month of the lunar calendar is commonly known as the ghost month because the Chinese believe that the door of the netherworld is open for the whole month and the ghosts can wander freely in the mortal world.

农历七月俗称鬼月，因为华人相信这整个月阴间鬼门开，孤魂野鬼得以在人间游荡。

In order to appease these "good brothers", the business owners will organise the Zhongyuan Association to seek smooth business benefits.

为了安抚这些“好兄弟”，经商的老板们会组织中元会以求生意顺顺利利。

These Zhongyuan Association will organise getai to entertain these "good brothers".

这些中元会就会筹办歌台来酬神祭“好兄弟”。

The first row of seats at the getai is not reserved for the living but for the "good brothers".

歌台的第一排座位不是留给活人而是专留给“好兄弟”的。

So do not sit on these seats just because they are vacant, or else good luck to you!

所以不要因为空置而坐在这些座位上，否则祝你好自为之了！

Getai veteran: Liu Lingling

歌台大姐大：刘玲玲

The getai host is versatile

歌台主持人都八面玲珑

Getai entertainers are all talented

歌台艺人都才华横溢

Getai literally means 'song stage', it is a very grass-roots culture, a product during the era where entertainment was lack.

歌台顾名思义就是载歌载舞的舞台，是一种非常草根的文化，是娱乐缺乏时代的产物。

In 2007, the movie "881" which featured the Getai culture as background, let the once dying culture to be reintroduced into the young audience once again.

2007年一部以歌台为背景的电影《881》使一度没落的歌台文化，再次让年轻观众认识。

National Day 国庆日

Singapore

新加坡

In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles founded colonial Singapore as a trading post of the British East India Company.

After the company's collapse in 1858, the islands were ceded to the British Raj as a crown colony.

During the Second World War, Singapore was occupied by Japan.

The Japanese occupation of Singapore or Syonan-to took place from 1942 to 1945.

Singapore was renamed Syonan-to, meaning "Light of the South Island".

Singapore was officially returned to British colonial rule on 12 September 1945.

Singapore gained independence from the British Empire in 1963 by joining Malaysia along with other former British territories Sabah and Sarawak.

But Singapore separated two years later over ideological differences, becoming a sovereign state in 1965.

Today Singapore celebrates its 54th Birthday.

Majulah Singapura! (Onward Singapore!)

1819年，史丹福莱佛士爵士成立了新加坡殖民地，成为英国东印度公司的贸易站。

该公司于1858年倒闭后，这些岛屿被割让给英国皇家殖民地。

在第二次世界大战期间，新加坡被日本占领。

日本对新加坡或昭南島的占领发生在1942年至1945年。

新加坡更名为昭南島，意为“南岛之光”。

新加坡于1945年9月12日正式回归英国殖民统治。

新加坡于1963年以及其他前英国领土沙巴和沙捞越通过加入马来西亚而获得独立。

但两年后新加坡因意识形态分歧而分离，于1965年成为一个主权国家。

今天新加坡庆祝独立54周年。

前进吧，新加坡！

Cherish 珍惜

Singapore

新加坡

The open space below the Singapore public housing estate has many functions.

新加坡公共组屋楼下的空地有许多功能。

Most Malays hold weddings below their own flats.

多数马来人会在自己组屋楼下办婚礼。

Most Chinese, on the other hand, hold their funeral below their own flats.

另一方面，多数的华人则会在自己组屋楼下办丧事。

There have been new immigrants complaining about why Singaporeans do not hold their funeral in funeral parlor?

曾经就有新移民抱怨说为什么新加坡人不是在殡仪馆举行丧礼？

What is even more amazing is that sometimes this flat is holding a wedding function and the opposite flat is holding a funeral.

更令人惊奇的是有时这座组屋在办婚礼，而对面座组屋则是在办丧礼。

In fact this is something unique in Singapore, different ethnic groups are considerated and tolerant. 

其实这就是新加坡独特的地方，不同族群大家都能互相体谅与包容。

Recently a relative died suddenly due to heart attack without warning.

最近一位亲戚在没预警的情况下因心脏病发作而突然离世。

The family was caught off guard by this sudden incident.

一家人为这突如其来的事故感到措手不及。

Although the deceased suffered from chronic diseases, but it was still unexpected for him to leave so soon.

虽然说死者生前患有慢性疾病，但怎么也没料到会那么快撒手归西。

My late granny once said, old folk is like candle, it extinguishes once being blown.

我已故祖母曾说过，老人就像蜡烛一样，风一吹就熄灭了。

We should cherish the time we have with our loved ones, rather than to regret it when the time is up.

我们应该在至亲还在时好好珍惜相聚时光，莫等到最后才来后悔。

When we understand that life is impermanent, everything should not be too persistent; after all, nothing is sadder than separation from life and death.

当我们了解到生命无常时，凡事都应该别太执着；毕竟没什么比生离死别更哀伤、痛心。

Although death is a highly taboo topic for many elderly, if one can state his will when alive, at least it is comforted for the descendants because they can fulfil the ancestor's will.

虽然死亡对许多长辈是个高度忌讳的话题，但如果能在生前交代清楚自己的意愿，至少后人在伤心之余，因能为先人完成心愿而有所慰藉。

Read a very interesting sentence: When you born, you cry but everyone cheers; when you die, everyone cries but you are already unconscious.

读过很有意思的句子：当你出世时，你在哭而大家在欢呼；当你过世时，大家在哭而你已无知觉。