Passport Renewal & Change Surnames | Embassy of the Philippines in Singapore

ABBEY: Philippine embassy never failed me when I'm applying for my OEC (Overseas Employment Certificate); specially when the appointment was made online. Once booked, I only spend less than 30 minutes; much less time than my travel going there. 

I was skeptical and uneasy when we are about to get our passports renewed. As the others say, you have to queue early morning as it will only process a certain number of applicants. What? Back again to "primitive" process? But I was wrong, just like OEC, book online and go in there with proper documents -duly accomplished passport renewal form, photo copy of passport data page, IC, and DFA red-ribboned marriage certificate for wife who will change their names, and on your scheduled time (the Embassy advises to come exactly or 5-10 minutes before but not 2-3 hours before). 
Still there is a queue for those scheduled in specific time slots but it will not take you more than 30 minutes. Once the number is called, go inside for passport processing. Make sure to check your particulars printed on the screen or else you'll go back to square one and then put your best formal pose as this will be your photo on your passport for the next 5 years. Once done, go out and pay 102sgd at window 6. They will give you a receipt and claim stub as to when you can get your passport. 

Another good service from Philippine Embassy. Keep up the good work.

WILL: I am not just renewing my passport, I am also changing my surname. We are here in Singapore so we checked-out what are the requirements for it. Abbey only needed 1.Our Singapore NRIC 2.Old Passport and 3.Filled-up Form (make appointment here). For me, just the same but additional marrage certificate from National Statistics Office duly certified by Department of Foreign Affairs. I phoned my sister immediately and ask her to go to DFA that week for this requirement. It was February, and all the schedule was full until end of March. So we ended up first week of April. 
      After a week, I received the DFA authenticated marriage certificate and we are just waiting for our scheduled appointment. 
      Dear Kababayans, please observe the proper attire when going to our embassy as the shorts, sleeveless and slippers were prohibited inside. There is no queue when we went there and that was the result of proper planning done by our good embassy, the scheduling system really helps not to flock all the Filipinos inside the embassy. 
      As we approached the counter, an all-smile girl is there, checked our documents and put it on queue, she asked us to go inside the office and wait for our turn for them to take a photo of us. After the photo session and verifying documents, we were asked to pay at the counter. As easy as that, no fuss at all. 
     27th of May we got our new passports. :) This is a better service. Two thumbs up for this. 

Marine Life Park | Adventure Cove Water Park | Resorts World Sentosa

ABBEY:  This the second water park that we visited in Singapore. Adventure cove is in Sentosa Island. Alight at Waterfront station and then walk your way to the Maritime musuem; a little bit more and then you'll reach Adventure Cove. The fee is $29 per adult and $20 for a child. Lockers are priced at 10 and 20sgd for a day. The largest is big enough to store items of a 3-4pax-group just like we had. 

Before getting wet we strolled the park and posed for snaps. There are 6 water attractions aside from the dolphin and sting rays shows. First is the wave pool, Bluewater Bay. As usual the people will flock once the wave comes in then will disperse once the waves are gone as well. In this water attraction are the cavannas (rent is 128sgd). It has curtains on all sides for privacy and has its own shower. But you can have a free cavanna at Seahorse Hideaway just across the Bluewater Bay. 

Then we tried Dueling Racer. In this you will ride a foam board and slide headfirst. You will be pitted against an "opponent" on the other track. First one to plunge and finish wins. We also tried Riptide Rocket. You will be taken up thru a conveyor then you'll plunge onto the slide. This process repeats for 3 times. Looks like you are in a roller coaster ride. After that, we went to Pipeline Plunge and Tidal Twister. These rides will send you twisting and turning on great speed which is thrilling.

I was excited when I knew that we'll be snorkling. Rainbow Reef offers a chance to any swimmer to interact on 20,000 colorful fish. Sadly sea water got inside my goggles making me panic. But it was a good try. The water is cold and deep. For other people who doesn't want to snorkle, you can buy fish food for a dollar and feed them at the edges of the water tank. We bought corndog and hotdog sandwich for lunch on a food cart. But Adventure Cove also has the Bay Restaurant for more choices. You can also easily find a table within the park. After lunch we relaxed on Adventure river. It tours you along the theme park and gives relaxation while lying down on your lifebuoy. The last 2 attractions we tried are Whirlpool Washout (giant water drain) and Spiral Washout (giant funnel). 

We didn't try the Splashworks as we don't know how to swim :) It is the part of the park where you can dive as the pools are 4 meters deep. You can have your balancing act on a balance beam or cross a tightrope. Last stop is the big bucket tree house. We waited until the bucket fills up and enjoyed the water splash above our heads. 

Swimming apparels and souvenirs are available at Reef N Wave wear at the park's entrance. This is a good way to quench the heat of summer.

WILL: My birthday is on summer and school holiday, and yearly my mom celebrated it with a big splash... Literally splash. It is somewhat an event to look forward to, not only by my siblings but also by mom's employees' family. So here in Singapore, I brought that, now not only for my birthday but also for our wedding anniversary.
      Some people think that Singapore is a boring place, do you feel it too? Well for me and my husband, we always see to it that every month we will be going somewhere we never been in Singapore. So on month of April, we say hello to Sentosa's new family attraction... The Adventure Cove.
      I am so excited for that 8th of April, not for me to swim but to fulfill my adrenaline side needs. I am ecstatic to the slides featured in their website.
      We bought the ticket for $29 each. We rented a one big locker for $20 and as soon we locked our things, we started to roam around to take photos and make a plan where to go first, but when Chat saw the Rainbow Reef she immediately asked if she can swim with 20000 fish. I agreed and Abbey joined her, not more than 2 minutes Abbey asked the lifeguard for help and he was taken out from the water.
     We went to our lockers and put in our camera. I am here for the slides so I am so excited to take some adrenaline rush slides. Firstly we went to Dueling Racer, Abbey and Chat wants to back-out but they are already in the queue and I keep on telling them that they can make it...that they will enjoy each and every ride. Actually this slide is shorter than the one in Splash Island. Its our turn and I told both of them to go first, to make sure that they will slide down. Hehe.
     Then we tried the first hydro-magnetic coaster...the Riptide Rocket. It really made me screamed and my heart pumped up a lot. This is really fun. Whirpool Washout, Pipeline Plunge, Spiral Washout was covered. We then take the opportunity to play with the waves at Bluewater Bay.
     As our tummies protesting, we decided to eat some hotdogs and take our food and soda at Seahorse Hideaway. There we watched the kids having fun with fountains.
     I want to accomplish something so I want to conquer one of my fear. Fear to swim with the fish. Well, I failed. Not more than 2 minutes in the water, I yelled for help. Help to take me out from the large sea water aquarium.
     As we waited for Chat to finish her date with school of fish, we look on around at Splashworks. After that, we decided to checkout the Adventure River. This is really a nice thing, the best part is when the sting rays seems hitting on me. The same sting ray keep on following me.
     Like a child we waited for the water to rush down on us at the Big Bucket Tree House. Before packing up, we decided to ate some snacks and walked our way to the second floor to for us to relax and see the dolphins from above. Half an hour we already packed and ready to go to 8 Noodles located at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa.

8 Noodles (Dine on 3) at Sentosa Island

ABBEY: After soaking on the pools of Adventure Cove and when the rain started to fall, we headed to 8noodles at Siloso Beach. Right timing to sip a hot bowl of soup on a cold weather. 

Although I ordered Hakka-Style Braised Minced Pork Noodles, a dry noodle, they still give me a delicious soup to complete my meal. The noodle is firm and the sauce is tasteful. Each serving is big but costs around SGD16. It took a while for our food to be served maybe because we're too early to dine, but its worth the wait.

I enjoy putting shrimp paste on my noodle so much that allergy started to kick in ;) It was manageable though. We took snaps on their veranda and went home.

WILL: It was the celebration of my 30th birthday so I want it in some sophisticated and yet affordable place to pig out. Since we will spend whole morning at Sentosa, it is better to look for a diner inside that island. Before that day I searched and searched until I finally found the 8 Noodles located at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa. 

      After our water splashing at Adventure Cove, around 5pm we alighted at the Beach Front station of the tram and boarded the bus to Siloso Beach. It rained that time so the noodles and hit soup will he great. 

      We sat, we ordered and we burped! I ordered the Pork Rib Noodle Soup. I was astounded as the waiter put our food one by one. They have a big serving, one order can accommodate two hungry tummies. 

      Time to linger in, their soup is so delicious that all I want to do sipped it directly out from the bowl. Haha! The noodles is nicely done, al dente, the way I like. And the most unforgettable pork ribs... it seems that the cut was from a dinosaur, haha, the ribs is huge and the meat is so tender, I really don't need to exert an extra effort to take it from the bone, the pork taste awesome just compliment with its soup. 

      Chat ordered for Homemade Wanton Noodles Soup and she gave me some of her dumplings, it is delicious also. :) 

      This place is a great find. Thanks to Noodles 8, you can contact them 63711019 / 65 6371 1010  yeeching.koay@shangri-la.com.