The entire lyrics of the Singapore national anthem are printed on the back of the $1000 Portrait series banknote in microprint. For all other denominations, only the words Majulah Singapura is used.

‘Majulah Singapura’ is Singapore’s national anthem. Written in the official language of Malay, it is translated as ‘Onward Singapore’. The national anthem of Singapore was composed in 1958 by Zubir Said, initially as a theme song for official functions of the City Council of Singapore. Later in 1959, this song was selected as the island’s anthem upon attaining self-government.

Lyrics of the Singapore National Anthem

Mari kita rakyat Singapura
Sama-sama menuju bahagia
Cita-cita kita yang mulia
Berjaya Singapura

Marilah kita bersatu
Dengan semangat yang baru
Semua kita berseru
Majulah Singapura
Majulah Singapura

The Flora and Fauna definitive stamps were first issued in 2007, consisting of 14 denominations ranging from 5 cents to $10.

Last year, another two 1st Local stamps featuring the Pigeon Orchid and the Blue Pea Vine were introduced.Today, Singapore Post released two new stamps featuring the Simpoh Air and the Singapore Rhododendron. These flowers of these two plants typically last for only a day.

The Simpoh Air (Dillenia suffruticosa) is commonly found near forest edges, eroded soil and swampy areas. It is characterised by its large yellow flowers and big leaves. Birds are easily attracted to the thin layer of vibrant red flesh surrounding the seeds, allowing quick dispersion of the seeds.

The Singapore Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum) has beautiful flowers with five petals in pink to dark purple, opening after sunrise and closing later in the day. This plant is the home to caterpillars of butterfly species such as the Common Sailor (Neptis hylas) and the Grey Count (Tanaecia lepidea).

Graphics: Singapore Post
Designer: Wong Wui Kong

The Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) (top) has a distinctive black band across its eyes from the bill to the back of its head. Characterised by yellow-and-black feathers, this bird gives a loud call. Fruits and insects form its main diet.

This morning, I went for the Mizuno Mount Faber Run and completed this run in a net time of approximately 51:29. Generally, this 10-kilometre route comprised several uphill and downhill terrains. Hence, it was much different from those conducted in the heartlands or in the highly popular East Coast Park. Running among the greenery under the blue sky early on a Sunday morning was great.

The start and finish point was the open space between Block 121 and Block 123 Bukit Merah View. A crowd gathered much earlier than the start time of 7.30 am. Turning left into Jalan Bukit Merah, then Lower Delta Road and subsequently Tiong Bahru Road, the terrain for the first kilometre was considerably rough. The next three kilometres along Henderson Road was a relatively straight stretch, uphill then downhill. Turning into the narrow Morse Road from Telok Blangah Road, participants had to cut through Pender Road towards a winding Mount Faber Loop.

The peak was somewhere near the 5-kilometre mark, where the picturesque scenery overlooking the Bukit Merah housing estate greeted participants.

The next two kilometres downhill was rather comfortable. The last stretch back to the finish point via Lower Delta Road, Tiong Bahru Road, Henderson Road and Bukit Merah View was relatively flat.

This year’s race pack collection was at Velocity@Novena on 5-6 June 2010. In addition to the usual freebies such as a running top, shoe bag, shopping vouchers and muscle rubs, there was umm… a packet of organic spaghetti.

Finally, I am looking forward to the 2010 Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore on 5 December.

If you happen to peruse today’s newspapers, you might have seen the almost-full-page article about Tan Wei Jie – one of Singapore’s youngest stamp collectors – environed by black-and-white Great Singapore Sale advertisements. Here is a warm welcome to readers of The Straits Times!

Okay, Wei Jie is now known as Postage’s poster boy.

Right here at The Restaurant, you can feast on a smorgasbord of food (for thought) – al fresco, free seating, 24 hours, no reservations required, no service charge – where everything is presented to you in a buffet style. Freshly prepared in our Kitchen, the international buffet spread is classified into several categories for your enjoyment. In addition, food feed delivery is available too!

Feel free to sit anywhere while you browse through my collection of stamps, banknotes and coins from all over the world, accumulated over the years. Of course, it is impossible to display everything given the limited space. Recently, postcards sent to us at VBox 887977, Singapore have been included.

To deal with the expected influx of customers, two new features are introduced to improve the customer satisfaction level at The Restaurant.

Firstly, if you are rushing for your next appointment, or feeling hungry while watching the World Cup 2010 South Africa in the middle of the night, simply click on I’m Hungry! located almost everywhere. You will be served a random dish in a second or so, depending on the speed of the food server.

Next, while Express Buffet (eat-as-fast-as-you-can-within-x-minutes) services may be ubiquitous in Singapore these days, very few offer suggestions while you begin to search for your favourite dish. At The Restaurant, a fine selection will be offered while you enter your keywords, simultaneously.

For those who have not picked a copy of The Straits Times, why not grab one to read before you go shopping? The article is found on Page E10. For subscribers of The Straits Times e-Paper, do visit http://www.straitstimes.com/Life%2521/LifeNews/Story/STIStory_538978.html.

Of course, thank you for visiting The Restaurant! Not forgetting to express my gratitude to journalist Lin Wenjian and photographer Lau Fook Kong for the hard work in crafting this article.