When your birthday falls on a Saturday, there’s a good chance that you’d exercise the option of sleeping in. But the morning of Ada Loo’s birthday found her at MacRitchie Reservoir Park at the bright and early hour of 8.30 am – all geared up and ready to plant trees with her family and friends. With so many possible things to do on a birthday morning, why plant trees? The birthday girl’s sister, Lisa, came up with the idea after reading about the Plant-A-Tree programme in NParks’ e-newsletter. “My sister always finds something for us to do,” quipped Ada. “Something that benefits, you know?”

Halia, which is Malay for ‘ginger’, is nestled within the Ginger Garden at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. This aptly named restaurant is familiar to foodies in Singapore, with a reputation for its good food, excellent service, and unique ambience.