• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work And Business
      • Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
        • Mothers day12 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
        • how to delete duplicate photosHow to manage your photo duplicates
        • International Baccalaureate Continuum school.International IB school with a 40-year legacy
        • Dog in poolPet-friendly places at Dempsey
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Free Your Self From Pain | Katie Byron with Russell BrandGreat podcasts we are listening to!
        • bookGreat books: What to read this month
        • FireflyWhat to watch this month
        • feautureWhat’s on this week and beyond
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • behaviour teen depressionTeenagers: How do we know if they’re okay?
        • low school fees in SingaporeA primary school with lower school fees
        • Mothers day12 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
        • tantrumHow to handle toddler tantrums & meltdowns
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Decor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Furniture
        • Island Living -where to buy a good bed in singaporeWhere to buy a really good bed
        • KitchenSpruce up your kitchen décor
        • Arete Culture- customised furniture singaporeGetting custom-made furniture – just right for you!
        • Kitchen AidHome News: décor, furniture and more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Rest Of World
      • News
      • Travel Offers
        • AmanHotel deals & Singapore Staycations
        • GullfossThe most Instagrammed waterfalls in the world!
        • westinFun staycations for families and foodies
        • food7 Instagrammable cafés in Sydney
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • le petit depot singapore wine deliveryOnline alcohol delivery – wine, champagne, beer & spirits!
        • Bar reviw – boogie stLatest bars in Singapore: New drinking spots!
        • kombuchaWhere to get Kombucha: Fizzy goodness
        • Fat Belly SocialNew Nibbles: Foodie news!
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
      • Beauty Offers
        • LUXE Botanics Camu Brightening Serum, $160Brightening serums and creams for dark spots!
        • best trainersNeed a new pair of trainers?
        • skin pigmentation treatments5 advanced facials for pigmentation
        • expat womenWhere to find clothes in Singapore that fit!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • behaviour teen depressionTeenagers: How do we know if they’re okay?
        • best trainersNeed a new pair of trainers?
        • kombuchaWhere to get Kombucha: Fizzy goodness
        • health tip: stretch at your deskHow to be healthier: 5 simple tips
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • BOOKS
    • Close
Home » Living in Singapore » What else happened in 2020?

What else happened in 2020?

28th December 2020 by Shamus Sillar 5 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/what-happened-in-2020-apart-from-covid/

As we welcome the start of a new year, it’s time to look back at the year that was. Obviously, a standard review of 2020 would be dominated by one global issue. However, we’ve decided to avoid any mention of the C-word. Instead, we’re taking a look at some of the other things that happened in 2020, month by month, from pop culture phenomena to mystery objects in our deserts and skies. Enjoy – and have a wonderful 2021!

JANUARY

Playlists for Pets
Almost three quarters of pet owners play music to their dogs and cats. That’s what Swedish audio-streaming company Spotify discovered in a survey, leading it to develop special playlists in January 2020 designed for animals who are left home alone while their owners are out. The playlists include feel-good tunes (dogs apparently prefer classical music or soft rock, by the way) and spoken word interludes with messages of praise and affirmation. Spotify also learnt that the most popular music-related pet names include “Bowie”, “Bob Marley” and “Elvis”.

FEBRUARY

Surfer Versus Shark
Some encouraging news for anyone who’s scared of sharks. If you find yourself in the path of a predator of the seas, just punch it in the head! That’s what a 60-year-old Kiwi surfer did after an encounter with a great white shark off the New Zealand coast. Nick Minogue was paddling into a decent swell at Pauanui Beach at 11.30am when a three-metre-plus great white shark bit the front of his surfboard. A couple of stiff uppercuts later and the creature retreated. And Nick? He walked away with a punctured board and wetsuit, a shallow bite to the arm, and a great story to tell at the pub.

MARCH

Hail the Tiger King

2020 in review - Tiger King

It seems like an eternity ago, but March 2020 saw the release on Netflix of true crime documentary Tiger King. The show, about the life of eccentric American zookeeper Joe Exotic, quickly became one of Netflix’s most successful releases of all time. Tens of millions of viewers came on board in the first week, thrusting names like Big Cat Rescue and Carole Baskin into the limelight. Nicolas Cage is apparently set to portray Joe Exotic in an upcoming Amazon Prime series.

APRIL

Are We Alone?
After leaked footage started circulating of UFO videos shot by US Navy pilots in 2004 and 2005, the Pentagon took the extraordinary step in April 2020 of officially releasing the videos to the public. The three videos show rapidly moving “unidentified aerial phenomena” that were recorded by infrared cameras. The black blobs – which are, frankly, a little duller than we were hoping for – have been explained away by many viewers as either drones, regular aircraft or erroneous instrument readings, but embraced by plenty of others as evidence of little green men.

MAY

Holy Hornets!
In May, the announcement that “murder hornets” had arrived in the US sent Americans into a bit of a spin. The Asian giant hornet is the world’s largest species of its kind; we’re talking a 5cm body and a stinger that’s over half a centimetre long. It terrorises honey bees, and is also capable of killing a human with multiple stings. Unsurprisingly, authorities launched a series of eradication efforts. The latest buzz is that the hornet apocalypse may have been exaggerated.

JUNE

The Missing Star
You’d think that if you’ve found a star that is so hot it glows an intense blue and shines a couple of million times brighter than the sun, you’d be hard pressed to suddenly lose that same star. But that’s what happened to astronomers, according to reports that came out in June 2020. The massive star in the Kinman Dwarf galaxy has been studied for 20 years. And now it’s … gone. One theory is that it simply collapsed into a black hole, only without the gigantic explosion (supernova) that usually accompanies such events.

JULY

Pizzas for Karens
There will be plenty of contenders for “Word of the Year” in 2020; “Karen” will likely be among the finalists. The term, which became a stereotype for a person acting in an entitled, insensitive way in public, was picked up by pizza chain Domino’s and used in a promotion. Domino’s stores in Australia and New Zealand offered free pizzas to anyone named Karen who didn’t act like a “Karen”. The deal was cancelled after online criticism suggested that there were many more deserving groups in society who could use some free food.

AUGUST

Dreadlocked Dude
A 92-year-old Vietnamese man has revealed an impressive head of hair, in the form of five-metre-long dreadlocks. Nguyen Van Chien hasn’t put scissors to scalp for eight decades, and the result is a hairdo that fans of reggae music will be supremely jealous of. Chien’s decision to let his hair take its natural course is thought to be tied to his belief in the Dua faith, or “coconut religion”, whose founder claimed to have survived only on coconuts.

SEPTEMBER

World’s Longest Song
A big crowd turned up at a German church in September to hear something that hadn’t been heard for seven years. A special automated organ in the church is currently playing a piece of music that will last a total of 639 years. The piece, by American composer John Cage, began in 2001 and is due to finish in 2640. It’s not only long; it’s also slow. September 2020 marked the first chord change in the music since 2013 – hence the crowd.

OCTOBER

A Building That Walks
If you love your home, but you’re not so keen on your neighbourhood, we may have the answer. In China, a company called Shanghai Evolution Shift successfully used a new technology to “walk” a five-storey building more than 200 feet along a city street to a different location. Special mobile supports acting like robotic legs allowed the 7,600-ton building to stand up and saunter down the road.

NOVEMBER

Mystery Monoliths

2020 in review - Utah mystery monolith

November 2020 proved to be a month of monoliths, with a series of a strange metal structures turning up in unlikely places. The first to hit the headlines was a three-metre-tall monolith that was found in a remote corner of red-rock desert in the US state of Utah. A couple of days later, it disappeared. Before the end of the month, a similar metallic tower appeared in the Romanian countryside. It also disappeared soon after! More have since been found – including one in California made of gingerbread, just in time for Christmas.

DECEMBER

The Boxing Octopus
This is the second news snippet on this page to feature underwater fisticuffs; this time, however, it’s the marine life doing the punching! Researchers have found that octopuses sometimes team up with fish to find food; by hunting together, they can cover more territory and increase their chances of catching prey. However, if one of these fishy collaborators gets in the way of an intended target, the octopus will strike it with a “swift, explosive motion with one arm”. We’re calling it a sucker punch.

Also…

What’s a look back at the wacky events of a year without running through some of the wacky new world records? Our favourite record-breaker of 2020 was “Mr Cherry” from Japan. Here are just a few of the magnificent new marks that he set:

  • Most wet T-shirts put on in one minute: 13
  • Most marshmallows caught with chopsticks in one minute: 90
  • Fastest time to remove five Jenga blocks with a party blower (yes, one of those paper coils that unroll and make a noise like a horn when you blow in them): 46 seconds
  • Most individual nuts crushed by sitting down in one minute: 122

 

Like this? Read our review from a year ago of the decade 2010 to 2019.

 

Categories: Living here Living in Singapore Things To Do Things To Do News Tags: 2020

Shamus Sillar

While he has worked as a magazine editor since 2003, Shamus also has a PhD in Roman History (useful!) and is a published author. He writes mostly on travel but also covers food, history, sport, trivia and more, across Expat Living’s publications and websites in Singapore and Hong Kong.

You May Also Like

how to delete duplicate photos

How to manage your photo duplicates

Dating apps in Singapore and websites for dating

Dating Apps in Singapore for Singles to Mingle!

Living on the East Coast, Marine Parade

Primary Sidebar

Expat Living Singapore 🇸🇬

expatlivingsg

Open
**Friday Giveaway** 
Create your own signature fragrance with Maison 21G! (@maison21g ) 

We're collaborating with the bespoke French haute perfumery to give away 10 bottles of Eau de parfum, customised to your own liking – you get to choose your ingredients from 35 different essences and create your own unique scent matching your personality and preferences. Packaged in an elegant transparent 30ml bottle, your bespoke perfume contains 21% natural concentrate. You can even customise the bottle with your own design or choose from a range of designs. It's made by you, for you! 🥰

Each of the 10 prizes consists of a promo code valued at $95, redeemable for one bottle of customised perfume at maison21g.com. 
☝️Codes are valid until 31 December 2021 (6pm), and can't be used for redeeming other products from the Maison 21G website. 

To be in with a chance to win this fab prize, all you need to do is: 
* Follow @maison21g 
* Follow @expatlivingsg (if you aren't already!)
* Tag two friends who love fragrances
* Register your name through the link on the story/competition highlight so we can contact you

Good Luck! 

#giveaway
 #giveawaysg 
#entertowin 
#winwinwin 
#sggiveaway 
#sggiveaways
 #expatlivingsg
 #fragranceforyoubyyou 
#maison21g
Open
Most of us know UFIT, a very popular fitness and wellness brand in Singapore with over 100 coaches and clinicians who have worked hard to keep us fit and healthy over the years. 

UFIT's journey started off in 2009 with a small group attending bootcamps, leading to them launching their flagship studio in 2011. Now they have another baby, as they recently opened a beautiful new studio centrally based at the Fairmont Hotel 
 
Check out their website via their Insta page (tagged here). 

There will be a 10% discount off Personal Training and Private Group Training for new clients at the Fairmont studio only. 
To redeem, simply register via their website under Fairmont Studio and mention ‘Expat Living’ in the submission form. 
Sign ups must be before 30th April and it’s applicable to the first package only 

T&Cs
Must purchase by 30th April
applicable to the first package only
Fairmont Studio only. 

#Expatlivingsg #UFITsg #livinginsingapore #health #fitness #wellness #grouptraining #personaltraining
Open
The hype around kombucha is fairly recent, but did you know that this fizzy, fermented tea-based drink has ancient origins? 

First brewed in northeast China over 2,000 years ago, kombucha is said to impart a range of health benefits, from strengthening immunity to improving gut health.

Sasha’s Farms is a non-profit social enterprise that supports and promotes small and independent businesses like Kore Culture Labs, a fermenting café in Bali producing healthy kombuchas and sodas. 

Head to our website where you can read about four reasons why you should give them a try

#expatlivingsg #sashasfinefoods #ethicallysourced #sustainableliving #ethicalgrocer #sustainablesg #healthyliving #superfoods #kombucha #kombuchasg #sff #sashasfinefoods
Open
As a new(ish) kid on the block, Razum International School offers something a little different as far as international primary schools in Singapore go. 

Two expat mums, Elena and Marina, joined forces to create a primary school experience that focuses on a shorter day, strong academic curriculum and more affordable school fees in Singapore.

The shorter learning hours – from 8.45am to 1pm – means your child can spend the afternoon doing extra-curricular activities (ECAs). Kids can opt for activities they enjoy provided by external providers, or use the time to focus on their competitive sports or music classes or simply spend quality time with the family.

Find out more about this and other interesting aspects of Razum by clicking on our website via the link in our bio. You can even book a school tour!

#expatlivingsg #livinginsingapore #internationalschoolsingapore #bestboutiqueschoolsingapore #monthlypayment #educationsg #primaryschool #siblingdiscount
Open
** GIVEAWAY ALERT**

This month, we’ve teamed up with @andazsingapore for a special giveaway! 
One winner will receive four vouchers for Alley on 25’s Lazy Breakfast, including free-flow alcohol🍷🍾🍸. Held on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 12pm to 2.30pm, the brunch lets you choose a main from a selection of hearty dishes like avocado toast and a veggie friendly margherita panini. Also included are unlimited plates of cold seafood, cold cuts, cheeses, salads and cooked-to-order eggs, served straight to your table.

To win all you have to do is 

1️⃣ Follow @andazsingapore on Instagram

2️⃣ Tag 3 friends who you want to bring along 

3️⃣ Register your details on the link in our IG Stories/ Competition Highlight

Good Luck!! 

#giveaway #giveawaysg #entertowin #winwinwin #sggiveaway #sggiveaways #expatlivinggiveaway #b#bubblybrunch #freeflow #andazsingapore
Open
New to Expat Living? Sign up today for a free subscription to our monthly magazine! 💕 
Visit 👉 expatliving.sg/free/subs/ig/

*Applicable to first-time subscribers only

.
#expatlivingsg #expatliving #sgexpat #expatsg #igsg #sgdining #sghome #sgsales #sgfurniture #sgproperty #sghomedecor #expatlifesg #singaporehomes
Open
Wondering where to go for a drink this Friday night? 

From clever cocktail bars to fancy speakeasies in town, we have the hottest, newest or most notable watering holes to get your alcohol (and social) fix – whether you’re craving a martini, a gin and tonic, or just a glass of wine. 

Check out the link on our stories (it’s in our highlights tab and also on our website, and we’ll update this regularly, so remember to bookmark it! 🍹 🍸

#expatlivingsg #livinginsingapore #cocktails #cocktailssg #happyhoursg #cocktailsofinstagram #fridaydrinks
Open
** Friday Giveaway** 

We have 5x PHS HAIRSCIENCE Signature Daily Regime set to giveaway! 
Who wants in? 🙋‍♀️

Specially formulated to effectively treat scalp and hair concerns, PHS HAIRSCIENCE® Daily Regime combines scientifically proven methods, high concentrations of botanical essences and stem cell technology into a 3 step scalp and hair care routine. 
They do these 3 simple steps 

1. Double Cleanse, Moisturise and Treat every day for a healthy scalp and gorgeous tresses
2. Improves overall scalp health and strengthens hair roots
3. Repairs and nourishes scalp 

How to enter? 
1. Comment Me! and tag a friend 
2. Follow @phshairscience 
3. Register your details on the link- check out at our IG stories and Competition highlight. 

Good luck! 

#beautifulhair 
#fridaygiveaway 
#expatlivingsg
#PHS
Open
The range of outdoor furniture in Singapore is pretty amazing. 

Check out these good furniture stores via the link on the horn page of our website that carry practical, stylish pieces, including some of the best outdoor furniture brands. 

From sofas, chairs and tables to rugs, lanterns and even pizza ovens, you’ll be all set for living a great outdoor life in style and comfort. There are also gorgeous accessories if you just need to make your outdoor area look a bit more ‘pulled together’!

#expatlivingsg #livinginsingapore #outdoorfurniture #patiofurniture #interiordesigners
Open
**Win a Social Media Marketing Strategy** 

Calling all business owners! 

@theemms.sg is awarding one lucky entrepreneur or small business with a professional social media marketing strategy, worth $850. 

Designed to meet your specific goals and challenges, this the prize includes:

1️⃣A strategic review of your company’s Instagram or Facebook page
2️⃣A one-on-one session to learn how you can improve your platforms
3️⃣A detailed social media strategy to help you implement with style for 3 months.
Keen to win it? 🤔 
All you need to do is:
1. Comment Me! 🙋🏻‍♀️ or tag your friend who has a business. 
2. Follow @theemms.sg 
3. Register your name and email on the link in our story or see our story highlights for more! 
Good Luck! 

#expatlivinggiveaway 
#singapore 
#theemms
#marketing 
#socialmediastrategy 
#marielle
#intitowinit
Open
We love hearing where our readers live so each month we ask residents to talk about their homes and neighbourhoods to help others who are living in Singapore make a better decision. 

Moving is always pretty stressful, so it’s good to get some recommendations first. 

This month Marina Matthews talks about living at Laguna Park condo off Marine Parade on the East Coast.

Check out the full article with Marina’s recommendations on our website (link in bio) 

#Expatlivingsg #livinginsingapore #eastcoastsg #marineparadesg #lagunaparksg #singaporeneighbourhoods #singapore
Open
To tan or not to tan, that is the question! 

We all know that extended hours under the sun is no good for the skin, and there can be damage from both good old-fashioned sunbathing and indoor tanning. 

Check out our website where we look at why people want that bronzy glow plus the risks of tanning and how top aesthetic treatments from Amaris B Clinic can help rewind some of the damage like sun spots, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles and even cellulite

#Expatlivingsg #amarisbclinic #amarisb #livinginsingapore #tanning #sunbathing #aesthetictreatments #sunspots #hyperpigmentation
Open
Read our latest issue on any device for free! 👉 expatliving.sg/digital/ig

In this issue, step inside an interior designer’s home in Clementi, find out where our readers get their customised furniture and get great furnishing ideas for your bathroom and kitchen.

Plus, check out 3 popular bubbly brunches 🥂 and a newly revamped bar in town for you to try; there’s plenty more, too, including classic wrap dresses, activewear and our recommendations on comfy trainers!
Open
If you are craving some vitamin-sea, then set sail on Royal Carribean’s Quantum of the Seas, offering two, three, and four-night Ocean Getaways from Singapore until October 2021 all with 50% discount and free kids places. 

Every moment onboard this fabulous ship has sunshine, good times and wow-worthy experiences. 

Rest assured your well-being is their top priority and the staff do an amazing job of making your holiday safer, so you can focus on memory making.

We are on board now, do let us know if you have any questions to ask 🛳 

#expatlivingsg #livinginsingapore #royalcarribeansg #quantumoftheseas #cruisetonowhere #cruising2021 #seacations #instasg #cruisingsg
Open
** Giveaway**

@_aquariva_ is giving away one of their gorgeous dresses or jumpsuits to the value of $250.
Yeay!! 💃🏼

@_aquariva_ is known for its clean lines and soft curves, lavished with their favourite seasonal prints. Effortlessly charming, elegant and just the right relaxed proportions. Perfect for the woman on the go! 
They use traditional screen printing for all of their fabrics and dresses 👗are lovingly done by hand, even the drying method is done naturally by sunlight ☀️How cool and environmentally friendly 👌🏻✌🏻. A lot of love goes into the Aquariva piece that you wear!

How to win: 
1. Like this post 
2. Follow @_aquariva_ 
3. Comment what size you are and tag a friend 

It's that easy! 
Good luck! 

#beautifuldresses 
#singapore 
#tropical 
#dress 
#handmade
#screenprintingfabrics
#giveaway 
#expatlivingsg
#elegantdresses 
#tagafriend
Open
East Coast restaurants – specifically in Katong and Joo Chiat – have always been known for their good food. More recently though, the area has seen a rise in great cafes, specialty grocers, Italian cuisine and bakeries (with fresh sourdough!). 

From East Coast brunch cafes and alfresco restaurants, to bars and gourmet supermarkets, we have a list of the top East Coast food options to try on the home page of our website (link in bio). 

And if it’s not your neighbourhood, nothing is that far away in Singapore. You can walk along the coast or look at funky shophouses before or after and make it an outing!

#expatlivingsg #livinginsingapore #eastcoastsg #igfood #foodsg #instafood #joochiat #joochiatroad #tanjongkatong #siglap
Open
The school holidays are still in full swing so if you are looking to entertain kids or just looking to take a break over the long Easter weekend, have a look at the travel page on our website where you will find lots of info on various staycation packages around the island 🏝 

#expatlivingsg #livinginsingapore #staycations #staycationssg #ighotels #easterinsg #easter2021
Open
There are many maternity insurance plans on the market, but do you know what’s written in the fine print? 

If you’re thinking of getting pregnant with the help of fertility treatments, you’d want to know what’s included in your policy and if the procedures you need are covered. 

We have a great article on our website (link in bio) where the team at Expat Insurance brief us on what’s covered for fertility treatments

#expatlivingsg #livinginsingapore #expatinsurancesg #insuranceinsingapore #fertilitytreatmentsg #ivfsg
Open
The new addition to the 
W Atelier stable is the high-end Italian designer furniture brand Cassina. The Cassina Perspective is the name given to the space – and it’s a bit of a “wow”! In fact, the whole showroom at Henderson Road will likely wow you: three floors (300 square metres) of eye candy for home décor lovers and interior designers. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re renovating or doing up your home, or you love furniture design and want an iconic statement piece. 

If you’re like us, you’ll be touching everything and trying out all the sofas and chairs! 

Check out our website for some more info on their stunning products (link in bio) 

#expatlivingsg #wateliersg #furnituresg #furnituredesignsg #interiordesignsg #homeaccessoriessg #livinginsingapore
Open
Want a free copy of our latest Home & Property Guide? Sign up to our newsletter by 31 March to get a copy delivered to you! 👉 expatliving.sg/hpg/ig

❣️ Over 100 pages of fabulous furnishing ideas, decoration and design tips from the experts, and a peek inside some of our readers’ stunning homes – from condo apartments to black-and-white bungalows.

You’re sure to find something to fall in love with from our catalogue of amazing products for every room of the house. There’s also advice on services, utilities, leasing and serviced apartment accommodation 🏠

.
#expatlivingsg #expatliving #sghomes #sgfurniture #sgproperty #sghomedecor 
#sgexpat #expatsg #expatlifesg #igsg #sghome #singaporehomes
  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2021 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.