HDB Resale Market. The Resale Price Index (RPI) fell by 0.5%, from 134.6 in 4th Quarter 2016 to 133.9 in 1st Quarter 2017. Resale transactions fell by 9.6%, from 5,012 cases in 4th Quarter 2016 to 4,530 cases in 1st Quarter 2017. In May 2017, HDB will offer about 4,600 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and about 3,000 balance flats for sale.

Woodlands Set for Makeover as Star Destination of the North:

In April 2017 Minister for National Development Mr Lawrence Wong announced the renewal plans for Woodlands, at the launch of the Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) exhibition for Woodlands.

Woodlands, Toa Payoh and Pasir Ris are the latest batch of towns to be renewed under the ROH programme. The renewal plans will focus on strengthening the character, community, and connectivity of each town.

In drawing up the rejuvenation plans, HDB had actively engaged residents and stakeholders to seek their views and suggestions on the plans. For the first time, residents from the three towns were invited in the early stages of the planning, to participate in Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). A total of 11 discussion sessions was conducted, involving some 400 residents and community stakeholders from the three towns. With the views gathered from residents, HDB has refined the plans for each town to ensure that the improvements will benefit residents of all ages.

The plans for Woodlands comprise several major improvements to transform the town into the “Star Destination of the North”, in keeping with its status as the northern regional centre and gateway to Singapore.

Six "Star Attractions", in the form of new recreational and residential developments, will be introduced to revitalise Woodlands. The existing neighbourhood centres in Woodlands will also be enhanced to bring more greenery and better connectivity to the town.

The Woodlands Regional Centre, comprising Woodlands Central and Woodlands North Coast, is set to become an even more vibrant hub of activity, with better connectivity and new commercial and residential developments.

As part of the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), three new MRT stations will be introduced in Woodlands by 2019 to serve residents in the town. This will be joined to the future Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link. Together with the future North-South Corridor, travel from the north to the rest of Singapore will be seamless and convenient.

In Woodlands Central, a new Town Plaza will be built next to the Woodlands MRT station, in response to residents' suggestion for a bigger community space. This will offer a convenient and vibrant community node for Woodlands residents to come together to participate in community events.

Residents can also look forward to new housing developments in Woodlands. Within Woodlands Central, there will be a landmark residential development located near the MRT station, integrated with a vibrant Pedestrian Mall with commercial and community facilities.  

In Woodlands North Coast, a new residential development will offer a “Housing-in-the-Woods” experience. Drawing from its natural setting and proximity to Admiralty Park, lush landscaping will be introduced as green extensions from Admiralty Park. The project will leverage on the hilly terrain, so residents will be able to enjoy good views of the park and the Straits of Johor.

Beyond new housing developments, the Woodlands Waterfront – a popular recreation spot in the northern tip – will be transformed. A new rustic park, with trails and a nature promenade, will enable residents to enjoy abundant greenery even as they unwind by the waterfront.

In response to residents' suggestions for a direct connection from Woodlands Central to the Woodlands waterfront, a new scenic WoodsVista Gallery will be developed to connect the two areas. Set amidst lush greenery, the WoodsVista Gallery will be a 1.9-kilometre-long community link with dedicated cycling and pedestrian paths. Residents will be able to walk, jog or cycle seamlessly from the Woodlands MRT station to the waterfront; or simply relax and take in scenic views of the town at strategically located rest points and activity nodes.

The Woodlands Town Garden located at Marsiling will be upgraded and expanded into a new “Discovery Playground”, where residents can enjoy the garden anew and learn about the history of the town. It will feature a new boardwalk, children's playground, a heritage corner and a learning lane with storyboards to showcase the heritage of the town. When completed, the revamped Woodlands Town Garden will be renamed Marsiling Park, and will offer yet another recreational spot for Woodlands residents.

Next to the upcoming Woodlands South MRT station on the TEL, a new integrated healthcare complex will be developed. To be called the Woodlands Health Campus, it will comprise a new acute care hospital, community hospital and a long-term care facility. Designed to integrate with a new park, the healthcare complex will open in phases from 2022, bringing healthcare facilities closer to home, and providing better support for elderly residents to age in place.

On the eastern side of Woodlands, residents can look forward to a new Community Nexus right next to the Admiralty MRT station. Located in this Community Nexus is the integrated development, Kampung Admiralty, which is expected to be completed in 3rd quarter this year. It will house a range of facilities such as a medical centre, eldercare and childcare centres, a hawker centre, dining and retail outlets, as well as housing for the elderly. Together with existing facilities such as Admiralty Place Neighbourhood Centre and Woodlands Galaxy Community Club, the Community Nexus will serve as a one-stop hub of facilities for all ages.  

The existing park connector that runs from the east to the west of Woodlands will be transformed into a ‘Social Corridor', with lush greenery, community gardens and 3-Generation facilities along the park connector and MRT viaduct. Residents are invited to give their suggestions on how the community spaces can be used, during the exhibition.

Beyond the six star attractions, the existing neighbourhoods in Woodlands will also be enhanced. These improvements include rejuvenating the neighbourhoods, enhancing the greenery, and improving connectivity within the town.

It is hard at times for some people to find a good salon in Singapore. Not to say that there are a limited amount of hairstylist because there is not. There are many hairstylists to be found in Singapore the problem a Caucasian may encounter is finding one that is capable of doing proper work on their hair. Some hair stylist is not even sure about the different types of blondes. There is some hair stylist in Singapore that may have had experience working in London and New York that will provide you with not just great hair work but hair care and hair information. This stylist will provide you information on the best technique for coloring and the right shades for the best results.

The Korean hair stylist that has over twenty years of experience working in the Best salons in New York and Beverly Hills works in Pro Trim Korean Salon. Sandra is a stylist that has worked for A-listed celebrities from Jessica Alba and Hillary Clinton. She is also associated with the coloring of Lady Gaga's hair. If this stylist is the one you desire to do your color job you may have to be patients as the Pro Trim Korean Salon as the tendency to be crowed. Sandra speaks fluent English so there should be no problems communicating with her. The salon is located in Jurong East JEM.

Another Japanese stylist that spent many years in the United States working and gaining very valuable experience is Izumi. She is exceptionally gifted with dealing with blonde hair and especially sun kissed highlights. She owns and operates her own salon that provides only the best in Japanese services. Her salon is easily accessible and is locate in Central Clarke Quay.

Izumi is a professional that pays very close attention to detail. She will only see to individuals one at a time as she believes in providing undivided attention to her customers.

Kenaris Hair Salon as two very good stylists that are experts in their respective field. The salon is a favorite for many Caucasians thanks to its location, great service and they are proficient in the English language. The two stylists recommended for this organization are Jimmy and Vanessa. Jimmy is a miracle worker when it comes to coloring Caucasian women hair. He is a Redken ambassador that has been involved in multiple magazine shoots in Singapore. He is very skilled with a lot of experience. Vanessa is an Aussie stylist. She has over two decades of experience. She managed a salon in Albert Park, Melbourne. It matters not which of the two you chose, you will be delighted with the results. These are desired people and their time is limited. You should keep this in mind and remember to make you appointment beforehand to avoid any miscommunications. Kenaris Hair Salon is located in Wheelock Place, Orchard.

Serene from Chez Vous is their in-house coloring expert. This young lady is widely recognized as one of the best in her field and her reputation has made her a highly sought after coloring expert. She is very prolific in managing Caucasian hair. Her skills are very impressive and have made her famous among stylist of her caliber. The Chez Vous Salon is located in Ngee Ann City in Takashimaya. Yoshi is a Japanese hair stylist form COVO Japanese Hair Salon. He is very good at highlight and thanks to his years working in New York is also very good working with Caucasian hair especially coloring and highlighting blonde hair. He is fluent in the English language so there will be no language barriers to impede communication between you both. The COVO Japanese Hair Salon is located at Keong Saik Road, Katong and Marine Parade.

Ingram Micro Inc. announced this Feb 2017 it was named a key 2017 Dell EMC Distribution Partner in the U.S. The expanded relationship builds on Ingram Micro's current relationship with Dell EMC and enables it to sell Dell EMC's full portfolio of products to channel partners in the U.S, including Dell EMC storage.

Ingram Micro is an electronics company, which is the world's largest product and information technology distributor, which markets varieties of electronics. This American based company was established in the year 1979, in California. Products traded from this company are Computer hardware, software, services and also logistics. To meet the demand in the Asian Pacific region, the New York Stock Exchange had provided the Dropbox business facility in Singapore, through Ingram Micro Cloud. The partners in this Marketplace can purchase and manage the Dropbox business through a single platform. The vice president and chief executive expressed that, to provide better services and to meet the competitive position, and also to strengthen its business they included the Dropbox facility in the Cloud Marketplace. With the introduction of Dropbox now the channel partners and also the customers can quickly access and expand its business opportunities in the market. Today's business platform doesn't have a fixed location and fixed time to work. To suit the uncertain business hours, Dropbox business entered into the market by providing certain facilities to save and access different workloads in different devices easily. The Dropbox infrastructure allows the partners to meet their customers with their latest software and relevant solutions according to the market trends. The customers can easily connect to the business Dropbox through

Microsoft Office from there the customers can deliver and complete the offering that increases his productivity in the market. The Ingram Micro facilitates the customers to boost their business and speed up the business transactions. The vice president expressed that they are very excited to introduce the Dropbox business into the cloud, allowing the customers to support their business and increase the growth.

The Ingram Micro platform is a friendly user for both the buyers and sellers to transfer the business transactions and develop their business by their instant and creative cloud solutions on a single channel. The Ingram Micro company has spread over 170 countries in six continents. This company' offerings entered into the global footprint and customers can easily access to the partners and this business has an opportunity to speed up its activity according to the market trends. The marketplace platform is a friendly user and encourage the partners to trade and also manage the invoices through the cloud solutions from a standard platform. One more benefit for the customers on this platform is that the customers can enjoy this business in their own currency and language. Ingram Micro simplifies the processes towards the customers achievement in the cloud. In this Ingram Micro there are nearly 300 dedicated experts who support their customers with their services while dealing in the business transactions. The Ingram Micro cloud Store is a self branded eCommerce store which facilitates its customers with dynamic shopping, and increases the credibility and flexible control panel. This store provides a direct connection to the customers. Through the Cloud Store, business will prosper and it will be taken to the another level. Those who want to become a Reseller in the Ingram Micro, the company offers many programs and services for the business development and give proper training to its clients in pre and post sales techniques.

The company's main intention is to focus on the customers and develop their business to the level best. Through this channel the customers can learn many things from the training team and have a creative fun throughout their trade. On this platform everybody can feel as if they are the owners of their business and can develop their business by providing high quality services and maintaining high standards. One more important matter to remember by the customers that

Ingram Micro does not work with the unapproved agencies, if any agencies without the recognition of the Ingram Micro company's approval works on behalf of the company, in that situation the company is not responsible for the efforts of the agencies. So join the team of leading Cloud Service provider and enjoy the online business.

Like any other country, Singapore has strict measures in place for safeguarding the airspace. These measures were tested years ago in 2008, when an unknown aircraft was detected flying above the country. In response to a possible threat, all commercial flights and traffic were shut down for close to an hour. Two F16D fighters were also sent out in order to bring down the threat if needed.

From this, it is easy to see that the Republic of Singapore Airforce (RSAF) is always prepared for all possible scenarios. For the general public, the RSAF Open House (ROH) provides an opportunity to watch these procedures taking place at the Paya Lebar Air Base. Last year it was held on the 21st and 22nd of May, the ROH showcased a variety of air based tactics. We have yet to see if there will be any show in 2017.

ROH 2016 took place for the first time after five years, with great pomp and splendor. The theme chosen for the year was “Defending Our Skies”, and promises a wondrous display of Singapore's military might. This included a display of aircraft, safety systems and weapons.

The Deputy Chairman, Colonel Randy Ong has assured visitors that the ROH was filled with brand new experiences last year. He talked about how the simulator rides were buffed up and aimed to accommodate as many people as possible. It was done by creating a ticket system, so that visitors could explore other areas while waiting for their chance to ride.

There were other improvements as well, namely the installation of measures to direct vehicles in order to prevent traffic and make the visit more entertaining.

Col. Ong maintains that when the general public fully understands and appreciates the work of RSAF, it is a moment of pride for them. This is reliant on constant teamwork, whether it is during air operations or creating the base for ROH to be successful.

The ROH 2016 was a great weekend out for the family. There were five things in particular.

1) Air Force Sky Display

Visitors were able to watch F-16C and F-15G aircraft being deployed along with Apache helicopters to intercept an unknown aircraft. This took place with a sound and fireworks display, as the SAF red lions showed their parachute skills.

Along with aircraft, there were GBAD systems, a Chinook helicopter and a Mark II Light Strike Vehicle in mix. This display took place over half an hour and twice a day over the weekend.

2) The History of RSAF

The RSAF is known to decrease air operations over the Singapore airspace when yearly examinations roll around, so that the young students are not disturbed by the sound. Visitors learned plenty of trivia similar to this when they attended the ROH 2016.

History buffs got a chance of exploring the history of RSAF along with details of the evolution over the years. The exhibitions also explained how the operations side work and the major personnel in the RSAF. Visitors also attempted to fly the F-16 jet and the UAVs.

3) Get A Closer Look At The Weaponry

The ROH 2016 had close to twenty different types of advanced military aircraft on display, along with a number of weapon systems. Visitors were welcome to take a selfie in the cockpit of these aircraft, surrounded by technology worth millions of dollars.

They were be able to see helicopters and UAVS, along with GBAD weaponry. The jets included F-15Sg, the F-16C and a F-16D+.

There was also demonstrations about the process in which ammunition is loaded on to a jet.

4) Entertainment for Children

There was be plenty of console games available for the young children and a chance to win model aircraft as prizes. They could also head over to the K9 area, where handlers will demonstrate their SAF Military Dog operations.

5) Fly into the Sky

Participants from the RSAF e-ballot were chosen at random along with contest winners to take a ride in four different types of aircraft. They got a chance to sit in the C-130, the Ch-47 Chinook, The DA-40 or the Fokker-50 aircraft.

The ROH 2016 was free for all visitors and open from 9 AM to 6 PM. Visitors used various shuttle buses or the SBS bus service no. 90. Now we're looking forward to the next Republic of Singapore Air Force open day, see their facebook page for updates.