Singapore's Newest Attraction is a Gem

Looking up at the 40-metre tall waterfall, the world's largest one indoors

Apart from the marvelous shopping and eating options (the pandan chiffon cake at Bengawan Solo) at Singapore's Changi Airport, there's another new attraction called Jewel.

There's lots of greenery and water inside the giant dome

It opens on Wednesday and locals got a a sneak peak the other day. What was previously an open air car park has been transformed into a massive 10-storey complex with the focal point being the world's tallest indoor waterfall at 40 metres high. Oh and there are 300 shops and dining outlets in there too.

The complex, encased in a dome-shaped glass structure, was designed by Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie, who also was the creative brains behind Marina Bay Sands.

So if you only have a few hours to kill, and not enough time to venture out in the city, perhaps Jewel will be the solution to hang out. There's even a Shake Shack for those hankering for a New York burger fix, A&W Root Beer, and Pokemon Centre, where fans of the video game can buy all the merchandise they want.

It's not hard to see why the complex is called Jewel

Changi Airport is the seventh busiest in the world, hosting more than 65 million travelers in 2018.

Pokemon Debate

You can capture Pokemon anywhere, even on the MTR...

There are so many Pokemon Go stories in Hong Kong these days, with the tram being inundated with riders keen on catching as many monsters as they can on their way home, or on the weekends they gather with friends, or how people discover new places in their neighbourhood they never knew about before.

But now there's a new debate brewing among Christians in Hong Kong -- is the game satanic, addictive or conducive to spreading the gospel.

After the game was launched in the city on July 25, an anonymous message circulated around social media, asking Protestants to pray for those who was addicted to the augmented reality game.

The tram is the best way to catch Pokemon safely + efficiently

It said Pokemon images were partly inspired by figurines in Japanese shrines, and suggested "the game would guide people to play with evil spirits".

"There are Christians talking about not playing the game... and I agree that you can choose not to play it to avoid getting addicted," said Reverend Sam Chung Shu-sum, senior pastor at Assemblies of God West Post Church.

"But while new [trends] are always attractive or even potentially addictive, Christians could also make good use of them."

Last month Chung had written on his blog questioning whether Christians with weak wills might find the game addictive.

However Alliance Bible Seminary assistant professor John Chan suggested on Facebook that churches could have "lures" to attract rare Pokemon, and that might attract some potential church-goers.

Hundreds of Pokemon hunters gather in Tin Shui Wai

While the game is about catching monsters, how is the game satanic in any way? It's just a game! There are many people addicted to it at the moment, and the trend could fizzle as fast as it came, as it's virtually impossible to catch all the Pokemon, unless you're like American Nick Johnson who has literally traveled around the world to catch practically every single one, even the regional creatures.

Although I'm not religious, I like Chan's suggestion that Pokemon Go could result in more people going to church. It's just a matter of getting them through the door, right?

The game is a time waster -- there's no doubt about that. But some people admit to walking their dogs longer than usual or even meeting new friends to catch Pokemon. That's a good thing too, right?

Picture of the Day: Pokemon Craze

There was a long queue of people waiting patiently to get on the tram!

This past week has been crazy on the streets of Hong Kong, watching people become particularly zombie-like, glued to their phones without a regard to their surroundings.

Thousands of people here have become addicted to Pokemon GO and I've heard of people bumping into lamp posts and trying to play the game surreptitiously under their desks at work.

The police, hospitals and even the People's Liberation Army have all warned players to stay away from their premises, worried they will cause havoc. It would be good not to stray into PLA territory as you never know what might happen...

Not having downloaded the game myself, a few friends have showed me how the augmented reality game works. It's like being in a virtual world where you catch virtual monsters with a ball that you can collect at various points in the city.

As you go by a certain landmark, there's a large disc that players have to spin to get more balls. And it also has a picture of the restaurant or shop that you are approaching.

Then you use these balls as ammunition to hit these pokemon or monsters. The more you shoot down, and the more rare they are, the more points you score. And then you can go to Pokemon Gyms to beef up your strength, which are highly prized places.

That's how the game gets people out to play, which is a good way to encourage them to explore neighbourhoods and meet up with friends.

One of the best ways to play Pokemon GO is on the tram, because you can pass by a lot of places on Hong Kong island for only HK$2.30.

So perhaps I should not have been surprised when I saw a massive line-up for the tram at the Kennedy Town terminus this afternoon after I came back from the gym. There must have been over 30 people waiting in line, when usually there is only a handful.

Hong Kong Tramways that runs the trams must be happy about this unexpected windfall -- its revenues have been dropping because of the MTR expansion to Western and also because it's summer not many are willing to sit in a tram without air conditioning.

But who knows how long this Pokemon Go crazy will last? Two friends remarked that they downloaded the game and within 20 minutes of playing it lost interest. On the other hand there are many others who are completely addicted and are posting updates of what they find on Facebook.

While I'm not too crazy about Pokemon hunters wandering around without noticing who or what they are bumping into, at least they are giving the trams a lot of business!