SINGAPORE: Weeks before Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, came to visit the Tiong Bahru Market, some stallholders were told, in secret, that they would be hosting the royal couple.

For about a month, the excited stallholders were gearing up to give their royal visitors a peek into a heartland wet market – but not without giving it a thorough scrubbing first.

When the time came, crowds of people lined the narrow aisles of the market on Wednesday morning (Nov 1), snapping photos with their mobile phones and hoping to catch a glimpse of royalty.

What happens behind the scenes of a royal visit? Channel NewsAsia spoke to some stallholders to find out.

A BOUQUET FIT FOR A DUCHESS

It was about three weeks ago when staff from the British High Commission came to see Pishon Toh, who helps run his mother’s flower stall at the market together with his girlfriend, Alicia Chua. The stall, which is situated just at the entrance to the market, was the royal couple’s first stop on Wednesday, where the Duchess received a bouquet of flowers arranged by Alicia.

“They said, hey, I’ll tell you something, but you can’t tell anyone,” recalled Pishon, 26. “They said, Prince Charles and his wife are coming to visit.”

“They must have seen the way we approach our customers, and it was also unusual to have a young couple running the stall,” he added. “So they chose us.”

The couple, who were trained as teenagers to work with flowers by Pishon’s mother, then took to Google to look for ideas on what flowers to present to the Duchess.

“We decided to use roses in pink and purple, because roses are England’s national flower, and we also looked around for examples of nice bouquets Alicia could try putting together,” he said.

“She was very happy to receive it,” added Alicia, who is 24. “And I’m glad she liked it.”

A THOROUGH SPRING CLEANING

The fishmongers’ stall is generally the wettest part of a typical wet market. But the morning of the royal visit, fishmonger Russell Leong said he saw cleaners mopping the floor of the market at least three times before the couple’s arrival.

“The floor around the stall was so dry,” he said. “I saw them mop it once at 6am, once at 8am, and once at 10am.”

His family business, Ah Chuen Fishmonger, was also chosen as a stop for the royal couple. And because of that, Russell and his parents gave the stall a thorough spring cleaning.

“We got the fans cleaned, changed the lights, and tidied the stall,” said Russell. “I was a little excited, and a bit star-struck, because it’s not every day that you get to meet actual royalty.”

“Our market condition is already quite good, which was probably why it’s chosen,” added his father, Leong Kam Chuen. “But we wanted to do a bit more to prepare for them.”

“When I was young, my siblings and I went down to Keppel to see Queen Elizabeth when she came to Singapore,” he recounted. “We did not have money for bus fare then, so we walked all the way. Now, her son is coming to visit us.”

“I feel special, like I struck lottery.”

“A lot of people came and showed me photos after the visit, to ask if it was me the Prince was talking to,” he added.

DRESSING UP TO MEET THE PRINCE

Dried goods stallholder Jasmine Zhuo is usually togged out for comfort, in a blouse and loose, comfy shorts. But on Wednesday, she swapped out her usual attire for a pretty black dress.

“I swept my store and wiped my shelves,” she said in Mandarin. “But I also wanted to dress up a bit more.”

She added that she was informed of the visit about a month ago, and told to prepare someone who could speak English to answer any questions the royal couple might have about the goods she sells.

“They came by at least six to seven times to decide on the route the couple would take, and which stalls they would stop at,” she said. “I think they felt some of the things I sold would be more interesting to the Prince.”

Those who were chosen, she added, would also have to display a red floral decoration on their storefront to mark their stall.

But despite the advance notice, she admitted she and her helper for the day – the fruit stall owner’s English-speaking son – were nervous.

“I was really excited about meeting him,” she said. “And it really was exciting … and crowded!”

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

Chairman of the Tiong Bahru market and hawker centre association Loh Teck Seng remembers being happy when he was told – almost two months in advance – that the market would be hosting the royals. But nervous and excited, he was not.

“I was happy that they chose this market,” he said in Mandarin. “But we’re used to it.”

After all, he said, the complex has played host to many VIPs: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, MP for the area Indranee Rajah and former Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundarajev, who had visited in 2008.

Making the arrangements was a routine task for Mr Loh, who sells soya bean milk at the hawker centre above the market.

“Ms Indranee had suggested a lion dance welcome for them, so I made the arrangements,” he said. “I’m used to it, because there are always events over here, so we just called the same company we usually call.”

Meanwhile, he said the National Environment Agency had arranged for the entire complex to be given a thorough scrub-down ahead of the visit. “There was a lot of extra cleaning – at least three to four times – on Monday and Tuesday. And on Wednesday morning, the entrance of the market and the path the royals would take was also cleaned at least two to three times more than usual.”

His highlight, however, was being able to accompany the royals on the tour.

“He’s royalty, and I’ve only ever seen him before on TV,” he said. “So to meet him up close and get to walk with him was a privilege.”

And when asked if he was worried anything would go wrong on the big day, Mr Loh smiled and shook his head.

“I wasn’t nervous at all,” he said. “Maybe I would’ve been the first time I hosted a VIP, but I’m not anymore.”

SINGAPORE: National carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) on Thursday (Nov 2) announced a staggering US$850 million (S$1.16 billion) makeover of its Airbus A380s – its first major overhaul of the double-decker superjumbos since taking delivery of the first one in 2007.

With the revamp, the airline’s new A380 is now configured with 471 seats across four classes, including six first-class suites and 78 business class seats on the upper deck, as well as 44 premium economy class seats and 343 economy class seats on the lower deck.

Travellers taking flight SQ221 from Singapore to Sydney on Dec 18 will be the first to experience the upgrades that took four years to complete. Here’s what you can expect:

1. Ultra-luxurious suites get upsized

The best seats on board the superjumbos may have been halved in number but with the reduction of suites from 12 to six, it means that each suite is now “significantly more spacious”, according to SIA’s chief Goh Choon Phong.

Aimed at the top-tier traveller who doesn’t mind shelling out a bomb for a luxurious experience up in the air, each suite boasts an “industry first” leather chair that can swivel and recline, a separate full-flat bed that can be stowed away to make space and a 32-inch full HD (high-definition) touchscreen monitor.

There’s also plenty of storage space such as a full-sized personal wardrobe, a customised handbag stowage compartment and an amenity box lined with soft leather for jewellery and other accessories.

Big names have been hired to refurbish the suites, such as France’s Pierrejean Design Studio and Zodiac Seats UK. The leather chair was upholstered by Italy’s Poltrona Frau while French luxury label Lalique created the bedding, duvet and brand new amenity kits.

For those travelling with a partner, simply opt for the first two suites along each aisle that can be converted into a double bed.

2. Business class gets a double bed too

Over in business class, technology has been tapped to make the seats with lightweight carbon composite materials – similar to the ones used in Formula One racing cars – to create more storage space.

A larger back shell on each seat also creates a “cocoon-like feel” for more privacy, but the highlight is the ability for the seats to recline directly into a full-flat bed of 78 inches. The centre divider can also be fully lowered to form double beds – a new introduction that one expert described as an “interesting differentiator”.

3. Better seats in economy class

For the rest of us, there are more spacious and comfortable seats to count on. Leveraging on technology and ergonomics, the seats will offer more legroom and back support, with a six-way adjustable headrest with foldable wings.

4. A more personalised in-flight entertainment system

Want to continue the movie you watched on your previous flight? The new in-flight entertainment system myKrisWorld will help you with that.

By logging in with your KrisFlyer details, the system will bookmark the movie and allow you to resume watching the next time you’re on board, as well as make recommendations based on your preferences and viewing history.

SINGAPORE: Hundreds were seen queuing outside the Apple store along Orchard Road on Thursday (Nov 2), a day before the launch of the iPhone X in Singapore. 

Staff members were seen asking those in the queue to take “one step back”. 

“You need breathing space! This will take a while. There is no point in pushing,” staff members were heard saying.

They also directed those in the queue to form a single line, instead of forming a large crowd outside the store. 

Undergraduate Kennneth Cheng, 20, who has been queuing since 4pm, told Channel NewsAsia he came prepared to camp overnight, with bread, water and a power bank for his phone. “It’s quite expensive, but this is the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone after all,” he said.

Eighteen-year-old Vietnamese national Phong, said he packed instant noodles in case he gets hungry overnight, as well as his school uniform as he has school at noon the next day.

“I want to sell it for income,” he said of the iPhone X, adding that it was “different”. “Everybody wants it,” he added. 

“It’s my first time reselling. I plan to sell it on Facebook, maybe to other Vietnamese,” said the SHRM College student.

“I will even sell my slot if someone offers me, depending on the money.” 

As of 7pm, hundreds of people who had been queuing since Thursday afternoon had settled in and were sitting in line, occasionally shouting to their friends as they tried to chat above the din of hundreds of birds in nearby trees.

The iPhone X, which is Apple’s 10th anniversary phone, retails from S$1,648 for the entry-level 64GB model. 

Telcos earlier told Channel NewsAsia that interest in the device is “very good”. 

SINGAPORE: Forty-six turtle hatchlings emerged from a nest at one of Singapore’s southern islands on Wednesday (Nov 1), the National Parks Board (NParks) said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

Without naming the island, the agency said that a volunteer discovered a monitor lizard feeding on the turtle eggs on Sept 8. With the help of Singapore Land Authority (SLA), the nest was safeguarded until the eggs were ready to hatch.

Fifty-four days later, 46 baby turtles hatched. The NParks team took down their vital statistics and with the help of SLA, members of the Turtle Working Group, and the Tropical Marine Science Institute, the turtles were “released in a suitable location”.

“We wish these hatchlings all the best and hope to see them back on our shores again someday,” NParks said. 

NParks also recommended anyone who comes across a nesting turtle to call the agency at 1800 471 7300 and to keep a distance from the turtle and eggs.

“Talk softly and stay out of sight. Do not shine lights at the turtle or use flash photography. Light and noise may scare the turtle, and cause it to leave without laying any eggs,” NParks said.

It’s at least the third time the sea animals have been sighted in Singapore in recent months.

On Aug 23, a hawksbill turtle was spotted laying eggs at East Coast Park while hatchlings were seen trying to make their way to the sea from the beach just a week before that.