Singapore Airlines Premium Economy Long Haul Review

I fly between Sydney and London almost every year and concluded that long haul flights involves a recovery period similar to surgery. While that's mostly due to jetlag, it doesn't help when I never sleep on planes.

Despite all this flying, I'll never be one of those lucky people who get upgraded to business class. So I finally shelled out for premium economy. I checked a few airlines and at the time Singapore Airlines offered the best value PE seats, priced 25% more than an economy seat. 

This is way cheaper than business class but you still get to check in at the business class queue and your checked in baggage receives the same priority. This is perfect for me as I usually get to the airport around 1-1.5 hrs before the flight.

The cabin area for PE is curtained off from economy and if you're on an A380, you don't have to walk through business class to get to your seat. The PE seats are at the immediate right of the door. 

There are only 36 PE seats on an A380 and 28 on an A777. The rows are made up of two, four and two seats with two spaces for bassinettes. A tip is is that A380 planes offer more space for window seats as there is a sizeable gap between the armrest and the wall. 

The downside to a PE ticket is that if you travel in peak times and need to change your flight dates, you may have difficulty finding availability. You can pay for a upgrade to a higher class seat, but you cannot be downgraded to economy. 

The PE seat is leather with bigger width and pitch. Even I felt the difference and I'm petite. There is more leg room and storage space. The tray table is kept in the arm rest. There is a leg rest which I would prefer it go higher. The entertainment screen is bigger with HD and over the ear headphones are provided. While I don't need the extra leg space, I found it handy to keep a large handbag, a travel pillow and my own blanket under the seat in front of me. 

Was I able to sleep in PE? Sadly no. Unless I'm lying down 180 degrees, I slide because I can't rest sitting up. PE is no substitute for flat beds.

There is a fair amount space between me and the next passenger. I was even able to "walk over" my sleeping (female-also-petite) neighbour to get to the bathroom without disturbing her. 

In PE they serve real champagne (decent but not great) and better food. You can even pre-order your meals online but I was happy to go with the flow. 

Is PE worth it? In my opinion, yes for any long haul flight. A cheaper alternative is to book a preferred seat with more leg room in economy however you risk getting annoyed by the close proximity to the bassinettes (ie, screaming babies) or toilet doors.

The Last Days In Sydney

I went away to Auckland and came back with a cold. It was raining hard when I landed in Sydney. My nose was completely blocked and I can't taste anything. So disappointing as I hoped to have a final binge of Sydney food before returning to the UK.

The rain went on for days and I kept warm and toasty with my baby niece. Two of the days I had to go out to the city to meet friends but was so glad to come home to her. She is my little ray of sunshine. Every time I see her I just want to scoop her up and smother her with kisses!

I spent a whole day packing and running errands. I wish I started organising sooner. I had an incredible urge to stay in Sydney. It took an hour figuring out how much longer I can be out of the UK and calling to defer my flight. It however cost £385 so I said no. 

On the last day I was still considering forking out the cash even though it was a stupid amount to pay for an three extra days in Sydney. After realising I was procrastinating, I didn't give my "dilemma" a second thought.

To make the most of my last day, I decided not to see friends. I spent it doing what I love. First it was a Zumba class then a bike ride in Olympic Park.

Blue sky and pretty clouds-how I will miss you.

The sky was spectacular. I could sit here and watch it all day. But couldn't as I was hungry. 

For lunch I had my last pho at Toan Thang in Flemington. Thankfully I recovered the use of my taste buds. This restaurant is known for it's long queues on weekends. I was seated straight away although I had to share the table. It's rare to find decent pho for $10 or less and from a place that's close to me. I happily slurped away after taking the obligatory food pic.

Then I had family dinner at Mori Japanese Cafe in Glebe. It was all-you-can-eat. It was yummy but I was yearning to eat cooked vegetables. There were hardly any except edamame on the menu. On the upside the variety of seafood was amazing and I ate my money's worth.

My sister must have told Lillee I was leaving. She asked me to pick her up when crossing the road to the car. Maybe it was because I said that's what I'd do when I walked her to preschool. But she said intently to me with huge eyes,  "I need you. You must stay here." 

You must picture her saying this with a cute toddler voice. It was the most heart warming and heart wrenching thing to hear.

I went to bed feeling overwhelmingly grateful for my time in Sydney. Home is the best place in the world. The next morning on the day I flew out, I got up early to fill up my car to have it garaged. It was sad taking off my still-fresh number plates. I love my jellybean car and in ways it's loved me back as it still runs after 10 years of loyal service. 

Every time I depart Sydney airport it gets harder and harder. I wasn't looking forward to going back to London. This time is different, I no longer felt like being an intrepid traveller and just wanted to stay in my home country.

Zumba Classes in Sydney

After 20 classes at Zumba4u and 7 at Dooley's Lidcombe Fitness Club, I'm hanging up my Zumba shoes for the rest of the year. 

I wasn't planning to teach in Sydney but thanks to the support of Maria Christine, she encouraged me to get on stage. That the minute I mentioned I was a qualified Zumba instructor. I told her how much I loved the track Maga Zin and halfway through her class, she told me to teach it. Instead I taught a track I just learnt, Slide. She put the song on and off I went, my first attempt at teaching to a live class in Sydney. It felt amazing!

Thanks to fellow Zumba instructor Suzie Piiper for this photo. 

Also thanks to Diana Ortiz for welcoming me to her classes at Zumba4u. I danced with her throughout one of her classes and I taught two tracks, Pégate and Slide. It was super hot that evening and with no air-con or fan, I could have spontaneously combusted! My ears were burning and that's not happened to me before. I felt like I was on fire and not in the good way :P 

The best part is when I was teaching and my toddler niece is at the back following the moves. She looked so happy. I could see her behind all the ladies. My heart nearly exploded when I got home and she was so excited about seeing me dance. My brother in law showed me a video he took of how much she loves "jumba" (as she calls it.)

Getting Christmas on with Lauro Brazil in Lidcombe. This guy has so much energy pepping up the class and flashing the biggest smiles. 

Christmas themed night at Croydon Public School with Diana and Alexis Lara. It's been like family for the past few months and I will miss their classes. So many friendly faces and uplifting Latin songs. Could not have asked for a better Zumba experience in Sydney.

Cycling in Olympic Park and Beyond

It was Sunday and after my morning Zumba session I rode to Olympic Park to meet friends for a long bike ride. 

Olympic Park has many wetlands and it's like an oasis off the M4, less than 10 mins ride from my house. There is abundant wildlife and tranquility. I feel comforted once inside the park and the traffic noise disappears.

Cycling in Olympic Park is enjoyable for so many reasons. Firstly there are many bike paths. Most go through pure nature, ie, bushland, wetlands and alongside Parramatta River. The paths are away from traffic but are well linked. From Olympic Park, if you cross the Silverwater bridge you can ride to Putney or Parramatta. Both directions are leisurely riverside rides. From Meadowbank you can cross a bridge and ride back into Olympic Park.

This was my first time going towards Meadowbank and it's a glorious open ride.

The weather gods were watching out for us that day. It was overcast and cool. We started in Newington and ended up in Rhodes for yum cha. We weren't planning on it but it seemed like the right thing to do, yes?

Sky Phoenix in Rhodes is one of the best yum cha or dim sum places in Sydney. I think their food is more delicious than most places. Here we are waiting for a table in our cycling gear. 

The beginning of our pig-out. It was a happy indulgence and a convenient break from our bike ride. Some folks tour cafes on their ride, we have yum cha. 

I had a smashing time with my friends and cleared at least 30km of riding. I felt extremely blessed to be living close to an naturalistic area where there are so many bike paths.  The fun is free and easy here. I can get to many places around Olympic Park and it's all on pedal powder!

A Picnic At Barangaroo Reserve

Barangaroo Reserve of Sydney Harbour is part of my new Sydney. The area has been closed off to the public for 100 years and now it's a picturesque park to stroll through. The only thing it has in common with the nearby skyrises is a million dollar view.

My friends and I had a picnic here and the weather was splendid. By my standards that means it was overcast and warm. (In Australia you can still get skin damage even in cloudy weather so if it's a sunny day, I try to stay indoors.)

Its a bit of a hike to get to the reserve on foot from either Wynyard or Circular Quay train stations. The route from Circular Quay is prettier and took about 20 minutes, via The Rocks. I guess the location explains how it wasn't crowded even for a Saturday. There was plenty of parking available within easy walking distance. 

We had our picnic rugs under a tree and watched the boats and ferries sail past. You can't have a city oasis like this without it being jam packed with people in London. This space capitalises on the harbour front location and everyone can benefit without competing for space.

Even in the city you can find live rock oysters and mussels.

They certainly look like the right size for picking. Some oysters shells were empty so people have been foraging. I remember as a kid, people used to shuck oysters on the beaches where I grew up. They would take them oysters home in a bottle. Wish I could do it now!

There's Such Weather As Too Hot

Although some Brits might disagree, anything above 28 degrees is too hot in my experience.

I like going outside without having to slather on sunscreen first. And idle sweating is gross. When I see a cloudy morning, I think "there's so many possibilities today."

This week it went over 40 degrees and it was too hot to function. I had a blinding headache for three days and paracetomol couldn't numb the pain. This is the second time I've gotten sick since I got back to Sydney. I hardly ever get sick in London. The bugs here have hit me hard.

While I was staying with my sister I took Lillee to preschool on foot as I didn't have her car seat. Instead of using her pram, I made a deal that I'd give her a piggyback some of the way but she had to walk "really fast" the rest of the way.

But walking took too long. She would stop and point at something like numbers on a letter box, leaves on the footpath or a bird. When I gave her a piggyback, her hands slipped off my shoulders and her arms were too short to monkeygrip without choking me.

I ended up carrying her most of the way. She panicked when I left her. I walked out with her clinging onto my leg like a limpet. The teacher picked her up as she sensed waterworks were coming. I broke away and wiped her tears off my face when I got outside. It's amazing how much you can mean to a child, at least when they're afraid.

I persuaded my sister to buy a stroller that day. I carried that bad boy on my shoulder to pick Lillee up. It looked hot and it was literally, although I did style it out as if I was carrying skis over one arm.

I had a good weekend because it was cloudy. On Saturday I went to Zumba in Abottsford and had a Vietnamese salad roll for lunch. Then I went home. I was figuratively punching traffic in the face by riding my bike to Ikea. I needed a usb led lamp and the weather was perfect for cycling. Cloudy, cool and no rain.

On Sunday I got up early to go to Zumba in Lidcombe. I had not been to this gym before. My Zumba instructor teaches there and I really like his class. It was an easy bike ride too.

The class was crowded and I was in the middle row. It's been a month since I did Zumba in front of a mirror and I wanted to check my timing and form. I was pleased that I got to do it and I smashed the class.

As I left the studio, a person tapped on my shoulder and said lovely things about my dancing. She asked how long I had been doing it. She said she was trying to follow me throughout the class.

Then on my way home I decided to buy a UE Megaboom portable speaker. I rode out to Officeworks and bought it with a ipad keyboard. Spent the rest of the day playing with my new toys but I decided to return the keyboard. It was expensive and I'm happier with the one I have already.

I rode back to Officeworks after dinner and relieved my conscience and bank account. It was nice to go out when it was quiet on the roads. Love that shops are open late, even on Sundays here.

November ends tomorrow...time is flying.

Beyond The Halfway Point - Finally At The Beach

My time in Sydney is running out fast and I still haven't done alot of things. This week I made it to the beach. It was a bit sketchy because my car has been acting up and I don't have air con. 

It was the first day of summer and it was 33 degrees. I went to Bronte and felt so rejuvenated there. I was back into my element. The blue water, crashing waves and fresh air was exactly what I needed after driving in a hot car. I went for a swim in the sea bath and then paddled in the surf to get properly get immersed into the sea.

The flagged area somehow seems to be the choppiest part of the beach and Bronte is prone to dumping waves. I try not to get far out as I was alone (and nervous as I nearly drowned when I was a kid). As I walked in, I got caught in the "dumping zone" and almost lost my swimsuit!

It felt so good to be at the beach. For me it's a kind of paradise or spiritual mecca. The sun and surf was blissful. 

On my way home I stopped at Marrickville for a banh mi. These sandwich rolls really need to be more common in London. At the moment you pay above the odds for one and they are nothing like the ones you get in Sydney. 

Nothing better than coming home after cooking in a hot car, to this. An authentic and generous banh mi and bowl of fresh cut watermelon. Bless Sydney for it's incredible fresh food!

My baby niece has grown exponentially. In a space of three days she no longer looks like a newborn. I feel like I'm missing out on seeing her if I'm away for more than a day. Amazing how quickly babies grow. 

I took Lillee to the playground nearby and she made me an "icecream cone" out of leaves. I managed to tie her hair up  when she normally doesn't allow it. I told her that if the birds saw her knotty hair, they will mistake it for their nest. As she hates having her hair brushed, she agreed to tie it back.

I've been using up my passes at the dance studio before the Christmas break. Ballet has been good but it's not something I'd take up. Frankly I'm awful at it. I bought 10 visits at a local gym and for the next few weeks I'll have a dance class on everyday. This is my idea of a perfect routine.

Today I went to Zumba and afterwards I got out my Megaboom speaker and practiced teaching Zumba. It was fab having the studio to myself and I got into the zone. I think I'm ready to teach people now!