The long-guarded secret that is Apple Orchard Road will finally open its doors to the public this Saturday at 10am.

For the longest time, everyone has been speculating about when it will open, and after much teasing, the public can finally catch a glimpse from the outside of its massive glass storefront.

Apple Orchard Road Is Finally Here

Come Saturday, Apple Orchard Road will join the nearly 500 Apple stores worldwide to welcome more than a million visitors a day.

While it may be a newcomer as a store, the staff running it from Day 1 will be anything but.

25 per cent of the 237 employees who will be opening Apple Orchard Road are Apple employees who transitioned from their call centres or other parts of the company.

This means that the team is the most seasoned to have ever opened an Apple store in a new country.

So you can be sure that there are highly-trained experts in Apple products who are ready to answer deep technical questions, or just help you discover a new creative passion.

As for the store itself, the first thing you will be greeted by is the massive glass facade - 36.576m (120 feet) long and 14m (46 feet) tall.

Having painstakingly made the glass panels as clear as possible, their sole aim is to not make it seem like a barrier that keeps people out.

This also presented an opportunity to create a 7.62m (25 foot) canopy to shelter visitors from the tropical sunlight and also the rain.

Walking into the store, you will also be greeted with trees on each floor of the store which Apple calls "The Grove".

Speaking of floors, the 1st and 2nd floor of the store is connected by two curved Castania stone staircases at either side of the store which draws inspiration from Apple Park.

The ground floor is where you expect the main store to be.

Here, you can try each and every product Apple has today to your heart's content.

Payment terminals are cleverly hidden within the display tables, so you will only see them magically appear when you are ready for a purchase.

Today At Apple Comes To Singapore

Up the stairs is where you will find "The Forum", a vast open mezzanine level with seats and tables scattered around with potted trees at the side.

This is where the Today at Apple programme will be conducted, and on days where there isn't an activity, visitors can just chill out there.

Today at Apple will be bringing more than 60 new (and free) hands-on sessions to the store, each centred around topics that visitors are passionate about.

Some of the more popular topics mentioned include photography, and art and design; which will be led by store staff as well as the Red Dot Heroes.

Also tucked away in the corner is a place they call "The Boardroom".

This is where partners (and potential partners) can set up a meeting with Apple to discuss opportunities they can work together on.

At the opening of the Apple Dubai Mall, Apple's senior vice president of Retail Angela Ahrendts mentioned that the company sees their stores as today's version of a town hall.

"We view our stores as a modern-day town square, where visitors come to shop, be inspired, learn or connect with others in their community."

This is evident when you walk into any Apple Store in the world, because more than just a showroom, it's an experience you can partake in.

You can chat with fellow Apple enthusiasts, gain in depth knowledge from in-store experts, and learn how to effectively utilise your new purchase through workshops by professionals using the very same equipment.

Singaporeans will soon have an Apple Store to call their own soon, and you can be sure the Apple faithful will be crowding at its doors on opening day.

Apple Orchard Road

270 Orchard Road

Singapore, 238857

Tel: 1800 699 2824

Opening hours: (from Saturday 27 May) Mon - Sun: 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

School's out and kids in Singapore are gearing up to enjoy their upcoming month-long holiday season in June.

Children might have plenty of ideas when it comes to playtime. But here's an opportunity for parents to show off their fun side by taking the young ones to events such as meeting Sanrio characters at Changi Airport (and possibly watch planes take off) or even visiting a Harry Potter exhibition.

We've rounded up a list of activities - including some free ones - to keep your children occupied over the holidays. There are also some options for parents who would like their children to pick up a new skill set or learn something different outside of school.

Now put away your child's fidget spinner and choose from one of these unique activities to do this June:

1. Reptopia at Singapore Zoo and River Safari

Turn your 'ewws' into 'awws' at Singapore Zoo this June, with the all-new reptile exhibit, RepTopia. Taking place over the weekends of May 27 to June 26, the park will host a diverse range of activities including animal enrichment sessions, reptile-inspired craft activities and costumed charm-eleon meet and greet sessions.

Zoolympix will also return for the 13th year with this year's edition 'Zoolympix 2017: Reptile Revolution'.

Imagine sleeping under the stars to the gentle roar of the lion. If that's something you think your kid might like, perhaps try out the inaugural Camp Fest 2017 that will be held over the weekend of May 27 to 28 at Night Safari, River Safari or Singapore Zoo as one of three camping options.

For more information on all activities, visit: www.reptopia.sg

2. Zuper Dad at KidZania Singapore

The title says it all. This is specially for dads who are keen to showcase their superpowers and strength at KidZania Singapore, which celebrates the multi-skilled father in June. Thanks to this, daddies will get to enjoy free entry to KidZania Singapore from June 1 to 25 with every two child tickets ($116 each) purchased at KidZania Singapore's ticketing counters.

For more information, visit: www.kidzania.com.sg

3. Nordic Adventures with Sanrio Characters at Changi Airport

Take your kids to Changi Airport to witness something different this June. Say 'konnichiwa' to their favourite Sanrio characters who will come to live on May 26 - complete with a song and dance. If you're lucky enough, you might even get a chance to take a photo with Hello Kitty, Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Gudetama or Little Twin Stars

Fret not if you can't make it this weekend because there will be a meet-and-greet session every weekend starting this Friday all the way till June 26.

There's also the Nordic Exhibition to check out, which is where you can spot My Melody in a Swedish traditional dress as well as Pompompurin dressed in a Danish Viking suit aboard a Viking ship. Too adorable to miss!

For more information, visit: http://www.changiairport.com/en/plan-your-holiday/nordic-adventures.html

4. Collecting magic: From stamps to wands at the Singapore Philatelic Museum

Definitely not to be missed for all Potterheads in Singapore. Cast a spell at this exhibition at the Singapore Philatelic Museum and be enchanted by all the collectible stamps from around the world that will be on display. Photo ops are aplenty despite the small size of the exhibition. Pretend you're on the Hogwarts Express and snap a picture for keepsake.

For more information, visit: http://spm.org.sg/exhibitions/data/collecting-magic-from-stamps-to-wands

5. High Touch High Tech Junior Science Camp

If your child is a fan of science, or excels at the subject, why not sign him or her up for a junior science camp? They will get to go through interactive science modules as well as hands-on experiments. At the end of the six hours (yes, it's not that long a camp), participants will be able to take home their very own science kits.

For more information, email: evelyn@sciencemadefunsg.net.

6. Learn how to be a YouTuber

These days, even toddlers are capable of using YouTube without the help of their parents. They say if you can't beat them, join them. Rather than try to stop your child from exploring the world wide web, perhaps channel their interest in a different way by learning how to be a professional YouTuber.

Through a five-day digital media production experience, kids will get to discover the skills of storyboarding, filming and editing so even if they don't want to be a YouTube star in the making - they could dream bigger and go on to be the next Steven Spielberg.

For more information, visit: http://www.lornawhiston.com/post/ee-june-holiday.

7. Creative code camp for kids

Bring out the inner Mark Zuckerberg in your child by helping him or her learn the fundamentals at a coding camp.

Designed for kids aged between 10 and 13, this Scratch Foundation course will even teach them the basics of programming. They will learn how to programme a simple game as well as an animation. Your child will be coding like a pro in no time. Best part about this course? No experience is needed.

For more information, email: hello@saturdaykids.com.

8. Guitar lessons at Yamaha Music School

Enough of that Musical.ly craze - it's time to actually create real music. Music cleanses the soul so send your child for a crash course on how to play the guitar at Yamaha Music School.

The school's Ang Mo Kio branch is holding a special June holiday course where kids can choose to learn how to play the acoustic steel guitar or classical guitar.

For more information, visit: https://sg.yamaha.com/en/news_events/2017/amk_june2017.html

9. "Reading With Nature" Series: The Bear with the Sword

Enjoy a storytelling session as Junior Reading Ambassadors narrate the story of a bear that wants to chop down all the trees in the forest. This free activity will be held in the realms of nature at Ridley Hall at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Kids will also be brought on a guided tour around the Gardens and get to soak in the greenery. This activity is suitable for children in K1 to P6.

For more information, visit: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/activities/events-and-workshops/2017/6/reading-with-nature-series-the-bear-with-the-sword.

10. NParks Concert Series in the Park: Rockestra® enlivens Fort Canning Park with a nostalgic evening of Retro hits

Finally, something that both parents and children can enjoy together.

Pack a picnic basket and relax in the evening breeze at Fort Canning Park while tuning in to a live concert series. Sure, the songs might be unrecognisable to your kids but this is a perfect opportunity to bond with them and reminisce about the good ol' days.

For more information, visit: www.nparks.gov.sg/concertseries.

ssandrea@sph.com.sg

What does a certain community in 1960s post-war London have in common with one from present-day multi-cultural Singapore? It turns out that the common denominator is their loyalty to a little-known subculture called 'Mod'.

InstaScram rides with Singapore's very own Mod Squad, a group of homegrown bikers living a carefree, colourful life full of savoir faire, groovy music, impeccable style and of course, pimped-up Vespa and Lambretta scooters.

To understand the Mod, we have to understand their style, music and ride. Their style is heavily influenced by the French and Italian aesthetic, with dapper suits and detailed cuts for the men. The ladies take inspiration from the style icons of the Swinging Sixties for the definitive 'Mod Style' look. Then, comes the music. The original Mods from the late 1950s were attracted to the then-unique sounds of modern jazz and rhythmic blues, which allowed for funky and improvised dance moves. Thirdly and most visually, their ride. It is not coincidental that they have wholly embraced the scooter for its practicality and ability for customisation. As the engine of the scooter is enclosed within the bike frame, the pristine quality of their outfits would always be protected from excessive oil, dirt and grease.

From an outsider's cursory glance, the Mod lifestyle seems contrived and 'peacocky'. This is especially conspicuous in Singapore. Our tropical weather scorches us, and the ownership of motorcycles is subject to three types of increasingly expensive taxation: standard road usage tax, a certificate of entitlement (COE), and the recently implemented Additional Registration Fee (ARF) in 2017. But the ever-passionate community of Vespa and Lambretta enthusiasts continually seek to invest time and effort to keep their vintage scooters from becoming extinct. Thus, preserving a part of motorcycling culture that is full of meaning and history, to be experienced generation after generation. And they look good while doing it.

There have been 'Mod revivals' over the last few decades, not only in United Kingdom and Europe. But Malaysia, Thailand and especially Tokyo, Japan, which has one of the strongest Mod followings in the world. The Singapore Mod Squad maintains close relations to their fellow Mods in neighbouring countries, often riding their scooters to participate in their events, or hosting them when they travel here. Especially for events such as the Mod's May Day, or the Mod Swing.

Back here in Singapore, we take to the streets from Bugis to Kallang, past Ang Mo Kio and Yio Chu Kang, to journey to an offbeat, vintage-styled cafe, Kombi Rocks, which welcomes everyone to enjoy the experience of a unique time and place.

The theme of the cafe is not just for kicks, but rather, it stems from a personal passion. The owner, Chef Hai, is an avid vintage vehicle collector, restorer and a rider himself. His workshop is just a few doors away from the cafe. All of the vintage vehicles lining the lane along Yio Chu Kang Road and even in the cafe, like the Volkswagen Kombi and Beetle, Chevy Impala and numerous scooters, belong to him. You can even rent them for events like photoshoots or weddings!

The walls of Kombi Rocks are lined with vintage memorabilia, from posters to musical instruments, vinyl records to various antique paraphernalia. And it doesn't stop at reliving the vibes or the vehicles of yesteryear. The cafe also retains the menu of its predecessor as well. Before 2012, Kombi Rocks was known as Koon Kee Restaurant, which served Asian-Thai fusion cuisine, and was owned by Chef Hai's father, Chef Lim Koon Kee, since 1971.

The Singapore Mod Squad and the team behind Kombi Rocks may be just a couple of the groups that wholeheartedly subscribe to the lifestyle of preserving the vintage, which makes them as rare and valuable as the vehicles they restore. With the current motorcycle industry heavily saturated with newer and more easily ridden models, it is heartening to know that a part of motorcycle heritage is preserved right here in Singapore.

Follow @instascram_sg on Instagram for more of the best photogenic places in Singapore, and Facebook for more updates!

Lim Sing Sing had a turbulent youth. After his parents separated, he stayed with his grandmother whose love for him spoilt him as a child. He dropped out of Secondary school after the first year, and turned to drugs and gangs to fill the void in him.

For more than 10 years, Lim shuffled from job to job, drifting in and out of drug-induced highs. It took him a literal fall to the rock bottom to turn things around. In 1992, just days before the lunar New Year, Lim was on a high from a concoction of alcohol, psychedelic drugs and glue. Unknowingly, he fell out of the window from his 15th floor flat and landed straight on top of a car.

The fall spared his life, but broke his bones so badly that he could no longer walk.

Watch this episode of The Newsmaker, as Lim Sing Sing shares about the life he leads now, far away from drugs, and how he lends a helping hand to those in need of kicking the habit.

About "The Newsmaker"

"The Newsmaker"（封面人物） is one of 10 SPH-produced short form digital video series as part of a pilot Public Service Broadcast initiative. In this 13-part series, people who have made news headlines in the past share with the host Fred Lai (Content Producer, Chinese Media Group Digital) how the news events changed their lives and how they have been coping since then. All episodes come with English subtitles.

This series is also available on the zaobao.sg website and mobile app.

A Stomp reader was in Hougang on May 25 when he saw police officers smash the passenger-side window of a car parked near Block 965 along Hougang Avenue 9 because the driver was unconscious with his head on the steering wheel.     

A spokesperson from the police confirmed the incident, and told Stomp: "On 25th May 2017 at 11.17pm, the police received a call for assistance at 965 Hougang Avenue 9.

"A 52-year-old male car driver was subsequently arrested for drink driving. Police investigations are ongoing."

In the three-minute long video contributed by the Stomper, a police officer can be seen making repeated attempts to smash the passenger-side window of a car with licence plate number SGY2833K.

The officer eventually succeeds and they help the intoxicated man out of the vehicle. 

Said the reader: "The police had to break open the window to enter the car. The man's car blocked the road and no car could pass through.

"His head was resting on the steering wheel and throughout the whole time he was there, the vehicle was honking away."

A Singaporean woman died of altitude sickness at Lobuche in Khumjung area of Solukhumbu on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as 46-year-old Amy Ong Kumling.

She had arrived at Lobuche, a small village near the Mount Everest, to Thursday to take part in the Everest Marathon to be held on May 29.

According to the District Police Office, Solukhumbu, she died at her hotel room this morning.

Preparations are underway to send her body to Kathmandu for postmortem.