major shopping street clad with Christmas

Shoppers make their way in a major shopping street clad with Christmas decorations during this festive season on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010 in Singapore.

Chinese mythical character "Guan Yu"

Rocky Goh, dressed as Chinese mythical character "Guan Yu", poses before a Cosplay event at the Singapore Toy, Games and Comic Convention (SGTCC) in Singapore December 10, 2010. The STGCC runs from December 10 to 12

Taiwanese tattoo artist Jess Yen

Taiwanese tattoo artist Jess Yen works on a customer at the Singapore Tattoo Art and Culture Show on December 10, 2010. Singapore Tattoo, Art and Culture Show (STACS) is a boutique tattoo exhibition showcasing the very best handpicked tattoo artists from around the world which begin on 10-12 December 2010.

Lifestyle-Asia-Christmas-economy-retail

To go with Lifestyle-Asia-Christmas-economy-retail, FOCUS by Roberto Colomaphoto taken on December 19, 2010 shows people walking in front of a shopping mall decorated for Christmas festive season in Singapore. Strong currencies and a travel boom are fuelling a yearend shopping spree in Asia's retail capitals even though consumers remain wary of a new downturn, economists and retailers say.

Black Palm Cockatoo sibling

Three Black Palm Cockatoo siblings, and an egg expected to hatch sometime over the Christmas period, are displayed to the media at the Jurong Bird park in Singapore on December 20, 2010. Black Palm Cockatoos are being bred as part of the parks ongoing birdlife conservation programme which has for the first time hatched three birds in consecutive months

Children play in foam

Children play in foam used to simulate snow at a shopping mall on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010 in Singapore where malls are taking advantage of the festive season to draw in customers through visual merchandising, advertising and year end sales.

A scale model of Rolls-Royce engine V2500

A scale model of Rolls-Royce engine V2500 

A scale model of Rolls-Royce engine V2500 which has been used for the Airbus A319, A320 and A321 and Boeing MD-90, is displayed at the 8th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Zhuhai Airshow) in Zhuhai, southern coast of Guangdong province, China, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010. Rolls-Royce will temporarily replace any oil-leaking engines like the one that caught fire and blew apart on a Qantas superjumbo jet earlier this month, and aviation official said Monday. Qantas said it found oil leaks in three of its Airbus A380s powered by the Rolls-Royce engines. Its entire fleet of six remains grounded since the blowout on the flight to Sydney, which forced the safe return of the jet to Singapore. The airshow will run from Nov. 16 to 21.

Rainer Ng Kai Wee of Singapore

First leg swimmers (front to back), Rainer Ng Kai Wee of Singapore, Park Seonkwan of South Korea, Sun Xaiolei of China and Irie Ryosuke of Japan compete in the men's 4x100m medley relay final in the swimming event of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou on November 18, 2010.

Ng Lin Zhi Shayna of Singapore

(From L to R) Gold medalists Tan Shi Hua Cherie, Ng Su Yi Geraldine, Ng Lin Zhi Shayna of Singapore pose on the podium during an award ceremony for the women's trios bowling final at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou on November 20, 2010. Singapore won the gold, South Korea won the silver and China took the bronze.

celebrations for Loy Krathong Festival November 21

Women light a krathong, or floral float decorated with incense and candles, before releasing it into the Kallang River in Singapore as part of annual celebrations for Loy Krathong Festival November 21, 2010. Celebrated by Thai people around the world, Loy Krathong is an occasion where floral floats are lighted and released at a river as a symbol of good luck and to mark a fresh beginning to life.