As a prologue to our list of heat-beating retreats on this tropical searing island, here's a quick look at a fun new activity from Stamford American International School (SAIS) and the Singapore Ice Hockey Association (SIHA): a temporary, artificial ice rink on the SAIS campus.

The outdoor rink will be a first for Singapore, and there's no need for humpty-dumpty padded jackets as the "ice" actually consists of interlocking squares of white plastic, which have been sprayed with a mixture of silicone and water to allow normal ice skates to slide across the surface. It'll also serve as a trial for this new technology, which will make ice skating and ice hockey a whole lot more accessible in the tropical weather of Southeast Asia.

The artificial ice rink is open to the public over two weekends in February, but has a limit of a half-hour, so pre-registration is required and is confirmed on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per half-hour time slot is S$10, which includes skate rental. Socks are required and gloves are highly recommended for safety reasons.