First day was whole day with Chico, who toured us around Marina Bay Sands area. I LOVE THIS PLACE - Architectures and landscapes are just so awesomely unconventional! Lou really enjoyed the gigantic trees in Gardens by the Bay ...and he never actually appreciated it until we saw an illustration of how the "supertrees" actually harvest solar energy! (We are ALWAYS drawn to anything eco-friendly!).
photos by Chico
Another thing I like in this area is that it already has everything that has to be seen in Singapore. Okay, maybe at least 50% of all tourist spots - The Merlion, Esplanade, Helix bridge, Marina Bay Sands etc - you can tour them all in one afternoon! (and maybe even put almost everything in a single photo? haha)
photo by Chico
Chico treated us to Makansutra - if you're used to Mercato-style of dining, this isn't something new. But what I like here is that the hawker cuisines are all (almost) purely asian - Malay, Indian, Thai, Singaporean, Chinese, and even Filipino (Gerry's Grill!). What amused me is that the place is so jampacked with a lot of filipinos. I mean, A LOT. I know that there's a lot of filipinos in SG but the pinoy population in Makansutra is at the next level, it's like I never left the country at all! And I guess it's because the Makansutra's nature is so "pinoy" -- there's so much variety of foods, each served for group sharing. That, or because specifically that Saturday...
Makansutra pledged 20% of their sales to Typhoon Haiyan Victims! Isn't this touching? I almost cried seeing vendors (in different nationalities) really actively inviting everyone to buy to "donate". Posters about it were everywhere, some even had donation cans which they always suggested each time your change had coins. Thank you, Makansutra. :)
Sunday, Pat and Abby us treated us to lunch at Din Tai Fung - A known Chinese resto, not only in Singapore but in other asian countries (we still don't have this in pinas, though.) Then we had our after-lunch dessert + coffee in Toast Box, and tried the famous Kaya Toast and Singapore's traditional coffee -- both restos are within Orchard road. (...and I forgot the name of the mall!)
Din Tai Fung's pretty much like Manila's Lugang Cafe, where you can order all sorts of xiao long bao variations, while Toast Box already has a branch in BGC (as I heard). Nonetheless, the experience is a lot different in Singapore because -- aside from having friends to treat us ...LOL! (Thanks Pat and Abby, sobra!) -- there's more of an "authentic asian" feel when you load up with foods from these places, on the same afternoon! After all, Lou and I don't eat authentic chinese food everyday in Manila! :D
...and as for Toast Box, we actually haven't tried it ever! That afternoon was actually my first time to try Kaya spread and Kopi variations - I got really addicted that we had to have another dose in the airport before flying home. I finally understood what Pat shared that he craved for all these on his first days in SG. haha!
We then shopped along (and within malls of) Orchard Road. I REALLY ENJOYED IT! Travel + Shopping with ABBY is just so awwwwesome! :) After getting 2 dresses and leggings in H&M, I think we bored the boys the death. haha! But HEY it's MY birth-week! hahaha!
Then we had a few drinks at night with Paul and Reena, at Clark Quay. I'm glad I had a mini-HS reunion outside the country for the first time (Paul and Pat are my HS friends). A birthday night-out-slash-triple date outside the country!? I know right, we really are getting old! hahaha!
Monday, Lou and I managed to commute by ourselves from Chico's place to V-Hotel Lavender, then to Little India. I knew Lou's not so excited to go to Little India, coz we don't have much to do nor to see in there. But I had to convince him, knowing it's the only place in SG where I can get authentic yoga resources. And I did - just a few blocks from the MRT station I saw a store's huge sign - "The Yoga Shop". Funny how it exactly says what I'm looking for! It turns out to be a shop of Brahma Kumaris that sells a lot of spiritual literature, mostly about Raja Yoga.
(Back in Metro Manila, there's a Brahma Kumaris Meditation center near our home, but I'm not sure if it also sells these books. So, until I check that one out, I consider this shop as a travel gem for traveling yogis! I bought a lot of books here for myself, and so far so good. Their books are really helpful if you're into meditating.)
Then we had lunch at a resto beside the shop, and along Kerbau road - Village Curry. Now Lou was so happy we went to Little India. He said he has never tasted Indian food that's as authentic as this, and I couldn't agree more! Well, back in Manila, there's New Bombay restaurant, but that one's -- for me -- on a "fine dining" level. Here, you get to pick as many dishes, messily spattered around your Biryani and flat bread (I think it's called Papadum), all put in a paper-covered HUGE tray-like plate. It's like turo-turo style for filipinos (just point what you want to order), except that everything's in one big plate! And what makes it more authentic is the experience of eating outdoors, like how other (Indian) customers do it ...when you insanely eat the super yummy, tasty, tongue-burning SPICY Indian food and you realize that the only way to survive it is to ironically drink HOT milk tea, on a blazing HOT afternoon! hahaha!
We then walked to Mustafa mall to check if there are more bookstores. Apparently it's a hypermarket - I didn't find books but everything we wanted for pasalubong was there! The only downside is its arrangement, I think it's too disorganized for newby shoppers like us! That, or maybe we just wanted to buy so many things in spite of our tired feet!
Serangoon road, with beautiful remnants of the recent Deepavali :)
We were dead tired by the time we went back to the hotel! But one last thing kept me going -- meeting Dan and Elaine at Tampines! Elaine's my college friend and thesismate, and it's been a really long time since we bonded for reals. Since she left for SG, I think we met just twice - when she handed me their wedding invitation (it was a just a 10-minute meetup at our condo lobby!), and during their wedding itself, where of course we didn't have the time to chitchat about fun nonsense things! LOL! This one was our big catch up date after so many years! :)
Dan and Elaine toured us around IKEA, an SG haven I've been dying to see. haha! It's true what they say about IKEA - you have to allot at least half of your day for this. And as for me -- from a tourist's perspective -- you also have to allot a generous portion of your baggage limit (and space) for the things you'll get here. haha! Ikea's just the place to be for people who go crazy over maximizing small home spaces -- like us!
group photo by Dan
We capped off our shopping with really yummy Swedish meatballs, chicken, salmon, ...oh my, did we order everything in Ikea Restaurant?! (Yes, they have a restaurant!) Again, thank you Dan and Elaine for this treat! Lou and I really enjoyed everything. Everything in Ikea just made me conclude that, unless Ikea puts a branch in Manila, there will always be a valid reason for us to visit SG again! haha! :) By the way -- TODAY is Dan and Elaine's first wedding anniversary! Happy anniversary to you two, SG lovebears! ♥
Lou and I finally had our time alone on the eve of my birthday. I wore the dress I got from H&M orchard road (the day before) ...even though we opted to just celebrate privately in our room. haha! We then munched on every comfort food we impulsively got during the day ... and that was it, I'm THIRTY! While it felt like it was the usual tiring weekday, I felt nothing but grateful - I just had an awesome week long birthday celebration, outside the country!
Thanks so much to all our SG friends, who have been so generous by giving us everything we needed in this trip - accommodation, food and TIME!!! I swear to you guys that I will never forget this birthday! I now truly believe what Lou would say about SG - "You go there to visit friends" (I guess this is even more applicable to us as IT people!). And it's not bad at all! It's traveling and catching up with friends at the same time! Where else can you do that?! Only in Singapore! :)
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