Singapore Snippets

Walk this way.
From the hotel to Little India to the Marina Square to Orchard Road--Singapore is definitely a walking city and I love it.

Weapons of choice: Trusty belt bag (with shoulder bag option), trusty tourist map (tore off all the unnecessary parts), and trusty crocs.

Lessons learned: It's hotter in Singapore than in the Philippines. Jeans have no business there! I'm so glad I brought a skirt at the last minute, thunder-thighs and all. And that half of my tops were white cotton.



Mister Elephant
The Night Safari gave me goose bumps. And even if the lions were sleeping instead of roaring (darn it), it was still worth it, thanks to Mister Elephant. I can still see him in my mind, standing under the soft lighting, staring straight at me (at least it seemed like he was), all wise and...noble. As the tram turned a corner, I looked back at Mister Elephant; and a part of me really wanted to wave a quiet goodbye.

Lessons learned: Thanks to the Javier School of Travel I'm pretty good at navigating the metro, but I need to jack up my bus service IQ--I couldn't find the bus interchange when we got off at Ang Mo Kio Station. A woman approached us at the station (free ride to the Night Safari for the price of an admission ticket + tram ride), and after seeing a family of four accepting her offer we followed suit (but I would never have done that in Manila--sadly).

And with the no-flash policy during the safari, my camera was pointless. Note to self: if you go back, do so with a handycam in tow.

Photo by Syd

F1 Fever
I spent a few hours before our flight reading articles like Formula 1 101 and Formula 1 for Motor Racing Ignoramuses, in 10 Easy Lessons (But No Tests). I figured if I was going to spend the next three nights watching it I should know more than the fact that Jenson Button (Syd's favorite driver; the Brit whose career he has followed even before the guy was with Honda) is pretty cute.

Photo by Syd

So I read about pole position (so that's why we watch them go round and round for two nights before the race), and the cost of joining a race (utang na loob), and techie stuff like downforce and aerodynamics (why didn't I listen to Ms. Telen in Physics class) and the different kinds of tires, and the safety car, and the Crashgate of last year's Singapore Grand Prix.


I was pleasantly surprised. I sometimes sorta-kinda understood what was happening (a huge LCD screen was right in front of our seats, and Syd and I were communicating via text--we'd type questions and answers on my phone). There were moments that I sorta-kinda got excited (Ooh! Somebody overtook somebody! Ooh! Somebody hit somebody!). But I think the biggest surprise was seeing just how rabid F1 fans are, standing and cheering every time their favorite driver zoomed by (a blur in my photographs). It was amusing to see Syd so happy, too.

Bursting with fruit flavor.

Weapon of choice: kikay purple earplugs (complete with cute case!) from Robinson's Handyman. At P185, my best investment for the trip! Perfect for F1, basketball games, the firing range...

Bussorah Street (Photo by Syd)

Pleasant surprises
Sometimes guidebooks exaggerate and you get that awful Water-Sprite Syndrome (you ordered Sprite; they gave you water). Sometimes they barely mention something and you run into it and it's wonderful.

The Abdul Gaffoor Mosque was as pretty as they said it would be (unfortunately there was a service going on when we got there, so we couldn't go in). Bussorah Street behind the Mosque was a very pleasant surprise: quaint shops and cafes, pretty windows and trees. Would've loved to hang out there longer.

While Singapore is undoubtedly clean, orderly, and safe, it feels kind of...flat? Empty? I mean, Hong Kong is a lot noisier and dirtier and more crowded, but it seemed to have more charm and character.

Or maybe I wasn't in Singapore long enough to see her other, more candid and charming parts.