Welcom to the Fine City

01/14/11

I woke up at 4AM, took a shower and put on my favorite tank top and my sister's fuchsia hoodie. The day before was spent making lecture notes for my classes, and three sets of test questions for the students' midterm exams. Yes, that was supposed to burn me out, but no - I was energized and upbeat (think Energizer bunny energized). I was about to have one big adventure that I'll remember for life.

My family drove me and my cool aunt to the airport. An hour and a half from boarding time, we were all set. Destination: Singapore.

It was the first time that my aunt and I got to travel abroad so we were pretty excited. We got to Changi Airport 20 minutes before the ETA so with the Energizer bunny's energy and Dora the explorer's spirit, we were ready to explore Singapore! We took a bunch of street maps from the airport and headed out. With nothing but our cousin's home address, we took a teksi (the ordinary one) and told friendly Mr. Cabby where we wanted to go - and he brought us there after entertaining us along the way.

We took the lift going up to the tenth floor and just as we were going out of the elevator, we knew at once that the door right across was our place - the air was thick with the aroma of adobo. YUM!

After having a hearty lunch prepared by our hosts for our four-day vacation, the Li family, and after being told where to go and which trains to take (by that time, nothing really sinked in and I just nodded and pretended that I understood what they were saying), we headed out to the train station to get a local sim card and MRT cards. And we were by ourselves.

I sure felt like a pre-schooler - curious and excited. We asked for people directions and Singaporeans proved to be a really helpful & friendly bunch. We made our way to Snow City with little trouble. In the Philippines, it's summer all year long so it was a really refreshing idea to get to experience snow, or a least what it felt like to be in the snow. It was FREEZING! despite wearing demin jeans and double sweaters, the chill still permeated and felt like needles. But I could care less about the pain  - it was fun playing in the artificial snow, tubing and all.

After Snow City and taking snaps from the Science Center, we headed towards one of the busiest centers in Singapore, Chinatown! This time it was much busier with the upcoming Chinese New Year. Everywhere you see red and gold, which symbolizes wealth and good fortune! The Chinese are blessed with a very rich Culture indeed. Not only that, if you're looking for bargain and cheap souvenirs, this is the place to go. You have to buy in bulk, though. But if you come from a highly collective community such as the Philippines this is a great place since many people from back home will be expecting pasalubongs, or souvenirs, even if you only went out of the country for few days. :) We scoured the place for more goodies to buy and sights to capture when we came into one interesting spectacle. Right in the middle of Chinatown stood a golden Hindu temple. It had a tower-like decor filled with their Hindu gods. It was such an awesome sight to behold! And take note, it stood in the middle of the very busy business and merriment town. So I guess you don't really need total silence to commune with your God - for as long as the heart is there. 

After cheap shopping, we decided it was time to let our eyes feast on the more luxurious strip of shopping centers. Destination: Orchard Road. With the help of our EZ Link cards, we got there fast and without breaking a sweat. We posed outside the big labels like Prada, Dior, Armani, & LV. Never even bothered to queue to go in those classy shops. Those shops intimidated me for a bit, to be honest - I felt like a rifraf. But anyhow, it was a nice experience to see nice shops - a reminder that if I work hard enough, it won't be long until those shops would no longer intimidate me. :) When we met my aunt's friend, Richard, we had our first gastronomic experience in Singapore. He bought us dinner and introduced to us one of  SG's staples, chicken rice. Delicioso!

After dinner, we did some more shopping. I bought ballet flats for me and my sister at a discounted rate of S$30, which isn't bad at all. For those of you who plan to shop at Singapore, be sure to present your passport prior to purchasing your goods so you can avail of tax-exemption and enjoy tax-free shopping. Take note that most shops usually require a minimum of S$100 single receipt so be sure to check with the guest services what their procedure is. We were not aware of this and so we weren't able to enjoy the 7% off GST. :( After shopping, we took the train back to Yishun and walked from the train station going back to our cousin's flat. Take note, we were walking on the street at around 12 midnight, but we felt safe. It's a welcomed change. Back home, we would never dare walk out in the dark! 

When we got home, I felt satisfied and happy. Our day one, which was started around 2 in the afternoon, felt like a looooong day, and we could feel the adventure in our bodies. Pama-ul galore!