After almost four hours of waiting, it was time for our flight, my soul finally sparked joy, I was feeling elated as we walked down on the way to the airplane, my excitement literally went through the roof when I found out that my assigned seat was a window seat ! After a few hours of flight that felt like a lifetime I can finally see the city lights of Singapore, and even from above everything looks organized, what a sight to see indeed! My first steps on a foreign land was such a marvellous feeling, although I feel tired and badly needed sleep, I didn’t mind the fatigue because the airport itself is just exquisite and filled with extravagance. The immigration took quite a long time to finish due to the long line so my mom and I decided to take pictures, and I did take great photos of her but my pictures with her, of course her finger needed to join the frame.
Around quarter past two and it was time for us to get a scenic night view of Singapore, we took a cab and made our way to the place we will be staying, there was no traffic, well given the time and yes this country is indeed exceptionally neat! We had a bit of a wrong turn, and finally my Ninang was there to welcome us in her humble abode! She offered us a modest meal, we cleaned ourselves, chatted a little and finally got a good night or perhaps an early morning sleep to have the energy to discover in the cities that lie in the small yet filling country of Singapore!
We woke up at around nine in the morning, my Ninang decided that we have breakfast at a near restaurant around her area, it was quite the walk, we first passed through the City Square Mall, I was stunned on how there was no security guard at the entrance, and people can freely enter, we then exited and made our way to eat at the streets of Serangoon, and there was community filled with Indians! Oh how I love their culture and the food of course, we ate our breakfast at the Maraj Restaurant, the curry that I know of is nothing compared to the many dishes India can offer! The sumptuous vegetable kofta, the roti filled with cheese, and the warm cup of coffee was really a kick-start to boost our energy for the whole day. After our filling breakfast we went to the Mustafa Centre, and all the good deals are there to buy, name all expensive and luxurious brands of perfumes are there priced reasonably and also of course the fine jewelleries of gold that Indians are well fond of.
The three of us took a train ride on the way to our next stop, at the Orchard Road. I have never experienced such a hassle free commute, their LRT was convenient, and it connects into different areas so you can get access easily. I, of course, was in such a klutz due to my endearing excitement that I lost my train card, luckily that day was Chinese New Year so the man guarding the exit points was extra kind that day that he let me pass through! After the little mishap we entered the lavish mall, it was definitely extra, everything that there was beyond the level of extremity I can comprehend to. The mall itself was a sight to see, and even outside was really stunning, the establishments are very different from each other, it was exceptionally built. It was fun how people there would greet each other casually. After long walks we entered the Paragon Mall, where all the boujee brands there name it from Gucci, LV, YSL, Alexander Wang, Dior and many more, kind of felt out of place but never mind that thought. Of course we didn’t enter those shops we just wandered ourselves at the mall, then shopped a little but not in the Gucci stores okay? Just the other stores, and then explored the Orchard Road a little bit more. Finally we had our lunch, only a few restaurants were open at the time given it was Chinese New Year so we needed to ride a bus to go visit another mall available and there we ate Bak-Kut-Teh a pork rib soup served with rice and a silky tofu, that tastes so much like taho minus the sweet arnibal, the meal filled up the fatigue of the hours of walking we had.
We went home, got some sleep and a shower and at around three in the afternoon my mom and I went at the City Square Mall to visit her college friend, that has been ages since she last saw, we ate at McDonalds, and the burger there were exceptionally bigger and tastier, her friend gave us some souvenirs, it was quite heavy so I decided to bring it back home first, ALONE. My mom and her friend chatted a way decades worth of stories and I mustered up the courage to take on the unknown streets of Rangoon Road. I was so confident that I lost my way home, I made three wrong turns until I decided to ask someone how to get where I needed to be, luckily after a few prayers and lots of sweat I arrived and went back to the mall with my Ninang so that the three of us can go to our next stop.
The last destination for that day, drum roll please……… The one and only iconic symbol of Singapore the MERLION! To get there we rode a double deck bus and so we went on the second deck and got an amazing view of Singapore, my fascination is still alive until now, from there I saw the national museums, the universities and got a view of the iconic buildings like the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Eye and so much more! Finally we took off the bus , the line was long at the Garden by the Bay so we just went at the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and decide to have a tea time at the luxurious tea shop originated there the TWG, it was really funny how the staff taking our order thought we were Singaporeans until we spoke Tagalog, because he was also one of us, we ordered three different teas , and a set of macaroons to partner with it, and to our surprise the Filipino staff gave us a free slice of cake since it was the holiday, and indeed everyone was being extra kind that day! After drinking the artisanal teas we started our long walk to arrive at the Merlion and it was an hour walk from where we are. It was already night and the air was just nice as we walked, it was tiring but the scenic views are everywhere so I just can’t complain. We made a few stops to take some pictures, and finally the Merlion was right in front of us and the moment we got there fireworks started exploding beautifully in the sky! Indeed there is light at the end of the tunnel, our exhaustion became absent as the firework show started, everyone was just happy, cheery, there was music playing along the explosion of colours up in the sky. We then went to the Makasuntra, where we ate our dinner, luckily there was a table for us because of the crowded people there. Day one felt like a three day trip, it was a good kind of exhaustion, another day awaits before us as we got home to get a good night rest.
The next day, we are scheduled to meet my childhood friends back in my preschool days, I was of course excited and curious how much the two of them have grown, and it has been so long since we met as schoolmates in IHMC. But first, breakfast and we again ate at the Muraj Restaurant and tried a different dish but of course I can’t skip out the roti with cheese and of course a cup of hot coffee. My mom and I parted ways with my Ninang at the LRT to meet Andrea and Christian’s family at Resort’s World Sentosa. Our commute via the LRT was smooth sailing and finally we were there, to my surprised my mom suddenly became thrilled, so much so that shouted when she saw Tita Gem the parents of Andrea and Christian, I was also ecstatic but was feeling extremely awkward, I didn’t know how to start a conversation, how I wish my sister was with me at those moments. After they had breakfast we headed to a tram that will get us to the Resort’s World Sentosa, awkward that I still was because Christian was my childhood crush, he was my first crush in my lifetime, and he looks so good, should I even be telling this? Anyways we landed off to our destination and first took a picture at the ever popular Universal Studios globe, then took a stroll at the candy land and again took pictures and made our way to ride the Cable Car!
A fun fact the merlion that was rumoured to be demolished is not the original one but the one that is built in Sentosa, so the OG Merlion is still safe!
The cable car was an enjoyable ride and the view was again spectacular, even though we didn’t go inside Universal Studios. Given the little time we have, I got the view and that itself is amazing! The ride took about an hour, and after that Andrea and I took a go Kart and the luge ride, Christian wasn’t feeling to join us, so that was okay.
But my go kart experience was exceptionally hilarious, I can’t imagine that I could even experience that level of embarrassment in all of the places! So the kart that I got had an attitude and I struggled so much to manoeuvre it to the point that I needed to carry it because I was right in the middle of the road, someone did try to help me as I was stuck there but then it was all me to save myself from doom.
After that we took a ride at the luge, it was so nice to get a way, be up in the air and forget for a while the embarrassment I experienced, but then little did I know that we needed to take another ride of the go kart I prayed earnestly that I would get a functional cart, THANK GOD I did, and from there all was a smooth sail. After the fun exhaustion we rode a bus, on the ride I felt sleepy but then the thought of eating lunch awakened my being. We arrived and decided to eat at a ramen place, and you can never go wrong with a bowl of ramen! After the delightful lunch of hot ramen and gyoza we headed out and watched the dragon dance outside as the Chinese New Year is still celebrated. Finally we parted ways, waved our goodbyes. I will surely miss them, the awkwardness faded away and turned into memorable conversations and memories I would always go back to.
If you think our day would already end, now we have a few more stops to still visit before our flight, afternoon of the next day.
After the wonderful reunion, my mom and I rode the LRT to get home, and we took a longer turn, and it was a fun kind of mistake because we were able to see the city of Singapore from a different view! After a longer commute than we anticipated we arrived at my Ninang’s home , freshened up a little and went about to have mass because it was Sunday that day. We just couldn’t skip a Sunday mass as a way to give thanks for the wonderful we had, it was memorable to celebrate mass, I was able to have it with different people of race, and nationality. After the solemn mass, we decided to visit the National Library of Singapore unfortunately it was closed because of the holiday, so I just took pictures of the building to send to my sister. Then we went to the Continental Mall, and the Bugis Junction to buy some souvenirs like key chains to give out to friends and family. After a few more walking to my surprise once again we are at the Haji Lane already!!! And I have been looking forward to visiting it, and we did! There were traditional shop houses so it was like the Intramuros of Singapore, only Haji Lane was filled with so many colours. We walked through all the lanes in Haji, there was so much to see and cute areas to take pictures of! After the fun walk we again went to a mall to have our dinner, and part of my must eat is a good bowl of authentic Singaporean Laksa, the spicy broth made out of coconut milk soothes my fatigue after a whole day of adventure. We visited a few more malls before we headed home, and we can’t leave Singapore the next day without eating kaya toast from the infamous toast box! It was a delightful snack, it was so simple yet bursting with flavours, and it is a must to partner it with a warm cup of coffee!
We woke up early the next day and had our final breakfast at the Muraj Restaurant and my Ninang ordered a lamb murtabak, it is a southeast Indian flatbread filled with spicy lamb, I remember having more than 3 glasses of water, such a spicy yet delicious meal to have for breakfast. Before our flight we decided to buy some things to take home and so we went again at the Mustafa Centre and after that we toured Little India more closely! It is a must to visit Little India so you can check out the intricately built temples and of course try some of their food, because all of it are just out of this world delicious, their rich culture is celebrated with their food that is bursting with so much flavours!
That was our last stop before going to the Changi Airport, it was an emotional parting with my Ninang who welcomed us and gave us a spontaneous and memorable tour of Singapore, and in just a span of 3 days she was able to get us into so many places. We didn’t have any organized itinerary, we didn’t plan anything beforehand, and we just let our feet take us to where we can. And that was the highlight of our trip. Those three days felt like a week given to how many places we were able to visit. Singapore is not just unique because of the places you can visit but because of the people and culture itself. In Singapore there are a total of three major nationalities in their population, the Chinese, Indians, the locals of Singapore itself, and the country itself respects those nationalities because the holidays of each are celebrated and respected equally. Singapore may be small, yes it is rich economically speaking but it is also bursting with so much cultural diversity.
If you are planning to visit your first foreign country, of course after the pandemic because health is our utmost priority, then Singapore is a no brainer! The diversity it offers gives such a one of a kind experience and the commute there is really easy, very tourist friendly indeed! All you need is a train card , a good pair of walking shoes and you will be able to see what Singapore can offer even if you only have a mere day of two or three. I would surely like to go back and see more of what lies inside the rich diversity of Singapore!