Well not really a jet set. We were wearing jeans. And we had backpacks.
But we went to Singapore!
I hadn’t seen my friend Alex since July, so Erin, Ushman and I went to visit her at her home. I also needed to get a new visa, so that worked to be a pretty good motivating factor.
We arrived on a Friday late at night and Alex met us at the airport. She stopped the car to let us in, but a guard told us “you can’t walk here, even though you can park here!” Typical Singapore.
We went off for snacks at one of their late night outdoor food courts. Green tea and indian bread – yum!
The next day we did many of the same things we did last time – shopping and cafe hopping around town, which is pretty much the only thing to do in Singapore. I didn’t buy anything, but I sure did enjoy smoothie after smoothie after smoothie! Later we visited Little India, which was very crowded because of an Indian holiday. And then we went to Arab Street, which is exactly what it sounds like – a slew of Middle Eastern restaurants with delicious food, a laidback atmosphere, and great card-playing tables!
The next day we did one of the things I love about Singapore – have a nice leisurely breakfast with the family, filled with tea, bread, and lots of fruit! Last time Alex’s parents were out of town, but this time we had the opportunity to enjoy their company and conversation in addition to her feisty and sweet grandmother.
Later that day, we did another Singapore tradition – Dim Sum! This is Chinese food (from Taiwan I think) where carts come around diaplying different appetizer-like food. You point at what you want, and – poof! – it’s on the table! It’s mostly meat, but some seafood as well, so I cheated and ate quite a few prawns.
Later that night, we decided to fly sky high on the world’s highest ferris wheel. It looks pretty cool from far away, but it’s not very thrilling. You sit in, essentially, a big glass bubble, and stare out at the night skyline. You go around ONCE in 30 minutes! Kind of a bummer, but a nice view, nonetheless. After that, we needed a big of adventure, so we went searching for ghosts, since apparently Singapore is quite haunted. Didn’t quite find any, but got scared trying!
Another highlight, which we did the next morning, was go on the treewalk, which is a park mostly in the trees. A great morning walk in an interesting park – not something I get in Bangkok. Then, more Singaporean food – this time, vegetarian rolls with peanuts and spice – in a local market, a swim in Alex’s pool.
I like Singapore, but mostly because Alex is there and she and her family show us such a great time. I couldn’t see myself living there, however. It’s too expensive, and what people do for fun (shop, club, look good) is not what I value. It also feels so small (probably because it is). But at $75 round trip on a plane, it’s a great weekend getaway, no?
