Hello Singapura!

Singapura--- Singapore as we know it, is a place for all!

      February 26- March  2, 2011--- 5 days off from work and a holiday I vowed myself to take.  It was really a blast and I'm so excited to share how I spent my holiday in Singapura (so excited that I don't know where and how to start).  

Welcoming Party

      Mia and I arrived at Budget Terminal at 9:30 am, a 3-hour flight from Manila.  Mau was already waiting for our arrival and was really excited for the tour.  Upon arrival, Mia and I were both hungry and wants to eat something Singaporean.   Mau said we had to transfer from Budget Terminal to Changi International Airport (main, I guess) riding a free shuttle (which we lack in the Philippines) to look for choices... and so we did! ;-)

     I forgot the name of the resto but the food was great!  I was told that Singaporeans love hot food and  true enough, the menu comprises of hot food choices.

     I chose a chicken dish, not that hot but salty, which I like:

     Mia chose a noodle dish (I'll update the name later), which is a mix of sweet and chili taste.

      After filling our tummy, we decided to rest first at Mau's place in Sengkang since our hotel check-in time  was still at 3 pm.  

I'll start with the People of Singapore.

    Singapore has a fast-paced environment.  People are always in a hurry and really use fast lanes when walking.  Business is business and time is really gold for them.  That's admirable since the attitude they have attributes to their success.

    Honestly, I'm not really sure how to describe the locals.   I've encountered both niceties and rudeness from the people but I guess that really depends on the environment one is adapting to. 

    Since I'm from another country this time, staring was inevitable and for me I find it rude, but of course, I understood them.  One more thing I didn't like about my stay there was the customer service wasn't good.  If for example you're eating and one of your companions is done eating, the busboy will just take the used plate and clean up opposed to our setting wherein, the busboy will clean up once everyone's done eating.  Anyways, it's part of their culture and we just have to understand it.

    About the good side, people in Singapore are so disciplined!  You can even leave your things in one place and no one will attempt to take it.  They're afraid of committing any crime.  As I've seen in one of the transit ads and as I was constantly reminded by my friend, "Low Crime doesn't mean No Crime".  This has been a golden rule for the people and I guess, a good one.  People are aware of the consequences that each action they may take and who would want to be hurt just because of a low crime, right?  Might as well follow the rule.  I hope this applies to our country as well.

Transportation:

      What can I say about traveling in Singapore?  It's a breeze!  No traffic, no pollution and no jaywalkers! People are so disciplined that you'll be ashamed of doing something awry in their territory.

      There are three types of transportation (as I've observed) you may ride in exploring Singapore: bus, MRT, taxi cab--- and of course, I took all three rides.

     Once you get there, I suggest you buy an EZ-link card (S$15)because that's going to be your bestfriend in traveling there.  You can use the card for bus and MRT rides and just be sure there's a maintaining balance of S$5.  If in case there's a balance left in the card before you leave SG, you may actually use the balance for food purchase (in fast food restaurants, I believe).  I actually used mine in Burger King.

    By the way, here's a copy of the MRT and LRT System Map, that was very useful--- a proof you won't get lost in SG.

         It has four routes:  the red, yellow, green and purple lines.  The trains were all interconnected that makes traveling easy in SG.

     Just a reminder, MRT's last trip is at 11:30 pm, (based on our travel) be sure to check it and for the buses, they're actually using bus numbers for one's destination so better be sure of the bus you're riding.

     Taxi cabs are always available.  Of course it's costly compared to riding a bus/MRT but when you're in a hurry or it's already late, it's very convenient.  Just a bit of observation, if it's pretty late or it's a Sunday, there's a chance that one will have a hard time in looking for a cab (like what happened to Mia, she waited for an hour for a cab) but that's really how it is.  Singaporeans value their time and as some of the locals said, after-work hours are solely for their family.

     Of course, when traveling overseas, just make sure you have your maps ready.  Maps are available in the airport, hotel, tourist spots and in convenience stores.  You'll never get lost just by being ready.

     One more thing that you'll love about the cabs is the fact that those were not just ordinary cabs that you ride in the Philippines.  We actually rode a Mercedes Benz cab and mind you, not just once.  Other cabs are limousine and Chevrolet.  All praises for the cab! Haha! 'Twas fun! :-)

Now what about the FOOD?

    Authentic Chinese food it is!  I so love it!  I'm not that choosy with food but I tend to be careful with the food I'm ordering but this time, no apprehensions at all!  I wanted to try as much food as I could take and no hesitations at all.  I gave a few samples above and now let me give you more.

    One time we had breakfast at Junction Food Center near our hotel.  It's in Geylang and already considered a street food place.   I apologize for not naming the food since there's no name plate and we just asked if it's pork, fish or chicken.  Communicating with the locals was really hard so I can only share the pics and how it tastes. 

Fishy Dish by Mia:

Chicken Dish by Me:  It tastes like sweetened adobo and the veggies really tasted fresh..

     What's so amazing is that the food we bought was only for S$2.70, around P90 in our money.  With the serving size and it's quality, it's already cheap.

Next food stop, we had dinner at Nando's in Dhoby Ghaut.

     Mia has heard of Nando's already and was excited to try the food.  As for me, I was so hungry then after a long walk and just wanted to eat.  As I checked on the menu, I've noticed that the locals are chicken-lovers! Haha!  Most of the dishes are chicken-oriented, if I may call it that way.

     And so, it follows that we all ordered chicken dishes.  As I remember, I ordered Grilled Chicken with Mediterranean rice and Potato Salad.  Looking at our table, all of us ordered the same dish with different appetizers.

 Off to Chinatown!  This was our third day in SG and Mia wanted to go to Chinatown to look for great buys and of course, to have lunch.  We ate at Olde Cuban, and what else can I say?  I was able to experience the best Chicken Curry! 

 A meal will be incomplete without a dessert and my good friend Mau wanted us to try Singapore's version of halo-halo named kacang (ka-chang):

    Kacang is too sweet for me so Mia and Mau were actually the ones who finished it.  Though I don't have a sweet tooth like the others, I still rate this as A-ok since the red beans and gulaman added here was good, avoiding the syrup did all the trick for me.

    What else?  I also tried Ho Kien Mee, a friend's favorite dish and yes, it's yummy!  I wasn't able to take its picture but then again, I was able to improvise.   Comparing to the photo, what I tasted was more saucy than this and I bet what I had was more delicious and savory.

   Those were just some of the food I can share with you.  I know there's still a lot to try and taste in Singapore, so I'll save it for later! :-)