Ni Hao Singapore!

I've been meaning to blog my five-day trip in Singapore with my unni, where Kai (my sweetest friend ever) took us in, gave up her bed to accommodate these two tourist losers for four *friggin* nights, but I've been tied up with work and crazy personal and work-related emotional turmoil that I can't find time to blog. Waaah! Not to mention (but I did anyway), that my computer at home is b-u-s-t-e-d.

It's been onehelluva week since I got back. To put it in extreme, five-days of bliss is equal to a lifetime of suffering @ work. I'm not really talking about work as in the things I do, but work-things-that-have-been-happening-at-work work. *sigh*

So, to make myself happy, I need to relive my Singapore trip because it's kind of at the top of the "Thet's Blissful Life Moments".

Day 1 (Thursday) Hostile Hostel

I woke up a little past 7am, sort of excited about the trip but a little hesitant to leave my precious bed because I was still really really really sleepy. (I finished packing at 2am!) Seriously, I need to learn the 'art of packing' from Kai *wink*wink*. I haphazardly just stuffed in what I thought I would need for the trip to my bulky, bloody red luggage.
I was looking forward to this trip eversince we planned it last year. I thought we were all looking forward to it but then, probably it was just me... blah... blah... blah...

And so, at half past ten, me and my sister were fighting our way from the long queue at the airport. It's probably because I am not a jetsetter, I had no idea that a weekday at the airport is just like a weekend at the mall. Ang daming tao! It took more than an hour before we were able to board our plane. We took Jetstar, a budget airline, but good nonetheless, except that that flight is probably where all the ill-tempered flight attendants were assigned. As my sister puts it: "Parang mga dragon yung mga stewardess. Ang susunget!" Haha. Actually.

The plane ride was a smooth one (not much turbulence), except for the fact that the very little space between my knees and the seat in front of me was a big discomfort; i had to shift from sitting with my one ass-cheek to the other every once in a while. Bummer.

And so we arrived in Singapore a little past three and spent the rest of the day there... lost... waahhh... ahaha! kidding! we were such stubborn little dweebs that we insisted taking a public transport instead of making our lives easier by taking a cab. Well, what can we do?!? we're totally excited and we wanted to explore Singapore the moment we arrived. We ended up taking the MRT where we met two students from La Salle Benilde who were awed to bump into someone of their own race. It was actually overwhelming, I'd say. We got off at Paya Leybar Station where we then took a cab to Vita Hostel.

Grrr... Vita Hostel. It makes me frown thinking about it. It's a long story but to make it short, we didn't stay there. I made reservations online as a last resort since all (seriously!) hotels - budget and deluxe accommodations and hostels -- were already fully booked, probably because of the Great Singapore Sale and the vacation period. But it was a total disaster. The place didn't look like what it was advertising on the net at all. For one, it was a students' dorm, and two, the place was a mess. I reserved for a room for two but instead, the attendant crammed me and my sister (to our dismay!) to a room for four which were already being occupied by these two (err... how to put it... unhygienic?) Chinese students. Talk about the room's pungent smell, food leftovers and the worst, used undies strewn on top of the cabinet for everyone to see. Totally gross! We decided to just refund what we paid for the four nights and ended up bunking in with Kai for our whole stay in Singapore. To her roommates, we totally appreciate your patience for bearing with us. Thanks from the bottom of my little heart (^_^)

Kai took us to Bugis where we had dinner. Ahhh... chili mushroom noodles, I won't forget how my lips throbbed the whole night because it's too spicy and I kept on eating to my palate's content... it was sooo yummy! We hang out at Can Cafe and played cards. This place was unbelievable; it's so cool. The owner was probably some sort of a movie and music fanatic or a poster collector. It has a cozy and homey atmosphere, you'll be convinced you're lounging at your own couch. We went home to rest, exhausted but excited for the next day to come.

photos here.

Day 2 (Friday) Walk walk walk

It was nice to wake up on a cool morning on a foreign bed in a foreign land. (Thanks for the bed Kai... really appreciated it!). Kai had to go to work so how to spend the day would be up to me and my unni. First in the itinerary was to refund our payment to that hostel. Kai insisted we should demand for the full amount that we paid since we didn't even stay an hour in the room. But to make things easy and avoid arguments, we settled for the refund of three nights only. Fine. End of it.

From the hostel, we decided to walk all the way to Bugis with only a map and a big bottle of water in hand. We trudged the long (and clean!) roads of Singapore, turning left and right, checking out street signs like complete idiots but never daring to ask for directions. We felt like we were our own captain. We were enjoying every moment that we felt like total tourists, taking pictures every chance we get. I don't know how we ended up in that place but I swear, that would be the longest road I ever walked on, metaphorically speaking. Just like what I often see in the movies... a marketplace, a lot of people, scary-looking ones, strange and assaulting smell... (I won't say the exact place). I just want that road to end but the more I wish for it, the longer it seemed to get. My sister even had a funny comment: "Ano ba yung mga tao dito, 'pag bumibili ng pabango, kailangan may 'touch of incense'... Ahahaha. Funny.

It was almost noon when we reached Rochor Rd. (to my relief). Weird but I didn't feel hungry. And so we walked some more until we reached Sim Lim -- a famous gadgets haven. Techie guys will probably drool all over the place. It's like a big mall full of stalls that sell all kinds of gadgets -- from PSPs to MP3s to laptop computers to fake iPods. Sweet. I am a not really tech savvy but I had fun looking through all of those stuffs. We bought mom an MP3 and a flash disk for kuya. And some pasalubong from a stall where the attendant was a pinay. Ang saya! They say blood is thicker than water; Her blood probably turned into an ice pop when she knew that we were Pinays, she gave us whatever bargain she could offer.

The rest of the afternoon was spent inside that mall. It was tiring walking up and down and up and down, but it was worth it. I was actually contemplating on splurging on a gadget or a laptop but decided against it in the end thinking I've already got a handful of bills to pay once I get back in Manila. When I felt a jolt in my stomach - a signal that I haven't eaten anything since breakfast - I coaxed my sister to go to Bugis for some foodie. I actually ended up eating this ice cream sandwich - literally a slab / block of ice cream sandwiched in wafers. Yum! I was so enjoying eating that stuff that I forgot what my age was.

And then, we actually had to go to Parkway Parade -- a few kilometers from where we were -- to visit my sister's regional office. I can't believe she had to work in the middle of all these just because some pathetic losers in her office want to make her life miserable. Hay nako. But since we're on a turbo lakwatsa mode, it didn't really matter. Just that, we got lost... Hehe...

It was almost darkwhen we met Kai at the City Hall MRT Station. She got us Chippy. No, not the salty chips that I so love munching on with Coke, but Chippy as in grilled (is it?) sausage swimming in a well of mashed potatoes. Yummy! I swear, I'll get fat in a month in Singapore. I was such a muncher. We went to Esplanade and wherelse, SIngapore's famous Merlion. Too bad, it was a little dark so the pictures weren't that great, but good just the same. Then Kai took as to the Singapore National Library. Boy, did I fell in-love with the place -- from the high tech process of borrowing books to the vast range of materials that it has to offer. They even have an 'Acoustic Night' where people can lounge and rest while listening to some soulful music. Very veru nice. Should I live in Singapore, that would be my place of comfort. Dinner came and we walked to a very crowded Glutton's Bay (no kidding) which is known for the delectable Satay dish and other Arab food specialties. I don't know if we look like hungry kittens but this foreign white couple offered an almost untouched plate of satay. They said the food was too much, they can't finish them and they can't just throw them away. So we took the food and brought the leftovers home. After eating 'til all my intestines felt like they were being squeezed together, we walked to SunTech City, Koi Garden and the Fountain of Wealth. We took a lot of pictures, waited in line for a cab and went home.

But the day wasn't just about to end. Kai's roommates were sweet enough to throw her some sort of a Surprise Bday (eve) party, complete with lights-turned-off-shhh-she's-there-she's-coming-get-ready-Surprise!!! effect. I find that really sweet. Good for you Kai... =)

I was dead tired by the end of it that I actually slept while watching 'My Sassy Girl' for the -nth time.

photos here.

Day 3 (Saturday) Happy Happy Happy

Whew.. days do run really fast... It was on the third day that I realized we would have to come home soon. The thought actually saddened me as I was still immersed in the luxury of being far from work and far from my troubles back at home.

Happy Birthday Kai! The day was planned perfectly. We had breakfast at Ya Kun Kaya -- home of the famous Kaya toast and weird but delicious coffee with condensed milk. I actually liked it. We were running a little late (because I stayed too damn long in the shower according to Kai). After breakfast, we went straight to the Orchard, at Heeren mall where Kai would be getting her new tattoo. On the way, I already splurged a little cash buying some stuffs. Giordano was onsale and it was really funny to see people scuttling like their whole lives depended on the chance to buy these bargains. I splurged some more inside Heeren mall which is a testament to the Great Singapore Sale -- cheap bags, cheap shoes and a lot more.

The highlight of the day? Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. This was the first time I saw a bunch (literally) of baboons and monkeys, a white tiger, leppard, hippo (just like in the movies), a kangaroo, giraffe, lion, etc... etc... Daming hayup... Parang office... ahaha... just kiddin'

And then there's this incident where I've proven that Singaporeans definitely take into heart what they learned in kindergarten : 'Don't take what isn't yours.' Because I was too excited to see and claim our picture from the Photo Gallery (Kodak), I left my sister's camera on the counter. About 10 minutes have already passed when I remembered that I left it. Thank God, it was still there when Kai and I came to retrieve it. Whew! I can't help but compare: What if it happened here in the Philippines? As Lani unni puts it:"E dito nga, nasa loob na ng bag mo, dinudukot pa!" Gawd, she has a point. Definitely taken. I was sooo hungry I was wishing for a whole tub of rice for dinner. Unfortunately, the KFC in Singapore doesn't serve rice... I had to satisfy myself with two-piece chicken and mashed potato.

The Night Safari was quite an experience. We had to ride a tram which toured the entire zoo. But it was so realistic that the animals weren't really in cages but rather wandering freely within their habitats -- but far of course from the spectators. Some were even at arms reach from the tram, you could actually touch them. It was so nice... surreal but nice... hehe.

photos here.

Day 4 (Sunday) SENTOSA DAY!!!

Yey! My most awaited Sentosa Trip finally came. I didn't actually knew that we were actually going here because Kai kept on teasing me about not having it in the plan. I knew she was just playing (^_^) I'd say this was the most tiring of the days we've spent going around Singapore.
I had to get up early (well, 7:30 am felt really early because it was still a bit dark) to meet a colleague who's helping me with the magazine in Singapore. Work in other words. And I actually thought I've escaped it. Sheeshhh... I brought him a bulk of magazines and some media kit. A breakfast meeting (where I wasn't really able to touch my food) at Ya Kun Kaya where unni and Kai sat just a few tables away from me, totally enjoying a relaxing morning. The meeting didn't actually last long and in less than an hour, we were already on our way to Vivo City. From there, we took the cable car to Sentosa Island. I was like a kid who was given a truck-load of toys that Kai was actually teasing me: "Birthday mo?" Well, I was really planning to spend my last birthday in Singapore but I was broke at that time, so yea, it's my birthday. =)

The cable car ride was an awesome experience; it felt like watching the world from the sky. It looked really peaceful with the sun spreading its rays to both ends of the horizon. I actually loved it there. We saw the Star Cruises, which I hope I could ride someday. Hmmm... I have to save first for that. First stop at Sentosa was the food kiosk... hehe... I was really hungry 'coz I wasn't able to eat breakfast, then the Underwater World. The place was really impressive -- I've never seen so much sea creatures in my life-- crabs, all kinds of fishes, sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, etc. It was my first time to see a 'dugong'. Pathetic no? Contrary to what I thought that it looked fierce and scary (Thanks to Malou de Guzman in Marina), it actually looked gentle and very very cute.

Then a walk to Siloso beach. It wasn't really neat (the water actually looked murky) but there were a lot of beach bummers basking in the hot afternoon sun. But the highlight of the Sentosa trip was the Dolphin Show where I got the chance to touch Jumbo the dolphin. There were a lot of people but when the host of the show started asking for a volunteer from the audience, I literally jumped from my seat, waved my hands frantically and, finally, caught his attention. The deal was to touch the dolphin and described to the audience how it felt. I so wanted to do more than that, probably swim with the dolphin in my jeans and play with it, but no. It was nice though... really nice and it made me really really happy.

By late afternoon, we looked like vagrants... hehe. We were sweaty and dirty and needed a good bath. So happy we brought extra shirts. We went around Vivo City, splurging the last of our cash since that was the only time left to buy 'pasalubong'. I love Sale!!! Great Sale!!! I was able to bought two pairs of shoes for less than a thousand pesos. Neat. I think the sale will be up until the end of July so good riddance for the shoppaholics out there... =)

We went back to Bugis and to the old place where we had our first dinner. Unfortunately, it was closed so we ended up eating in a nearby stall, which also served extremely delicious chili noodles. And that was that... we went home, tired but wanting the day never to end. I haven't had enough of Singapore and four days is too short.

photos here.

Day 5 (Monday) Going home

Our flight was at 7:20 am and it was still dark (you'd think it was only 3am) when we went to the airport so I didn't see much of Singapore. I honestly didn't want to go back yet, knowing what's waiting for me back in Manila and boy, was I sooo right.