WEATHER: Ditto from the last 2 weeks (hot and humid)
Since we will be here only a week, I planned out our daily activities for every remaining day. Lots to do!
After Sita the cat duties (mostly petting), we caught a different neighborhood bus and rode it for 26 stops to Little India. I wasn't sure which stop to get off at, so we just followed some Indian ladies in saris. That did the trick!
Colonel Raffles, from the British Navy, settled the Indian traders in their separate section of the city. It still looks and feels like India.
Then, we walked around the neighborhood. It really does look like a street in India, with lots of gold shops, flower shops, and fruit/veg stands all with Indian ladies shopping.
Here's George looking goofy with "our" sign....
Back home, we showered (again) and relaxed with Sita. After her afternoon "tea" of fresh prawns, we took off again, this time to the marina area of the city.
We went to this high-end hotel. It has 3 towers, all connected on the 57th floor with this platform of bars, restaurants and a swimming pool. View from the bottom....
This is a photo from the internet...
And these are views of the city from the 57th floor..
We took the light rail and bus back home. People must work late, as at 8:00, it was the busiest we have seen.
DINNER: Japanese udon noodle soup with vegetables.
If you were in Serangoon Road (the main drag of Little India) on a Sunday, you will not be able to navigate around it! This is where people from the Indian subcontinent congregate on their off day after a hard week of work at a construction site. You will encounter people from Bangladesh, Pakistan and other areas in India. To them, it's home away from home. You will see them sitting and hanging out at every open spot, having a hearty meal or conversation.
ReplyDeleteThe other places where people of foreign origin congregate on Sundays is Lucky Plaza, for the Filipinos, and Beach Road, for the Thais.
Since you seem to be interested in Singapore's ethnically diverse landscape, you might want to check out Emerald Hill - it's just a turn into a street off the main shopping drag, that is Orchard Road. That's where you'll be introduced to the Peranakans (Straits born Chinese). They have both Chinese and Malay influences. It's so unique that they become a new ethnic group themselves. Their clothing - daily wear and architecture are ornate ; their food, flavorful and fragrant - their desserts, pastry, and snacks are must haves.
The vegetable / fruits you posted can be found in the US too. The purple ones are called Brinjal, better known as egg-plant in the US. The others are Bittergourds, and Radishes (the white ones).
Marina Bay Sands and the surrounding buildings only came up after I left. The buildings in the entire area are sitting on reclaimed land! When I left, it was just a big piece of empty land. The natural resources that Singapore has are people and deep sea ports. Everything (including labor) is imported, even water! Nothing is grown or cultivated commercially. Singapore has become one of the most expensive cities in the world. That's why on weekends, you see Singapore taking off to neighboring countries like Malaysia to get more for their money's worth. If you take bus route #170 from Queen Street and head towards the immigration and customs checkpoint in Woodlands on a weekend, the rush to get into Malaysia is cinematic!
In the 3rd to last picture, if you look toward those buildings in the background, that's one of the numerous housing estates that Singaporens live in. A Singaporean sub-division comprises apartments blocks that are at least 10 to 12 stories high, sometimes as high as 25! I bought my apartment in the 90s at about US $150K. Now, each is at least US$200K. The house you're staying at, is worth probably in the millions and that's not even in a prime district, like Thomson or Bukit Timah.
I haven't been to any of the new attractions but I did ride the Singapore Flyer (the gigantic Ferris' wheel!). My visits to Singapore are usually packed with visiting friends and family, and feasting, I just can't fit in these new sights into my schedule. :)
Yes, A/C is the invention from heaven! When I lived there, my a/c is always on overdrive at 18 deg C.
I hope you'll have more fun there and thanks for sharing those pictures.
Oh...about showers, I take three on a weekend and twice on a weekday. Here in the US, I still take two showers a day regardless of seasons. I cannot understand the concept of not taking showers before going to bed!
ReplyDeleteAnother contrast...I stand in the bus in Singapore more often than I sit. When I first got here (US) for college, I happen to live in a bus line! When I'm on the bus, I almost never have to share a seat with anyone! Also the idea of waiting an hour for the next bus is so mind boggling that it took me almost a year to resign to the fact that I need a car. :)