a day in Singapore

13 nov 2010

Singapore is a garden city that is always so clean and beautiful. It has well-planned green development and strict laws to govern the people. Tall buildings are everywhere in this island country as it has limitation of land.  However you still can see new development and construction site everywhere in the city. Singapore is technologically advanced and has really fast growing economy which has given high quality of life to the people. It is also known for its materialistic culture. People in this nation push themselves in pursuit of the 5C's - cash, car, credit card, condominium, and memberships of country club.

It was only 7 something in the morning when we reached Marina Bay. More landscape photos of Marina Bay Sands in my previous post. We were just walking around and taking pic as their super luxurious shopping and casino are totally not suitable for us.

Foreigner above 21 year old is free of charge for casino entrance fee; Singaporean requires SGD100. Gamblers inside the casino are mainly Asia Chinese who believe to earn fast money through gambling. They simply look like hungry ghost in the hell with deep and horrible dark eye circle. Thanks to their donation and contribution to the development of the country. Remember, gambling does not bring any benefits, you are the winner if you do not gamble.

If u wish to visit the Skypark on top of Marina Bay Sands, admission fee of SGD20 for adults is required. The highlight is no doubt the infinity pool which is 55 floors above the streets of Singapore.

We went for our brunch after leaving Marina Bay(their food are too pricey). The food court is located between the Guan Yin Tang and Hindu Temple street and Bugis Street. I don't remember the name of the food court. The food court is quite clean if compare to malaysia's. Our food like wantan mee(云吞面), char siu fan(叉烧饭/烧肉饭), and porridge with yao za guai (油炸鬼) are in the price range from SGD2.70 - SDG3.50 which are quite cheap for a Singaporean but definitely not for a Malaysian. They taste neither delicious nor really bad.

After filling up our stomach, we went for 拜拜 at Guan Yin Tang(观音堂). There is a Hindu Temple beside the Guan Yin Tang. Lots of stalls outside both of the temples selling incense and very beautiful lotus for worship. No pictures are allow inside the temples.

There are shops and shopping center with unique design along the Bugis Street. Most of the shops start their business quite late at nearly 11 something to 12 in the noon. Parco Bugis Junction is another affordable shopping paradise with lots of stalls and nice restaurants along the 'indoor' streets. Stalls are found along the shopping streets and shops are by the side, with shop-house themed buildings.

Our next station was Chinatown, Niu Che Shui (牛车水). Chinatown is where you can shop lots of souvenirs (personally don't think they are really cheap. It is in SGD, not RM. = =''). There are Chinese food and Thai food here. Most of these stalls are road side eateries. There are Chinese foot massage too. and bars( I saw some rainbow flags. Ermm.. perhaps it is the identification of a gay bar :P). Overall, it is quite similar to Petaling Street (茨场街) in Malaysia.

It was a super hot afternoon, we felt like melting under the hot sun. After the tiring walk on the street, we went to Chinatown Complex. Clothes are sold inside the building. The environment is like a cleaner version of Pasar Besar Seremban. The elderly are chatting and playing chess in Chinatown square which is located outside the Chinatown Complex. Chinatown square is installed with chessboard tables, seats and an open-air stage.

Sentosa was the last station of our trip. Not much photos ware taken. You can experience rich of leisure and fun entertainment/activities in Sentosa but you need to pay for their entry tickets which are actually not cheap (for example, the ticket for universal studios will cost you at about SGD70). Due to the lack of time, we just walked around Sentosa and got ourselves a pack of Garrett Popcorn - Chicago Mix (caramel+cheese popcorn). It tastes awesome with the mix of sweetness and savory cheesiness but it is definitely not a good snack under the hot sun. You can either walk or take free public transport (bus, tram or MRT) inside Sentosa which is really convenience. MRT to Beach Station and Sentosa Merlion at Imbiah Station is free of charge but not for VivoCity (the largest shopping mall in Singapore).

What more can I say?
ermm.. thanks to my bubu dear and my bro to accompany me along the trip :D

I made the photos into 3-in-a-row size in order to make it easier to be read. save your energy from scrolling down the page to view these 60+ photos :P
thanks for reading. have a nice day :D