Singapore!

Enjoying the United Lounge with my parents.

My parents and I have touched down in Singapore! Singapore is a great island country to explore. Singaporeans are friendly, cultured folks. Many of them speak English and Chinese or Malay. I’m not sure what dialect of Malay some Singaporeans speak, but if they speak Chinese it would usually be Mandarin. So Singapore is filled with a mix of different people.

Singapore is a really enjoyable place. My dad did have me worried when he told me that his first time in Singapore his friend drove him around for an hour to see about all of the sites. I was thinking, “What adventures will Singapore have in store for me if sites can be seen in a hour?!” Despite that little thought, it was time to set off on the many adventures that Singapore has in store for me.

http://www.transitlink.com.sg/images/eguide/mrt_sys_map.htm

One thing I am highly amazed about is that there is literally a mall at every MRT (Singapore’s public transportation) stop. I may have not been to every single station in Singapore, but if a mall is not right off the station, then it’s definitely close by. Surprisingly the food courts in malls are delicious. There is a little bit for everyone at a mall food court and at mall restaurants: soup, noodles, HK BBQ plates, roti prata, toast, etc. Doesn’t sound like much from my description, but you will find out soon enough (when I explode another post with food!). Singapore MRT is super easy to follow. You can ride on one line and transfer to another easily. Though the MRT is easy to follow, Singapore can make it quite inconvenient for travelers like myself. I have to continually buy a single ride MRT card and refund $1 when I deposit the MRT card to the ticket machine. It’s the same process over and over. It doesn’t seem like much of an inconvenience, but the lines and crowds can take up some of your time. Singaporeans can purchase an EZLink card, which they can continue to “top up” (increase money value) on their card. With an EZLink card you just need to tap in and out of a MRT station or a bus. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. You do that with your standard ticket as well, it's just the process of getting that ticket. Not bad, but an EZLink card is definitely convient.

View of Marina Bay Sands. Marina Bay Sands is a hotel shaped as a boat. Right next door is a mall and the Art & Science Museum. You can also view a light/water show at the Marina Bay's Event Plaza.

Earlier I mentioned that Singapore is filled with a mix of different people that speak multiple languages. When hanging out with my friend Jenny (a fellow Singaporean), I do notice her adding “la” to some things. I found that familiar since many ABC people do that when talking in Chinglish. Here in Singapore, they speak Singlish. I constantly hear people switching from Chinese to English and vice versa. (Learn more about Singapore.)

[Planning a trip to Singapore? I found this site very helpful on things to do and see in Singapore. Link]