(7th Sept) Home time!

Writing the blog super early today because at the time I usually write it, I'll be on the plane home!

Since Emelia's ticket was booked last minute, it means she gets a separate flight to me and mum so we waved goodbye to her from the airport this morning around half eleven. We got the bus from there to Kuku Lee's house where our other Aunty, cousin Misha, PoPo (grandmother) and baby Gabriel were to chill at their's and say a few goodbyes. Misha and I had time to pop down to NorthPoint shopping centre and grab my final strawberry Oreo bubble tea, and come home to nibble on the last bit of PoPo roasted duck! Gonna miss that.

It's currently 6:23pm and I'm all packed. After some dinner we'll leave at 8ish to catch our 23:00 flight.. :( For some strange reason the flight home is longer and so it'll take 15 hour to get from Changi Airport to Frankfurt Airport, Germany. Then from there we'll wait an hour for another hour flight home! Longgggggggggg.

Gonna grab some food and maybe power-nap, because I sure as hell won't be able to sleep on the plane..

Over and out.

A xx

(6th Sept) Botanic Gardens and Goodbyes!

Today we overslept. Rolled out of bed around 9 instead of 8 and made our way down to Botanic Gardens. 

There isn't much to say about it as it's pretty self explanatory but it's pretty beaut. We grabbed some lunch at the food hall which was much needed then burned some calories walking around. We saw huge carnivorous plants, as well as trees that had turn to stone, turtles, waterfalls, orchids, and giant lilly pads that I got waaaaay to excited about. After working up a bit of (another) appetite we met our cousin Misha in Bishan for some Mos Burger. 

We had never tried it and had been told this Japanese fast food place was a must-go and it turned out our Mos Cheeseburger with fries and peach fanta made the day. 

After popping to Misha's to pick up PoPo's famous beef curry for lunch tomorrow, we came home where I had the most beautiful 2 hour nap, and woke up hungry and READY FOR MORE FOOD. (Not surprising I've put on weight). 

Uncle Bob wanted to take us to his favourite Hawker Store Restaurant, which had table service instead of self-service and a more restaurant-type style. We sat in the open air and let Uncle Bob and Aunty Florence do the ordering.. half an hour later we had destroyed 5 dishes, fish maw soup, sweet and sour pork, crispy giant prawns, seafood hor fun (flat noodles), and Chinese spinage. 

Seafood hor fun and Chinese spinage

Following too much food, we wanted to pop in to our cousin (we have a lot of cousins) Edmund's flat he owns with his wife and 9 month old baby Gabriel! Gabriel was asleep but we got a chance to kiss his wittle soft cheeks goodnight and we chilled in their flat for a bit before we said our goodbyes and came on home. :)

A xx

                           



Duck rice, with soup and fresh watermelon juice

  

                                                                

(4th Sept) Bugis Street & Sentosa

At first I thought Bugis Street was called Boogie Street, emphasis on the 'oo'. I learnt much later on arrival to the Bugis MRT station that it was not pronounced is this way. 

 So this is Bugis Street! It can't of been more than 200 metres longs and it was buzzing with stalls of bags, watches, shirts, souvenirs, soya bean drinks, juice drinks, vintage dresses, jewelry, suitcases and right in the center is Chinese biscuit and cake stall (my kinda place)! 

I must say this every time, but it really did feel like the hottest day of the holiday but probably wasn't at all. Note to visitors - if you find a bit of shade or a place by a fan, stand there as long as you can especially if the sun is out! 



I tried soursop juice at the Bugis Street Juice stall for only $1 a cup and it was delicious!! 

This was the famous wanton soup stall and crispy wantons are one of my favourites! 

Then Sentosa happened! We paid for the monorail which could take all around the island so we could at  least see all of it in an air conditioned or tram like carriage...however 45 minutes later...typically...the ranger had to be called as somehow I had a minor accident involving my knee and the tram. 

After Sentosa being very kind and helpful we were taken to the nearest hospital for strong painkillers and the eye of a Doc. 

2 hours later, bandage round knee and a chicken satay in hand it was all smiles again.   E xx

(3rd Sept) Orchard, The Dempsey Brasserie + Macaroonies

Monday we woke up around 9 to go down to our Uncle's club to catch some rays and burn off a few calories at the pool. After getting ready, we made our way down to Orchard to find the shopping centre our cousin Ruth showed us when we came with her to have a better look at the clothes we fell in love with last time.

Unfortunately we mixed up the 'Far East Plaza' for the 'Far East Shopping Centre' which was full of creepy Indian men (no racial) and maid agencies.... almost 2 and a half hours of perspiration, cursing, and ice cream wafer cakes later, we found it and had a brief shop around. Following our trek around Orchard, we met Ruth outside her office, where she then took us to The Dempsey Brasserie, a converted army barrack specialising in yummy French food. After Emelia's pork and apple sauce burger and our scallops, pork and cherry tomato salad and truffle oil and Parmesan fries, Ruth knew the perfect place to take us for dessert...

We went to the CUTEST patisserie called 'Antoinette' hidden in the oddest part of the city and we fell in love. All in white, this place had old style chairs and multi-coloured meringues in jars, as well as giant perfectly piped cakes. Seeing as we had never tried one, we bought macaroons, as well as a strawberry layered cake slice and a chocolate layered cake slice to bring home to Ruth's for Robin (he was jealous).

It was amaze. Food overload. 

A xx

(2nd Sept) Singapore Flyer + Dinner at the SICC

Sorry it's a bit late! We've been super busy...

So on Sunday, we woke up really early to go to church. As our Uncle Bob is the Pastor, we went to see one of his services and meet his friends. Although this service was similar to Catholic ones in England in what it involved, English churches don't have free Dim Sum and hot chocolate afterwards. BONUS.

After church Emelia, Mum, Aunty Jane and I went into the centre of the city, where we decided to go that little bit further with the tourist thing and go on the Singapore Flyer. In case you're wondering, it's basically a bigger version of the London Eye, just in Singapore, with a view 100x better. We enjoyed the 30 minute journey to one of the highest points in the city in a capsule of our own taking way too many pictures, and soaking in the breathtaking view of the Esplanade, the museums, The Garden At The Bay, The Formula 1 track, and all the minuscule people below us. 

Back at ground level, we found an advertisement for 'XD EXPERIENCE' A 6 dimension simulator and surprisingly mum was the one to insist we went on it. You know those crappy simulators you went on in your local arcade when you were 13 that shake your chair a bit and put a fan infront of you? Yeah, this was NOTHING like that. It was the best simulator I've ever been on, with 3D graphics both front and sides it was exhilarating and had all three of us screaming. So much fun, and only  $16, yay yay.

So we came home around half three and Emelia and mum had an immediate face down nap on the cold marble floor, has to be done.

We got ready and made our way to The Singapore Island Country Club (poshposh) for dinner with our Uncle Bob, and Aunty Florence's family. We concluded it was definitely one of the best meals of the holiday and we came home well and truly stuffed, after our pepper crab, chilli crab, seafood platter, jellyfish noodles, ice cream, coconut jelly etc etc. (pictures below)

We rolled home with our food babies and hit the hay.

A xx

 (from top to bottom) Seafood Platter of prawns, egg fried noodles, crispy wontons, jellyfish salad, squid and fish cake in oyster sauce. Chilli crab. Uncle Bob, Emelia, Mum, and myself by the pool at the SICC.

(1st Sept) Push Cart Dim Sum, Museum + Chill

Please excuse my finger in this shot, I clearly got a little over excited when the dim sum trolley came our way. 

Our Aunty Florence took us to a well known dim sum restaurant called Red Star, specialising in dim sum served in bamboo steamers brought to you in trolleys or carts.   Each cart has a different type of dim sum or dessert and you pick what you want when they come round. The dim sum here is unlike any other I have had before and is difficult to describe to you! It puts that dim sum restaurant, Ping Pong (London) to absolute shame!! 

I saw the largest steam bun I had ever seen in my whole life of dim sum eating, which came straight out of a giant bamboo steamer. 

This was not eaten but everything else was indeed consumed with gusto. 

After brunch we took a short ride to Armenian Street where we went into the Peranakan Museum. In the Malay-speaking parts of the Southeast Asia, the term 'Peranakan' means "child of" or "born of" and is used to refer to the people of mixed origins. I was so grateful that photos were allowed to be taken as some of the displays were so rich with ornate and colour.

 Early 20th centrury Bridal gown!

Playing dress up. 


















Exetremly hot day, felt as if the soles of my shoes were melting. I was so desperate to get into air conditioning when we came out of the museum. Luckily two doors down, sat a well air conditioned bookshop which stocked books written by local authors, the history of Singapore and stories of Asia.

A well spent day that ended with a visit to the American ice creamery called Cold Stone. You first choose your flavour, they scoop it onto a marble slap, then you pick a couple of toppings and they mix it in and serve. DELISH. I had cheesecake flavoured ice cream and Reese's peanut butter cups with caramel honey comb - heart attack in a pot, but worth it. :) 


E xxxx

(31st Aug) Orchard Road, The Marriott Buffet & Substation

Up until today, the both of us had not really felt like tourists but today we had the ultimate tourist experience (minus the haircut and pedicure at the local market). After what seemed like 5 hours but was actually 1 and having had a gals pamper sesh we went to Orchard Road to meet our cousin, Ruth. 

Orchard Road is the place where one falls in love. With clothes, shoes and handbags. The busy stretch through this shopping hub is buzzing with shoppers and tourists in awe of the size of the shopping malls and how beautiful everything is. The fashion luxury stores are so shiny, tall and look like only people of royalty belong there, the Far East Plaza is a high street shopping haven and is where Adriana and I have decided to make a special trip back, just for the sake of it! 

We later took a little tour round the city centre, past the Formula 1 track, past the Merlion and the Esplanade and towards Ruth's friends' coffee shop called The Plain, which looks so  trendy. A tea and a dark chocolate lemington was ordered which hit the spot perfectly. This particular area of Singapore showed the surreal juxtaposition of the modern Banks of Singapore and the traditional vintage houses and huts that used to populate the city along its riverside. 

5pm cocktails at The Fairmount Hotel where 26 years ago was one of the tallest hotels in the world and where our parents wed. The 10 second journey from the first floor to the seventieth floor made our ears pop and the stunning panoramic view made us nauseous and a lil' emotional (Papa, hope you are reading this!). 

After our Mojito, Cosmo and Shirley Temple, it was on to dinner at The Marriott Hotel on Orchard Road with Mum and Aunty Jane. We almost passed out when we saw the spread. With the choice of everything you can imagine, from sushi and oysters to braised beef and  roast duck, Adriana and I were not short of choice. After conquering mains we moved on to dessert!! This included an unlimited amount of ice cream with wacky toppings (gummy apple rings?!), creme brulee, Eton mess, chocolate fudge ripple, pralines and even bread and butter pudding! YUM. 

After this indulgent feast we rolled out to the MRT to meet the cousins at City Hall where we had planned to enjoy the live band at the Substation Bar. Strawberry mojitos and Lychee slushies combined with a live band had us convinced Singapore's where it's at. 

We reluctantly jumped on the last MRT home and agreed that today was one of the best days so far and that we needed to go on a major diet when we get back home to burn off our muffin tops. 

Night! E+A xxxxxx

(30th Aug) Rollerblading and Singaporean McDonald's

So today, I think we pretty much walked the length of the whole island..

Our earliest morning yet, Emelia and I woke up at 7:15 to be out the house at 8, to catch a bus, then a train to meet the cousins and our cousin's bubba Isabelle at Jarong Swimming Complex. Ever since we were little Misha, Emelia, Sarah and I have always been going to water-parks and theme parks, so we thought what better way to continue the tradition than in Singapore?!

Hate to be an anti-climax, but after the mission there, we found out it had to be closed for lighting strike risks! The bawling three year old and us wounded teenagers went our separate ways (Isabelle was with her dad obviously...hahaha!) and we travelled 18 stops on the MRT, to the other side of the island to Eunos where we met KuKu Lee to go rollerblading along the beachfront. :) After dragging ourselves at least 1.5 miles to find the place, we set off wobbly on our rollerblades around three for a couple of hours. The McDonald's was a life saver and the super cheap McChicken burger meal pretty much saved my life.

Tomorrow, Emelia and mum are hitting the famous Orchard Road to meet our cousin Ruth (Isabelle's mum), and Sarah, Misha and I are persisting with the waterpark.. We'll let you know if we actually made it in tomorrow, but for now, think I'm gonna beg someone who loves me for a massage.

Night night. A x

(29th Aug) China Town + Chilli Crab

The benefit of living with the locals is that you are shown to the best place for breakfast! 8 dishes later and with bulging belly's it was onto Ang Mo Kio to get the MRT (tube) to Chinatown. We were immediately bombarded with all the stereotypical tourist trinkets and silk dressing gowns..Adriana got pulled into the friendship bracelet stalls and I, the antique shops and galleries. Taking pictures here, there and everywhere we eventually stopped for some ice cold beverages, Adriana went for the ice lemon tea, Mum went for the sugar cane drink and I opted for the fresh coconut for $1.30 - happy days! 

I have a thing for jade so I went on a mission to find a reasonably priced jade bangle, in one of the Chinese interior stores I found an antique jade bangle that I fell in love with, tried it on and realised the price was a little over my reasonable budget (try $645). All three of us were darting off in different directions in a subconscious attempt to avoid being swept with the swarm of tourists.

Clarke Quay was the next stop from Chinatown, by this point our feet were aching and we felt we were in desperate need of a pick-me-up fix. A scoop of red velvet and peanut butter brittle ice cream certainly did the trick! Along the riverside held a wide variety of restaurants and bars that come alive in the evening...our little short but sweet visit to Clarke Quay will be re-visited on Saturday, it has been decided. 

After quenching our thirst, getting lost, ooh-ing and aah-ing at what this little chino chino village had to offer us, we headed to Popo's house for our cousin's birthday feast which included the likes of chilli crab, pork chops, sweet and sour veg and so the list goes on..(see pictures when we actually manage to upload them). :-)  We wished the birthday girl birthday wishes with some mango jelly, then giggled over old pictures of our teenage parents, Uncles and Aunts. 

For now we have to get an early night as tomorrow we go to the water park and involves getting a bus at an unearthly hour. So seeyaass!

E + A xxxx