(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

(28th Aug) - Sun burn and the Night Safari

Tuesday morning we decided we were sick of our pastiness and headed to the Seletar Country Club where our Uncle Bob is a member and spent the day trying to tan, and burn off our recent muffin tops.. 

Seeing as there wasn't any sun in sight and it was incredibly overcast, we stupidly didn't put on any sun cream and sunbathed for a good hour. We left crispy and BRIGHT RED. Oops. We ate fried rice, crispy seafood noodles and Emelia's favourite, carrot cake, then came home and had the most amazing dinner...

STEAMBOAT. If you haven't heard of it it's basically a massive bowl of chicken/fish soup on a mini gas stove on the table, filled with vegetables and other yummy things that you fish out for yourself with your metal fishing nets! We kept it healthy (for once) and had homemade tofu, which was heated/cooked in the boiling soup. Eaten with rice and chilli, this stuff is a must try. :)

After dinner, a bloated sister and I smothered ourselves in mosquito repellent and deodorant and went to the near-by Night Safari. We've been before, about ten years ago, and thought it would be a nice idea to re-live the experience. Arriving all excited, we immediately went for the 'Creatures Of The Night' show where we saw a giant Boa Constrictor being pulled out from under the audience's seats (Emelia weeeeed), otters and racoons recycle plastic bottles, and servals strut on the stage. Awesome. 

The late tram ride where we got eaten alive (by mosquitoes not lions) took us into the depths of the rain forest where we saw every nocturnal animal you could think of in their natural environment, including a sloth bear which we found highly amusing.. (GOOGLE IT). We saw giraffes, zebras, elephants, spotted hyenas, Malayan tigers, lions, rhinos, hippos, bongos, etc etc. 

We got back late, crashed out and cried about our lack of photos of the animals; flash photography wasn't allowed :( and even if I could've taken a picture, I was too scared the flash would freak out a hyena and it eat me alive. So not ideal. 

Crackin' night. 

E + A xx

(27th Aug) Durian taster sesh..

Monday was a bit of a write-off as we spent 5 and a half hours getting a facial and I know I said last time I recommend it to anyone especially I take it all back!! Okay so my skin feels nice now and all those creams felt incredible, the ice ball roller was a sensation on my little chubba of a face, but all that oozing and squeezing hurt like hell. 

Later on that day we went to PoPo's (our grandmother's) house for durian.. and no there wasn't a reaction video..because by the time we cracked out the camera, Mum and her two other sisters had almost consumed the lot! In the previous post I described it to be golden with a creamy texture and that it is..but the smell is so over powering and the taste is certainly an acquired one. To be honest they don't look like much, anyway I don't think I shall go on and on about this particular fruit as what I say will be slightly biased...my sister and I are not fans, and both couldn't make it past the first bite! 

Itinerary for the next week...

((READ this if you are bored! Haha you can skip this....you can tell who was bored and needed something to do))

Adriana has gone to bed, or is probably waiting for my mother to get out of the shower and I am still up, craving a snack of some sort, a pre-midnight snack (which for those who know me, is pretty typical). 

I thought maybe it was a good idea to post an itinerary for the coming week, as I have handwritten it out more than three times already and somehow they have all ended up stained with noodles and the evidence of some kind of feast. Blogspot is the solution! 

Monday 27th - We get treated to a bit of a girly morning,which my mother has insisted we do together. FACIAL! If you're a man and you've never had one before - GO GET! You'll feel all shiny and new after. 
- Durian and Pandan cake at Kuku Lee's house. For those of you who have not been lucky/unlucky enough to taste or smell this fruit, it basically is a really spikey hard cased fruit that smells SO BAD! I can't even describe the smell...if only I could photograph it..but inside this fruit is a creamy, golden..actually I really can't describe it, it has been so long since I have smelt the whiff of the Durian and tasted the insides but there will be photos of this and may even be a reaction video...maybe! :/ 
- The original evening plan was to go to the Night Safari, which is pretty cool for us as it brings back a lot of memories, two of them being: discovering a HUGE snake under my seat and somehow getting on top of an elephant however, just like any plan there has been a slight alteration. Clarke Quay has been voted amoungst the fam as a favourable place of interest especially on a Monday evening (will post this tomorrow). 

Tuesday 28th we are apparently going rollerblading even though the thought of attaching small wheels to my feet scares the SHEEET outta me! How do you even stop on those things?? I can stop myself when I crash into something, bin, random person, a lampost - all of which have been done already.. 

Wednesday 29th is Misha's (cousin) Birthday and she is going for high tea at the Raffles Hotel...very fancy! Not sure what we are doing during the day but...in the evening we are going to our Aunt's house for CHILLI CRAB! YUM!! 
Not sure what's happening on Thurs 30th, on Friday 31st we are going to Orchard Road - a shopper's paradise (both Mum and Adriana will be so happy), our cousin Ruth will be showing us around and there is arumour going round about going to a cheesecake buffet. aszdfjilogskflsdeifrjwop I.can't.even. :D 

So much for a week's itinerary...I can't even think what was on the list for this weekend, anyhow I'll find out soon as will you.

Sleepy now...and resisting temptation from the fridge. :)

E x 

(26th Aug) Kong Kong's memorial + shopping + BBQ = foot massage please.

So you would probably think after yesterday's post that we'd be shattered. But Emelia and I ended up playing film Pictionary till three am. It's such a fun game I majorly recommend! But yeah, so we lay in till midday this morning (afternoon) and had our fruit fix, the standard mangostines, logans, and papaya as well as starfruit; actually the shape of a star. Tastes like apple + melon... Google it.

Uncle Flo drove Emelia, mumma and Uncle Bob to 'The Garden Of Remembrance', a Christian memorial ground where we payed our respects to our Kong Kong (Grandfather).

After visiting the grave of my Uncle Alex's 6 month old baby (emotional), we went to Jarong Point, a mahoosive shopping centre. We headed straight to our favourite place of all, the food court. Emelia and Mum immediately went for the wonton stall, and my cousins and I to the chicken rice stall. Was amazing.   << Enjoying our food way too much

Mother and myself bought bags and shoes, and the cousins, Kuku (Aunty) Lee, Emelia, Mum and I walked to the pool club where we celebrated our cousin's daughter's 4th birthday party BBQ. After some family pictures and too much BBQ satay, we jumped on the MRT home, where we Skyped Uncle Bob and Aunty Florence's son in Washington and drank tea. Saweeeet. Night night. << Myself and our cousin's baby Gabriel, excuse my over-excited sweaty face. 

A x

(25th Aug) Day 4 - Biiiiiig Family Gathering

Today Emelia and I had a b-e-a-utiful lie-in. Woke up at 11, had our morning papaya and orange juice (with bits) fix, and made our way back to Little India. 

We met our cousins, Ruth, and her husband Robin. Robin took us all to his 'eating house' where his parents live/work. Judging from the outside you wouldn't even think to go in, or stop for food, but we sat with our free lime juice and pineapple juice and awaited the prawn mee, or prawn noodle soup. It was as good as the way my auntie makes out in the photo. Ahhmazing! 

After eventually peeling our sweaty Asian bums from the seats, we all went back to Ruth and Robin's apartment, all clean and white, and met their 3 year old daughter Isabelle. 

We met the rest of the family, and their husbands, wives, and kids, and caught up in the hired function room next to the pool where we hands down lost an epic water-fight against army man Robin.

It hit around half seven and the and hunger pangs kicked in (despite Emelia eating two and a half bowls of noodle soup about 3 hours ago) so mum, Ruth and I went down to the nearest Hawker Store where we tried to pick up enough food for 14 people!  We managed to get 40 chicken satay sticks, two plates of turnip paste, two containers of rojak, vegetables, BBQ chicken wings, crispy chicken wings, egg custard tarts for pudpud and the list goes on. 

Recovering from our food coma, we posed for some family pictures, and made our way home, where believe it or not, happily accepted more mangostines and rambutans. Today was a good day. 

Dinner time! >>

Me, Emelia, baby Gabriel, and our cousin's wife, Fen Zi

Egg custard tarts, the best! >>>>

A x

(24th Aug) Little India & Raffles

For our 3rd full day in Singapore, we are all bitten by mosquitoes and although I know one should not scratch, it just has to be done!! I have been walking around with a bright yellow band that smells of lemongrass (something my mother insists I wear) which is meant to deter those pesky little  creatures, however due to the new bite on my leg I know for sure my mother was conned. 

Mosquito bites aside, we went to Little India which is essentially China Town but Indian, clearly. There we were immediately struck by the sites of gold jewelry, saris, colourful bangles, glass mosaic statues, spices and the list goes on.... 

First stop..food (as always). This is the (see picture) place went to..we ordered Dosai which is a very thin savoury pancake which has curry sauces to dip on the side. 

Mum had been waiting for fresh coconut juice since she booked the flights, so she was happy when the restaurant could accommodate her needs.

After Little India we went to the Raffles Hotel (second stop) a very famous and well known Hotel in Singapore that has a lot of history. Google it. :) By the time we got there the thought of spending $25 on a cocktail was just a little too much...so it was on to the food court again...to get iced milo (which is the actual muts nuts), chee chong fun (this is rice noodles but flattened so it is much wider, it is a big favourite in the family) and frozen yogurt (not obviously at the same time).

Between our third stop and our fourth, was a bus journey. We typically got on the wrong bus...and 2 hours of falling asleep and sweating in our seats we finally reached our destination. Our fourth stop was at my grandmother's home where we had a feast of pork belly, rice and Chinese veg (that I cannot spell nor pronounce). All of which was made by my grandma whilst both Mum and I tried to find a place where we could power nap. 

YEAH that's right we got $3 henna. 

 Such a happy sight!

E x

(24th Aug) Our 2nd full day - Lazy day and PIG-OUT

Yesterday was a lazy day for the Chino-Italianos which consisted of a sushi pig out at the food court in the local shopping centre, getting lost in the $2 Japanese store and going to the country club for an afternoon swim (which actually ended up in numerous ridiculous photos of us getting over excited over a water slide). 

Mother and I with Halloween masks out already! 

Sushi! 

Mum and Adriana very excited..over excited. 

Mum's Japanese salad..

The teeny tiny slide we got a little too happy about. 

E x

(22nd Aug) Day 1 ICE SKATING in Singapore???

Last time we came to Singsing ten years ago we went ice skating. We thought we'd carry on this short tradition and go to Jarong East J-Cube shopping center to do it again! We knew we sucked compared to our cousins (who are pros at everything involving cold conditions) we thought it'd be a laugh. After some much needed Caramel Milk Bubble Tea, we hit it.. along with about 50 other people..

Emelia managed to shuffle a couple of laps in an hour however none of us fell over despite the EXCRUCIATING ice skates clearly made for little ching-chong feet. 

After two hours of skating in circles with Misha and Sarah we took to the market for more food. We found a cute sushi fast food place which provided for our cravings where we got a $2.00 soft shell crab hand roll and salmon sashimi. Mhhhh. Still hungry, we ventured into the depths of the station and came across 'ananas deli', a Singaporean bakery which satisfied our curry bun needs; so good lah. 

On our way home, it decided to pelt golf ball-sized rain drops which was oddly refreshing and unexpected. We decided to be brave and make our way home without our cousins and jumped on a random bus not thinking about where we might actually end up.. after about 15 minutes of "oh I recognise this", "oh god Adriana I've never seen that before", "shall we get off and try and get a taxi?" "WE DON'T KNOW THE ADDRESS"; we made it home, greeted with a scrumptious pork curry, chicken rice and roti prata (google it). 

We currently sit in the study doodling chubby Chinese people and trying to think of averagely witty stuff to write so we don't bore you.. it may be too late. We're waiting for our cousin to come over with their three year old baby girl Claudia. Oop, excited. 

Speak soon, peace out. 

A x

(22nd Aug) Day 1 Brunch!

Imagine walking around in a steam room and a sauna with a lamp attached to your forehead. This is Singapore in the day.. 


We woke up at 2:00 to find out Adriana had been on South East Today News (I was fast asleep up until this point until Adriana decided to wake me up), "Emelia, SOMEONE JUST TWEETED ME SAYING I WAS ON THE NEWS!", worried she had burnt the house down back in the UK. From that point on-wards..none of us could fall back asleep, despite having heavy eyelids and only getting 3 hours sleep on the plane, the only thing I could think about was what we were going to feast on for breakfast.

Thoughts became Z's and so we missed breakfast at home...despite this we couldn't miss the opportunity to head down to the Hawker Stores (the food court where I cannot describe to you how amazing food is). 

Mangostines >> 

Inside a mangostine >> delicious white juicy fleshiness. So YUM! 

Char Sui Pow ready-to-go >>

Brunch >> Clockwise - Yam paste buns, char sui cheung fun, turnip paste & char sui buns.

Dim Sum selection >> 

Ice Kacang (crushed ice with flavourings and sweet toppings, which is sometimes sweetcorn and jelly) - Adriana and Mum are big fans...however I am not. 

Logans >> similar to the lychee but.so.much.better.

E x