trip to temasek

a.k.a singapore.
for those who didnt know that the country used to be called that in the old days.

i didnt travel out of malaysia at all last year. i like to use the bloody exams as my excuse, and though i still have to sit for it again this year *yawn* i decided to up and leave anyway. even if it means just across the tebrau straits to nearby singapore.

last i set foot on the country was 14-15? years ago i think. a school trip. on a bus. slept at a mosque. that's all i remember (gosh).

anyway, this time i took the bus again, but from jb, into singapore. it was really convenient i tell ya. we went on a sunday, the 3 of us (east, lote, moi), after leaving my car at my aunt's place (whom i havent seen for more than a year already too!)... and there was a massive jam at the toll, but only for the cars. the buses go in a separate lane, no jams at all, and then we had to get down twice for customs check, but since we travelled light, it wasnt really a hassle.
the minute we got off the bus in singapore, we just started walking everywhere. we couldnt get a cab, so we looked at the map and decided that maybe the hotel is at a walkable distance.
and it was! and since then, we just spent our days (and nights!) in singapore walking.
the hotel we stayed at-broadway hotel-in little india, was cheap, at sgd280 for 3 nights, had a clean bathroom, and is close to almost everything. halal indian food, mrt, 24-hr shopping place (mustafa center), etc.
we'd take the mrt, which was also really convenient, and then just mostly walked and walked and walked everywhere... little india, kampung glam, arab street, marina bay, orchard street.

it reminded me of the days in canada. why am i not walking as much here in melaka/kl/malaysia?
hmm..

there was a lot of shopping malls there, i mean, for a small country like singapore, the shopping malls i thought were just, well, relatively huge!
i didnt have a lot of cash on me (or in the bank for that matter) so actual shopping was down to a minimum. one interesting find was that some of the crocs shoes cost cheaper than here in malaysia, even after conversion. brought a pair of alices for mawar (as requested).

went to sentosa for half a day. biasa je i thought. but i loved the luge ride-real fun- and we enjoyed the show "songs of the sea".
plus there was the "fun" experience of actually having to run back and forth, thanks to my forgetful friend (ehem-lote!) who kept leaving her things behind.

last, but definitely not least, was the interesting experience of meeting lote's old friend-a friendly singaporean chap who navigates ships into singapore for a living, with a "colorful" past he doesnt mind sharing, loyal follower of malaysian politics (and malay tv dramas-ehem), and extremely proud father of his 3 kids.
i also realize that it's been awhile since i last made a NEW friend, especially someone outside the "medical society", that i felt like i just got out of my tempurung ;)

ahh..all in all it was a real good fun HEALTHY trip ;)...
here's to more travels this year, and to great friends, old and new.