Singapore (June ’11)

I’m listening to : Wake Up Everybody by The Roots (featuring John Legend & Melanie Fiona)

Singapore was a breath of fresh air. No, literally. Yes it was my first time and I could go on and on about how organized and professional people were – Yes, even waiters and shopkeepers were very helpful(as a part of their job, du-uh) – and go on rambling about how they must be laughing at Malaysia who threw them out in the first place, but no. I suppose I’ll save that for a real-life conversation with anyone random over a bottle of water or something.

Alvin and Dean fiddling with the 513

So Dean finally got his new guitar and I personally have no qualms about him fishing out that extra $400 for the 513 instead of the Custom 24. Would’ve done the same if I were him and I personally would’ve fished it out of my own pocket if I weren’t dead broke. We knew it was the right one the moment he played on it. The 513 was just so…Dean.

It was the shortest ‘vacation’ I’ve been on but nevertheless I’ll sum up some highlights of our twenty-nine hours in the tiny island of Singapore :-

1. Walking in the scorching heat(which surprisingly was a lot less humid than KL/Klang), hotel to hotel, looking for a room. For some reason even the budget hotels were fully-booked. We finally settled in Bencoolen Hotel on Bencoolen Street(which I found a very cool name for a street) for $198. The room was pretty basic but very decent, though the view was absolutely stunning…if you find a concrete wall stunning. But it was just for sleeps anyway and much to our delight we had a bath tub DUDE in whose house do you find a bath tub these days anyway!? The price was probably a little steep for a rather basic hotel as it was really near town and situated right across the street from NAFA(Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts).

Best view in town

2. Watching Dean’s grin-plagued face after buying his new tool. He was so smitten I was quite sure I’d get thrown out of bed to make space for the new boy in the house. I’m thankful the guitar didn’t end up sleeping on the bed(with me on the floor) but he fiddled with it all night leaving me to fall asleep all by myself. HMPH.

3. Taking a nice, warm dip in the bath tub. It was – I can’t even – Hmmm. WHAT!? I’ve never had a bath tub!! Let a girl have her girly indulgence.

4. Setting eyes on Marina Bay Sands for the first time. The Twin Towers can kiss my arse. Period.

5. Sleeping in ‘till 11a.m. the next day, missing breakfast and rushing to check out before noon It was pouring and Alvin took us to this quaint, lovely little place called Food For Thought for brunch. (I reckon you’d like this place, Mei Yen.) I ordered a “Full Works” which I very much regretted the moment my meal was served. It was HUGE, but it was complete. Scrambled eggs on delicious toast, garlic mushroom, chicken sausages, bacon which I exchanged for more sausages, some strange potato balls and basic greens. I was stuffed silly I could barely have an extra sip of my hot dark chocolate – Which, to my defense, was HUGE too. Alvin signed and bought us the meal – Best. Host. Ever.

6. Walking around Orchard Road. It’s insane. No kidding. In comparison to the KL shopping scene lah.

7. So I finally gave in to the hype and bought myself my very first Moleskine. I got the classic hard cover, standard M’sian school exercise book size with squared(grids) pages. I thought it’d make drawing and doodling a lot easier, considering classes like Live Sound the coming semester are going to have me draw here and there. I’ve yet to write on it, having been too busy with uh, I don’t quite know what. But I will tomorrow! I will! Hmm. And I’ll tell you about it when I can. So far, I’m quite in love with the smell of the pages.

8. FINALLY got my very first pair of jeggings from Uniqlo, courtesy of Dean. I supposed I’ve mentioned that the whole trip was paid for by Dean and I’m a very happy thankful girlfriend Anyway, ever realized how jeggings are always of horrid quality that stretches out way too easily? This pair I got are PERFECT. Thick, doesn’t stretch out, snug. I love. /smitten

9. Finally making our way back to Novena Square after Dean bought more stuff – A pair of Nike Dunk Lows and another new hoodie(He has this love affair with hoodies and sneakers) – where the cab dropped us off at the wrong place. I was pissed as hell but being his calm and composed self Dean found the way. Stopped for dinner and a bottle of apple Snapple and we were on our way back to pre-civilizationhome

Pocky loves papa's new guitar too

*******

Homaigad I can’t believe I wrote all that rubbish. Having said that, Singapore was an eye-opener. Of how complacent Malaysians have been, and why we are so much less than what we should be. But I’ll save that for that real-life conversation some other day.

I’ll go fidget with my Moleskine now. ‘Till the next!