Singapore

I wasn't too excited to see Singapore itself, having heard there is not a lot to do except shop and the food was not as good as Malaysia. But my friend Simon just moved there, so it was a good reason to go (and to get another passport stamp!). The city is so modern and clean! Such a contrast to most of the SE Asian cities I had been to (aside from the metropolitan capitols).

I spent the first couple nights in the Chinatown area, at a hostel called Pillows & Toast (how cute is that name?). It was in a great location and pretty comfortable. I ended up staying in a dorm room and met a nice British fellow, Daniel, who came with me to eat dinner with Simon. I totally loved the hawker stalls in Singapore. I wish we had those in the US (well, we have food courts, but I wish there were Asian food ones).



In the Chinatown neighborhood...


Sri Mariamman Temple


Buddha Tooth Relic Temple


Chinatown

I couldn't leave Singapore without visiting it's mascot, the Merlion, a hybrid of a mermaid and a lion. But I was so disappointed there was construction around it! I took a picture of the mini one though.


The Majestic Merlion...Caged


Mini Merlion

Simon knew some friends in Singapore already, so he invited me to a housewarming party. Only it turned into a Valentine's Day party. With games. Now, I don't celebrate Valentine's Day normally, so I didn't even know what to expect. But we ended up playing games that involved having partners; it was pretty silly and fun. I had a good time meeting people who actually lived in Singapore.


Party in Singapore!

I stopped by the Singapore Art Museum, which was pretty awesome. The exhibits were pretty interesting, especially the one featuring Chinese painter Wu Guanzhong. I said hello to Walter the rabbit too.


Singapore Art Museum


Walter the Rabbit at the SAM (by Dawn Ng)

And finally, Simon and I went to Sentosa, the man-made island that was supposed to be "the southern most point of continental Asia". It was basically a tourist destination, with a Universal Studios and a Sentosa theme park. It was pretty laid back for a tourist place. I ate durian cendol for breakfast, met a super nice monkey, and tried out the luge ride.




Sentosa Beach


The Southern Most Point of Continental Asia

And that was pretty much Singapore!