Foreigners In Singapore - First Day: Local Trademarks

It's our very first day in Singapore since we arrived the night before.  So eager to see what its like at daytime, I took a peep below through our room window (staying at the 8th floor of an apartment building), a nice open multi-purpose recreation area with a playground and built-in exercise equipment.  We were actually surrounded by high-rise apartments.  In front our building was a main road, though it was a working day, it wasn't that busy and crowded, I wondered why...

Since it was still early, we were accompanied by our sis to have a short tour around their place.  We stopped for a while at their playground and enjoyed the facilities.  I was impressed on how they consider the safety of the kids, having the playground rubberized (similar as that of Abreeza, Davao).  Walking around, I saw how convenient it was to live there; aside from the playground with exercise facilities... it was near a main road, there was a wet market, stalls and small businesses nearby, a basketball court, lift everywhere, good parking space and the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) is just a short walk away... and the reason why the streets were not crowded since its located underground... WOW.

Waiting for the train...

After a nice breakfast and a refreshing shower, off we went to our city tour... First stop, 7-Eleven, for our transportation card (EZ Link).  It's just like our usual ATM card but used to be tapped on scanners in the MRT stations (also called SMRT stations) and public buses for payment of your fare.  You just have to load it  (there are loading machines in all MRT stations).  You need to tap it to the scanners upon entering and going out, that would be the length of your travel which will be deducted from your card's balance.  Thinking something foolish?  Aside from the CCTV installed all around Singapore, the card is designed to detect irregularity in it's usage, so if you forgot to tap it, it'll charge you the longest route in addition to the pay for your next ride.  But don't worry if it does not function anymore, all you need to do is consult it with the transport operator in order for it to be fixed.

Our first destination, Orchard Road.  We first went to Lucky Plaza and to describe it, its like a mall having this small shops with some even selling products from our country.   You can also get good deals from each shop for a wide array of different stuff.  Then, with just a few walks away was ION Orchard.  There you'll find signature clothing and shops like Prada, Giorgio Armani, Rolex, Louis Vitton, Dior, Dolce and Gabbana... just to name a few.  We really enjoyed looking at their products but buying them, that I don't have the luxury of.  We then took our lunch and a needed rest in a nearby Food Republic.  We had their stir-fried pasta, it's just fine, though there were some ingredients unknown to my taste buds, that is why I settled with the pork barbeque and glazed chicken... lol.

Hey sun, it's 7:01 in the evening already...

Just taking a nap...

We were all set now to go to our final stop for the day, the well famous Marina Bay.  We sat down in an amphitheater facing the bay as we waited for the sun to set.  We just can't help but be amazed with the exceptional and atypical architectural designs we've passed by... the Sands Hotel, Esplanade, Marina Mandarin and Ion Orchard... All I can say was wow, they're just not afraid to try something different.  The kids, including me, then fell asleep due to the cool breeze from the bay.  Until, a question popped in my mind, why is it already 6:30 pm and the sun's still up?  Tired of waiting, we decided to proceed to Singapore's icon, the Merlion, since it's getting late already and the sun seems confused if it's going to set or not (or was it just me).  We took a lot of pictures there in different angles,  should I say 360 degrees, all just showed a unique but marvelous background view.  I just can't believed that I'm standing there considering I only see the place in magazines and books.  As the sky dimmed at 7:30 pm more or less (at last)... you just can imagine how the lights made the city more beautiful and put a smile on one's face.  Sharing some pics of views we took and captured bonding moments we had along the way... enjoy :)

Some huggin'...

Passing by the Esplanade

Side pics along the sidewalk LOL...

Baby Merlion, where's your dad?...

... Oh, there he is... hahaha.

Esplanade from afar...

Bumblebee can transform to a boat?

Bonding moments for keeps...

 

nice views, right?

 

The night lights... with my angel...

...and my beloved.

At the end of it all, I thanked Him for a perfect and marvelous day He had provided my family... and for sis, that made the tour possible. Yahweh bless.