Foreigners In Singapore - Sixth And Final Day: Giving Thanks

We're going home.  But it seemed there's still a lot to do.  We'll definitely miss the fun, going back to reality (work and school).  It's Sunday, if there was one thing we wanted to do most for that day, was to go to church.  We also wanted to see their churches.  So Manong Titoy (brother-in-law) brought us to where he was attending mass every Sunday, St. Joseph's Church at Victoria Street.  What a coincidence, it was also the name of our parish church back in Davao.

It was a perfect time to thank our Lord for all the goodness we had received; for all the places we've been through, for keeping our family safe, for all the people who made our stay comfortable and convenient, for our family and friends who extended their kindness, for the wonderful and unforgettable experience and for everything I might not have mentioned.  I was humbled and honored that our Lord provided all that we needed the most... My heartfelt gratitude that he made everything possible.  Thank you.

After the mass, we dropped by Mustafa and bought few things we forgot and wrap up the things we needed to bring home.  We had our last lunch in a nearby restaurant and we headed to the apartment to get our things and off we went to the airport.

We were lucky we had Jenny and Titoy, my siblings-in-law, in Singapore.  They provided us a place in their apartment where we stayed, they arranged their schedules in order to give us a 6-day tour, they were responsible for planning and arranging our everyday itinerary and ticket reservations, and they took care of almost everything during our stay there.  We just can't thank them enough.

It was an overall wonderful stay in Singapore. In our 7 nights and 6 days there,  I couldn't think of a single thing I can criticize the country about, all praises to them.  From their beautiful architectural design, modern facilities, spick and span community, great transportation, nice weather, wonderful sights and attractions, shop-til-you-drop malls, marvelous underground and disciplined people, thus having a low crime rate, as far as what I've heard...  what more can a tourist ask for.  I definitely recommend it as one of the must see places in the world.

And had I already mentioned I would like to thank Yahweh for everything?  If I had, I would never get tired thanking Him for blessing my family such wonderful experience.  Again and again, thank You and may all the praises and glory be Yours and Yours alone.

Foreigners In Singapore - Fifth Day: Hunting for A Good Deal

We're almost done with our vacation in Singapore, so we maximized our remaining days to buy some "pasalubong" (giveaways) to family and friends and also some for ourselves.  We were told of a place where we could buy good stuff at very reasonable prices... Bugis Junction.  It was like the Divisoria in our place but there was just a lot of cool stuff there and some were really cheap.  My wife just couldn't help herself being faced with a lot of choices, bags, footwear, t-shirts, gadgets and accessories.  She even told me, she can do shopping there forever, the problem was we didn't have that luxury.  We still need cash to go back home. LOL.

After buying the things we needed, we took some rest and had our lunch in a nearby Burger King.  Then we went back to Vivo City to meet our friends and their kids.  Upon reaching the place, the kids played for a while in a play ground. After that we had a little chat in a coffee shop.  Then Ionne and Raul, our ever generous friends, asked us if we've already seen Sentosa's Songs of the Sea in Siloso beach.  We told them we haven't.  They said it was a must see, so they bought a ticket for us all and told us it's their treat.  Good thing also, since we didn't have plans for the rest of the night.

Together with their family, again we travelled  back to Sentosa Island.  Upon arrival to the place, we witnessed how crowded the place was.  The play was quite popular to the locals as well as the tourists.  It was just like Wonder Full of Marina Bay Sands.  There were also pyrotechnics, colorful laser show, sound effects and they used the fountain as screen to the video projections.  We enjoyed the show, especially the kids, since the story revolved around a princess, cartoon sea creatures, powerful elements and a group of teenagers singing their piece.

Then, we returned to Vivo City and had our late dinner at Marché (still part of our friends' treat).  There were a lot of customers, so we had to wait in line until a table to accommodate us would be available.  Upon entering, each one of us were provided a card by which we'll be using in purchasing food.  It's new to me, as one could see the chefs preparing and cooking the food of your choice. There were a lot of choices, from grilled to soups, pasta and pizza, salads, cakes and other desserts and beverages, etc.  Just pick your choice, hand them your card and they would give you a sort of claim stub, then they would ask you how would you want them done (like when grilled, rare or well-done), afterwhich, you will be asked to return in about 10-15 minutes for your order.  While waiting, the kids were provided some coloring materials and puzzles as not to be bored. Then, after the sumptuous meal, the cards will be given to the cashier for payment.  I loved their concept. It was like a buffet with a twist.

Thank yous and goodbyes were then exchanged as we headed  home.  Singapore just never stopped to amuse me.  It really had a lot to offer.  I'm just again and again humbled by the blessings and the experience Yahweh had provided my family.  To Him be the glory as always.

Foreigners In Singapore - Third Day: To The Jungle

Me and my wife woke up early because we wanted to cherish the remaining moment we had in the Sands, and we were eager to take a dip in their jacuzzi and to enjoy the moment by ourselves (since the kids were still asleep).  The cool morning breeze, with the solemn but magnificent view of the Singapore Port, and the warm bubbling water of the jacuzzi... felt so blessed, it's just perfect..as my wife described it, "haah....this is life" and I totally agreed with her. We stayed there until the break of dawn.  Just how heavenly it was to see the light as it slowly engulped the sea and land.  How we wanted to stay there a little bit more but we had to get the kids, so they could enjoy a little bit more... and we knew that they wanted to have a swim at the pool before heading to our next destination... the Singapore Zoo!

Just perfect...

 

Mr. & Mrs. Infinity Pool 2012... (LMAO)

So the kids had their last dip in the pool, while we watched them on a couch nearby.  Then we had our breakfast while packing our things and off we went.  Lucky for us, Manong Floro, the ever generous, shared his tickets with us, so we just had to buy a few more for the family.  More, he joined the tour with us and gave us a free ride on his car.  Great help, it saved us time, effort and money.

When we got there, the kids were so eager to see the elephants... but there was more to it especially if one just follows the trail in the map which was provided during admission.  It was quite a walk around the place, good thing our friends, Ionne and Raul, lend us their stroller so I won't have to carry my boy during his tantrum times.

Borrowing Dora's explorer map...

Orangutans freely roaming above the trees.

So we started our journey to the jungle.  We first saw the cotton-top tamarins and looking closely to them, you'll see their tiny babies clinging on them, really cute.  And then we passed by the false ghavials (from the crocodile family), through the Treetops Trail, known for their slender and elongated snouts.  The kids were really afraid just looking on how big they were but they were not known to be a threat to humans because they're on a fish diet, and I wasn't kidding. And then there were the otters, tapirs and babirusas.  We then proceeded to the primate kingdom, where you''ll find different kinds of monkeys, macaques, langurs and baboons. Orangutans, chimpanzees, mandrills and gibbons were segregated.

Tiger, your yellow stripes, where art thou?

Then, we had a site of the famous (or should I say renowned) white tigers. Personally, I was delighted to saw them,  never seen one before.  From there, we passed by the orangutans going to the "Wild Africa " portion where the white rhinos, zebra, warthogs, lions, giraffes, and jaguars, to name a few, was located.  Then we decided to ride the tram... at last.  Though there was a stroller, it was still a tiring walk under the heat of the sun and a humid atmosphere.

Nyalas or South African antelopes

I also felt sleepy upon looking at this lazying jaguar.

Passed by white rhinoceros during tram ride...

The tram ride was just to relax and rest our feet, but if one really want to enjoy the sites and animals, walking would be better.  So that you can stay and watch the animals as much as you like.  After the ride, we went to the nice places we passed by during the tour like the kangaroos in their Australian Outback.

Then we proceeded to their Rainforest Fights Back Show where they showcased their trained animals like elephants, lemurs, otters, peacocks, apes and monkeys.  Showing and teaching little kids to save the forest and animals and how important they are to our ecosystem.  They also had other shows that features great animal talents, just don't had the leisure of time to see them all.

Spider monkey, my son's favorite Ben 10 alien.

A quick pose right after the show.

And by the way, the Night Safari was just a few walks away.  We haven't tried it though, it just wasn't included in our plan.  Maybe if we'll have a chance to come back, why not.  Their tour starts at 7:30 pm till midnight, daily.  And I heard it's thrilling one, hehehe.  

Then we took a leisure walk towards the marine mammals.  We got a close encounter with the humongous  Manatees and cute and very vigorous penguins.  After that, we went to KFC, to have our merienda.  Even their regular meals had some distinct tastes that differs with that in our country.  Oh well, it still tasted good and I was hungry...

When we returned home, the kids were fast asleep so we went to Mustafa in Little India.  The prices there were just fine, but you'll also find really cheap selected items and brands, and take note, you'll never find imitations, it's forbidden in Singapore especially in their known malls.  It's amazing how they just file their foot wears (Adidas, Nike, Puma, Ipanema and etc.) as that of our sidewalks and with no boxes, and the prices were almost the same as that of other department stores.  It's just that you'll find all the brands, sizes and style stocked in one place, thus making it very convenient.

And again, I just don't know how to thank Yahweh for all this blessings me and my family had received... and for surrounding us with wonderful people  that made our tour for that day possible...

For my next post, I'll be sharing with you our Sentosa's Universal Studio daring rides.  Thanks for visiting my blog.  Yahweh bless.

Foreigners In Singapore - Second Day: Living The Life At The Sands

My wife and I woke up early and had a morning walk to their fitness ground.  We had some stretching and then tried their outdoor workout facilities.  How I wish we had one of these back home.  We then had a short stroll to their market, though it was full of wet goods and stuff, it didn't smell that bad.  Maybe because they were putting their waste in a right place and I saw how responsible they were in cleaning their own mess.  A salute to their government for strictly implementing fines and punishments for violations against their environment,  in the long run, the people made it as part of their way of life and became accustomed to it.  

When we returned to our place, we woke the children up to prepare them and packed some of our things as we are scheduled to spend the day at Marina Bay Sands... yippee.  Just how excited we were that day to finally be inside one of the most talked about hotel in the world.

Route 106 passes through MBS...

We took a bus going there.  By the way, Singapore buses use numbers or alpha-numerics in their routes instead of places names (see Wikipedia for the list).  There were also built-in scanners if one's using a transportation card (EZ-Link) and a vending machine for those who preferred to pay in cash.  Just pay with an exact amount since it does not give back your change.  Our ride was smooth and swift at the same time, since buses had a part of the road just for  them.

Also, they had an electronic road toll collection system that automatically charge toll fee to all passengers when a vehicle passes though their ERP gantry, really helped smoothen the traffic flow.  And one more thing, like the MRT's, their buses also have priority seats for those who needed it most like those with disabilities, pregnant, with little children and the elderly, and able and young persons really give their seats.

MBS underground mall

Upon arrival to MBS, the interiors were as astonishing as that of it's architectural design.  Singaporeans really aren't afraid to try designs that deviate with the norms.  The building alone, a ship-like platform suspended above three 57 storey building is simply breathtaking.  More, having artistic designs such as paintings, sculptures and ornaments from internationally renowned artists and the convenience of having its own mall, casino, theaters, MRT stop, pool, restaurants and other amenities is more that one can ask for... all you need to have is money (LOL).

We met a friend there, Manong Floro (one of the hotel's supervisors), who helped us with the accommodation.  He was responsible for getting us a great deal for our stay.  He also personally provided us the cards used for the elevators and our room.  So you need to have a card in doing transactions in the hotel, it's used in going up and down the lift, it's the key to your room, it is your pass in using their facilities like the pool and the SkyPark, etc.  We stayed at room 4905 (49th floor, 5th room... just guessing).  The room had a window which automatically opens upon entering the room.  The room was well furnished (carpeted, 2 flat screens and complete with basic amenities)  and of course had a great view of the Marina bay.  Just a piece of advice, don't remove or lift anything inside the ref, unless you're prepared to pay for it, it automatically adds to your bill.

Giant interiors... lanterns and tree vases.

My beloveds...

With the rest of the gang.

After a short chat and picture taking inside our room,  we immediately proceeded to their SkyPark... something we've always been dreaming of during the moment we stepped foot in Singapore.  And upon reaching the 57th floor of the building where it was located, it was simply breathtaking (how many times did I already use that word, oh well, can't find any other word to describe the feeling).  From there you can see a clearer view of the whole city... from the astonishing Marina Bay view, to the marvelous lights of ships in the Port of Singapore.  You can also see from there, the Garden by the Bay, though it was still under construction at that moment, still one can picture out how beautiful it would be basing on the alien-like structures already built, just waiting for the plants to propagate.

Garden by the Bay construction in progress...

Then, how can we resist the charms of their infinity pool, by the moment we saw it, the kids (okay, including us) rushed our way back to our room to change in our swimming attire.  Upon taking a dip, how good it felt as you could also have an open view of the city below as you take a break once in a while after a nice swimming moment with your family.  One more nice thing about the people in Singapore was they don't mind who you are and what you're wearing, they don't look down on you.  We never felt conscious of what we wear during our stay, we're on slippers, t-shirt and shorts, like other guests when we entered the hotel, and guess what, no one approached any of us considering its already a 5-star hotel.

As we like to stay there until the end of time, we needed to eat something, and friends, Ionne and Raul, met with us for a treat to another famous dining site, Makansutra (makan=food, sutra=art) Gluttons Bay.  We tried their grilled stingray, spicy deep fried baby squids, and for refreshments, sugarcane with lemon... and whew, was it satisfyingly delicious.  The reunion was cut short since they had kids to attend back home and the meeting wasn't planned.  Then we were on our way back to watch the light, fire and water show at the Wonder Full in Marina Bay Sands.

The show lasted for 12 and a half minutes of spectacular convergence of sound, light, fire, and water.  The water fountains created a giant screen for the video clips and their apparatuses made a stunning visual effects performance combining laser, fog, bubbles and fire.  The show was about how life begun, its journey and how it progressed to what it is today.  It also showed how valuable life is, our connection to one another and the importance of relationship.  Never seen one before, so it's simply a WOW for us.

Then after a long day of fun and leisure, we went all the way back to our room and had our well-deserved rest for tomorrow's another day for another great adventure and great blessings... and the details, well, it'll be in my next post... have a good day, guys.  Yahweh bless.