CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR IN SG

2016-02-15, 9:46, JASON

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As it is with getting to Singapore, direct flights are hard to come by. So, the Duffins had a stopover in Hong Kong for 72 hours, in which we met up with them, and we flew together on Christmas Eve back to Singapore, completing their transfer and finally celebrating together in Singapore. It was lots of fun. Strangely enough, going to see tourist sites with them was when Thorin and I got the best chance to see a lot of Singapore we would have never seen.

First off, they stayed at Somerset right next to Liang Court. This is right around the corner from Clarke Quay and some prime real estate. You can roll up out of bed, go down to Meidi-Ya (best supermarket), and buy groceries. If you want a drink you can go right down to Clarke Quay and party all night, and then consequently roll back up to your apartment. For Christmas, we ordered this vacuum sealed turkey from Cold Storage, the motherland of all white places in Singapore. In addition, we ordered this Christmas log cake that didn't look too appetizing at first -- the turkey didn't *sound* appetizing based on how I sold it as vacuum sealed, but it was probably one of the most wet turkey meats I've had -- but after we had the cake it was gone within the night. Thorin and I also prepared some potatoes, some sausages with bacon that couldn't get wrapped since the bacon was too thick, and a nice little bok choy stir fry just for that Chinese touch. I'd say I'm ready for domestic life, on the condition that opening vacuum sealed stuff and having grocery chains prepare your meat for you is considered cooking. Overall, it was a quiet day but good to spend some time with family; we hadn't seem them in nearly a year and it was nice to just KIT, especially as we grow up and so do the kids.

The following events may be a bit non-linear since we were both working while they were here, so I'm just following the pictures here that automatically generate a time stamp. The first day, we walked along Clarke Quay. From Clarke Quay, we made our way to Boat Quay, and from there we walked all the way to Collyer Quay to check out the skyline. We walked across the Helix bridge, checked out the MBS, and also got a chance to wander around that big Lotus thingy as well as the entire Quay. Luckily, we caught the area at good timing and were able to capture some of the skyline as the sun was going down. The only thing was the sun was behind the buildings, but you know, you roll with it. 

The day after, we checked out the mosque at Arab street, near Bugis MRT station. I would have never thought to go in to the mosque in the past with Thorin, but never really considered why. Anyway, they gave you a covering upon entering: for women, it was like a large rain coat (good for parties, actually, I may consider buying one), for men, it was a long skirt. As soon as you walk in, you get that religious-institution vibe. Not the whole judgment thing, but this aura of peace that you get often at churches, mosques, and temples. Everything around you changes and is calm, and you're at peace. The mosque layout was a large grid, with the central carpeted area meant for praying. We were allowed to walk around the perimeter of the prayer area. Pretty cool experience, we even had a chance to capture some of our outfits: 

After, we wandered a bit around Arab street and got a nice coffee. We went to some Selfie Café where they printed a picture of Fin and my face on some latté or other that she got. It was supposed to be one of those hip, cool things. So, we had our "whaaaat?" moment momentarily followed by a 'well, that was cool while it lasted' sigh.

For NYE, we went to a meal at Nanas Thai Food in the Golden Mile Complex. My favorite Thai food around. It's ducked away in this tiny, dingy mall, but it's the best Thai food I've had in Singapore, hands down. Their papaya salad will make you shit fire and cry beautiful beadlets of capsaicin tears, but it's so worth it. Get yourself a Thai Iced Tea while you're at it. Afterwards, we started off at the Marina Bay Sands area, with the intention of heading back into Clarke Quay. This was a bit of a struggle, but still a fun walk. Fin and Martina picked up some cool 2016 crowns that lit up, and they were such a hit with everyone. A couple of times they were asked where they bought it. You guys, if you want attention, a crown is the way to go. Sifting through human traffic, we returned back to the Boat Quay area to begin our bar hopping for the countdown. We started off at an Irish pub, as all Brits have to when they are abroad. Had an obligatory drink there, check. Then, we moved down to a Japanese restaurant and threw back some Asahis and made friends with the waitress there. Then, after that, we walked back to the Clarke Quay area to prepare for countdown. It started getting a bit crowded at 11 pm, and we were stuck on the outskirts of the river area without being able to get back in without some serious body-pushing. So, we wound up at some bar, sitting outside. David ordered us a nice whiskey and we celebrated and cheered as we brought in the new year. As the night cleaned up a bit, maybe 12:30 or so, there was still a band that was playing at the center of Clarke Quay. So, what we did for the next hour was jammed out at some free outdoor concert with the whole family as they sang through popular rock songs. Overall, a super fun time! 

New Years Day was another adventure. We started by attending the Singapore River Boat Cruise that sailed down the river into Collyer Quay, made a loop around, and then wound its way back. Got to see all the sights that we saw in the Quay a few days earlier, but this time from the river perspective. Swung around and saw the Merlion, Singapore's national icon, vomming into the water. For some strange reason, the music they played was elevator music and since the boat ride was so quiet and smooth, I think everyone got a bit sleepy on that boat. Well, at least I did. 

After we got off the boat, we then headed once again back to MBS, since the family hadn't seen it properly yet from the inside. They wanted to get a rooftop drink, and so then we went to the bar at the top. Pro Tip, don't pay for the walk around viewing deck at the MBS, just go to the bar and order a coke or something. It'll be the most expensive Coke ever but still cheaper than paying for a ticket to go to the viewing deck. Or, even better, get a friend who wants to buy a drink, have them buy a drink, and you just hang out with them with a view of the harbor. This way you save some money, get a good view, and put something off your checklist. Not so sure about the conversation you'll have to have with your friend though, are people into that these days? The view up there is stunning, and worth that Coke. 

I think that's the end of it. I definitely enjoyed myself. Happy 2016.