Hello from Singapore!
Pallavi and I landed at Changi Airport in Singapore at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, and almost immediately the time difference brought much confusion ("Is it Wednesday morning?" "No... I think it's Tuesday. Or is it Monday?"). The first thing we noticed upon disembarking the plane was the heat. It was much hotter (and more humid) here than it was at the Tokyo Airport, as well as in Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati.
We made it back to the hotel around 3:30 a.m. and were amused when we saw several people eating noodles in a restaurant's outdoor courtyard so early in the morning. We made a mental note to join them sometime this week so that we can check this experience off of our bucket list before returning to the U.S.
Pallavi and I landed at Changi Airport in Singapore at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, and almost immediately the time difference brought much confusion ("Is it Wednesday morning?" "No... I think it's Tuesday. Or is it Monday?"). The first thing we noticed upon disembarking the plane was the heat. It was much hotter (and more humid) here than it was at the Tokyo Airport, as well as in Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati.
We made it back to the hotel around 3:30 a.m. and were amused when we saw several people eating noodles in a restaurant's outdoor courtyard so early in the morning. We made a mental note to join them sometime this week so that we can check this experience off of our bucket list before returning to the U.S.
In the morning, we made our way down to the hotel's lobby for breakfast, which was an interesting mix of traditional American morning fare, as well as noodles and rice. A standout breakfast offering was Meiji yogurt. The coconut version was delightful, as it had little bits of coconut-flavored jelly in it. We really hope there is more tomorrow. |
After our breakfast, we wandered around the Orchard Road shopping district, which is mere steps outside our hotel's doors. The malls here are multi-tiered structures that tower above the streets, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that many had balconies and rooftop gardens — even one that featured bug-eyed goldfish swimming around in a 12th-story pond.
When we finally decided to have lunch, we were a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options that awaited us in the shopping center. On each level, the delectable smells wafting from restaurants selling bowls of ramen, fried chicken, and noodles filled the air and made our stomachs grumble.
We decided on a noodle restaurant that seemed to be popular with locals and tourists alike called Noodle Place. There, we had two variations of a similar dish — shrimp wanton noodles (and, in Pallavi's case, shrimp dumpling noodle soup). The noodles were delicious and made for a great first meal in Singapore.
We decided on a noodle restaurant that seemed to be popular with locals and tourists alike called Noodle Place. There, we had two variations of a similar dish — shrimp wanton noodles (and, in Pallavi's case, shrimp dumpling noodle soup). The noodles were delicious and made for a great first meal in Singapore.
The rest of the day was spent learning how to use the MRT, the mass rapid transit system that connects various points of the city via trains. It was pretty easy to figure out and we made it to Marina Bay, where we saw Singapore's famous Merlion statue.
An imaginative sculpture that pays homage to Singapore's history and national identity, the Merlion is a large statue of a mythical creature sporting a lion's head (Singapore's original name, Singapura, means "lion city" in Malay) and a fish's body (in recognition of Singapore's connection to the sea and its beginnings as a fishing village). Many tourists were posing for photos with the Merlion, but we were able to sneak in and take a few ourselves.
An imaginative sculpture that pays homage to Singapore's history and national identity, the Merlion is a large statue of a mythical creature sporting a lion's head (Singapore's original name, Singapura, means "lion city" in Malay) and a fish's body (in recognition of Singapore's connection to the sea and its beginnings as a fishing village). Many tourists were posing for photos with the Merlion, but we were able to sneak in and take a few ourselves.
After a quick stop back at the hotel, we set off once again in search of more food. As we meandered down Orchard Road once more, we stumbled upon an open-air restaurant selling dim sum, congee, and dumplings. We decided to try it out and had several types of baos — a sesame bao, which was sweet and filled with gooey sesame sauce, and a chicken bao encased in a sesame bun — as well as some mango pudding.
Assorted dumplings and baos from Bao Today in Singapore.
Following dinner, we walked around near the hotel a bit, enjoying the festive street decorations draped over the busy roads. All around us, couples with selfie sticks took pictures of themselves near lit-up Christmas trees while string lights cascaded over the towering facades of malls.
As our first day in Singapore comes to an end, I am excited to further explore this amazing city. Tomorrow, we plan to head off to Chinatown, so I hope to put some of the Mandarin I have learned in class throughout these past two years to the test.
That's all for now! Thanks for reading!
-Amanda
As our first day in Singapore comes to an end, I am excited to further explore this amazing city. Tomorrow, we plan to head off to Chinatown, so I hope to put some of the Mandarin I have learned in class throughout these past two years to the test.
That's all for now! Thanks for reading!
-Amanda