Weekend post #5

Back from trip and gosh I am so behind in blogging! Photos are Taiwan are coming right up I hope but first a quick recap of my trip to Gardens by the Bay when Iz came to visit. Unfortunately, I was not able to take leave the entire time she was here but I took the afternoon off the Friday before we left for Taipei. Suggested going to Gardens by the Bay since it was the latest must go to attraction in Singapore. Bought tickets to the Cloud forest and Flower dome. Must say that I personally prefer the Cloud Forest but do not think that the attraction has matured enough for it to be really worth visiting. By mature I'm referring mainly to the trees and plants

The moment we stepped in we were greeted by a big spray of water from the hanging gardens/waterfall - pretty awesome impact I must say.

First sight that one sees when walking into the flower dome - there is a restaurant that sits inside the flower dome, Pollen & a Chinese restaurant which would be really nice for events and perhaps the romantic dinner (?) - but maybe try that on a weekday.

The Gardens at night - pretty cool... especially when they overlook MBS

Really recommend it for people to go at least once. Quite a unique attraction which I have yet to see anywhere else in the world.

Weekend post #4

 It is always a joy watching your friends tie the knot with their partner - much more so when you are aware of what he had to go through to get there :) So happy for my friend and even more so for the opportunity to catch up with old ones!

Ceremony and reception was held at Chijmes, a lovely spot to get married in. The decor is so inspiring and the food is actually pretty good as well! Only thing that bothered me was that service was a bit slow and we only ended having our mains at 10pm so by the time dessert came, I was ready to call it quits and head home (After a rather big night previously, didn't want to overdo and push my boundaries).

 

Interior of the church - so pretty! 

 

 Picture of the day - show off those muscles Chris!

Sarah took this shot while we waiting for dinner and watsapp it back to the table - we were all so hungry!  

 Dinner - very very satisfying

 Group shot!

 It was really good to catch up with friends. Ended up sharing with S on how I thought I had grown after starting work and she commented that she like the new more amenable me. Such a humbling statement that it gave me resolve to be a better person.
Drove home and reached home in record time. New work week tomorrow and I have landings again - looking forward to it, though equally apprehensive at the same time.

Weekend post #3

A weekend where the girls decided to be posh and go for high tea at Fullerton. A heritage building in Singapore that has been always associated with class and money, was particularly excited to have an excuse to visit the hotel and partake in hobbies of the upper class - high tea. The hotel is definitely a very grand building and as we were walking up to the lobby from the basement carpark, could not help but just stop at the grand staircase to marvel in awe at the interior of the building. The building is shaped almost like a pyramid with the courtyard ( the name of the restaurant where we had our high tea) located in the middle of the pyramid shape lobby. Despite it being inside the building, did not feel claustrophobic at all - perhaps due to the space and light coming from the roof.

Tea was an experience in itself, so much different from my first high tea experience at Halia, Botanical Gardens. First, we were able select (from a list of extensive tea ranges) our preferred tea which ranged from Rooibos tea to vanilla scented tea. When the platters came, everyone just went wild over the range of savoury items. Occasionally, the service staff would come by to refill the stand and we would excitedly ask for extras of our favourites - cucumber sandwiches were a huge hit along with the salmon cones. While we ate and lounged, we engaged in very girly talk and for that afternoon, I did feel like I was back in the colonial days sipping on tea and eating scones while chatting with my girlfriends.

 

Too bad all good things come to an end, but not before we took a picture to remind us of the afternoon when we played posh.

Weekend post #2

I figured that I should continue the weekend posts in Singapore while I'm still at it. I've decided that I will try to blog about my weekends in Singapore unless of course I'm not in S'pore during said weekend.

I met D for drinks last friday and being fairly amused that despite being a local (or sort of) he had never been to Emerald Hill, I decided to bring him there, or more specifically, No. 5. Most internet research would immediately alert dear reader of the heritage history of Emerald Hill, I will try not to repeat their words.

Emerald Hill is probably the one part of Singapore where we can drink on the roads and possibly outside someone's mainhouse. Three shophouses have been converted into a row of bars each with their own individual character but has been a hit with locals for many years. No.5 was probably one of the first bars that I started to visit regularly in Singapore once I hit the legal drinking age. Most newcomers to Singapore see it now as an expat bar since so many foreigners converge on it during the weekends but I do remember it quite differently.

As a kid, I used to live at clemenceau ave north and before all the back condominiums came up, mom and I would actually walk down to centrepoint (and dear old Robinsons) via emerald hill. It was a good twenty minutes walk and I used to whine about the walk back up the hill, but I remember the houses clearly and the shops around there (eg: the bak kwa stall around the corner has been there for years!)

Back to No.5, it's a very chill out area which plays tunes from the 80s (like clockwork, one can always expect to hear Belinda Carlisle crooning heaven is a place on earth). Their prawn paste chicken wings are legendary as are their 1 for 1 martini offers from 9pm every night. The bonus bit, bowls of peanuts are served to every table and you get to throw the shells on the floor. D had a hell of a time deliberately flinging shells onto the floor.

Emerald Hill has definitely evolved over the years in terms of dynamic and population, but memories remain and lets hope that I never forget.

The weekend

I had a conversation with E recently and shared with her how I had almost given up on blogging about my travels especially since I was not travelling as much as I used to and things were different now that I was working. E surprised me by sharing that she had started keeping a blog of her experiences in Sydney as part of gearing up for their big trip overseas. Her blog is awesome - vibrant and colourful.

Today, on this long weekend in Singapore, I find myself inspired again to blog. To share how I spend my weekends in the country I call home. Perhaps, this is also a timely reminder to myself to not become a nomad!

There is a place in Singapore which I like to visit on the occasional Sunday. It is a cafe called the coffee bean and tea leaf. Heavily franchised - it is not particularly known for the spectacular gourmet coffees that seem to be in the rage nowadays in Singapore - bang on trend Singaporeans searching for the perfect coffee bean, but that is another post for another day.

What I like about this particular cafe is its location. Located in Forum shopping mall, a rather obscure part of Orchard road, the cafe is situation adjacent to the building, facing the main road. On the good sunny days, the outdoor tables are great for people/car watching. I usually walk in before noon, grab one of the lunch sets and armed with my latest novel/journal or sometimes work brief, command a table in the corner where I lose myself for the next three, four hours. Most people go out to be seen, and most cafes expect the customer to order the full menu when they occupy a table for the afternoon - but this place does not and this is what I appreciate about it. So now I've done it, shared my secret reading place in S'pore. I hope that I do not regret this! 

Just to share, this is my current book of the week. It was such a surprising read that I finished it in one afternoon. I felt rather emotional at the end of the book. There is a hint of a happy ending which I totally chose to grab when I closed the book. Makes me want to visit Japan more and more!