what i'll remember: singapore

We arrived in Singapore in the evening, and left in the morning. So instead of five days, we actually only had three full days. Because we weren't used to the heat, we spent our afternoons hiding in the AC comfort of our hotel, so that didn't leave a lot of time to go around. I'll have to plan another trip there.

We were able to go to the Night Safari on our second night. Originally, my parents didn't want to go with me, but as I was about to leave the hotel, they were at the taxi stand waiting for me. (Anovah talaga?) When we got there, Pop said, "Why is it so dark?"

Mom enjoyed the fish nibbling at her feet very much. Freaking expensive at SGD10 for five minutes! I can't believe we extended to ten minutes. But she loooved it so much.

Pop was very impressed by the new casino that's being built near the marina. He called it his giant ship in the sky.

I was awestruck by the Louis Vuitton window at the Ion Orchard. Very nice.

At the basement of the Ion, I saw this and stopped in my tracks.

Takoyaki! Mmm... tasty. The six good-sized balls with a cold matcha-flavored soy milk cost SGD6. Like I said, not cheap.

The last time I was in Singapore was 1996. A lot has changed, but for the better, I think. For one thing, you can smoke on the street now. Just look for a trash bin and stand right next to it. There's always, always toilet paper in the public restrooms, and the toilets flush by themselves. There are no traffic jams to speak of. There's artwork scattered in public spaces. There's greenery everywhere, with nary a leaf out of place. Everything's clean. Everything works. The native population seems to be more relaxed now, compared to Lee Kwan Yew's time, but still anal retentive. Love it!

I end my Singapore blog series with my picture of the Merlion. Look, even the buildings seem to be toeing the line.