I spent last week in Singapore--not exactly a fun trip as Randy had to check up on a coworker/friend who is hospitalized there in fairly critical condition. I tagged along for moral support to both Randy and the friend's wife. Before I continue, said friend is in stable condition but with a lot of surgeries/rehab in his future. If one is in a bad way, a Singapore hospital is definitely where you want to be as they are some of the worlds absolute best.
Coming from smokey, crazy-cold UB to Singapore is a real shock to the system. Singapore is like California on steroids. Every square inch is landscaped, no matter the neighborhood. It's illegal to even chew gum.
On our treks to and from the hospital, something fundamentally Singaporean hit me: the SHOPPING. Oh my. Block after block of the same repeat of lux shops. It becomes monotonous! Even though this was my 3rd trip to S'pore, I had sort of avoided all this stuff. Our hotel was on Orchard Road, about a 20-minute walk from the hospital, so hard to ignore this time.
If we went underground to cross the street, where the train stations are as well, what? More shopping!
Neighborhoods are identified by their shopping malls.
Randy had a business meeting and afterwards we were treated to a very new, very high restaurant (55th floor if I remember right!). The really interesting thing to me was that the bottom 5 floors were...shopping! Topped with apartments and sprinkled with restaurants. It was explained to us how locals love living in malls--they never have to go outside.
When we did have a spare moment, where did we go? Prada? Gucci? Nope. To Mustaffa's. This is a 5-or-so-story building tucked into Little India. It's a mess--and a hoot! The neighborhood is smelly. Mustaffa's has everything. Afterwards we treat ourselves to amazing Indian food. Perfect.
A subterranean level in Mustaffa's has an amazing fabric department, specializing in Indian sari lengths as well as lots of other stuff. I scored these two cotton beauties for about 8 USD each. I've bought some before and they wash up beautifully and hold their colors. Skirts? Sorbetto tops?
Then, because he's a keeper, Mr. SR made sure I got to Spotlight--an Australian sewing store! I needed thread and some other basics. Here he is holding the bag while posing for another tourist. Why do Asians want complete strangers in their holiday shots??? Plus, it's not like us foreigners are scarce there--the place is lousy with us! A mystery to me.
Coming from smokey, crazy-cold UB to Singapore is a real shock to the system. Singapore is like California on steroids. Every square inch is landscaped, no matter the neighborhood. It's illegal to even chew gum.
On our treks to and from the hospital, something fundamentally Singaporean hit me: the SHOPPING. Oh my. Block after block of the same repeat of lux shops. It becomes monotonous! Even though this was my 3rd trip to S'pore, I had sort of avoided all this stuff. Our hotel was on Orchard Road, about a 20-minute walk from the hospital, so hard to ignore this time.
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| He, He |
If we went underground to cross the street, where the train stations are as well, what? More shopping!
Neighborhoods are identified by their shopping malls.
Randy had a business meeting and afterwards we were treated to a very new, very high restaurant (55th floor if I remember right!). The really interesting thing to me was that the bottom 5 floors were...shopping! Topped with apartments and sprinkled with restaurants. It was explained to us how locals love living in malls--they never have to go outside.
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| View from the restaurant |
Seriously? In this gorgeous city and climate???
When we did have a spare moment, where did we go? Prada? Gucci? Nope. To Mustaffa's. This is a 5-or-so-story building tucked into Little India. It's a mess--and a hoot! The neighborhood is smelly. Mustaffa's has everything. Afterwards we treat ourselves to amazing Indian food. Perfect.
A subterranean level in Mustaffa's has an amazing fabric department, specializing in Indian sari lengths as well as lots of other stuff. I scored these two cotton beauties for about 8 USD each. I've bought some before and they wash up beautifully and hold their colors. Skirts? Sorbetto tops?
Then, because he's a keeper, Mr. SR made sure I got to Spotlight--an Australian sewing store! I needed thread and some other basics. Here he is holding the bag while posing for another tourist. Why do Asians want complete strangers in their holiday shots??? Plus, it's not like us foreigners are scarce there--the place is lousy with us! A mystery to me.
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| Note the man bag! Not just European anymore ;) |
So, even though lux shops aren't my thing, I got plenty of inspiraton by window shopping on all those walks :)
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| Me 'n the Prada Peeps
The night we left, we managed to get to the shore and enjoy some fish and a pretty sunset. And put our feet in the water :)
 Just a couple of sand crabs :)  |
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