Singapore 2022

This one is from the archives. It has been well over an year since I went to Singapore for the first time and I am still sweating from all that humidity! Or maybe it is because this is the first time I am writing about a trip that is somewhat different. Usually, I am either travelling for work or for holiday. This one ended up being a bit of both.

Early in 2022, I applied for a job in the US and got it. Because of covid, the embassy in Sydney was closed and the earliest appointment that Australians could get was not anywhere in Australia, but in Singapore. So, I decided to spend a week in Singapore and booked a return ticket.

Yes, I got the visa. No, I did not move to the US for the job. Yes, I, *separately, went to the US for a work trip (literally 2 months after getting a work visa and changing my mind about the permanent move). If you are wondering, "What? why?", so did I. But, that is a story for another time. Bottom line - I live in Sydney and absolutely love it.

So anyway, when I first planned this trip, the idea was to complete the embassy formalities and then work from the Singapore office for 1 week, pretty much by myself.

You guessed it. It was not that simple 😛

When I was talking about my trip in the office, my colleague-turned-friend, Michal, half-jokingly mentioned that he would like to come along. "Umm...okay" turned into him booking the seat next to mine and off we went ✈

The flight was nice, we watched a few movies, including a German comedy - Contra. After landing and collecting our bags, we got the first glimpse of the awesome public transport in Singapore. We caught a train directly from the airport to Little India. Fun fact: Every announcement on the train is made in three languages as there is a large Cantonese and South Indian population in Singapore.

In Little India, we navigated packed streets, bought sim cards, and found our way to Komala Vilas - a no-frills eatery serving Indian vegetarian classics like dosa (crispy stuffed crepes) since 1947. After queueing up for about 15 minutes with the lingering smell of deliciousness in the air, we finally got to try the masala dosai along with an assortment of curries and chutnies! Needless to say, this was the perfect way to begin our week.

After eating more than we could but less than we wanted to, we caught the train towards our hotel. Walking the streets, late at night, with our bags, we realised how sweaty the following week was going to be and decided not to put ourselves through this again, no matter what 😓

Next morning, we were received by Jani, Michal's manager, at the office in Singapore. We enjoyed a feast at breakfast with at least 3 different cuisines on offer. Then, Jani gave us a tour of the office and we all went to some hot desks to sift through our emails. Before lunch, I took myself on another tour of the office to explore the different working areas, amenities, kitchens and noted down all the cool distractions 😉. For lunch, Jani took us to Keng Eng Kee Seafood in Alexandra Village. An assortment of delicious local dishes were ordered and downed in no time with some cold crisp Tiger beer 🍺

In the late afternoon, when the heat settled down slightly, Michal and I caught a bus into the city and walked around the posh area of Marina Bay Sands. Michal was thrilled to see a group of young folks roller skating around the harbour. Some locals suggested that we stay back for the Light Show at Gardens by the Bay. We got there early to enjoy the view of the artifical trees from the best spot. For about 20 minutes, we forgot about the heat, dust and sweat. Lying down on the bare ground, we absorbed the synchronous dance of music and lights. In line with the theme of this trip, what followed was another heavy meal. We had dinner at Sushiro - conveyor belt sushi specialty store. We picked many dishes and we ate it all, leaving only a pile of empty dishes! To rid ourselves of some of the guilt and calories, we walked back towards Marina Bay, now gleaming in purple lights. We walked across the water from Marina Bay Sands Hotel and got a few drinks to enjoy a panoramic view of the hotel.

Next night for dinner, after spending a productive day at the office, we went to East Coast Lagoon Food Village - one of the many Hawker centres around Singapore. Jani's presence was crucial and whole-heartedly appreciated. With all his experience and enthusiasm, Jani jogged around the centre, stopping at at least four different stalls, and ordered a variety of sweet and spicy dishes. Within 15 minutes, we devoured the food and were ready to burn it off. So, we spent the next 45 minutes walking around East Coast park, watching airplanes take off and land from the other side of the city.

On Saturday, we found ourselves at Chinatown. First, we went to the cultural icon, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. There we payed our respects and soaked some spiritual positivity. With this positivity and hunger, we started looking for Kopi - traditional coffee beverage in Southeast Asia. It is highly concentrated in caffeine and usually served with sugar or cream to make it sweeter and easier to drink. We tired multiple variations - black, with sugar, with milk, with ice - and they were all interesting. I am not sure I would put this above my usual espresso but it was a good experience nonetheless.

Sachima, also known as honey crackers, is made of fried dough pieces held together with malted sugar syrup. Pan Ji Cooked Food is a hawker stall (since 1983), one of 500+ in Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre. At Pan Ji, an elderly man still makes Sachima by hand. We lined up and waited outside Pan Ji for about 20 minutes (and watched the artist at work) to finally get our hands on this traditional snack.

Next, we visited Clarke Quay supposedly_ a pretty riverside quay in Singapore that attracts quite a lot of visitors and tourists. For us, it was an underwhelming experience - that of a classic tourist trap. Most of the bars and restaurants were closed, there were hardly any tourists and the place looked like a ghost town. Within 10 mins, we were on our way to dinner - possibly the best dinner we had in Singapore - Swee Choon. Swee Choon was another recommendation from Jani's list and this place went from being closed at 5pm to accomodating 200 people at 5.30pm. All in an orderly fashion with color-coded coupons and table numbers perfectly in sync with the number of people. To make the most of this experience (like there was no tomorrow), we ordered at least 8 dishes between the two of us. Needless to say, we ate it all. With full bellies and fuller hearts, we decided to head back to the hotel and call it a night so we could rest up for another big day.

Sunday was all about Sentosa - a sunny island in Singapore, home to exciting events, themed attractions, award-winning spas, lush rainforests, golden sandy beaches and restaurants!

We hopped on a cable car to get into the island. On getting off, we walked along the beach until we found a bar with a mellow but lively vibe. We got a few beers and some cocktails. I remember having some deep conversations but it's been a year and there is no way to recollect what they were about.

Not knowing that it is one of the world's largest, we walked into S.E.A Aquarium. I am a huge fan of the Our Planet documentary series and I love to learn about animals and their habitats. I don't usually like seeing wild animals inside a box but it was a novel experience for me to witness some jellyfish and sharks that I had never seen or heard of before.

Later that night, we spontaneously decided to hit the gym and snuck in a quick session on our way home. To this day, I have no idea why that decision was made but it was fun and funny and I'd totally do it again.

Michal had invited his partner, Pati to Singapore for an extended holiday. Before leaving for Sydney, I spent a day with them. We went back to the Gardens by the Bay to check out the Cloud Forest - one of the world’s tallest indoor waterfalls and a lush mountain clad with plants from around the world, and, the Flower Dome. We strolled along some unique aerial walkways and got a close look at some of the world’s most exotic plant species native to a range of unique habitats – from the Mediterranean region, to South African savannahs and arid deserts. Beautiful scents and gorgeous photos with the waterfalls, flowers and plants made for the perfect evening. Although, we easily walked over a few thousand steps, we felt refreshed! Before saying goodbye to Michal and Pati for their extended holiday in Singapore and Thailand, we made one last stop together at the iconic floating Apple Store. Entering via the underground escalators, as you emerge up to the main deck, you get a 360 view of the harbour with the water all around you!

To wrap up the workation, I had breakfast at the office before heading to the airport for my flight back home 🏠

Little did we know at the time that a random hallway conversation in the office would turn into one of the best decisions we ever made. Now, as we look back, this trip was only the first one of many! Watch this space!