Singapore

Thu, 25/05/2006

May 25, my friend Ken's birthday! And the first day we got to know each other. We should have celebrated but here I am and there he is in Japan.

Finished early again but it was raining. D*mn. I was tempted to jump into bed and take a nap, but I went to the gym instead, got myself sweaty, took a shower and got into the steam bath to relax my muscles. When I was done the rain has stopped falling and the sky is beautiful - clear blue with white clouds. I walked to the Arab Quarter again just to check the "House of Japan", which according to Lonely Planet sells second-hand fashion sent directly from Japan. But I was disappointed and didn't get anything there. It was twilight, and I walked back to Bugis Junction and had my [early] dinner after a little window-shopping. Since I haven't been to Orchard Rd. during this trip and have to visit my uncle at a hospital there, I took an MRT to the next interchange station. It was rush hour, the train was packed with people. When I reached the interchange station, while queing for the train with so many other people I did some time calculation. Since the train would be stuffed with all those people queing with me and the time was too late to visit the hospital, I walked to the exit and took some time browsing the mall upstairs. Singapore is on a big sale season, but things are still expensive!

I went back to my hotel, sank in bed continued where I left of the book I've been reading (Haruki Murakami's "South of the Border, West of the Sun"). Even though I was sleepy it was hard to stop reading.

24/05/2006

Having finished things early, I left around 4:30pm heading to Arab Quarter by foot. I walked through Lim(?) Seah St. - interesting & colourful restaurants along the street. On Beach Road, again I found the sign saying "To stay within restricted zone", same as the other one I saw on North Bridge Road. What does it mean? At the end of the block there's a sign saying "End of restricted zone". Hmmm... Nggak ngerti.

I finally reached the Arab Quarter. Interesting street names: Arab Street, Haji Street, Baghdad Street, Muscat Street,... I found Samar, the restaurant Elaine recommended me to try. I didn't try it then, not yet. Still wanted to walk along and enjoy the late afternoon outdoors.

I found the Sultan's Mosque but didn't enter. Maybe I'll enter when I go there again. Then I found this interesting part of the area in front of the mosque: Bussorah Street. This street is closed for motor vehicles. Along there are shops and small cafes & restaurants with tables outside. I really enjoy the atmosphere there. There's a bookshop with a very cosy interiors - carpets and sofa in front of the bookshelves, and the air conditioner is cool, felt good when I enter the place after being exposed to the heat and humid air outside.

I was taking photos of the neighbourhood when I realized my polarising filter was dirty! Arrgh. Need to find a cleaning solution.

It was getting late in the afternoon and my stomach started to cry for food :p I just realized that late afternoon is actually my dinner time - the time when I usually feel hungry, that is (I normally don't have late dinner bcuz I prefer sleeping.) I spent a couple of minutes trying to decide which place I will pick. Then I saw this small cafe just in front of the bookshop. DeliMoroccan. Interesting, especially because I'd never tasted Moroccan food before. I walked there and took a look on the menu. A guy, the owner of the cafe, greeted me and help me with info about the food. I ordered beef kebab and cranberry tea, and took a seat outside.

I really enjoyed the afternoon in the interesting atmosphere there on Bussorah Street while having my kebab and sipping the tea. The owner, who introduced himself later as Jamal, came and we had a little chat. I stayed there long enough, taking my time until right after the sun set - I could tell from the adzan from the mosque. I thanked Jamal and said good bye, he gave me his email address and asked if I would come visit his cafe again. Well, probably.

So I walked back to the direction of my hotel. I was thinking about going to Funan to find a cleaner for my camera filter, but then I thought I'd try Raffles City. And I found it there - no need to go futher to Funan.

I was back at the hotel happy, satisfied and...not hungry. It's always good to have early dinner, cuz I wouldn't be hungry in the evening and I would go to sleep without my stomach full. I didn't know before that I would find the Arab Quarter so interesting. And I got a new friend there. Not a bad day at all!

Late afternoon around 6:30pm I walked from my hotel, back to Chijmes to take photos (have to wait before I can put them here). Then walked to Clarke Quay, then Boat Quay. Took a rest in Boat Quay, sitting by the river. It was 8pm. After giving my legs a little rest and taking some photos, I continued walking along the river to the bay where Merlion statue stands. Very thirsty and started to get hungry. Took photos of Esplanade Theatre on the bay and the Merlion statue. Walked back to Boat Quay, had a few gulp of cold bottled water, and walked to MRT station - I wouldn't go back to the hotel by foot, no thanks.

Chijmes from the front

Chijmes hallway

View to Fullerton Hotel from Boat Quay

THE Merlion

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay

Took a train ride to Bugis and had dinner at Bugis Junction. When I left it was 10pm, I walked back to the hotel, tired but satisfied. Instead of spending time at the gym on treadmill getting nowhere, what I did is better. I walked, got sweaty and got to many places.

Last night I had dinner with James and Elaine. They asked me to meet up at a place called CHIJMES - apparently it's just across my hotel. And the place is very nice. It used to be a monastery, but now the rooms have become restaurants, cafes and shops. The garden inside is a very nice place to sit and have dinner while enjoying the outdoors.

We met up at 7:30pm at Hogs Breathe Cafe, having some snack while chatting. Then we walked along to find a place for dinner. We ate at a Brazilian restaurant called CARNIVORE. It's interesting - how they serve the food. Two chefs come in turns with different kinds of meat sticked with a metal bar(?) like kebab and ask if we'd like that. If so they would slice it to our plates.

After stuffing ourselves and walking to leave the place, James reminded me that it used to be praying halls - it made me imagine what it was like back then. The main hall of CHIJMES is now used for events such as weddings etc. We took a look at it. It's beautiful but spooky (in my opinion). I asked them if it was haunted. Maybe.

Left Jakarta last Sunday. At the airport got a new acquaintance, a guy working for Pfizer who was also flying solo to Singapore. We spent waiting time chatting. He got news from his colleagues who arrived earlier that 2 of the 3 of them were taken to the Immigration office - the 3rd one who was 'safe' happens to be of Chinese ethnic - what was going on? We arranged to meet at Changi after landing and got in the immigration line together. He was almost certain that he was going to be questioned as his colleagues was. But he was not - what a relief. Then we exchanged money, reconfirm our flight back, and said good bye - went our separate ways.