Sunny Singapore – Hubby’s second home

When we’re out, I’m often looked at by the older people and later on asked if I am the mother of the kids I’m with…or if I take care of them. 😀 I don’t take offense because I admit that my kids resemble their Dad a lot. They took on more of his Singaporean look. Thus, people get confused  why they have almond eyes but I don’t.

While the reason why we went home was not a pleasant one, we tried to stay positive. We took a side trip to Singapore to let the kids get acquainted with their Dad’s second home. Also, to meet his older sisters and get the kids introduced, too.   We were only able to meet one of their aunts. It was a sweet reunion although we forgot to take photos with her.

I actually forgot to bring our dslr for this trip. lol. I was only able to bring the chunky SonyCybershot F717…which I also enjoy using. It has a wider format than the Canon ones but the colors are crisp and I do get sharp images, so no complaints.

Clean and Pleasing

It’s no secret that Vienna has spoiled us. Whenever we visit other cities, we would unconsciously compare how clean it is to what we’re used to. Singapore fares in this regard really well. While the overall atmosphere is different, Singapore feels as safe as Vienna is.

There may be a long queue for taxis but it shows a big deal of organization.

 

Child-friendly

Aside from the many parks scattered in the whole of the city, there are a lot of amusing things kids can do in Singapore. There are many museums and galleries catered to the curiosity of children. Gardens that invoke the love for flora and fauna abound. Children can bring bread to feed fish and ducks. And actually keeping the city really green with all the plants and trees around impacts them at a young age. With the grass-carpeted lawns, having a picnic with the whole family is a breeze.

Funny and Diverse

While waiting for our gondola that’s taking us to Sentosa, I found this funny t-shirt at a souvenir shop. It lists the things one should avoid while inside the gondola and the “no durian” rule made me guffaw.  I bet it’s not a smell anyone would want to stick to their clothes and nostrils. 😀

Tourists flock to Singapore so much, migrants as well. I believe this has made the city diverse and attractive, culturally speaking.

Superb Transportation System

Singapore is a joy to walk around at. However, for our short city break, we were able to experience the efficiency of the transportation system. The buses and train wagons are also clean and very rarely miss the schedule. If you are going about with the trains and buses, get a tourist pass to save on expenses.

Not to forget the cable cars, an exciting way to get to Sentosa Island from Mount Faber. It costs SGD 33 for adults and SGD 22 for children for a round-trip ticket (price updated 2019).

 

Saying Hello to the Merlion

There were a lot of things we saw and did both at the city and at Sentosa. The first thing was to see the 37-metre-tall Merlion statue a bit upclose.

“The legendary Merlion is a mythical creature with a lion’s head and a fish’s body – as a guardian of prosperity which personifies Singapore’s history as an important seaport. The lion head depicts the folklore of Prince Sang Nila Utama’s discovery of lion (singa) and City (pura) while the fish tail symbolises the fishing village of ‘Temasek’, also known as ‘sea-town’ in Javanese. Set foot in the Merlion’s mouth to get up close and personal with the legend.

But don’t stop till you get to the crown! At 60 metres above sea level, you will actually be seeing Singapore through the perspective of the Guardian of Prosperity. Come soak up the 360⁰ commanding view and bask in the aura of this endearing national symbol. You’ll see why legends, myths and stories all point to this regal creature for the swift recovery of Singapore’s economy from the Asian financial crisis.“

Let’s tackle the other things to do and things to see in Singapore on the next posts. ^_^