Monday, March 24, 2014

Singapore Slingin' It/Birthday Gluttony Pt. 2


***CONFESSION: I should have tagged this entry onto the end of my last post. But be totally honest, I got distracted [i.e. resigned from my job, left the Maldives, traveled for five weeks in Israel, then started a new job at a new resort where I've spent the majority of the last month acclimating to my new digs and responsibilities] thereby losing concentration and slacking off the blog-wagon once again. So here's my attempt to finish up what should have been published in one tidy package.***
My boyfriend, Sanoon and I bid farewell to the beautiful island of Bali and said hello to the big city life of Singapore [aka the last destination for my Birthday Gluttony 2k13].
From the moment I stepped foot in the tiny country, I could feel an interesting mix of Eastern and Western cultures colliding. There were Eastern reminders of the countless Asian cities I'd explored over the last year and half of my travels.
These reminders included bubble teas galore,
Fried "delicacies,"
And the unmistakable sign of hardcore Asian work ethics.
But interspersed between all the Asian markers was a very Western feeling aesthetic. Extravagent shopping malls dominated [what felt like] every other corner,
Western architecture adorned the city streets,
and there were Christmas decorations #alloverthedamnplace.
As a former five year resident of Singapore, Sanoon acted as the perfect guide to some of his favorite city haunts. We visited the riverside neighborhood of Clark Quey for a sushi dinner,
Meandered through Gardens by the Bay at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel,
 
And stumbled upon the Super Tree Grove where we climbed to the top of an Avatar-looking art installation for treetop drinks and a great city view.
 
Holding [the self-proclaimed] title of "The Zagat of Bathrooms Around the World," it would be criminal not to mention that I gave the bathroom inside the tree a 5 Star rating based on its attention to artistic detail coupled with handicap accessibility.
After Supertree, we made a pitstop at the historic church-turned-pub, Chijmes, where Sanoon watched a Liverpool game and I took a nap next to my pint of beer.
(150 screaming football fans is a lullaby by my count.)
With Sanoon revved by Liverpool's win and me newly refreshed from my football-nap, we made our way over to the New Asia Bar and Club on the roof of Swissotel Singapore.
The city view from the bar more than made up for the $25 Heinekens and Top 40 DJ mix.
 
Singapore was so full of good eats, fun sights and nice shopping that we "accidentally" missed our flight back to the Maldives and stayed an extra day. 
Birthday gluttony more than lived up to its name and brought me a few extra pounds of delight as I crossed two more destinations off my bucketlist of life.
(This picture of lions on a gutter has nothing to do with anything.)
So dear readers, I cannot guarantee that my next post about my impromptu excursion to Jerusalem in January will appear on this site speedily, but I promise to try and update again soon. And who knows...maybe more frequent travels and blogging will once again be on the horizon in the not so distant future.