I am not an early riser. I struggle against 5 alarms with a fifteen-minute interval on weekdays. Hitting a ten-minute shower, skipping breakfast, running late for school/review/work. Every morning is a struggle. Every morning is the same. But that is never the case whenever I'm in unfamiliar territory. Alarms are off, the curtains are drawn, but I get up early anyway. Only this time, I'm waking up in Lion City. If you've been following my instagram account, you may have come across a handful of posts during my trip to Singapore last year. And let me just say, what a wonderful city it is!
My family and I were staying at Marina Bay Sands for almost a week right on time for the 2016 Singapore Grand Prix. Our hotel is conveniently linked to the MRT Station so getting around the city was pretty effortless as long as I followed the map carefully.
On days when the Singapore GP wasn't taking up my time, I liked going on little excursions by myself. A quick goodbye kiss to my parents and several stations later, I found myself wandering around Haji Lane. This place has always been at the top of my list while I was planning this trip.
Haji Lane is a quaint little alley tucked away in the Muslim quarter of Lion City. It's known for its novelty shops, eclectic fashion boutiques, and eccentric cafes.
Despite the shade encompassing the narrow alley, the heat of the sun was still inescapable. So after devouring a huge plate of omelette at CAD Cafe and going through different shops and galleries, I decided to grab a cold one at The Singapura Club. If there's one thing about Singapore that has really imprinted on me, it's the fact that vices are hella expensive! 12 SGD for a beer? That was probably the only time I get to say that I'm happy to be living in the Philippines where a liter of beer costs only about $3.
Eventually, one street lead to another and the next thing I know I was already wandering around Arab Street. The place is teeming with beautifully woven rugs and pillow cases. I wish I could take all of them with me! And the smell of Persian food wafting every corner is enticing! But if there's one thing I regret about my trip to Singapore, it's that I didn't buy (hoard) more rugs and pillowcases (sad)
There's a first time for everything and this was one of those times: unaccompanied by any friends or relatives in unfamiliar territory. I can definitely say that I'm looking forward to more solitary excursions.
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