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MRT station.... most MRT stations now have automatic gates to prevent
accidents |
January 27..... Not much to say about today.... my shopping day! My brother and I decided not to take Vivian to Universal Studio on Sunday, because it will be crazy busy, especially because there was long weekend in Indonesia (meaning A LOT of Indonesians will be travelling to Singapore, since a lot of LCC flies to Singapore from Indonesia). So my agenda today, will be to take picture of the Singapore's famous icon... the Singa (Lion), just because, then check out the famous shopping center, Orchard road and meet up my brother there. My sister and I was gonna go to Garden by the Bay before heading to Orchard Road, but there was no time I guess. We went to Marina Bay to see the Singa (Lion), along the way I took the picture of the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel.... again :D. Beautiful architecture, in the past people used to be able to go up to the top and check things out there or take picture of Singapore from the top of the building, but rumor said hotel guests who were paying to stay up there were complaining so tourists not allowed to go up there anymore. Of course, plenty of expensive shopping around this area...... (-_-)
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| One area in Singapore where it's all nothing but apartment buildings.... |
I took picture of the Singa, then we went to checked out Chinese new year cookies at one of the historical landmark of Singapore, hotel Fullerton. Chinese new year is coming up February 10, I wish I've extended my holiday till after, but that's why from all corners of Singapore there are food fairs of vendors selling Chinese new year cookies and sweets. It is tradition to give relatives and friends bakings, and only kids get ampau (money inside red envelope). Usually cookies such as pineapple tarts (nastar), peanut cookies, kue lapis (spekkoek), cheese cookies, will be given to friends and relatives.... Asian culture.... it's all about food! Yes... speaking of Asian culture.... we love to feed people! Even celebration like Chinese new year, we don't give gifts as North American do with Chinese new year, but we give food to each other.... and Chinese new year day... oh my lord...... each houses you visit you're given food..... I remember I had the stomach still when I was under 13, but all of the sudden now..... huaaaa.... not enough room in the tummy! Not only Chinese new year, but I remember growing up, when I played at a friend's house the parents always offer me supper or lunch. I guess it was a habit I carried, so when Vivian's little friend came over I started giving them cookies and food, but my ex husband told me not to because then they gonna come all the time.... I don't see the problem in that :( .... It's only food ... and food HAS to be shared. So that was part of North American culture of some (since Ukranian babas do like to feed everyone :D) that I still didn't get. And regarding gifts... I rather someone gave me nice pineapple tarts than some Christmas socks or gifts that I don't need... or donate the budget for my gift ! That's even better!
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| And the park (^^) |
We went for lunch, however, I had a light lunch consist of shaved ice desert with colourful sagoo beads and Chinese crispy shallot pancakes.... SO GOOD..... The amazing variety of ethnic food what amazes me the most, maybe one of those countries with the biggest selection of ethnic foods, all in one little country! We headed to Orchard Road, and by this time I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of choice for shopping.... or the lack of money to splurge on all :D ! Orchard Road consists of malls where you will find your high end designer brands, or a mall similar to Mangga Dua in Indonesia where things are cheap and you can bargain. We went to dinner at an Indonesian restaurant, we had karedok (veggies with peanut sauce) and I had ketoprak (veggies with peanut sauce, tofu and rice cake).... I was soo excited that I forgot to take the picture :( . We ended the night early, and spend the rest of the night hanging out, whole family together for once (^^) I think the best part of being here this time was.... everybody was here!
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What a small but advance country (^^) Especially culturally, Singapore
is so lively with cultures from all over Asia! |
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| Marina Bay Sands Hotel |
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Singa must be sick of staring at the Marina Bay Sands hotel everyday (^^)
poor Singa.... |
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| Singa |
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| One of the heritage building in Singapore, the Fullerton hotel |
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| Nice (^^) |
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| Awwwh... fancy...... of course, this was inside Fullerton Hotel :D |
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| My yummy lunch, Chinese shallots crispy pancake and shaved ice with all those colourful sagoo goodies (^^) |
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| Orchard Road |
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| Orchard Road's traffic jam |
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| Chinese new year sweets food fair |
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| Oooooh the crowd...... I was gonna sample ALL the goodies but too crowded to take my time there |
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| Ah... another image of Takashimaya.... just for Shinji.. (^^) |
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Cendol, Indonesian dessert drink, coconut milk, palm sugar and
cendol, which is the green jelly like thing made of coconut milk,
rice flour and pandan extract which has smell like vanilla
and give it the green colour.... yumm yumm |
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