My folks are in town

My parents had their first trip to Asia last week - Vietnam for 10 days followed by their long awaited visit to Singapore. Their Vietnam leg was all organised for them through an agent so they had requested I do the same for them for Singapore. Challenge accepted. Here's what we got up to:

Day 1: Dinner along the promenade, MBS Light Show, Garden Rhapsody. 

Garden Rhapsody

Day 2: Gardens by the Bay, cocktails at Bar Stories on Haji Lane, dinner at Level 33

Gardens by the Bay

Bar Stories

Blowing away 33 floors up...

Day 3: National Museum of Singapore, cocktails at Raffles, more cocktails at the National Gallery's Smoke and Mirrors bar, dinner along Clarke Quay

Singapore Slings at Raffles

View from Smoke and Mirrors

Day 4: Brunch at Jones' the Grocer and shopping on Dempsey hill, lunch and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in China town, Botanic Gardens

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Botanic Gardens or La La Land?

Day 5: Mani/pedi followed by Afternoon Tea at The Fullerton Bay's Landing Point


It was a really sad farewell as I won't now see them for another 10 months. However, it was great to show them my life here and I'm so happy I now have Singapore experiences and memories with them <3

No work, all play

It's been a slightly strange week for me this week as, after starting my new job last Monday, I wasn't able to go back in this week due to a delay with my background check being approved. It has been a right pain as this was the week I should have been shadowing three events which I will then have to manage next month. Anyway, these things happen and my fingers are crossed that my check will come through today and I can be back in work as normal again come Monday!

As I haven't been working, I have once again been filling my days with yoga, swimming, shopping and meeting new friends.

I adore Yoga Movement classes - this week I tried normal Yoga Power which is so much better than hot Yoga Power (as I could actually breathe!) and also another Yoga Core which involved continuous planks and leg raisers for an hour. That was two days ago. I still ache. 

I've discovered this quirky little place called the Plain Vanilla Bakery a few doors up from the Tiong Bahru studio which is a great treat after yoga. The bakery floor is covered in fake grass and cushions and they have the most delicious little cupcakes of every flavour.

I mentioned I've been shopping. Now, if you haven't already heard of Daiso, you need to. It's Japanese and has all the weird and wonderful things you would expect; from kawaii stationary, clothing and home decor, all the kitchenware you will never need and lots of great Japanese snacks and canned hot coffee. The best thing about Daiso is that everything costs $2 SGD. It's a dream.

Phil and I also headed to Dempsey Hill to check out all the cool shops selling rugs, furniture, lamps and other soft furnishings. Dempsey Hill shops felt alot like Bali - lots of statues and carvings we really wanted to buy but wouldn't have anywhere to put. We did buy a fun candle holder though, and spent a bit of time trying to 'feng shui' our living room when we got back.

Dempsey Hill purchase

Now our apartment is looking a little more homely and our fridge is well stocked; we had a few friends over for dinner mid-week. It's been really nice cooking and hosting again and we've got a few more dinner parties, game nights and BBQs planned in the coming weeks and months. 

I also went on another blind 'friend-date' with a girl I met on InterNations. We went for breakfast at Baker and Cook in Holland V and ended up chatting for hours. I love how easy it is to make friends here. I can't begin to imagine the reaction I would get in the UK if I asked a random girl I met online for a coffee. One of the many good things about Singapore!

It's Friday today so we're out with some pals in the CBD. Tomorrow we have been invited to a Singaporean wedding which I'm really looking forward to. Will update on that next week :)

Week 2 - exploring Singapore

On Saturday we headed over to East Coast Park, rented some bikes and cycled around for a couple of hours - it's safe to say we worked up a bit of a sweat in the 36c heat! Phil taught me to cycle with no hands - possibly one of my biggest achievements this year..

We then stumbled into Little India, spotting some fun umbrella trees before getting lost in the extremely busy and intimidating, 400,000 sq ft department store called the Mustafa Centre. (Top tip: DO NOT GO ON A WEEKEND).

Umbrella Tree

In the evening we had set up a bit of a blind double-date (an intro through a friend of a friend) with a lovely couple who treated us to drinks at Rabbit Carrot Gun on the East Coast Road. Not only were they a fun couple to get to know, but Phil's going to join the guys football team and they've also put me in touch with someone who works in International Development which I'm really interested in being involved with over here.

We treated ourselves to another terrific brunch on Sunday at a little place called Jones's on Dempsey Hill. Dempsey Hill seems like a pretty cool place as it's an old army base with a few little quirky shops and eateries. The brunch we had was absolutely delicious so will be back there in a heartbeat I'm sure.

The Brunch of Champions

We then braved ION at Orchard which was productive albeit a little stressful. Shopping on Orchard reminded me a little of shopping on Oxford Street, but just a tad hotter. Not somewhere I want to be popping back to on the regular.

Later in the evening we headed up to Fort Canning Park and watching an open-air theatre production of Romeo & Juliet. The actors captivated the several hundred of us watching and Phil and I both loved it. The MBS light show began right over the top of the park, really brining it home for a moment that we were indeed sitting in the middle of a park in Singapore watching Romeo and Juliet. Another slightly surreal one for us I think.

Shakespeare in the Park

 
Phil had this whole week off work so we were able to spend the days together. We planned a full day of condo hunting on Monday and we knew immediately that a condo on Holland Hill was the one for us. The condo is minutes away from two MRTs and Holland Village has a good strip of eateries and bars, as well as a couple of Hawker Centres and a supermarket so a great location for us. We put an offer on immediately and are buzzing for it.

We went to a couple of other amazing restaurants this week. The first called Level 33 which is in Tower 1 of MBS Hotel. It's the best meal I've eaten in Singpore by far and cannot wait to go back there.

My delicious venison dinner at Level 33

The other delicious meal was at Latteria which is on Duxton Hill. Latteria is a mozzarella restaurant so every starter and main is cheese based - I never knew there were so many types of mozzarella but knowing this has made my life just that little bit happier.