As mentioned in my previous post, we re-booked our flight to SG from October to September after our visas to South Korea were approved!

Aside from us not wanting to waste (yet again) a bunch of tickets, we decided to go overseas for our 14th anniversary. The last time we were out of the country for that day was way back in 2018 in Taiwan. We did not want this year to be the same buffet and movie. Besides, we jokingly justified that we had an unused Klook voucher for the Jewel Changi from our trip to Singapore last July to be expired!

Same as last time, Mon’s sister agreed to look after the cats for the next couple of days. It won’t be a very long trip anyway, and we’ll be back before the weekend. So bye for now, to our dear cats!

Unlike our previous trip to SG, we flew this time via Cebu Pacific, thus we had to go to NAIA Terminal 3 instead. I loved this terminal among the others because, well, it looked the most pleasant and modern. It was also the quickest trip from Makati from the Skyway.

Again, unlike last time, we made sure this time around that our Php 1,620 travel taxes were paid way ahead. There was already a long line by the check-in counter, but not as long as last July. It only took us 30 minutes to check in our luggage and get our boarding passes.

The immigration area was a different story, though. I was not sure if it was the terminal or the day of the week but it was more packed than Terminal 1. This was were we spent most of time queueing. When it was my turn with the immigration officer, he just asked me when I was returning and stamped my passport.

The line after this was still so long that it even reached the point where 2 couples had a shouting match over something I chose to tune out. According to Mon, it may have been because of their place in the line. Calm down, people. All of us will eventually get past the X-ray machines!

Good thing I was only wearing the leather sandals from SG we bought last time so getting them off was a breeze. I did not bring any other footwear, except for some flip flops, as I intended to buy a pair of sneakers to be used for South Korea.

We had plenty of time to grab a quick bite but there were, surprisingly, not too many choices. We ended up at Starbucks which luckily has an outlet so we can charge our cellphones and squeeze in some laptop times before we headed to the boarding gate.

As soon as we reached the farthermost boarding gate, a Cebu Pacific staff was already beckoning to the passengers the new boarding gate. We got there first and we sat comfortably right in front of them. The boarding queue was a mess, though. We were under the impression that we were to be called in batches but everyone just immediately went for the line.LOL

When we boarded the plane, we also had to plan ahead having to ask the passenger next to us to switch places. Upon check-in, we requested from the Cebu Pacific staff to have us sit next to each other with one sitting by the aisle. She just heard the second part. Bless her. Good thing the other passenger was happy enough to be by the window so that worked out well for all of us.

Interestingly, we only went to the comfort room once at the beginning of the flight. Still, being seated by the aisle is a lot better than by the window. We also brought with us this time one of those cellphone holders from Shopee so we’ll have our own in-flight entertainment. We were obviously at a budget airline, thus we had to be in charge of our own entertainment. I just downloaded a couple of movies on my iPad, and several issues of US Vogue if I felt like reading. It was only about a 4-hour trip anyway.

Almost 30 minutes before our arrival, the clock struck 12. It was already our 14th somewhere over the Singapore Strait! LOL It was the first time we were not on dry land.

As soon as we landed at Changi International Airport, we immediately went straight to the immigration area. The queue was not as long as last time, and it only took us only around 15 minutes before our turn with the immigration officer. As soon as I handed my passport, he immediately returned it to me. “No paper!” My visa to South Korea was still firmly stapled in my passport, and I had to carefully fiddle with it so the staple wire did not leave any damage to it.

We then went immediately to the carousel to get our checked-in luggage, before we headed to Changi Recommends by the exit to get out WiFi router. Next was the challenge of booking a Grab to the hotel. There were a lot of passengers and it took us almost 30 minutes just to have a driver accept our booking.

While trying, there was a couple from the United States who just came from a a connecting trip from Japan after a very long flight. They were having difficulties booking a Grab, prompting us to instruct them they’d have a greater chance getting one if they were to get the more expensive 6-seater.

The ride to our hotel was very smooth and it took us only 20 minutes to reach it. We checked in, paid for the the breakfast for the next 3 days (still SGD 12 per person per day), and went up to our room. We already had something to eat at the airplane and good thing that we did not have to order food minutes before sleeping.

It was a hitch free arrival and we could not be happier for it.

Shopping and walking

In the morning, the first order of the day was shopping. As mentioned, I did not bring any shoes with me, except for the pair of Timberland leather sandals we bought in July, and some flip flops for the breakfast trips downstairs. I also promised to buy a pair of shoes for both my nephew and brother, so it was a one-time shoe buying spree for all of us.

I had my mind set on the Nike outlet as they had better prices as compared to Adidas. My nephew had a specific pair in mind e.g. a pair of Nike PG 6. I honestly do not have any idea every about these shoes, and I could not tell one from the other. I instructed him to be available for a video call so we can immediately decide on which pair of shoes I should be.

Unfortunately, the signal inside the store was so abysmal I had to step out just to have a proper conversation. I ended up buying the colorway he wanted in lieu of the original one he wanted.

As for my brother, he had no specific style in mind and I had to send almost 30 photos to him just so he can decide on which he wanted. Again, as the signal was so poor inside the store, I had to stay outside for a couple of minutes just to have the photos successfully sent to him. We ended up with one pair of low top sneakers, with its pair having a Cinderella moment. The staff eventually managed to find it in the display wall.

As for me, I had no idea what was the name of  the shoes I bought. All I knew was I had two non-negotiable criteria: 1) it must not be more than SGD 80, and 2) it should only be black and white. I fortunately found a pair and called it a day.

As for Mon, he was supposed to also buy a pair of shoes. He was, however, undecided which one to buy and left the store empty-handed. He nevertheless managed to buy a couple of pairs for his family. We left the store with seven pairs of shoes.

One other thing to note with this Nike store was they charge a fee for the paper bags/reusable bags. I forgot how much the largest one was, but they offered it as either a paper bag or the sturdier coated canvas variant. Mon was so annoyed with the staff who pressed him to get the paper bag one, which was flimsy and looked like it was about to break. As soon as we got out, he went back in to have it exchanged, but we got a firm ‘no’. Bummer.

We then dropped by Adidas to get a couple of track pants for his nephews, and for me a couple of discounted pairs of socks in three different colors (i.e. black, white. and pink).

One last thing we headed there for: another luggage for our shopping haul, and our trip next month to South Korea. We only have one rolling check-in luggage we bought way back in 2016 from Thailand. That surprisingly was able to tide us through our last winter in South Korea in the December of that year, but even for this upcoming autumn trip, we thought it best to have another luggage to be checked-in.

There were several stores inside IMM selling these luggages with various brands and price points. Some even had a ‘buy this check in, and get this cabin size for free’ offers. I kept on gravitating towards the brightly colored one, anticipating how it was such a pain to spot a luggage in a busy and crowded carousel. The yellow American Tourister spoke hard to me, and good thing it also was the heavily discounted one among the bunch.

Before we headed back to the hotel to leave our things, we had our lunch at this Korean chicken place (Jinjja Chicken) next to the Starbucks at Westgate. I underestimated how spicy one of the chicken flavors was, and I was sweating buckets within the first two minutes. I felt so uncomfortable and a bit embarrassed. LOL

As soon as we reached the hotel, we quickly freshened up, with me changing to the new pair of shoes we bought earlier in the day. Our next stop was the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands for that lovely air-conditioning.

Don’t get me wrong. Singapore is nice. Even if the weather was fairly calmer as compared to our first visit, it was still not cool enough to prevent me from sweating. We spent the first hour just walking around the mall, window shopping, and joking around.

When it was already around 4pm, we went outside the ArtScience Museum just to lounge, and took photos by the lotus pond. I’ve spent a considerable time here trying to get a nice shot of one of the flowers with the Singapore skyline at the background. We also were just watching the passersby, as well as the ferries moving around the bay.

When the sun was no longer as scorching hot as it was almost sunset, we decided to finally walk all the way until the Merlion. We never got close to it last time because we were in the river cruise. It was expectedly full of people that we did not dare to get too close to it. We just propped our camera on a timer on a crumpled canvas bag to get the shot below.

Like the others, we just sat down by the concrete steps as we decided where to eat. We frankly had no idea where we should be headed, prompting us to just walk by the bayside in case one of the restaurants there had something for us. We paced the stretch at least twice, before finally deciding with Brewerkz.

By the time all of our food reached our table, it was already half past 7 and we were already so hungry. A consolation, however, was the bay area looking much better in the evening with everything wonderfully lit. Marina Bay Sands was in the background as we tried to finish everything off of our plates.

After dinner, we walked back again to the Shoppes to get coffee. We may have taken too much of our time at Starbucks as we left almost quite late, only to end up not seeing anything at the Gardens by the Bay. It was late afternoon the last time we were there, and I personally still did not have the chance to see it lit in the evening.

We trekked the walkway but everyone was already going to the opposite direction. Oops. Nothing to see there anymore. That was the time we resolved to just head straight back to the hotel and just rest. It still a great day overall. =)

Unexpected reunions

The following day was also the birthday of Papa and Kuya. Over breakfast, we had the opportunity to great them, promising we’ll have lunch the coming weekend as soon as we get home. It was also the day that we decided to use the Klook voucher, the reason why we jokingly went back to Singapore in the first place.

We were lucky to have stayed at Lavender Station, as it was almost a straightforward trip to Changi Airport. We only had one transfer, and we were there in less than 30 minutes. Times like that always make us wonder how it would have better to have this transportation network in the Philippines.

Incidentally, we were in Singapore the same days that He Who Must Not Be Named was in Singapore, considering he was the reason we went to Singapore the first time months previously.

Anyway, our voucher mentioned we had to go in the top floors to experience the Mirror Maze. I was initially puzzled why we had been handed one of those flotation-like foams for swimming before we went inside. It dawned on me that we were not supposed to feel our way out of the maze, or worse, break the mirrors just to get out.

It was a helpful tool in the beginning, before I eventually figured out that the best way to find our way was to look up as it was easier to spot the sections with no mirrors. It was more straightforward after that, but we still found ourselves taking a million photos inside because we paid for it!

The other place we had access to was the Canopy Park. It was a great place for indoor greenery, but it was mostly geared for parents to rest as the kids bolt from the various contraptions. On the other hand, this area was less crowded with people that it was much better for us to get better shots of us on a timer with the airport’s architecture.

One other thing that I was able to squeeze in as we were in the airport was the sudden genius of me checking Carousell. My mother had been instructing me every chance she has to look for a Gloria Vanderbilt perfume which is frankly as good as out of production.

I checked the app and found one bottle from a seller who set Bukit Gombak as a meet-up location. We agreed to meet at 7:30 pm in the evening, which was enough time for us to have dinner. Before that, however, we had to meet one of my former colleagues and friends from my former workplace.

As soon as posted something in my social media account the day we arrived, I got a message from one of my friends who was also in Singapore as she just attended a wedding in India. We agreed to meet for lunch after our crazy airport stop, while she, on the other hand, just landed in Singapore almost the same time we were there.

For lunch, as a foodie, she wanted to try a highly recommended restaurant in one of the more obscure areas (read: Golden Mile) of Singapore for some rice with meat toppings. We had been walking for the whole day anyway, and we finally made a rule that when we are on a trip, we try as much as possible to by relaxed on our no rice rule. LOL

Looking at the map, I was under the impression that we can just walk all the way from Lavender Station to the Golden Mile Tower. I could not have been more wrong, and Google Maps was not that helpful as well to suggest it was only at 10-minute walk. Perhaps it was a 10-minute walk for a walkathon Olympian, but not us. If it were snowing, I would not have mind at all.

Looking back, we could have just alighted three stations back at Paya Lebar, and transferred to the Circle Line all the way to Nicoll Highway. Walking from Lavender, itt took us a few minutes shy of 30 minutes to reach the area.

And even as we reached Beach Road, it took us a couple of minutes to meet her. Mon and I were at the Golden Mile Food Centre, where we could have just crossed the foot bridge to the Golden Mile Tower.LOL We got there in the end.

I had a very great time with our lunch, considering we have not seen in other in person for more than 3 years. I always adored her, remembering how much I cried hard on her last day. I even got her a Hermione plushie as a parting gift back in 2019.

We exchanged stories of what’s keeping us busy, interesting stories of her trip in India, as well as plans for the future. It was as if no time has passed, and we were both happy to have met in Singapore of all places!

Funny thing was one of our other close friends at work was in Singapore as well, but as she was working for the day, I would have to separately meet here late in the evening.

We parted ways in the MRT, promising we should meet in the Philippines in the coming months when things were not too hectic. As we said our goodbyes, I gave her a very firm hug. =’)

Our next stop after lunch was at Fort Canning as she had recommended to us. Yes, we had no fixed itinerary as we just wanted to go around Singapore that time. According to the map, Fort Canning was just behind the National Museum of Singapore. We reached the museum, took a couple of photos, got lost a bit, before it eventually rained.

By the time, we finally just agreed to not go there, as it was coffee time anyway. We were already at SMU, looking for a coffee place but found none. It was weird considering it was a university with students running on caffeine. (They had a very nice campus, though).

We only had one umbrella, so we had to share. We also just wanted to have coffee, prompting us to go to Starbucks at Raffles as we were sure that that mall would have one. Nothing much to say about the whole Starbucks experience there, as it was difficult to find a seat. It took us one quick kuya-sa-CASAA swoop to finally have one as soon as a pair left their seats. LMAO

After coffee, we decided to go back to the hotel to freshen up again and rest for a bit, before figuring out what the rest of the day would look like.

Mon, on the other hand, was already sold in to eventually buying the pair of shoes he saw from the Nike the day before. Not wanting to underestimate again the rush hour and the length of travel going back to Jurong East for IMM, we left at exactly 5:00 pm so we’d have enough time to eat dinner.

We also had to meet the perfume seller from Carousell all the way in Bukit Gombak and I was not sure how long the travel will be from Jurong East even it was only 2 stations away after a line transfer.

As soon as we reached Jurong East, we sped all the way to the Nike store, timing everything hard. In less than 30 minutes, Mon was already able to get the pair of shoes he wanted, which miraculously had his size the day after. Weird what happened the day before.

We also managed to squeeze in dinner from Souperstar at Westgate, a bunch of soups, rolls, salad, and some sugar-free iced tea. I was nervously looking at the clock, thinking it may take more than 30 minutes to travel all the way to the Carousell seller. We finished eating at 7:00 pm, and we immediately ran back to Jurong East, this time to the North-South Line.

I thought it was completely disrespectful arriving late. We got there at exactly 7:33 pm. The seller also only just arrived at the same time, as we got to the meeting place seconds before him. It was a straightforward purchase, paying him straight up (it was SGD 25), before went back to Lavender Station to meet another friend and former colleague of mine.

From Lavender Station, the walk to Tyrwhitt Road was a lot better given it was already half past 8. This area is quite quaint, less of a bustle than the adjacent areas, with a lot of restaurants and chill spots. On the other hand, some of the restaurants closed quite early. We eventually found ourselves at Black Fairy Coffee & Grill for some rounds of coffee and dessert for us, and a bottle of beer for her.

I also have not seen her since the Christmas season before the pandemic. She also goes to Singapore from time to time since 2019, and she just got there the weekend before we arrived. Interesting how we have another reunion outside the country? =)

I loved, loved catching up with her, as she knew everything in the last 2 years we have worked together. We only started a couple of days apart, and one of the people I trusted so much in my former workplace. I was happy to hear her doing well, and her relationship with her partner also going strong after all these years. =)

We also shared a lot of beliefs about our country, some level of idealism that put me a bit to shame when I finally took an indefinite hiatus from the development sector. While coming out of that reunion, I was still sure I had to still think hard when was the right time to go back, just the mere act of considering it was a progress as I totally had the idea shelved for about a year already. Maybe soon, who knows.

We parted ways at around 10:30 pm, as she still had some catching up with work to do. Us, on the other hand, had to fix our bags, so we won’t be rushed the following morning.

Last day

With almost all of our bags packed the night before, we had a very relaxed morning before our check-out.

One thing to note of the restaurant we had breakfast was it was surprisingly the one one on the ground floor, compared to the one on the 4th floor near the pool. The interior here was a lot better, with more office folks getting their morning fix before obviously heading out for work.

The food, on the other hand, was almost the same, except for a selection of breads, which was not present in the 4th floor (at least how I recalled it, as I never touched the bread area).

Our room also was a bit smaller this time, given that we did not have a balcony. The price, however, was more expensive even if we booked it almost around the same time as last July. Perhaps September was more expensive? No idea, but we left a couple of days before the mid-autumn festivities.

We also wanted to go back to the airport via train and not take a Grab anymore. The trip going to Changi the previous day was hitch free anyway, and our luggage were not cumbersome to lug around. There were far more people carrying more luggage than us who managed just fine. How difficult could it be?

When we reached the airport, we had plenty of time to while away our time, window shop, check emails, and even had proper lunch that was not Burger King. There were several choices in the airport, but we still had to look hard as we were not sure what we could have for lunch. There was Coffee Bean, but there’s nothing there that isn’t pasta- and bread-based.

Fortunately about an escalator away, there was  Tim Ho Wan which had a free table almost outside, so we won’t have our luggage out of sight. Interestingly as we passed by Coffee Bean before that, there was a man who was frantically running. He was barely inaudible, except for the sheer panic on his face as he looked to have lost/misplaced luggage. Yikes.

It was Mon’s treat this time at Tim Ho Wan, and we ordered things I could no longer recall the name of. Honestly speaking, my uncultured self could no longer tell the difference in their tastes, except for how they looked like. We took our sweet time eating (1 hour to be exact, as it was the polite length to stay there in my mind).

We also had the opportunity to accomplish the OneHealthPass, which we almost missed last time. Funnily, as I finished up mine, it said “For Arrival Verification” as opposed to it being immediately usable. I just thought that hopefully, it won’t take longer than it already would be for this added verification when we arrive in the Philippines.

After eating, we said ‘goodbye’ to the Wi-Fi router as we connected with the airport Wi-Fi instead. It was weird why the Changi Recommends staff from the departure area refused to accept the device drop off, when we did the same thing last time. He instructed us to return it in the arrival counter instead. It was unnecessary but what choice we had?

We then checked-in via Scoot (with the self check-in booths), dropped off our check-in luggage, and went straight to the automated immigration.

The next 2 hours was a last minute attempt to do our shopping for things we have not bought outside, or thought to be much cheaper in the airport.

As for Mon, he also had a special purchase in mind, as it was a gift for his mom from Longchamp. (No chance of her reading this, anyway, so there’s no way she will be spoiled of her gift). I could not recall what color or style he chose, but I guess it must have been something more classic so it goes well with everything.

We were able to squeeze in our caffeine fix at Coffee Bean, before remembering the tins of mooncakes to bring back home to our moms, who both loved these big hopias.LOL The other store was all the way in the other end of the departure area that by the time we were done paying for the mooncakes, we were already running back to the boarding gate.

We were so pressed for time that I completely forgot the bottle of water in my bag, that caught the attention of the security staff by the X-ray machine. He asked me if I had any water inside, to which I confidently replied ‘None!’. I was asked to open my bags and, welp, one unopened bottle. He even jokingly reprimanded me “You said no water?. It was embarassing.

Anyway, it was a minor mishap for a memorable trip, done on a whim. So until then, Singapore! But for sure we won’t be back again this 2022. We have an autumn trip to South Korea to prepare for! 🍁