新加坡， 我来吔！
I HAVE PROMISED THE SINGAPORE STOBA 78ERS that I will pop into town and I am making good my promise.
I buy my coach ticket from Konsortium. It makes it that much easier that they operate out of TBS Terminal Bersepadu Selatan. I am to depart at 11am Saturday 3 September and return the next day.
Love the color
Room is small (single room is 15 sq meter) but ok for one night and solo traveller like me
Ｔｈｅ ｃｏａｃｈ ｐｕｌｌｓ ｉｎｔｏ Ｇｏｌｄｅｎ Ｍｉｌｅ Ｔｏｗｅｒ ｏｎ Ｂｅａｃｈ Ｒｄ．
The downside of the coach travel to Singapore is that the journey takes almost 6 hours from departure to when I check in to the hotel. And one has to accept that there is the customs and immigration that one has to endure crossing the border. Anyway, no venture no gain.
People's Park Complex (珍珠坊) was THE shopping complex to go to in the 1970's.
I go exploring the hotel surroundings and wanting to stretch my legs. As I expected Chinatown has a mixture of old and new buildings and is full of vigor, colors, sounds and stalls selling stuff to tourists. A lot more of the old shop lots have been renovated and renewed and are now run as commercial businesses. The air is humid, very humid. I want to get out of the sea of humanity into the comfort of the air-conditioned hotel.....
Yuet Fai picks me up and we go for dinner in Tiong Bahru. Thankfully the restaurant is air-conditioned. Old class mates and friends come to meet and enjoy each others' company. We do not drink much like the KL folks do, just some Heineken to cool us down. But nice food, great company. That's what I am there to enjoy. I really am grateful they turn up, and I have not seen Peng Chew for more than 30 years.
Do you know the way to park at Clark Quay???
Dinner at Por Kee Eating House, Blk 69 Seng Poh Lane, Tiong Bahru. Great food.
Lanterns on a float in the Singapore River
Dreaming .....
I buy my coach ticket from Konsortium. It makes it that much easier that they operate out of TBS Terminal Bersepadu Selatan. I am to depart at 11am Saturday 3 September and return the next day.
The TBS is run like an airport. The signage is good, the departure lobby and gate is well organised
The coach seats are wide and the seat pitch offers plenty of room
The SAFF Hotel at 55 Keong Saik Rd, Chinatown
Love the color
Room is small (single room is 15 sq meter) but ok for one night and solo traveller like me
Ｔｈｅ ｃｏａｃｈ ｐｕｌｌｓ ｉｎｔｏ Ｇｏｌｄｅｎ Ｍｉｌｅ Ｔｏｗｅｒ ｏｎ Ｂｅａｃｈ Ｒｄ．
The downside of the coach travel to Singapore is that the journey takes almost 6 hours from departure to when I check in to the hotel. And one has to accept that there is the customs and immigration that one has to endure crossing the border. Anyway, no venture no gain.
People's Park Complex (珍珠坊) was THE shopping complex to go to in the 1970's. I go exploring the hotel surroundings and wanting to stretch my legs. As I expected Chinatown has a mixture of old and new buildings and is full of vigor, colors, sounds and stalls selling stuff to tourists. A lot more of the old shop lots have been renovated and renewed and are now run as commercial businesses. The air is humid, very humid. I want to get out of the sea of humanity into the comfort of the air-conditioned hotel.....
Yuet Fai picks me up and we go for dinner in Tiong Bahru. Thankfully the restaurant is air-conditioned. Old class mates and friends come to meet and enjoy each others' company. We do not drink much like the KL folks do, just some Heineken to cool us down. But nice food, great company. That's what I am there to enjoy. I really am grateful they turn up, and I have not seen Peng Chew for more than 30 years.
Do you know the way to park at Clark Quay???
Dinner at Por Kee Eating House, Blk 69 Seng Poh Lane, Tiong Bahru. Great food.
They decide to go to Clark Quay to have a look see as it is 中秋节 soon. I am not sure when it is exactly and could not be bothered to find out. Again there is a sea of humanity there. Locals and foreigners. In fact one cannot discern who the locals are and who the foreigners are exactly anymore in old Sing. I wonder what these people are doing at 11pm at Clark Quay and it is common feeling among the Singaporeans that there is nothing else to do and so ....
It is generally thought that Singapore is "over-crowded" with people with more than 5 million residents. We say our good-byes as I am bushed and I have a fairly ok night sleep after taking 2 paracetamols from Siew Wah to suppress the headache I have had for 2 days ....
It is generally thought that Singapore is "over-crowded" with people with more than 5 million residents. We say our good-byes as I am bushed and I have a fairly ok night sleep after taking 2 paracetamols from Siew Wah to suppress the headache I have had for 2 days ....
Lanterns on a float in the Singapore River
Dreaming .....
7.30am I awake and the religious chimes also sound in an Indian temple about 50m from the hotel. Aiyah. Lucky I am getting up anyway. Old friends Sow Hon and Wai Har are coming to have breakfast with me.
I get ready and have a cup of coffee across the road from the hotel in an old style coffee shop, waiting for them to arrive. One young bloke comes in for his coffee, eggs and toasts. He parks his bike nearby and places his helmet on the table. His eyes dart around looking at me, at the other older folks there having their coffee and their yarn. He looks around and takes his time eating his breakfast. What's he thinking? I am wondering. 8 o'clock in the morning, a young bloke, has his brekkie in a old man's joint. Surely he enjoys being in the old part of new Singapore?I am also thinking, hey this is pretty peaceful and predicable sort of scene when people grow older, huh?
SH and WH arrive and in "old Sow Hon's style" he has no idea where to go for breakfast; and he tells me most food courts are not opened yet, those with good food has a long queue and those without queues are not worth going for. HUH???!!! on top of that it is difficult to get ａ parking spot ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ ｔｈｅｒｅ ａｒｅ ｓｏ ｍａｎｙ ｐｅｏｐｌｅ ｉｎ Ｓｉｎｇａｐｏｒｅ ｎｏｗａｄａｙｓ. DOUBLE ＨＵＨ？？？！！！We end up having brekies at NUS Ａｌｕｍｎｉ Ｇｕｉｌｄ！ Ｈｕｈ？ Ｐｏｒｉｄｇｅ， ｓａｎｄｗｉｃｈｅｓ ａｎｄ ｂｉｇ ｂｒｅｋｆａｓｔ． ＯＭＧ． Ｐｏｏｒ ｄｅｐｒｉｖｅｄ ＳＨ．
I get ready and have a cup of coffee across the road from the hotel in an old style coffee shop, waiting for them to arrive. One young bloke comes in for his coffee, eggs and toasts. He parks his bike nearby and places his helmet on the table. His eyes dart around looking at me, at the other older folks there having their coffee and their yarn. He looks around and takes his time eating his breakfast. What's he thinking? I am wondering. 8 o'clock in the morning, a young bloke, has his brekkie in a old man's joint. Surely he enjoys being in the old part of new Singapore?I am also thinking, hey this is pretty peaceful and predicable sort of scene when people grow older, huh?
SH and WH arrive and in "old Sow Hon's style" he has no idea where to go for breakfast; and he tells me most food courts are not opened yet, those with good food has a long queue and those without queues are not worth going for. HUH???!!! on top of that it is difficult to get ａ parking spot ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ ｔｈｅｒｅ ａｒｅ ｓｏ ｍａｎｙ ｐｅｏｐｌｅ ｉｎ Ｓｉｎｇａｐｏｒｅ ｎｏｗａｄａｙｓ. DOUBLE ＨＵＨ？？？！！！We end up having brekies at NUS Ａｌｕｍｎｉ Ｇｕｉｌｄ！ Ｈｕｈ？ Ｐｏｒｉｄｇｅ， ｓａｎｄｗｉｃｈｅｓ ａｎｄ ｂｉｇ ｂｒｅｋｆａｓｔ． ＯＭＧ． Ｐｏｏｒ ｄｅｐｒｉｖｅｄ ＳＨ．
Ｉ ｃａｎｎｏｔ ｈｅｌｐ ｂｕｔ ｄｉｇ ｉｎｔｏ ｈｉｍ． Ｔｈｉｓ ｉｓ ｓｏ ｔｙｐｉｃａｌ ｏｆ ＳＨ．
Ｉ ｃａｔｃｈ ｕｐ ｌａｔｅｒ ｗｉｔｈ ｍｙ ｂｒｏ Ｎｉｃｋ ａｎｄ ｓｉｓｔｅｒ－ｉｎ－ｌａｗ ＷＰ ｐｌｕｓ ｈｅｒ ｂｒｏｔｈｅｒ ａｎｄ ｓｉｓｔｅｒ ｆｏｒ ｌｕｎｃｈ ａｔ ｎｅａｒｂｙ Ｉ ｄｏｎ＇ｔ ｋｎｏｗ ｗｈｅｒｅ． I didn't notice the name of the restaurant even. Ｌｕｎｃｈ ｉｓ ｏｋ。 Ｔｈｏｕｇｈｔ ｉｔ ｓｈｏｕｌｄ ｂｅ ｂｅｔｔｅｒ ｂｕｔ ｔｕｒｎｓ ｏｕｔ the dishes ｆａｌｌｉｎｇ ｕｎｄｅｒ ｔｈｅ ｍａｒｋ． Ｂｕｔ ｉｔ ｉｓ ｔｈｅ ｃｏｍｐａｎｙ ｔｈａｔ ｃｏｕｎｔｓ． ｓａｍｅ ｗｉｔｈ ＳＨ ａｎｄ ＷＨ ａｎｄ ｍｙ ｏｌｄ ｍａｔｅｓ ｂａｃｋ ｉｎ Ｓａｍ Ｔｅｔ．
I am back in Beach Rd and get on the 3pm Sri Maju coach. Ｔｈｅ ｊｏｕｒｎｅｙ ｂａｃｋ ｔｏ ＫＬ ｔａｋｅｓ ａｂｏｕｔ ５１／２ ｈｏｕｒｓ． Ｕｎｅｖｅｎｔｆｕｌ ｅｘｃｅｐｔ ａ ｌｏｎｇ ａｎｄ ｔｉｒｉｎｇ day. It's dawned on me ..... Ｉ ｋｎｏｗ ｍｅｎｔａｌｌｙ Ｉ ａｍ ｒｅａｄｙ ｔｏ ｇｏ ｂａｃｋ ｔｏ Ｍｅｌｂｏｕｒｎｅ ａｎｄ Ｉ ｗａｎｔ ｔｈｅ ｒｅｍａｉｎｉｎｇ ｄａｙｓ ｂｅｆｏｒｅ ｍｙ ｄｅｐａｒｔｕｒｅ ｔｏ ｇｏ ｐａｓｔ ｑｕｉｃｋｌｙ ｓｏ Ｉ ｃａｎ ｇｅｔ ｏｎ ｂａｃｋ ．．．．． ｉｔ ｉｓ ｌｉｋｅ Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｂｅｅｎ ａｗａｙ ｆｏｒ ａ ｌｏｎｇ， ｌｏｎｇ ｔｉｍｅ ａｎｄ Ｉ ａｍ ｍｉｓｓｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｆａｍｉｌｉａｒｉｔｙ ａｎｄ ｍｙ ｆａｍｉｌｙ ．．．．
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