Our Last Last Day in Singapore

So after spending almost a week in the Maldives, we're given the big send off by the staff (everyone waving at the end of the dock...I guess we're too busy waving back to take a picture) as we take our jetboat back to Male. From there we return to Singapore, for a "bonus" day. The flight from Male landed too close to the time for our flight back to Tokyo, so when reserving the flights we decided we'd stay the extra night in Singapore instead of stressing over making our connection.

the "Gotham" office building - another skyscraper with unique architecture

It's nice to visit Singapore, because the city is very clean, safe and modern. You can actually drink the tap water here!  However, even though it's very multicultural, it doesn't have a lot of personality.  It's as if to make it "perfect" the government scrubbed out a lot of the unique aspects of different cultures (except in the food of the hawker centers - there you can see all sorts of interesting, varied items that have been made by the same families for years).   All the local people (taxi and Uber drivers, shop owners, etc) ask if you're visiting and what you think of Singapore. We always say positive things, but it's interesting to see what they reply back with - the taxi drivers in particular, who are required (by law) to be citizens. In general, we have the sense the people whose relatives have been here for many generations are not happy with the changes, or having so many regulations about what they can and cannot do.

Just another interesting tidbit - every single one of the taxis, Uber cars, restaurants, etc we're in have radio stations that only seem to play US music from the 90's and 2000's.  What's up with that? 

And one other thing - the light switches are opposite - pressing down turns the light on, not off.  I think I remember New Zealand being the same way...is it a British thing?

And one not-so-nice thing - there's often pee on the toilet seats, like in the US. That's very, very rare in Japan - who wants to miss out sitting on a nice warm toilet seat? And maybe using the built-in bidet or washer feature?  (Note to self - We have to install Japanese toilets when we move home.)

It's official - we're at the Chinatown in Singapore!

For our return we decide to stay at the Crowne Plaza at the airport, to make our transportation easier.  On our last day, we get an Uber ride to the Singapore Chinatown.  We rode through part of it on the bike tour, but didn't get much of a chance to look around.  There's a lot of your typical cheap products - we resist the four t-shirts for $10 - but there's also some cute, inexpensive items to be found, too.  I manage to half-fill the backpack with some merchandise.  Steve almost purchases a tripod for the camera (there are several camera stores in the area), but an online search reveals it's still cheaper through Amazon in the US.  

False advertising - is the Michelin starred ramen in Tokyo chearper??

Waiting in line to order.

We decide to try one of the cheapest Michelin star restaurants, conveniently located nearby.  Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle is one of two hawker stalls to receive the star.  When doing my research, I found the owner opened a small restaurant across the street from the hawker center, serving the same food at only a slightly higher price....but you sit in air conditioning.  Steve and I decide it 's worth it, so we go over and the line's not too bad.  We only wait 10 minutes to order and receive our food when we arrive at 12:30pm.  The most anxious part of the process is waiting for a seat to open up, but I'm able to snag two before our food is ready.  I eat the traditional order of chicken and rice, for under $4. The marinade for the chicken is excellent, but the slices include the bones, so you end up with only a couple of ounces of chicken.  If you live in Singapore, the way to do it is to order a whole or half chicken as take out.  As we leave (shortly after 1:00pm) the line is four times longer than it was when we arrived.  People must eat a lunch late in Singapore.

Chicken selfie (and in the background someone waiting for a spot at a table to become available).

The shop where I make my purchase on Haji Lane.

After lunch we try to get the cash back on our subway cards, since I read we can have it refunded. However, it turns out that then the card is invalid - meaning you can never put money on it again. Since we have less than $5 left on each card, and it costs $5 for the cards, we just decide to keep it as is.  Even having the instructions in English and people speaking English leads to misunderstandings - it takes the attendant two attempts before I understand the situation.  Since we still have them, we use the cards to ride the subway over by Arab St. While on the bike tour, we saw a row of cute boutiques (on Haji Lane) that I want to check out. In a store with handicrafts from Laos, I find a unique necklace and matching earrings.

Then it's back to Ion Orchard, where I may have done some more shopping....

Back at the Crowne Plaza airport hotel, we decide to get a massage to try to get the kinks out before our red eye flight. It's just okay, and they try to upsell us on items - special massage oil, eye cream, getting a facial, an extra cost if I want more pressure - which I hate.  I almost decide to just walk out even though I'm already on the table.  It turns out the spa is not affiliated with the hotel, even though it's inside the facility, so I guess that explains it.  But upselling seems to be a common practice in Singapore.  I wonder if it's the Chinese influence here, because I've never had a spa anywhere in the world try to make me pay for a different massage oil (During facials, I've been asked to pay for upgrade offers, add-ons, etc. Massages, never).

The OPI display, AFTER security, where you can buy
10 bottles and carry them on the plane.  I check, but
they don't have the color I just had confiscated.

We have a late checkout at the hotel, which we extend a few hours, expecting to pay extra, but they nicely waive the fee. Then we're back to the airport for our flight home, by way of Shanghai. I don't seem to have any luck with the security screeners on this trip!   In Shanghai, while going though security, they confiscate my bottle of nail polish from my carry on. She says it's flammable, so I can't bring it with me.  (Do I bother to mention it's been on five flights with me so far, including coming through Shanghai on the way to Singapore?  I didn't think that would help my case, so I don't.)  However, she doesn't have an answer when I ask why I can go buy a new bottle of nail polish at the duty free shop and carry it on.  What drives me crazy is if you're going to make a rule, be consistent or at least not a hypocrite. Last time I checked alcohol is flammable too, but you can buy liters of it at duty free and carry it on. I think someone just wanted a new nail polish and recognized the shape of the OPI bottle. 

Just for fun I ask at the duty free shop why I can bring the nail polish on the plane, and she say it's safe. I show her the little flame on the bottle, (just like on mine that was stolen by security). She couldn't really answer me, either. I knew I should've gotten a pedicure our last day in Singapore. 

"I can take you with one paw tied behind my back!"

We arrive safely home (luckily I'm not confiscated by security).  Tie-Dye returns from his trip to the kennel, happy to see us, but from the pictures it looks like he has fun while we're gone!  

"Oh, yeah?  My turn to jump on you!"

 

"My turn!  I want to wrestle, too!"

"We can also wrestle outside!  Come on!"