Nikhil and Singapore

Posted December 21, 2015

I was so excited to land in Singapore, this place I had dreamed of seeing. I took a cab from the airport to Nikhil’s condo and he greeted me at the front entrance. How lovely it was to see such an old and dear friend. Nik had been living with a roommate who had gone back to his home country for holidays for a while which was great cause I could
stay there with him. Nik had definitely adopted a fit lifestyle and so kindly made me some breakfast with fresh fruit and eggs. He told me where to get a sim card, gave me directions around to finding places and said he would meet me after work. Singapore was so easy to travel around. The transit system is simple and easy to follow, everything is labeled, and they have malls! Ok, so I say this like a complete “Westerner” but there is comfort in seeing something familiar like a mall. Singapore is the land of lovely multicultural foods and food hawker courts. One of the first treats I had was a curry puff. Now I had the joy of eating these back in Vancouver when one of my coworkers who is Singaporean would bring them in for us. A puff pastry filled with chicken curry. Just delicious. During the days, I would head off to explore the free botanical gardens they have or go shopping for things like a much needed power bank to charge my cell phone.

During the nights, Nik would be an awesome host and take me to bars and lounges. I got to see stunning views of Singapore and the port from the rooftops of buildings. He would show me different things that locals would eat like their chain “Toast Box”. I couldn’t quite understand the concept of a soft-boiled egg, which you would pour soy sauce into and eat it with toast. The toast was spread with peanut butter or a coconut butter. Nik assured me that you get use to these tastes. One night I got to meet Nikhil’s sister Rashmee. We all went to Jumbo, a popular seafood restaurant near the waterfront. We feasted on seafood delights like Chili crab and fresh fish, yummy!

Another evening, Nikhil and I went to a house party his manager had thrown. She was such a lovely girl and great host. After sleeping in, the next morning I decided to visit the famous Sentosa Island. A man made island filled with activities like Universal Studios, theme parks, and an aquarium. Admission to things was pricey so I decided to use my “student card” and go to the aquarium. That was my favourite activity. I could peacefully see all the beautiful sharks and fish. I spent the entire day there with a big smile on my face. On Sentosa Island I got to try some famous roti canai with curry which was very tasty.

Singapore is quite a pricey country, especially for alcohol. Actually everything is expensive here. A bottle of regular shampoo that would cost $4 in Canada costs $14 here. I guess since everything needs to get shipped here it would kind of make sense. I realized that Singapore isn’t exactly the spot for outdoor adventure since there are no mountains and the city is made up of mainly high-end shopping malls to cater to the needs of Chinese millionaires. Every corner had a Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton shop. I was shocked. I think I spent a total of five nights in Singapore, which I felt was enough to see the city and explore what it has to offer. It was amazing seeing and catching up with my good friend Nikhil, he definitely was the highlight of my trip to this country! Now onto Indonesia to see my dear friend Dylan again and party it up for Christmas together!