Monday June 18

Today Na and No arrived in singapore(yay!).  We mostly hung around the house and ate by the pool. They said they survived the 24 hour flight(but they fell asleep at 7:30 so I don’t really believe them!)

Tuesday June 19

Today we went to the BTRTS(buddha tooth relic and stupa). It was my first chance to be a tour guide because jay had 2 more weeks of school(boo:() I had to show them how to get around the city using the mrt(subway). Then we went home(which took quite a while because No and me didn’t agree on how to get home on the subway!)

Na’s impressions: I love the subway system, so modern… it was busy but efficient and there were lots of escalators to move to different subway lines. The BTRTS was beautiful, with relics and buddha statues and lots of info about this ancient faith.

No’s impressions: The Buddha Temple was impressive. It was interesting to see all the statues of the various Buddha’s.

Wednesday June 20

Today we toured the battlebox which is an underground fort and military headquarters used during WWII(for more info on the battlebox check out our other post http://adventuresfromthelittlereddot.com/2018/04/21/a-day-in-the-battle-box/)

Na’s impressions:  It was a good intro to Singapore’s history but lots of steps to get to the fort!

No’s impressions: I never knew that Dec 7 had a second attack by the Japanese Navy on Singapore.

Thursday June 21

Today we spent time at the National Museum of Singapore where the entire history of Singapore was displayed. Here we learned about the lion which is the namesake for this city: singapura (the lion city). The statue that reminds people of the city’s beginning is called the Merlion, one of the most popular tourist attractions here. Lunch today was at a food court in Plaza Singapura, the 2nd largest shopping mall in the city.

Na’s impressions: One of the cool features of the city is the way museums incorporate the latest technologies. In this museum there was a room filled with projected images filling the walls with scenes from a forest which was colorful and peaceful.

No’s impressions: I learned about how Singapore transformed after gaining independence after WWII into a very modern commercial hub.

Friday June 22

Now we’re all a bit tired and need a day off, plus Jay is home sick. A visit to the doc confirmed that was actually sick (with pnemonia), so meds and rest prescribed. We chilled by the pool and dragged Na and No to the movies to see Incredibles 2 and to get make your own magnum bars. We all enjoyed our Friday night out, plus got to explore our closest and biggest shopping mall in the city, called ION Orchard, with 8 levels of stores that get fancier and more expensive as you go higher!

Na’s impressions: It was so much fun to spend time in their “backyard” (big pool, tennis courts, tropical plants, koi pond) and walk (when it was not too humid!) to this huge and busy shopping mall where the ice cream options are pretty tasty and the people are fun to watch.

No’s impression: I liked the Incredible 2 movie. Also the mall experience was amazing.

The weekend:

Dad, Bee and No went to Little India for some more sightseeing on Sat morn, temples and mosques and a stop for a snack of local crepes (platte, plain or with chocolate banana and other yummy stuff.) Jay recovered a bit so the family went out to a fancy Thai dinner with cool fun drinks and great food eaten outside under the evening sky. Then we walked through the botanical gardens with Jay and Bee on their scooters. A perfect night.

On Sunday, we went to one of our many churches and then made our way to a brunch spot on the bay (with a singer and piano player playing some American oldies) and another walk around the harbor and bay. Just another easy Sunday in Singapore.