April 1, 2010 (Part 1); Back to the motherland

Last Sunday, just a day after the conclusion of our semester in UST, me and my parents flew to the republic of Singapore, a country which is smaller than Quezon City but has 4 airports (Terminal 1, 2, 3 and the Budget Terminal).

It's my dad's second time in the said country, the first being in 1998, when he, along with my grandpa and some of their friends went on a business trip, whilst it's our (me and my mom) first time.

I must say that the moment our plane landed in the Changi airport, I felt that the country was something. I was organized, clean, and there were NO policemen around the city. And when I say no, as in I didn't see a single policeman in the entire city. Later did I knew from our shuttle driver that the Singaporean policemen were all in civilians so you won't be able to see them. So, if you made a violation, whether you like it or not, you'll still be caught.

The trains were also amazing, because their were CCTV cameras installed on all coaches for the safety of all the passengers. And the value of your trip is actually a dollar less than what you've paid for. For example, from Orchard to Marina Bay, it will cost you S$2.20, but in reality, it's just S$1.20, the excess dollar can be refunded once you have arrived on the station. Cool isn't it? Hahaha!

Another thing with Singapore is that a LOT of Filipinos are there busy working. Some are very approachable, but for some...hahaha! I wouldn't want to comment anymore :P

The hangout place for Filipinos down there is Lucky Plaza at Orchard Road, right beside Tang Plaza and Marriott Hotel and right across Wisma Atria. It's their local version of Central/Victoria Park in Hong Kong. Hahaha!

Our hotel was good! The lobby smells terrific! It was the first hotel lobby that I could vividly remember that smelled that good! Hahaha! Our room was big enough for us three. And get this, the mini bar is complementary! So, everything that was there were free! Hahaha!

Universal Studios is the place to be, especially when its fully functional come the latter parts of this month. Warm staff, good people, nice rides, good food and entertainment!

You guys should try the Singapore Flyer once you visit the city. It's the world tallest observation wheel, at 365 meters high, 5 meters higher than the London Eye in England, beat that! The view from up top is amazing I must say :)

The Night Safari is also a good attraction not only for the youngsters, but for the young-at-heart as well. After the tram ride along the secondary rainforest, you either watch an animal show, a tribal dance, or traverse its three walking trails. You'll enjoy, learn and get fit all at the same time!

I guess the only downside of the country was its cost of living. The goods were priced high, so as the food. Imagine one Singapore dollar is approximately PHP32-33, depending on the stock exchange, and the typical rice + viand meal will cost you around S$4, which is about PHP128-132 pesos. Wehw! So, whenever you want to visit the country, my tip is that you sholud be ready to burn some cash, because, ika nga sa Tagalog, sa pagkain pa lang, ubos na pera mo. Hahaha! Literally, because Singapore is ranked as third most expensive cities to live in here in Asia, just behing Tokyo and Osaka in Japan.

Even in the bargain center at Bugis, the prices are still not that low, like for example, 12 keychains are being sold for S$10, so it would be equal to PHP320-330. Imagine that.

But the thing is, based on looks alone, Singapore is more appealing than Manila, because their streets are clean and they are really organized. How I wish that one day, Manila, or the entire Philippines, would be just as clean and organized like Singapore. We just need to vote wisely this upcoming May 10 elections.

So help us God.

So there. I hope you are all enlightened about Singapore. And I also hoped that I have given you enough guidelines before you visit the said country :)

The Wizard was here...:)