Singapore

Arrived in Singapore in the afternoon from the direct flight on Qatar Airways.

view from the window

We walked around for a bit in the area and found 7-11!  Just like in Tokyo, it had all the Japanese snacks except for onigiri which was too bad.  I was also able to get a SIM card here that worked with my (unlocked) iPhone and let me have 3G and thus access to my email and the internet.

snacks from 7-11: almond milk and melon bread

Clark Quay in the day

Clark Quay is one of the main Japanese areas of Singapore.  What a coincidence to start out here!  There were loads of Japanese shops and restaurants.

Naturally it turned out that we were really close to Kinokuniya!

Inside the mall with Kinokuniya, I also found Saizeriya!  This was the really cheap Italian restaurant that we went to all the time in Tokyo.  There was one just down the street from where I lived and it's possible to get dinner there for under $5--perfect for students.

Then Kinokuniya!  There was so much cute San-X stuff that I could have stayed for hours..... Had to be dragged out like usual but no without some evidence that I'd been there!

Rilakkuma

Clark Quay at night

For dinner, we met K and her boyfriend at a Hawkers market near Raffles Place MRT (the metro).

A long tradition of strong regional cuisine and strict hygiene laws makes for some of the world’s best — and safest — street food. Nowadays most of the hawkers are concentrated in covered food halls so that ingredients are kept cool, and preparation methods and cleanliness can be kept to a uniform standard. Prices are 1 to 8 Singapore dollars.

Hawkers Street Food at Raffles Place

K did all the ordering as she is from Singapore and we tried so much good food!  My favorites were the "carrot cake," which didn't actually contain any carrots but was instead made of raddish I think, and the black pepper crab.

Hokkien mee, kway teow, chicken wings, and carrot cake

satay and chili and black pepper crabs

Ice kacang and chendol

Marina Bay Sands -a casino, shopping mall, and hotel which has a boat on top!

After dinner we walked around the Marina Bay area and saw the famous Merlion!

Singapore the Lion City is symbolized by the statue of a lion head and fish tail known as Merlion. Although there are more than one Merlion statue in Singapore, the one found in Merlion Park is the most popular. It is located next to the iconic hotel One Fullerton, overlooking scenic Marina Bay.

The Helix Bridge

There was also a light show where they used mist to make a backdrop for the projection.  It was really cool and educational about water conservation.

Living in the desert it's easy to forget how close it is to Christmas!  Already in early November there were loads of Christmas decorations all over Singapore.