MANILA, Philippines - It’s been barely a month since I last saw Singapore. Back in mid-February, a Manila exodus of sorts occurred for the Laneway Music Festival in Fort Canning, and I joined that flock. It was sunny, then albeit punctuated with showers, but this time it was different. The rain kept gushing down and the weather wouldn’t let up. It was fitting for the mood I was in, really. Suddenly I was nostalgic for a place that wasn’t my home.
Two things that triggered the faux-homesickness: duck rice and banana milk from 7-Eleven. The second one I got immediately (or a couple of hours anyway) after we landed, when our Singapore Tourism Board (STB) guide, Wilson, took us to my first kosher meal at Victory restaurant at Arab Street. Then we were off to Haji Lane with its bikes, trinkets and magazines (a couple of which hail from Manila) a burgeoning subculture in itself. It instinctively reminded me of some of my friends, and this is when it hit me: the nostalgia was as much about the place and the food as it was about the company. On my second shot at Singapore with a full itinerary courtesy of STB I decided to pretend like it was mid-February, sunny and getting by with more than a little help from my friends.
So here’s a barkada SG lowdown for you: it’s a country that keeps on giving, as long as you let it. It’s easy to dismiss Singapore as the Asian pit stop for most foreign acts on tour (hence, the Manila exodus), but that’s a point only for the consummate music fan. And of course, everyone knows about Orchard Road points for any shopper on a constant hunt. But if for a day you’d like to avoid the throng of ex-pats and H&M crazy girlfriends, there are options. Haji Lane and Ann Siang Hill carries a lot of independent designer stores like White Room and Asylum. A bonus? ‘Zines like Juice and Zouk that you can pick up free of charge.
If you’re up for some touristy fare but collectively want some adrenaline, then it still calls for a Sentosa stopover. The Skyline Luge ride seemed like a good simulation of skating downhill that’s how it felt, at least. But if that’s not enough for your thrill-seeking friends, there’s indoor skydiving, and the wave pool at the Surf in Wave House Sentosa training ground for the newbies, playground for the more experienced surfers. Wilson gave us a Singapore Tripper Pass, a new tourism offering that allowed us to try a couple of Sentosa rides while earning us a day pass valid for two days at Universal Studios. It might be because of Bumblebee’s heroic stunts in 3-D, but the new Transformers ride seemed to compete well against the quintessential Mummy indoor roller coaster. For a real heart attack though, the 60-meter hurtling, 200 kph toe-curling G-Max Reverse Bungee over at Clarke Quay is your best bet.
This is the point where I ask you to take your tourist training wheels off. And by training wheels, I mean make other foodie stops besides the Hawker places. Drink something else other than their milk the. They’re great, but they also come with an opportunity cost: that of missing out on the other culinary experiences you can have in Singapore. The varied composition of nationalities here (Chinese, Indian, Malay etc), guarantee that you won’t run out of options. For starters, Arab Street is home to Persian and Indian-Muslim restaurants that fill you with down-to-earth, hits-close-to-home dining, with their Murtabak (meat-filled pancakes that you dip in curry) or Mie Goreng. If during your post-Singapore River Cruise you feel yourself craving seafood, Jumbo restaurant’s home to chili crabs will hit the spot, but only if you’re patient enough to wait. Tucked away in Ann Siang Hill is brunch haven and foodie favorite PS Cafe, where mostly Pinoy waiters will gladly serve you with the freshest miso cod, sumptuous burgers and truffle fries. When it comes to Singapore food, there really is no catch what you see is what you get, and most of the time, what you get is good.
While we’re already on the alterna-road, do away with the chain hotels and give boutique ones a fighting chance. Wanderlust Hotel in Little India, with its themed floors, is any barkada’s photo-op dream: whether you’re in the jacuzzi area, one of their black and white rooms or the audaciously-colored ones. Not to mention that after a night out in Avalon or Ku De Ta, Wanderlust is where a good night’s sleep really rings true. I stayed in their pink room, with “Pink Triangle by Weezer” just above my bed. There’s nothing like self-timing yourself into every hotel room remembrance shot to make you want to call up your friends (I did the next best thing, which was to tweet at them). If you’re flying solo in a hotel room like me, Wanderlust’s bed and pillows will definitely cushion the blow.
Just before I was taken to the airport, Wilson remembered something I had forgotten about: the duck rice. I never had it until he gave me some for the road. That pretty much sums up how your trip could be in Singapore: you set yourself on getting something, and sometimes you get it; and sometimes you don’t, but that’s okay keep an open mind and you’ll see past the proverbial duck rice. You’ll see the effort the country puts into preserving everything buildings, roads and houses. You’ll see the architecture, you’ll see the upward mobility they have. You’ll see how people your age there aren’t so different from you. It rained again on my last day there, but hey, at least I took something home with me.