Singapore is certainly one of the shining jewels of Southeast Asia. Among its 4 million inhabitants there are so many different cultures embued within: mainly Chinese, Malay, and Indian. Fortunately for Mayuko and I, our good friend (and my former NEC colleague) Kiat was there to sort everything out :)

    Singapore has some places that are so nice that they should be visited twice, so we were very fortunate to have enough time to do just that. First off, although Geylang was the 'hood where we crashed, Singapore's version of Roppongi is happening enough to just chill out in. Kiat and his friends introduced us to Chinatown's wide-open environment, which was a great first-day intro to the city, with exotic delights such as durians, spicy fish heads, and frogs (?!). Upscale, trendy Orchard Road was the place to go for massive, urban shopping complexes -- and later on, last-minute souvenir shopping.

    Indeed the number of varieties of culinary delights are seemingly infinite. Our first night at Chinatown didn't quite cure our fix for chow mein, so of course, an encore Dim Sum was in store for the next day. Later, after Orchard, we took a trip to Little India for its exquisite curries... as well as Mustafa Center bargain basement deals.
The next night was spent scarfing down succulent satay (meat skewers) in the classy urban resort, Clarke Quay. Changing gears just a bit, we arrived the next day to Arab Street. While there, amidst the traditional Arab/Muslim influence town in Bugis, and enjoyed delicious schwarma and desserts in one of the relaxed settings I've ever entered.

    Singapore is not without its places to discover. In the extraordinarily modern downtown, we took a view of the Merlion, the famous symbol of the city. In an contrasting viewpoint of the city, we took part of the Night Safari and the vast, primitive darkness inhabited by fierce creatures. Our journey through Singapore even led us to something never before experienced by either of us: a gateway (by foot) into another country. The trek into Johor Bahru, Malaysia was perilous indeed, but the sights and sounds within were well worth it.

    This trip was so fun that it was worth the extra night filled with crab noodles and Singaporean coffee. Although the hasty return required me to go straight to work, it was worth the extended stay. Indeed it was a mighty fine stay (without the mighty fines)... can't wait for the next one!