In this sequence of images, I share some of the initial impressions of Singapore. We were staying at the Marina Bay Sands hotel, probably one of the craziest buildings I’ve ever seen, stayed in, been on the rooftop of, etc. etc. and that may have skewed our experience in Singapore but it certainly, at least, was comfortable enough to allow us the comforts needed for early travel.
Our first foray into Asian public transit! Surprisingly . . . clean, smooth, comfortable.
From inside the Marina Bay Sands. What you can’t really see is this genetic model sculpture hanging above the main lobby.
In the huge mall attached to the hotel. One of the many impressive sculptures we’d continue to see during our time in Singapore:
The view of the Singapore skyline from outside mall:
What do the following buildings look like?
I think it was three or four years since I’d seen Daphne last, which was when she visited Philadelphia with a couple of her friends. Daphne, who would be the official tour guide and helper and temporary BFF for our time in Singapore, originally studied abroad at UCONN and met my sister. That’s how I met her. I’d been wanting to visit Singapore ever since learning about it initially from Daphne, and there was no better guide than her!
No, that isn’t a Morrowind-themed park in the distance. It’s a huge garden complex. But I’ll be showing some more up-close-and-personal shots of that space in the future!
“Spore Flyer.”
“Green Funpack Distribution Point.” This strange sign was for the Singapore National Holiday celebration. Each distribution point for the color-coordinated festivities was guarded by a couple of young military dudes, showing more boredom than I’ve ever seen.
“Activate Art.” And below: Jason tries Milo for the first time.
Daphne shows us the magic of soft-boiled eggs:
Okay, so small pieces of toast with large slabs of butter do taste good, but not in that “I have to have this regularly in my diet” kind of way. In fact, they are good in that “I can’t believe I ate that but at least it tastes good” kind of way.
The following pictures are from the library @esplanade, which is one of Singapore’s famous “mall libraries.” The library specializes in media (music, art, video), and was impressive overall. But very, very quiet.
I call this “Bummer.” Below: the view from the Esplanade to the Marina Bay Sands.
Getting to and from subway stations (MRT in Singapore) are often adventures. Like being in a video game, you have to pass through parking garages, strange hallways, and endless mall complexes.
Next: Sentosa and the Singapore Aquarium