Singapore's National Library and Bugis Village

After our sales call to various clients had ended, Jid and I went back to the Carlton Hotel, rested for a bit then decided to roam the streets of Singapore.

Earlier, I wrote about the proximity of Carlton Hotel to various tourist sites. It was thus a very leisurely walk since the hotel was just a stone's throw from say the National Library. Unfortunately, we were pressed for time so even when the book lover in me wanted to check it out, I couldn't. I thus just contented myself with taking a picture of its signage.

Our somewhat aimless wandering brought us to Bugis Junction. Its signage struck me as interesting so I snapped two photos of it.

Inside, we just browsed through each shop but the thing I remember most about Bugis Junction was Jid buying The Body Shop's Shimmer Cubes Palette. She thought it was on sale but when she paid for it, she found out that it wasn't due to the mix-up on the labels but she was too embarrassed to return it. Phooey! We just laughed it off afterwards but we were feeling chagrined since if we converted the price to peso, it would be the same.

Later, we passed by Bugis Street. This was one area that a local recommended for shopping. According to our map, it is the largest street-shopping location in Singapore and the place did have a huge signage proclaiming this.

The place was packed with locals and tourists alike. The atmosphere was like the Philippines' Divisoria, which sells anything from clothes, cheap jewelry, toys, watches, bags, shoes, etc. and everything seemed to be on sale. There were food stalls too in case you need a quick snack while out shopping.

Even at night time, the Bugis Junction was bustling.

The Bugis Village wasn't all about stalls selling stuff though as in the area were some mall buildings like this one.

We went inside Fu Lu Shou and compared to the stalls outside, it sold branded makeup, shoes and clothes. We were told that they were sold cheaper here though than if we bought the same item in a high-end shop in Singapore, say at the Suntec Mall.

All in all, it was a leisurely albeit a little tiring walk, with me heaving a sigh of relief at the end and it's not for the chance to rest but for the fact that the compulsive shopper in me did not buy anything despite being tempted straight to my face by innumerable sales. He he!

Singapore's Parkview Square

After our lunch we had two more client meetings to attend. One of our client's office was located in Parkview Square and while there, I couldn't help but be amazed at how magnificent the building was. The said building housed some of Singapore's top companies and even a couple of embassies it was no wonder the security was so strict they did not allow taking any photo while inside the building. I thus just contented myself with taking as many photos as I could once outside.

The Golden Bird

The building has an open plaza and in its center is a statue of a golden bird which is supposed to bring wealth.

A treasure trove of famous people

Surrounding the open plaza are sculptures and statues of historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill, the geniuses Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton, renowned painters Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt and music prodigies Mozart and Chopin.

The Parkview Square at night

This is my favorite shot of the Parkview Square. It was taken during our leisurely walk later that night when we were scouting for a dinner venue.

The Parkview Square in Singapore was designed by the American James Adams, together with DP Architects of Singapore and was built as the last major project of Mr. C.S. Hwang, a Taiwanese tycoon who wanted it ""imposing and monumental, yet stylish and elegant."

For more information about this building wonder, click HERE.

McDonald's Singapore

Our second day in Singapore was spent on client meetings. It was such a grueling morning for us because the first two offices that we had been to were about thirty to forty-five minutes away from the hotel and believe me, when the travel time takes that long in Singapore, it’s already considered far. I was so hungry I felt so grateful for the bar of Snickers Jid and I shared in the cab during our ride back to the main city district.

As our first appointment in the afternoon was at 2PM and it was already 12NN and we didn’t know how far our next appointment’s office was, we were in such a hurry to eat. No restaurants were within sight though except for a McDonald’s so we decided to just eat there.

I ordered a McChicken sandwich, with large fries and get this, a large iced Milo. I was surprised since in the Philippines, McDonald’s meals usually come with soft drinks (Coca-Cola products), iced tea or orange juice. It was thus such a treat for me to get Milo for my drinks since it’s my favorite chocolate drink.

It was a fun and filling meal. Jid and I were amused though as we kidded ourselves on our choice of restaurant. Really now, traveling to Singapore and still eating in McDonald’s when it’s also available in the Philippines? Oh well, next time, we would surely be eating anywhere except in a fast food chain while we’re in this bustling city.