Amazing Singapore

I only spent a weekend in SG during my first two visits. I was in Johor Bahru (JB), Malaysia in 2011 and 2012 for a one-month work and because JB has land border with Singapore, I decided to cross the border. It took me one hour to reach SG from Larkin Bus station in JB (including the two stops at the immigration of Malaysia and Singapore). Accommodation in SG was not a problem because I have friends and relatives living in SG who volunteered to host me on my visit. On my first visit, my cousin, John Rey (JR), fetched me in Bugis station and from there, we started wandering the streets of the Lion City. Before the last MRT trip, we went to Toah Payoh, my friend's Ochie's place, where I would be staying for that weekend. The next day, Ochie and I  toured the city and visited the Esplanade, the Merlion park, and the Marina bay area. On the same day, me and my cousin JR went to Universal Studio in Sentosa Island, enjoyed the rides, and explored the entertainment park until it closed. The next day, we met our other cousin Ate Lea in Raffles Place and strolled in this busy hub. By afternoon, I went back to JB. I had a weekend full of fun but find my tour incomplete as there are still many places to visit.

Merlion

In 2012, I returned to SG with my friend Nomi. From Malaysia, we crossed the border again and went back to the same places I visited but with new itineraries added to our short trip. We met up again with Ochie, JR and this time with JR's sister, Nina. We visited Gardens by the Bay, went up the Sands Skypark, and viewed from the top the breathtaking view of the city of Singapore at night. We again spent one whole day in Sentosa Island, and by the next day, had a walking tour in China Town,  Little India and in Orchard. We had fun dining in the not-so-expensive riverside restaurants of Clark-Quay.  We also met our friend Ricarte in a Thai restaurant in citylink mall  and did a lot of catching up because we did not see him for more than a decade. 

I had my longest stay in SG in 2013.  It was only by that time that I entered SG through the Changi airport. Having experienced the airport's exceptional facilities, it made me agree why it was ranked the number one airport in the world. It is still number one up to this date.
In 2013, I filed a two-month leave from work and flew to Singapore and stayed for more than a month in Ate Ning and Kuya Jeff's place in Yishun .

At Universal Studio Singapore in Sentosa

Singapore zoo was the only tourist attraction I visited that year. What I did was church visits. I visited the churches near MRT train stations like the Church of  Our Lady Of Lourdes, St. Joseph Church (near Bugis station),  and the Church of St. Alphonsus (Novena church). I remembered I am an everyday visitor of the Novena church.
I was also delighted to have mini-reunion with my former students who are successfully working in Singapore. Catching up with Charmaine, Wendy and Ethel was truly a wonderful experience. It was a reward knowing your former students are doing well in their jobs abroad.
I met also my niece, Melody, who was based in Singapore that time.
It was one big surprise for me too that my high school classmate, Joy, is our neighbor in Yishun. We accidentally crossed path in the neighborhood. It is really a small world! Meeting her family, going out together and visiting them at their home made me feel like I am home. 

One of the best rides in Universal Studio Singapore

Before my one month vacation ends, I applied for an e-visa extension and I was granted another 30 days to stay.
Aside from soul-searching, cultural immersion is what I truly experienced in my third vacation. I experienced shopping in the wet market and cooked my food, watched movie in Plaza Singapura, rented a computer in Lucky Plaza and frequented the hawker food stalls and the public library in Yishun. I even tried applying for jobs, experienced to be interviewed, offered an employment but declined the job offer for personal reasons.  I have memorized the stations of the MRT red line and walked in the streets of SG without fear even late at night. I couldn't agree more that Singapore is the safest country in southeast Asia, and one of the safest country in the world. Staying in SG for almost two months made me experience a taste of Singapore's culture. 
In 2016,  my friends from work planned a tour to Malaysia and Singapore. Knowing I have been there several times, they invited me to come and join them so I can be their tour guide also :). Included in a group of seven (Edgar, Anette, Greg, Cathy, Holly, Jun and me),  I went back to SG with the same excitement I had with my previous visits. 

Our group, at the border of Malaysia - Singapore

We stayed in  beary hostel  in Chinatown. Our itineraries were the same places I visited before. I still enjoyed the rides, the shows and the street performances in Universal Studio. I still loved the food in the hawkers food stalls, and I still bought that one-dollar ice cream in the Merlion park.
On our last night, I met JR, Nina and Joy and it was a real happiness catching up with them over dinner and coffee.

Catching Up with Joy, Ips and Yanin

Singapore is not only for the crazy rich Asians. It is also a perfect destination for crazy budget-traveler Filipina like me.