Solo in Singapore: The Start

Summertime is coming to an end, and before starting the fall semester I wanted to take advantage of the remaining vacation days I had. (I mean who wouldnt?!)

Looking around at what was near and in the budget which is usually “which country is the cheapest to fly to right now?” (anyone else ever laugh at their budget after the fact?), I decided on Singapore after some back and forth on timing and trying to make plans with others and then ultimately going solo. 

From watching the city be featured briefly in short movie scenes or being the highlight point of Crazy Rich Asians film, the city offers a variety of architectural wonders and I wanted to see them in person instead of on a screen. There’s so much I don’t know about, but I wanted to go and experience it, while also thankful for the fact that language wouldn’t be a big issue.

Taking an overnight flight, I landed in Singapore and began my long weekend adventure. 

Traveling on a budget sometimes limits you in certain things, such as comfortably traveling when booking tickets or check in times. This time I booked based on cheap flights not good times, which I kind of wasn’t a huge fan of but it was okay this time. You have to make a pros and cons, and this time it didn’t really matter but after the fact I knew my next international flight I wanted to make sure I timed things a bit differently so didn’t get worn out quickly. I landed at Changi airport at 1am and by the time I got through immigration I had to wait a few more hours until the train opened to the city at 5am. Not exactly the best experience on 2 hours of sleep but you win some you lose some. (I didn’t realize where I was after deboarding and that I could have stayed inside the terminal longer until I had already walked down the stairs to immigration…oops). I walked to the Jewel but it didn’t open until 10 but the mini star lights scattered throughout the giant room and the quiet were just right.

On the bright side of being up so early, I had a gorgeous sunrise view on the train as I headed towards downtown, and the hours of sitting in the airport gave me time to research more on what to do on my early morning arrival, including what to eat and where to go. I decided to start the day with getting breakfast at a hawkers food centre and tried carrot cake for breakfast. I was intrigued by the name, and the lack of orange “carrot” vegetables I’m used to, but it was so delicious. The warm, steaming meal was just what I needed and a perfect start for the day. 

As I was adjusting to my surroundings, I was quickly taking in details, such as how people put their trays up in designated areas after eating, standing on the opposite side (U.S.) on the escalator. The opposite roads, the school uniforms of kids commuting on the train, the buildings, and the diversity. One of the things you learn quickly being in a new place is how much you observe around you so you follow local cues. Especially when you have a bit of social anxiety and you are wondering how in the world things work and don’t want to stand out, but Singapore was easy to adjust to. Signs were everywhere telling you what you could and couldn’t do, and marked in signs of multiple languages. The one struggle I had was not having cash when at a food center because their ATM didn’t accept my foreign card, so that left me in a bit of a bind, but for the most part it all worked out. Being based in Asia, I was not ready for such a diverse country in language and people. There was hardly a day I didn’t hear less than 5 languages while out and about, and it was a unique experience being in such a highly developed city with technology and such a wide range of people living there. Cities in the US have similarities, but it was different in Singapore.

I got into the heart of the city around 8am that morning, and downtown was so calm and peaceful. The sun was slowly rising, the temperature warm. The Merlion Fountain and surrounding area was practically empty, and I didn’t realize until looking from across the water later that afternoon just how busy it could get so I was glad I made it there when I did. 

By afternoon there were scattered showers on and off, usually when I least expected it and had to take shelter under random shop roofs or museum buildings. Which gave me a great excuse to explore the nearby museums sooner than planned. By the end of my first day I’d visited the famous Marina Bays, the ArtScience Museum, a food centre, and then crashed at my hotel (A solid 12 hours of sleep that I definitely needed.) Waking up bright and early for a packed next few days of taxing the MRT train system all over the city to abandoned pools, ice cream museums, climbing gyms, and books stores I accidentally took pictures in when I wasn’t supposed to (all places I’ll post about later).