Singapura

Singapura

Day 1: Monday
26th October 2015
11:55 PM, Chennai

I walked into the airport confident and excited about my maiden international travel. I could catch a glimpse of my husband standing near the visitor’s bay and probably wondering how I was going to manage the trip on my own.

As we walked into the airport he said “I’m sure your Dad is standing somewhere, watching”. I wondered.

Day 2: Tuesday
27th October 2015
00:05 PM, Chennai

I handed over my luggage at the counter and moved towards immigration. A long line ahead, but moved quick. I had completed the procedures and walked into the boarding area to see that Shruti was already there waiting.

Shruti is my best friend. We’ve studied together since 2nd grade and through college. We have been through different and difficult stages of life by ourselves and somehow kept our friendship alive.

It was One thirty in the morning of the 27th of October 2015. We chatted away on the highlights of what each of us had missed in the last few years as we waited to board our flight to Singapore.

I was travelling for work and she decided it was her only opportunity to take a break from all that was happening around her at home.

We started our four hour trip to Singapore at 02:30AM.  We managed to get our seats switched so as to sit next to each other. We again touch based on our happenings as we had our meal and then eventually dozed off.

We landed in Singapore at 09:30 AM (Singapore time). We took a cab to the hotel.

I had not noted down the number of the hotel or the exact address hoping the name would do, however we realized that there were 3 Value hotels on Balestier Road. We got off at 302 Balestier Road and found out that we were actually booked at 218. The manager was kind enough to switch the booking to theirs and we got to our room in sometime.

It was a small room with a bed, a table and a lovely view that overlooked the road. Just what we wanted.

We freshened up and stepped out for breakfast. We took a bus to the nearest MRT (Mass Rapid Transport)-Novena Station had breakfast and then rode the MRT to China town.

The MRT was convenient as it moved across Singapore and had a map that we could look at. We bought ourselves an MRT card at the station. All the major MRTs have a mall above where most working people catch their breakfast.

The Bus stop was also convenient as some are free rides to common places and for the others we can use the same card that we got at the MRT.

The first time I walked on foreign land, I was amazed. The signal light turned red from amber and all the vehicles stopped 2 feet before the line and the walkers then crossed the road only after the walking light turned green. Everyone uses the front door of the bus to get in and the back door to step out. You have to swipe your EZ-Link Card by the door as you step in and out.

Wow! Now that is just the kind of place for any organized person like me who goes out of their way to keep things in place, would love. I was amazed at how organized things were in the city.

We then did some shopping at China town and took a bus back to the hotel by 04:00 PM. We got some rest.
We stepped out at 07:30PM, took the MRT to City Hall. We started walking towards the Flyer.

The Flyer is the big wheel that overlooks the harbor and the view from there was said to be amazing. (I caught the view the next day from the Training room at my office!)

We talked of things that were highlighted earlier as we walked and lost track of time and place, may be but, we enjoyed the walk through the entire city. We walked until 10:30 and then got a cab back to the hotel.

We were exhausted by the time we reached the hotel. Shruti called my husband and said “Poornima would probably make me walk back to Chennai!”

I fell in love with the city more as I walked through clean roads and noticed movement of orderly fashion.

We spoke over the phone to our families. I called my boss to check on the timings of the training and then we dozed off.

Day 3: Wednesday
28th October 2015
07:00 AM, Singapore

I woke up to my alarm and got ready to go to work. I was ready by 07:30 AM and sat at the corner of my bed and watched it rain outside. The rain looked clean and refreshing.

I stepped out at 07:40 AM wanting to take a cab to the office at Millenia Tower as I did not know the place, but could not get hold of a cab cause of the rain and it being a busy working morning. I also did not know the bus to the place. I asked some people around who had no clue either. Then a gentlemen looked into his phone and asked me to take Bus 130 to Raffles Hotel and a walk of 10 minutes from there should get me to my office. It was 08:00 AM. I needed to be at work at 09:00 AM.

Luckily, the bus came as soon as I turned around. I took the bus to Raffles Hotel. The maps that were available at every bus stop guided me to another bus which stops right Opposite Millenia Tower. I was happy as I did not have the time to walk myself to the office which would take more than expected as I did not know the place.

I took the next bus and got off right outside Millenia tower. It was 08:20 AM. It was a tall building. I walked in and asked for Palo Alto Networks and the receptionist guided me to the 30 floor. I got into the jet lift which travels all the way to the 52nd Floor of the building and got off at the 30th only to realize that I should be on the 31st. By the time I reached the training room it was 08:40 AM. Just in time.

The training was an immense learning of different cultures and their responses to scenarios. It also showed how important my job is. Our clients understand the need of soft skills in today’s corporate world of technology. What good of technology, if you cannot market it. I love my job!

We took a break for lunch and I met a friend from CSS who had recently moved to Singapore as part of Palo Alto Networks. Since she knew the place around, we went to Saravana Bavan for lunch accompanied by another Training Manager from India.

The Post lunch session was brief and we closed the session by 03:00 PM.
I took the cab back to the hotel and got some much needed rest.

In the meantime I spoke to a lady over the phone. She was dad’s friend, who stays in Singapore. She had recently lost her father and was mourning her loss. We spoke about what a dad means to us daughters and how much difference they could make or break in our lives, without them even knowing.

She spoke of Singapore and asked me to visit a couple of places before I leave. I took note of the places she mentioned as I calculated the time I had. I wished her well as she did the same for me and my family.

Later that evening the conversation of Dads continued during dinner at Clarke Quay. Shruti missed my Dad for everything he had done during her wedding and her birthday in 2012. I felt bad that I couldn’t even get him to wish her for her birthday this year.
We took a cab from Clarke Quay to Mustafa Mart and we shopped until 02:30 AM.

“Isn’t it every woman’s dream to shop until you drop”- well I think we’ve done it!
We got back at 03:00 AM and hit the bed.

Day 4: Thursday
29th October 2015
08:00 AM, Singapore

We were exhausted of the extensive travel and the walking the day before.
It was our last day of this travel and we wanted to make the most it.
We got ready and took the MRT to “Gardens by the Bay”.

“Gardens by the Bay” is a park spanning 101 hectares of reclaimed land in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden.

We couldn’t see it all as it would take half a day to see the entire botanical observatory. We took a walk around and took the MRT to Sentosa.

On the way we stopped at Barkleys, where Shruti had stayed during her college days. She was feeling nostalgic as the hostel no more exists. She spent some time looking around.

We continued our trip to Sentosa. It was 02:30PM when we reached. We started off with Universal studios which took until 06:00PM as we went through rides and then went to see the Merlion.

My husband and son would have loved this place as it had amazing rides, cartoon characters and a chocolate factory set up. All this would have made their day.

The Merlion is possibly a creature in western heraldry that depicts a creature with a lion's head and the body of a fish. The body symbolizes Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, meaning 'sea town' in Old Javanese. Its head represents Singapore's original name, Singapura, or 'lion city' in Malay. It represents itself as the guardian of prosperity which personifies Singapore’s history as a port city.

The view from the head of the Merlion was just breath taking. I felt like I could touch the far lights or the dark sky. I could feel myself connect with the universe and at peace with myself. We spent some quiet moments staring out into the dark star filled night.

We had dinner at the mall in the MRT and got back to our hotel by 11:00 PM.
We packed our bags ready to go back home the next day.

Day 5: Friday
30th October 2015
05:00 AM, Singapore

We woke up early so as to not be in a hurry while we leave. It was raining and looked like a pleasant day ahead.

We checked out of the hotel at 05:45 AM. We got a cab to the airport. Shruti and I were on different airlines and hence the terminals were different too. I got off first at terminal 3 and she got off next at terminal 2.

I was early for boarding. My flight was at 10:30 AM. I had completed the procedures and was ready by 07:00 AM and so I took a stroll in the airport, had breakfast at a coffee shop and browsed through a book store and did some last minute shopping.

I reached Chennai at 02:30 PM-oops that was my watch on Singapore time and it was 12:30 PM at Chennai!

It was 03:00 PM (again my watch-01:00 PM at Chennai) by the time I was out of the airport post the procedures and baggage.

I walked out to see my dear husband waiting to receive me with a big smile and a warm hug.

It felt good to be home.