Summit 2019 – Singapore

Can I just say? I couldn’t be more excited with this trip.

It’s been a long time since I had this kind of adventure/get-together with some of my favorite people from way back – from my call center days to my stint in a well-known GDS (excuse my jargon). It’s a different kind of feeling being with people you are in the same wavelength with, right? Oh, happy days 😀

My friends have been on this so-called “summit” for quite a while now – sort of like an inside thing they came up with to describe this yearly affair of getting together in a different city each time. I didn’t know about this so-called “Summit” until I got to THE actual “Summit” itself. It was only then that I’ve learned about it.

I was jealous. I want in.

I like the idea of being with them in a different city every year. I mean, with all of life’s stresses? Pfft! This couldn’t have been a more well-deserved break. At least I know it will. And I know it’s going to be for all of our future trips, I claim.

So, Singapore. Where do I even begin? There’s a lot to process.

Well, where better else to start than with one of our favorite things to do, if not THE most favorite thing we love to do – EATING!!! (you are free to dispute me here guys… if you can).

Multi-cultural Singapore is a foodie’s paradise. Not far from the hotel where we stayed at is a famous restaurant that sells Singaporean chili crab – the No Sign Board Seafood Restaurant in Geylang. Not sure though if this is the exact same branch Anthony Bourdain went to in his trip(s) here.

We didn’t pass up trying the Singaporean chili crab, of course. Thank goodness it didn’t disappoint. It was quite the messy affair but it’s all worth it. Although you can opt to use utensils, eating it with bare hands would have been better. It just adds a different dimension to the experience. Thinking about it now makes me salivate.

Equally interesting and satisfying are the fried mantou buns that pair best with the chili crab. We went crazy for the mantous!

We also tried the cereal-coated deep-fried prawns together with yang chow rice, which, I would have to say is sort of like the de facto Filipino barkada’s pigout staple as a side (…or main) – the yang chow, I mean. A true-blooded Filipino would have it either way. Because, you know, we love rice like that.

The movie Crazy, Rich Asians has just been shown fairly recently at the time. And maybe in keeping up with this theme, the morning after we decided to first visit the place where the wedding scene was shot, purportedly. I maybe wrong.

The place is called CHIJMES – a 19th-century structure which was a former convent and school, that now houses restaurants, bars and an events space.

Another reason why we were all in Singapore that week is because it is T’s birthday week. It seemed like stars aligned so we could all meet together in SG for this special occasion – she being based here for work and others coincidentally are in the city partly on business. I, for my part, have been wanting to go to Singapore for the longest time. So, there – mission accomplished 🙂

Here we are goofing around at the CHIJMES. This was on the day of T’s birthday.

A short walk from the CHIJMES is the Bugis shopping district. It has a combination of shopping malls, restaurants, nightspots and regulated back-alley roadside vendors, or what we call in the Philippines as tiangge. This is one of the go-to places for souvenirs.

Oh and look! There’s a Manila Street in Bugis.

We spent hours shopping and scouting for discounts, hoping to score good deals. I’m not really so much into shopping but some of my friends are, which is great because Singapore is a shopping haven. It pretty much has everything anyone would ever want.

All this activity, the going to and fro between shops within the district, made us hungry. We took a break and had late lunch in one of the food courts. You probably recognize this Singaporean staple below. Normally for breakfast, this kopi & toast combo is easily recognizable with its soft-boiled egg mixed with soy sauce.

We were discussing where to go to next. Our itinerary is jam-packed and we thought we may not have enough time to visit every one of them given the limited time we have. To make the most of it, we thought it best to first visit Singapore‘s latest attraction – The Jewel at Changi.

It’s amazing how Singapore constantly reinvents itself. There is always something new to do and see. This latest project is a nature-themed mixed-use development that connects three of the city’s airport terminals.

Its centerpiece is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall called Rain Vortex, surrounded by a terraced forest setting – the Shiseido Forest Valley.

Consistently awarded Best Airport in the World for 7 consecutive years since 2013 by Skytrax, Changi isn’t one to be outdone. It’s definitely not resting on its laurels.

Just recently it has unveiled its newest terminal – T4, which is touted to be the world’s first fully-automated airport. This, they say, is a game-changer. I had the opportunity to experience T4 on my flight back to Manila.

We’ve noticed automated counters inside the Jewel, too. In its bid to revolutionize travel and to even further make visiting and transiting Singapore a more pleasurable and seamless experience, they have options for early check-in in these counters for specific airlines for now. I’m pretty sure there are plans to roll out the same for all carriers in the future.

Last on our itinerary for the day is the Light & Sound Show at the Marina Bay Sands.

Can I just say? The view of the Marina Bay is killer! A postcard-pretty snapshot of an exquisite and vibrant city. The city of the future.

It excites me to know what other treasures this city-state offers. That’s something you will find out on the next post.

For now, I’m leaving you with an amazing light and sound show I was able to record the entire 13 or so minutes of.

Enjoy! 😀