Snapshots from Singapore Changi Airport

Spending hours at an airport killing time before the next flight is usually an unappealing prospect. That's not the case at Singapore's Changi Airport. After having fun at Changi in the wee hours of the night on our way out of Asia, my girl was disappointed to not have another long layover on our return. With all the fantastic things to keep travelers occupied, it's no small wonder that Changi is often rated one of the top airports in the world.

A few weeks before we departed, Budget Travel Talk posted a picture of Changi Airport's Christmas decorations. It looked so intriguing that seeing it with my own eyes was one of the things I wanted to do while we were there. Wouldn't you want to see this?

She's a real pushover for the Leaning Tower of Pisa

It turns out that the Leaning Tower was just one of the many creative, Italian-themed, horticulture displays at the airport. We found a few others while strolling through the terminal. What was especially interesting was how they kept kids interested, too.

The Colosseum  

The Colosseum... with a special guest gladiator

Hey kids, it's Sponge Bob Square Pants! These displays had something for both classical tastes and those with more youthful inclinations. I thought it was an interesting dichotomy. I'm wondering if the floral designer had a sense of humor or stormed off in a huff when he/she saw how the displays were arranged.

I'm rather sure the original Trojan Horse story doesn't mention Gary the Snail.

While Changi Airport offers a playscape, as do many other airports around the world, its activities for kids go way beyond the norm.

At midnight, the woodblock crayon rubbings still drew a crowd of children. We obviously weren't the only ones trying to keep the kids awake and on their feet despite the late hour. Even at this time of night, the paper was well stocked and the crayons were plentiful.

Woodblock rubbing station next to an Orchid Garden with Koi Pond

If you happen to be visiting Singapore and departing from Terminal 3, stop by the World's Tallest Airport Slide before going through security. It's 4 storeys tall but was, unfortunately for us, closed when we were there.

Reach speeds of up to 6 meters (18 feet) per second going down this spiral slide.

The Butterfly Garden was yet another entertaining diversion, although I will have to say that it's about a thousand times better in the daylight when you can actually see the butterflies. As it was already nighttime during this visit, we spent some fruitless minutes searching for butterflies and then occupied ourselves by looking at the chrysalides. (Yes, I did have to look up what is the plural form of "chrysalis.") This garden is just one of the many themed gardens and nature experience throughout the airport.

Future butterflies

I was surprised to see that many of the airport's upscale stores stayed open past midnight. I'm sure that my husband would have bought me an Hermès scarf if only the shopgirls had not been locking up at 1 A.M. when we walked by... or maybe not.

As it was, the simple pleasure of the free foot and calf massage chairs was enough to keep me happy. Hubby motioned to me that we really had to go if we didn't want to miss our flight, but I was reluctant to disengage myself from the rollers powerfully kneading my aching muscles. The napping stations off to the sides looked enticing, too, but I knew that I would never get up in time if I allowed myself to lay down.

Other times at Changi, we've checked into the Transit Hotel if our layover was more than 6 hours. I really like that we don't have to clear immigration in order to reach the hotel. That's so convenient. During one stay, we swept aside the hotel room curtains, eager to look at the view. Perhaps we'd see planes taking off! Nope. It was just a blank wall.

Other activities at Changi Airport for travelers in transit:

• Free 2-hour, guided tour of Singapore
• Around-the-clock, free movie theatre; although you are cautioned to remember not to miss your flight
• Rooftop swimming pool free for hotel guests and a charge of S$13.91 for non-guests
• Fish Spa and Reflexology Center where fish nibble the dead skin off your feet
• Entertainment Deck with a Kinect, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 perfect for tweens and teens
• Shower and gym

Have you been to Singapore's Changi Airport? What's your favorite way to entertain yourself there?

This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox and "Oh the Places I've Been" on The Tablescaper. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

Singapore by Night

This week, I've checked off another Malaysian expat experience. I've come down with a tropical disease. Yuck. For the last seven days, I've been beset by fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, ear pressure, massive headaches, fatigue, red eyes, and after most of that all calmed down, a rash appeared. Dengue was eliminated via a blood test. For a while, the doctor thought it was Leptospirosis which is transmitted by rat urine. Revolting, to say the least. With the onset of the rash, the diagnosis has been changed to Chikugunya which, like Dengue, is transmitted via mosquito bites. Much less revolting. Anyways, things have been getting better, and I'm on the mend.

As long as I'm lying in bed, I'll fondly reminisce about my trip to Singapore almost 2 weeks ago which is the last time I felt in good health. Singapore has a vibrant night life, and we felt perfectly safe walking through the streets after the sun had set.

View from the SkyPark atop the Marina Bay Sands

Last year, we took the fast elevator to the SkyPark at the top of the Marina Bay Sands. This is the Singapore hotel that looks like a cruise ship sitting on top of three skyscrapers. The Observation Deck is only on one end of the building, so don't expect a 360 degree view of the city. Tickets are SGD20 (US$16) per adult and SGD14 (US$11.16) for children ages 2 - 12 years. Some people like to enjoy the bar and restaurant at the top, but my kids are not nearly swanky enough to pull this off.

This is the closest you can get to the infinity pool at the top of the Marina Bay Sands if you are not a hotel guest.

Gardens by the Bay has a light show set to music twice a night in the SuperTree Grove. If you're looking to save some money, this is free to the public. (You must pay admission if you want to enter one of the cooled conservatories or the elevated walkway.) There was quite a crowd enjoying the show the night we were there. The SuperTrees are 25- to 50-meter tall vertical gardens. Over 162,900 plants cover these structures.

Gardens by the Bay SuperTree Grove with the Marina Bay Sands on the left.

One of my favorite areas of Singapore after dark is Clarke Quay and Riverside Point. Both are extremely popular, so this isn't exactly an insider tip. The area is filled with restaurants and bars. Near Halloween last year, it was quite a happening place, especially with the Zombie crowd. Be sure to make reservations at Jumbo Seafood at Riverside Point for some tasty, tantalizing Chilli Crab.

Boat tours cruising in front of Riverside Point (left) and Clarke Quay (right).

The Clarke Quay complex is a group of shophouses painted in vibrant hues with a covering providing shelter over the street area. A brightly colored water fountain danced in the middle. I'm sure my kids would have run right into the middle of it on a hot day.



Fountains at Clarke Quay

For the most part, Singapore has banned street food. One of the remaining hold outs is Ice Cream Carts. I noticed a line at this cart and decided to try this treat for the first time. A man cut slabs of ice cream from a larger block and then literally made an Ice Cream Sandwich by folding a slice of pastel green and pink swirled bread around it.

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich

To be honest, I wasn't bowled over by this. The bread, while colorful, tasted like regular ole white bread. The ice cream itself was merely "meh." But if they had used higher quality ice cream and a rich slice of brioche, I may be singing a different tune. Have you tried this treat?

Well, it's back to bed for me for more convalescence. Please remember to wear mosquito repellent when you're in Southeast Asia. Also, avoid rat urine.


This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox and "Oh the Places I've Been" on The Tablescaper. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

Glowing Lanterns, Tasty Mooncakes, and the Mid-Autumn Festival

This post is dedicated to my mama. Thursday, September 19 marks this year's Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated with glowing lanterns and tasty mooncakes.

A variety of Mooncakes - Coconut, Starbucks Coffee and traditional Lotus Paste

Growing up, the Chinese custom of eating mooncakes is one of my cherished memories. At the time, Houston's Chinese population had yet to explode, and I felt like part of a secret society since, as far as I could tell, we were the only family who did this. My mother was born and raised in the Philippines. Despite never having set foot in China, this tradition is something that had been passed down from my grandparents through her, to me. I'm not sure where she procured them. Perhaps the Mooncake Supplier hung out with the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and blessed my mom with these pastries as a reward for being a good Chinese mama all year. She'd get really excited whenever someone would visit from Asia, Canada or California and brought her a box. I suppose these were a little fresher than whatever she could buy in Houston. We would just have one or two for our family of four, and she'd slice these palm-sized pastries into little wedges for us to share.

According to my mom, mooncakes are part of the Feast of the August Moon, occasionally called the Feast of the Harvest Moon. I would usually point out that it was September, sometimes early October, but never, ever August. My child brain may have chalked this up to a major time zone difference. California is two hours behind Texas, and Asia is a whole month behind. Later, I understood that it fell on the full moon of the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, not the Gregorian one I was taught in school. Even back then, I learned that just because something is different doesn't mean that it's wrong, a notion that would come up quite often in my adult, expat life.

Shortly after I arrived in Malaysia, I was amazed to discover that this "secret" tradition is wide-spread here. Pining for home a little bit, it was a shred of something familiar from my childhood.  In Malaysia and Singapore, it seems that everyone refers to it as the Mid-Autumn Festival or, less frequently, the Lantern Festival (not to be confused with China's version of the Lantern Festival which occurs during the first month of the lunar year).

Last weekend's trip to Singapore's Gardens by the Bay coincided nicely with the Mid-Autumn lantern celebrations they were holding. I have not seen anything on this grand scale anywhere in Penang.

A life-size house lantern floating on the lake

Lots of people came to Singapore's Gardens by the Bay to look at these large lanterns.



Something for the kids to enjoy

One of the winners of the lantern making contest

Mooncakes are all over the place in Penang. There's big displays at the mall, local bakeries and restaurants make them, and they're readily available at the grocery store. It was no longer a rare commodity. My Zumba instructor handed them out after Tuesday's class, and a friend had a box to share at the school playground. She said that it's traditional to exchange them with each other or bring them as a hostess gift when invited to someone's house.

I was raised on the traditional Lotus Paste with a Single Salted Egg Yolk mooncake. I brought one into my workplace in Texas once since it was staffed with adventurous foodies, and one friend described it as having a taste reminiscent of marzipan.  My hubby and kids don't really like them because, being a Chinese dessert, they only have a hint of sweetness, not the tooth-achey sugar rush you get from American pastries. Unfortunately, they are very high in calories.



Traditional Lotus Paste and pumpkin seed filling
No salted yolk because I always pick it out.

Oh my goodness, the varieties you can get over here! Malaysia offers an endless list of flavors from Pandan to Green Tea to Cookies and Cream. Even Durian filling is available. My favorite non-traditional flavor this year is Coconut which reminds me of Filipino Bibingka but with shreds of coconut throughout and no cheese.

Mooncakes are made by wrapping the filling around a cooked, salted egg yolk representing the moon and then wrapped with the outer pastry layer. Each assembled piece is pressed into a wooden mold to create the decorative impressions and then removed before baking. The round cakes are a symbol of family unity and good health. Somehow, the Skype session between my mom and I a few weeks ago ended with us each brandishing our own mooncake molds at the web camera. I'm not quite sure how that supports family unity.



Mooncake mold

Same shapes are specifically designed to appeal to kids. Sponge Bob or Mickey Mouse, anyone?

Chocolate Mickey Mouse mooncake

Whereas Starbucks aims to deliver the same espresso drinks no matter what store you are at in the world, they do offer special items that cater to the local palate. If you ever come across an Asian Dolce Latte, try it. It's like Vietnamese coffee and so very yum. In Malaysia and Singapore, they also sell mooncakes. In fact, the Caramel Macchiato and Tiramisu fillings they offered two years ago are probably my favorite of all the nouveau flavors I've sampled since moving here. Alas, their mooncake menu has changed, and these primo fillings have not reappeared.

Notice the Starbucks logo on top of their Tiramisu mooncake.

I was also introduced to Snow Skin mooncakes. Unlike traditional ones which are baked with a pastry outer crust and served at room temperature, snow skin mooncakes are not baked and have an outer layer of glutinous rice, similar to that in Japanese mochi ice cream. These have to be kept refrigerated, are served chilled, and are perceived as a healthier alternative to traditional mooncakes.

Strawberry Snowskin mooncake

Other international chains have joined in the mooncake frenzy and offer their own interpretations of this treat. Haagen-Dazs offers one with a praline base, ice cream filling surrounding a mango sorbet "yolk" and covered with a  hard chocolate shell.



Ice cream mooncake

Godiva Chocolatier sells one that's essentially a large chocolate candy. I know that you readers are desperate to know what one tastes like, so I bought one for the sake of the blog. The Duo Lait version has a top layer of milk chocolate ganache with hints of mandarin and red cherry and a punch of cinnamon and sea salt sitting on a bottom layer of California almond praline. It also costs about US$2.50 a bite. Pricey!

Godiva mooncake

By this time next year, I'll probably be back in Texas, so I'm enjoying all the mooncake madness while I can. Have you ever tried mooncakes?


This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox and "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" on The Tablescaper. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

Taking a Taxi from Singapore to LEGOland Malaysia

Singapore-Johor cross-border taxi fare

You cannot take a regular Singapore taxi across the border to LEGOland Malaysia. Instead, you must use a cross-border taxi. So, this is what we did:

1. 5 minute local taxi ride from hotel in Clarke Quay to the Ban San Street Taxi Stand, next to the Queen Street Bus Terminal -- SGD$7

2. Cross-border taxi from Ban San Street stand to LEGOland -- SGD$70 for 3 adults and 2 kids

• 40 minute ride to Woodlands checkpoint, driving against rush hour traffic
• 5 minutes to stamp passports for exiting Singapore
• Drive across causeway into Malaysia
• 10 minutes at Malaysian immigration
• 25 minute ride from immigration directly to LEGOland
• Note: The concierge told us we'd have to transfer to a local Malaysian taxi after crossing the border, but our driver was willing to take us all the way to LEGOland.

We asked the driver to come back at 6:30 p.m. (half an hour after closing that day) to bring us back for another SGD$70. Joy of joys! I must have tipped him enough because he was waiting for us when we exited after a long day of fun. I didn't see many other taxis queueing up, so I am very glad that we had one booked.  He drove us 90 minutes back to Ban San Street where we had to transer to a local Singapore taxi to get back to the hotel.

Round trip, it ended up being SGD$154. We had door-to-door service and much more flexibility with when we wanted to depart and return than if we had taken a shuttle bus or tour bus.


Singapore Flyer - LEGOland Round-trip Shuttle
WTS Travel offers on-line booking and payment for their shuttle bus. In Low Season, there are 4 departures/returns each day. In Peak Season, there are 5 departures/returns per day. One way trips from Singapore to LEGOland are also an option. You must choose your times when booking.

Packages include the transportation only or one or both LEGOland parks plus transportation. Depending on the season, prices range from SGD$20-30 per person for round-trip transportation only. They sometimes have discounts on park admission. WTS accepts PayPal for the payment. Book at least a week early as the buses fill up. I have not tried this service myself but am keeping it in mind for our next trip. Click here to make a booking. The company also has a shuttle from Singapore to Hello Kitty Town/ Little Big Club in Johor.

Finally reaching LEGOland Malaysia.

Related Posts:
Building a Day of Fun at LEGOland Malaysia
Asian Landmarks at LEGOland Malaysia Miniland
Flashback to LEGOland California

Building a Day of Fun at LEGOland Malaysia

When we first told the kids we were moving from Texas to Malaysia, we dangled a visit to LEGOland Malaysia, in front of them as enticement. A couple weeks ago, we finally delivered on our promise, and oh, what fun we had! We've visited the California location of LEGOland a few times, and the newly opened Malaysian park is very similar to that one. The only significant differences are the smaller size and the Asian spin on landmarks in Miniland. To me, the similarities are a great indication that these rides and concepts have already been proven successful in other parts of the world. Located in Johor, just across the border from Singapore, LEGOland is perfect for children ages 2-12 years old. Its over 40 attractions include rides, shows, playground areas and hands-on fun with LEGO bricks.

Hold on tight on Project X through the switchbacks and big plunge.

Fun Rides are the Main Attraction
LEGOland has everything from the DUPLO Express train perfect for toddlers to medium-thrill roller coasters and flume rides for older children. (If your kids really want high thrill and fast speeds, Universal Studios Singapore may be better suited for them.) 

Preschoolers chug around Playtown on the LEGO Express.

The Driving School in LEGO City lets kids ages 6-13 years old motor cars through a street course complete with intersections, traffic lights, a roundabout, and two-way traffic. You don't see that at most theme parks! Children as young as 2 years can try out the simpler Junior Driving School.

Kids rule the road at Driving School.

At Kid Power Towers, pull your chair up hand-over-hand 9 metres to the top of the tower and then gently glide back down to the ground.

How high can you go before time is up on Kid Power Towers? Don't worry adults, you can try, too.

Hit targets with your laser gun to score points while riding through the ancient Egypt-themed Lost Kingdom of Adventure.

Amusement park ride and arcade game in one at Lost Kingdom of Adventure.

There are tons more rides at LEGOland. These are just a few of them.


Hands-on Building with LEGO bricks
When you've had enough of the heat or need to escape the rain, head indoors to one of the building centers. For children older than 8 years, be sure to try LEGO Mindstorms where they can build a robot and do easy, graphical, computer programming to complete missions. Be sure to go by and make your reservation early because the six 45-minute sessions with 8 spots each fill up quickly. If they're too young, you can always get a brick kit and building diagram without any reservations needed.

Satisfy the emerging engineer at LEGO Mindstorms.


At Build & Test, kids can try their hand at building race cars or earthquake-proof structures. Challenge other cars on the sloped racing ramp to see whose is the fastest. Make a skyscraper on a shaking platform, go from 0 to 10 on the Richter Scale, and see if yours is still standing at the end.

One nice touch at a few queue areas is the LEGO table where kids can occupy themselves while parents keep their place in line.


Watch Live Action and 4D Shows
The LEGO Studios 4D Theatre rotates through 3 movies. What's a 4D movie? You wear 3D glasses to watch the film and enjoy the added physical special effects like blowing wind, flashing lights, and in the case of LEGO Racers, falling snow. If you really care about which exact movie you watch, get there 20 minutes before showtime. We didn't have a chance to watch the live action shows at LEGO City Stage, but the pictures made them look entertaining.


Run around the Playground
Perhaps your kids are tired of waiting in queues or building things. Let them burn off some energy at the playgrounds located around the park. DUPLO Playtown is ideal for the youngest visitors. The Shipyard and The Forestman's Hideout are aimed at the older ones. Pharoah's Revenge has lots of ball-popping fun.



Kids run while mamma rests at The Forestman's Hideout in LEGO Kingdom.

Miniland
The miniature 1:20 scale replicas of Asian landmarks built out of LEGO bricks is the centerpiece of the park. Take your time strolling around and look carefully. The designers sneak in clever little scenarios and tableaux. Push buttons and watch the action start, but be careful if you're standing in a puddle. You'll probably be squirted with water. See my Miniland post for highlights.

Angkor Wat LEGO-style

Details and Tips
What else do you need to know?

• We were there from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (opening to closing times) and still didn't have a chance to try out everything on a medium-size crowd day. Estimated queue times ranged from 15-60 minutes.
• Keep in mind how hot it can be, so bring a hat or even an umbrella which can provide both shade and rain protection. Queueing areas are covered, but you'll be in the sun when walking around.
• Rides close 1 hour before closing time. Miniland remains open until the end of the day.
• Don't forget comfy shoes because you'll be on your feet all day.
• Either bring your own stroller or rent one just inside the entrance for the younger kids.  
• Some rides have height requirements (at least 110 cm on many rides) or age limits.
• Restaurants around the park offer both Asian and Western halal-certified fare.
• Numerous restaurants are just outside the main entrance if you get there early or linger after closing.
• Both Malaysian Ringgits and Singapore Dollars are accepted in the park as payment.
• Two prayer rooms and a Baby Care Center are located within LEGOland.
• Of course, you have lots of opportunities to buy LEGOs toys here. It's definitely a much, much bigger selection than at Toys'R'Us.
• See my post about how we took a taxi from Singapore to LEGOland

Push the button and activate the geyser on AquaZone Wave Racers.

Looking towards the future
A LEGOland Waterpark is scheduled to open next door on October 21, 2013, and a hotel is currently under construction. If we lived near the park, I could see us buying an Annual Pass.

I have seen many on-line complaints about the heat and the no-refund-due-to-rain policy at LEGOland. These people need to understand that this is standard theme park operations all around the world. I've been in near-typhoon conditions at Tokyo DisneySea, and they didn't refund money. I spent my childhood summers in Houston, Texas at the equally hot-and-humid-with-bouts-of-rain Six Flags Astroworld and managed to endure it. That's what Walt Disney World in Florida is like in July, too. I've had to keep track of my kids in a sea of identical Shamu gift shop raincoats at SeaWorld. My advice to these complainer is to just deal with it. If the grand daddy of theme parks, Disney, doesn't make allowances, I don't expect LEGOland to.

However, there is room for improvement to make this a truly top-notch park. Some rides weren't operational while we were there, and I've heard of a few stopping with guests still on them. Restaurant tables weren't cleared quickly. Bathrooms that were clean and fresh in the morning were stinky and lacking toilet paper by the end of the day. We waited at the ticket booth for 40 minutes, because only 2 were open. At one point, both were at a standstill waiting for the supervisor to help. Hiring more people or better training could easily solve many problems, so I hope LEGOland will take steps to remedy them. Despite these complaints, I would still happily recommend LEGOland to families with children 12 years old and under.

Related Posts
Asian Landmarks at LEGOland Malaysia Miniland
Taking a Taxi from Singapore to LEGOland Malaysia
Flashback to LEGOland California
Universal Studios Singapore


This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox and Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

Asian Landmarks at LEGOland Malaysia Miniland

What really sets LEGOland Malaysia apart from other LEGOlands around the world is its version of Miniland. Stroll among 1:20 scale replicas of architectural landmarks from all over Asia. Much of Miniland is dedicated to the host country, Malaysia, and its most famous city, Kuala Lumpur, as well as Johor Bahru where LEGOland is located. Also enjoy scenes from Singapore just across the border along with the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, China, India, Brunei and Laos.

Which one is the real Petronas Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world?
Which one is the LEGO model?



The top one is made out of LEGOs, and the bottom one is the real version in Kuala Lumpur. Impressive, isn't it? The angular lines of this building make it particularly well suited to being rendered in LEGOs. This toy structure is 9 meters tall. It wouldn't come close to fitting in my kids' playroom. Interested in finding out how LEGOland put it together? Check out this great behind-the-scenes video of the installation of the LEGO Petronas Towers.

More than 30 million LEGO bricks were carefully assembled as part of a 3 year project to create these masterpieces. How my younger son would have loved to be part of this! The first step involved taking numerous photographs of the actual landmarks and their surroundings. After that, 3D design and production took place before assembling could begin. Most of the structures were built nearby in Johor Bahru. Others were constructed in the USA, Denmark, England, Germany and the Czech Republic then shipped to Malaysia before being installed on site.



Miniland is the centerpiece of LEGOland Malaysia

The following pictures are just a small selection of the wondrous sites you'll see when you visit. Don't just look at the buildings. Be sure to pay attention to the whimsical scenes they've created with the people, trains and airplanes. A push of the button will start a figure spinning or dancing. Warning: If there's a puddle near a button, you can be sure that a spray of water will shoot out from somewhere to surprise you or a bystander.

Singapore cityscape of The Fullerton Hotel, Merloin statue by the bay, and The Singapore Flyer observation wheel

China's Forbidden City with a dragon dance in front and The Great Wall behind it

Vietnam's Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was
an important Southeast Asian trading port from the 15th to 19th centuries.

India's famous Taj Mahal

Thailand's Wat Arun in Bangkok

I think my boy is seriously considering recreating this elaborate pirate ship at home.

Miniland isn't just famous landmarks. It's everyday life as well.

Related Posts:
Building a Day of Fun at LEGOland Malaysia
Taking a Taxi from Singapore to LEGOland Malaysia
Flashback to LEGOland California

It’s Your Turn, Link Up Your Newest Travel Inspiration

I've joined up as one of the co-hosts of Weekend Travel Inspiration.

1. Link one of your inspirational travel photos or stories to this post by adding your info.
2. Copy and paste our badge and a link to this page.
3. Visit some of the other wonderful travel bloggers, read their posts, and leave a comment.  It would be great if you could comment on 2-3 posts.
4. Tweet it and include this hashtag. #wkendtravelinspiration .
5. Follow all the hosts of Weekend Travel Inspiration who are working hard to spread the word on what wonderful work travel bloggers are doing.
6. Don’t forget to check out my amazing co-hosts and their pages: Reflections Enroute, The Crowded Planet, ContentedTraveller, Albom Adventures, Safari 254, and FamiliesGo.

This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Traveler's Sandbox, Photo Friday on Delicious Baby, and Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

Searching Singapore for a Taste of Texas

We've finally found good Mexican food in Asia at Cafe Iguana


I've just returned from a weekend in Singapore, and I must admit that food is one of the things I was really looking forward to. I first visited this country back in 1997, and I remember reveling in eating authentic Asian food while actually in Asia. This time around, after living in Malaysia for over a year, I was keen to dine on food that reminded me of my Texas home. I am not alone in this strange endeavor. When one of my Penang expat friends visited Bangkok for the second time, I remarked that she must have really enjoyed her first trip. She told me what she was really going for was the Mexican food since her attempts to convince the chef to move to Penang had been unsuccessful. Good Mexican food is impossible to find in Penang. Chili's Bar and Grill is your best option other than ingratiating yourself with your Mexican friends. I really need to work out a homemade ice cream for Cochinita Pibil bartering system.

Nom, nom, nom... Shredded Steak Burrito

A Texas expat recommended Cafe Iguana at Riverside Point by Singapore's Clarke Quay, so it was at the top of my list. A waitress brought us a small bowl of chips and salsa as soon as we sat down, and I cautioned the kids to savor it slowly since it probably wouldn't be refilled. (It wasn't.) I had to laugh at the overly complicated Margarita pricing system depending on the time of day, but the drinks were delicious. The family ordered quesadillas, chile relleno and shredded steak burritos. We loved every bite! I was initially expecting "good Tex-Mex considering you're in Asia"-level fare, but this restaurant could hold its own back in my Austin, Texas home. (Well, if they would only keep the chips flowing.) The steak burrito was loaded with meat, not mostly rice and beans as I'm accustomed to getting at Chipotle in America. I did have to augment it with a little salsa and Cholula Hot Sauce to give it the kick I wanted, though. We were quickly seated walking in at 8 p.m. on the eve of a public holiday, but they do accept reservations. I'm definitely headed back there the next time I'm in Singapore.

Finding ice cream in Singapore from my hometown Houston, Texas

Growing up in Houston, Marble Slab Ice Cream has always loomed large for me. I remember driving to Marble Slab with friends back in high school on a Friday night. After finishing a particularly grueling Freshman Chemistry exam at university, another friend and I treated ourselves to a Marble Slab double scoop waffle cone dipped in chocolate and rolled in Butterfingers. Like the exam, this dessert proved more than we could handle. Imagine how happy I was to find one in Central @ Clarke Quay, across the street from my hotel! It's like Texas was waving hello to me all the way in Asia. Even though we were stuffed from dinner, everyone got a scoop with mix-ins. It's going to be months before we see another Marble Slab, so I didn't mind splurging on money or calories.

At Singapore's Changi Airport, I made sure we stopped by Texas Chicken. It's the same company as Church's Chicken but has been renamed for the international market. Honey Butter Biscuits for breakfast? Yes, please!!

Fried Chicken and Honey Butter Biscuits at the airport

 The strangest part about my American-food-in-Singapore fixation is how much I looked forward to eating at Subway. They have this chain in Malaysia, but all the food is Halal (prepared according to Muslim dietary laws). That means there's no pork products at all. Also, Malaysian Subways offer a variety of breads, but inevitably, everything but the Italian is "finished already" whenever I go.  In Singapore, I discovered I could get a "real" Italian B.M.T. with ham, pepperoni and salami on 9-Grain Honey Oat Bread. It's not the filling I regularly order in America, but once again, I found myself making unusual choices after living in Malaysia. And they had Doritos!! It's been so long since I've seen Doritos. Rumor has it that you can buy Doritos in Kuala Lumpur, but they are nowhere to be found in Penang. Hubby thought it was strange that I didn't get a cookie with my combo meal. I explained to him, "I can make cookies. I can't make Doritos."

Lest you think that I spent my entire weekend chowing down on Western food, I'll confess that I also indulged in a few iconic Singaporean dishes. Jumbo Seafood is the place to go for Chilli Crab and was recommended to me by my Texas friend currently living in Singapore. The fresh crab flavor comes through even though everything is drenched in a yummy chilli gravy. (Not Texas chili, by the way.) I love sopping up the sauce with deep-fried buns called Man-Tou. Last of all, I finally had a Singapore Sling while sitting in Singapore. It took until my third trip here to accomplish this, and I thoroughly enjoyed every sip.


Related Post:
Singapore Sights: Part 1
Singapore Sights: Part 2


This post is part of Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? Check it out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.