And we are in my favorite month of the year! Hello, people of Hive! It's me again, Jay, the one who just had his galaxy-inspired introduction a few days ago. For this blogging season of mine here in Hive, I decided to extend myself to the things that I left unexplored, push my limits, and conquer my frontiers. If you want to slide into my Hive intro post, please check out the link below.
You are now in my second post for my travel blog series that I call The Travels of a Homebody. The launching of this blog section happened two years ago with the goal of slowly breaking my "homebody" lifestyle and plunging myself beyond the four cramped walls of my room. I can still recall how hesitant I was when talking about trips. Now, I have even traveled outside the Philippines with a raging crave for more travel adventures! I want to share my first-ever The Travels of a Homebody post wherein I did my short but memorable vacation in Boracay Island prior to its rehabilitation. I'm sure you'll enjoy the content!
I totally find this new blog post super special and exciting because this is not the usual trip-with-friends-because-we-deserve-it kind of thing. I can proudly say that I'm one of the lucky ones who got to have a family bond so strong that they would risk a big chunk of their money just to have a BIG FAMILY VACATION. Yes, and when I say "big", it's kind of a "field trip" but with your closest aunts and uncles! And guess what, it's not the usual going-back-to-our-roots kind of family bonding. Despite the financial limitations, the family outing leveled-up to an international trip in SINGAPORE!
I do not want to dig deeper into trivia regarding Singapore, as it is one of the most popular tourist destinations across the globe. Despite its popularity, it cannot be denied that Singapore is also one of the most expensive in terms of food and accommodation, owing to the fact that Singaporean dollars (SGD) and US Dollars (USD) have a narrow "spread" in terms of their value (this means that when you spend money in Singapore, you are somehow spending it as if you are in the USA).
The story began when my Aunt Cirila wanted to pursue one of her big dreams for her family: to make her siblings experience a better life like hers. Just to give a short background about Aunt Cirila, she is currently residing in the USA ever since she got married to Uncle Paul two decades ago. Being the kind sister that she is, she has always been generous and would always find a way to share her wealth with her younger brothers and sisters. One day, she decided to save money to buy plane tickets and hotel reservations for the seven of them. Last March 2019, her dream came true!
Of course, their short vacation to Singapore would never be fun without their most favorite nephews and niece! Hahaha, just kidding. Together with my cousins Junell and Lyka, I was too fortunate to be chosen by my Aunt Cirila to be included in the free plane ticket + accommodation trip to Singapore. A portion of my travel expenses was shouldered by me since I am already a "partially" working adult at that time (as of March 2019, I was still doing my master's thesis but still having some side hustles). Still, everything was almost free! I just need to exist, entertain them like what I always do when I'm with them, and assist them in tasks that would require a conversation with a foreigner. I would like to tell this in advance but unfortunately, I really cannot share the breakdown of my trip expenses because I have no idea about the actual cost of our tickets, hotels, etc. So lucky, right?
Since this is my first time to travel outside the Philippines, I'd like to start my blog with my firsthand experience in Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2, followed by the tiny details of our first night in Singapore.
As far as I can remember, the whole Sarte clan was super excited to the point that we went to the Terminal 2 three hours earlier than the scheduled check-in time. Although being early in situations like this is a good thing, the new Mactan-Cebu International Airport was not really that accommodating enough to their passengers; only a few seats were allotted for passengers in the entrance. I think the waiting area was designed for those who are scheduled to have their check-in without waiting any longer for the immigration area to open. By the time that we arrived, check-in counters for flights bound to Singapore were still closed. Our flight was scheduled around 7 or 8 pm in the evening, so we went there a little hungry, craving for a bottle of sweet iced tea and any snack that can quench our not-so-serious hunger.
As I entered the newly-built Terminal 2, I was amazed by its architecture that is surely inspired by the Philippine heritage and culture. I like how it stands out with respect to the typical designs of airports. As usual, Koreans and Japanese tourists comprise the majority of the entering tourists who are about to depart from the Philippines like us. We took the free time to roam around the place and take some photos to document the whole experience.
I wasn't able to document my experience as I entered the Immigration area mainly because we were not allowed to take photos while going through the whole process. It was somehow a nerve-wracking experience for all of us because my cousin Junell was barred to go through the Immigration because of some issues regarding his travel documents. Fortunately, everything went fine after several minutes of scrutiny. After several hours, we were able to finish the necessary protocols and got a couple of seats in the departure area. We also passed by the Duty Free section of Terminal 2, wherein they designed it to entice the customers to buy while walking. Unfortunately, I'm not the customer they are looking for, although I appreciate the view.
You get to walk along this aisle while making use of the time to buy or window shop some Duty Free items.
It was almost evening at that time and so we decided to take our early dinner in a fast-food restaurant. As expected, the food in the departure area is somehow pricey. Thanks to Aunt Cirila, she saved our hungry tummies!
Early dinner with the Sarte Clan and Aunt Girlie
EXPERIENCING MY FIRST INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT The Things I Did During My Three-Hour Flight to Singapore
I am expecting a full three-hour flight to be boring and unproductive, so I decided to bring one of my books which I bought a month ago before we traveled to Singapore.
It was also my first time to undergo some protocols before entering another country. There were some forms that we need to fill in before we reach the Singapore Immigration at Changi International Airport. We need to be familiar with all the details regarding our stay (hotel accommodation, how many days we will stay in Singapore, etc.) because we might be interviewed.The whole plane's lights were turned off to help the majority of the passengers to sleep well. I'm glad that there are mini-lights per row to accommodate those passengers who also wanted to have a brighter area for doing stuff like reading.
My Aunt Cirila was super kind to give me a green tea on the plane for free. I do not have any plans of buying anything on the place because I know it's too pricey and I think I can still hold the hunger (I ate dinner a few hours ago though), but Aunt Cirila is again thoughtful enough that I might need the green tea while reading. I think I'm a spoiled nephew (Isn't it obvious, Jay?!).
We arrived in Singapore around 30 minutes after 11 pm. The whole clan was so excited to reach the hotel and go to bed. As expected, they cannot really push themselves that hard when it comes to being hyperactive despite the tired state. Junell, Lyka and I were so excited to make use of the remaining energy that we have to tour around the streets near our hotel.
TOUCHDOWN SINGAPORE: THEIR AMAZING AIRPORT AND OUR 4-STAR HOTEL RESERVATION The Changi Airport and Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
By scanning your passport, a WiFi password is generated for you to contact anyone or download necessary apps for you to easily navigate any places in Singapore. I hope the Philippines will have this kind of option as well soon.
Outside the Changi International Airport. I still find the whole place the best in terms of how it is maintained.
A took a shot of the logo of the hotel. My cousin Junell did his pose for Instagram under the hotel's stunning chandelier.
The only decent pictures I got in our hotel room.
My budget for the whole trip. I forgot if I consumed all of my pocket money for the two days.
THE ORCHARD ROAD AT NIGHT Strolling The Silent Streets of Singapore's Famous Shopping Haven
This is the only picture I was able to take inside the 7-Eleven in Singapore. The cashier warned me not to take photos inside the store.
Despite the silent atmosphere, majority of the alleys nearby Orchard Road are well-lit and still full of young people having a good time.
The silent roads and alleys were well-lit. We felt safe while walking around the area. I find it so hard to look for a trash around the place.
I got hungry again so I bought a hot cup of noodles. I ate the whole thing while walking around.
I find these locations very Instagrammable even at this hour.
We used this map to guide ourselves back to the hotel. We were somehow lost!
Craving for this food! Too bad I'm on a tight budget. There's still tomorrow though.
So we were back again from our original spot!
It was almost evening at that time and so we decided to take our early dinner in a fast-food restaurant. As expected, the food in the departure area is somehow pricey. Thanks to Aunt Cirila, she saved our hungry tummies!
I made use of the extra time in the departure area to take some selfies and do some poses for the gram. At around 7 pm, we were informed to hop on the plane. Finally, our excitement and energies by this time were going down, probably because we were exhausted after a whole day of preparing for the necessary things to bring for our trip. We were just excited to secure our seats, fasten our seatbelts and make use of our three-hour flight to take a rest.
I won't deny this, but I'm kind of "too extra" when it comes to "trying to be productive" even in situations like this. I was assigned in the middle seat of the row in the plane, and I was lucky enough to not have any seatmate with me on the window side. This means I have a bigger space for my small bag and have more room to read my newly-bought novel. I guess the whole flight was productive in a way as I was able to finish six chapters of the book in one sitting.
It was also my first time to undergo some protocols before entering another country. There were some forms that we need to fill in before we reach the Singapore Immigration at Changi International Airport. We need to be familiar with all the details regarding our stay (hotel accommodation, how many days we will stay in Singapore, etc.) because we might be interviewed.
My Aunt Cirila was super kind to give me a green tea on the plane for free. I do not have any plans of buying anything on the place because I know it's too pricey and I think I can still hold the hunger (I ate dinner a few hours ago though), but Aunt Cirila is again thoughtful enough that I might need the green tea while reading. I think I'm a spoiled nephew (Isn't it obvious, Jay?!).
We arrived in Singapore around 30 minutes after 11 pm. The whole clan was so excited to reach the hotel and go to bed. As expected, they cannot really push themselves that hard when it comes to being hyperactive despite the tired state. Junell, Lyka and I were so excited to make use of the remaining energy that we have to tour around the streets near our hotel.
I wasn't able to capture several pictures in the Changi Airport because we were actually hurrying up to catch up with our scheduled bus service. However, what really caught my attention when we arrived was this equipment that can generate a WiFi password by just scanning your passport. We needed to do this in order to contact our relative and tour guide for our trip, Aunt Alice. I just find the whole technology convenient for those tourists who haven't had bought SIM cards to communicate within Singapore. After we communicated with Aunt Alice, we then proceeded to the money changer section to convert our Philippine pesos to Singaporean dollars. A small bus was waiting for us outside the airport to conveniently send us to our hotel.
When we arrived, I just found out that my Aunt booked several rooms in the Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard Centre. I thought it is cheap accommodation since we are so many, so probably my aunt is keeping her expenses low in this aspect. To my surprise, I found out that this is a 4-star hotel and one of the high-end hotels in Singapore! I asked my aunt why she chose this, and she said that Holiday Inn is her "go-to-hotel" every time she goes to New York to stay for a couple of days. Despite the high expenses, she chose this because of her trust in the services. The hotel has a classical feels to it while maintaining an elegant atmosphere.
We immediately went to our assigned room. We, the cousins, have our own separate accommodation, which was appropriate because our body clocks and stamina are entirely different from the others; we might decide to go out at any time of the day even after midnight. It was big and comfortable for the three of us. The design of the room was typical but the arrangement is clean and well-furnished. We enjoyed making jokes out of the stuff that we saw inside the cabinets: bathrobes, money vault, iron, ironing board, and others.
Given that our trip was just short, we do not want to waste the whole night resting. We took a quick pampering and then immediately went out to explore the Orchard Road at night.
When you talk about going on a vacation in Singapore, visiting the Orchard Road should be included in every tourist's itinerary. Known as the shopping district of the country, you can find a lot of stores that will truly give you a vibe of what it is like to live a luxurious lifestyle in Singapore.
However, it is rare to find any perspectives published in the internet about how does a vibrant shopping district look like when the whole country and most of the people in it are in a deep slumber at night. My cousins and I wanted to also search for any night clubs near our hotels.
Being the perpetually hungry breeds of beings that we are, our first stop was their 7-Eleven store. This is the first-ever store that I came across in Singapore and so I was so fascinated as to how the prices look like. Still having the Philippine money hang-over, how I wish these items are sold in Philippine pesos. I'm sure everyone would be happy.
We were so amazed as to how organized and clean the whole place is even at night. In the Philippines, a lot of trash can be seen at the sides of the road indicating that the day was over and another round of janitors will clean the whole city early in the morning. In Singapore, I think they don't even need a lot of maintenance here! The shopping malls are so posh that I feel so intimidated even just by looking at it. Most of the stores are closed at this time, with some food shops still open for those who are still craving for something to eat at this late hour.
Majority of the stores during this time were closed. However, we were still able to spot some areas that are suitable for Instagram posts. We also spotted a few international schools a few blocks away from Orchard Road. I wonder what it feels like to study in an international school situated in a world-class country like Singapore. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take some snapshots of these schools since I was eating noodles when we passed by.
We were somehow lost along the way. We were lucky to find a mini-map to guide our location and take the right turns to our initial location which is the entrance of the hotel. Good thing I recently bought the SIM card which I used to navigate the Google Maps. Thank God for technology!
We were productive in taking advantage of the remaining energy that we have. We were exhausted but fulfilled to experience an alternate reality of this popular shopping district that most of the people do not witness on a daily basis.
So that ends my first night in Singapore! Stay tuned for the second part as I get to explore the most popular tourist destinations in the country! This concludes the first part of my The Travels of a Homebody travel blog in Singapore.
About the Author
Jay Malila
A Filipino chemical engineer working as a Chemistry and Research teacher to Senior High students. Aside from his full-time job, he explores his "frontiers" as he begins to start an online business, do private tutorials on professional courses, and work as a financial advisor. He aspires to influence the youth through his vocation as a teacher, as well as deliver compelling ideas through his own blogs and other forms of content in social media.