Happy Monday! In south Louisiana, Monday mornings always seemed to start off better with a Saints or LSU victory--in this case, the Saints :)
Because so many of you have asked what our days are like in Singapore, we thought you might enjoy reading about our first weekend as residents of Singapore.
Friday evening, Jason arranged for us to tour the
Treetops, our permanent home in Singapore. While our accommodations at Great World are nice, we are anxious to take up residence at the
Treetops. The units at TT are very inviting and are located within walking-distance to
Orchard Road, the main tourist/shopping hub in Singapore. Our unit will not be available until the end of September. In the meantime, we continue to enjoy the amenities offered at Great World including the tennis courts, pool, and a balcony with a greaty city view.
Saturday was our real first outing in Singapore. Jason took the day off, so we could celebrate our anniversary a few days early (cannot believe we have been married for three years already). We first ventured off to the
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore's newest architectural gem, for some window shopping (
literally), cocktails, and musical entertainment. This casino/hotel/convention center also offers visitors 360 degree panoramic views of the island on its skyline park area. We thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful sites of the skyline and the harbour from above, but, we were equally impressed with the infinity pool, which sits atop of three 55-story towers and presents swimmers with miles of breathtaking glimpses of Singapore. (Be sure and check out the pictures of a $29MM, 77-karat diamond we admired from afar in a jewelry store window.)
Since the Sands has only been open since June, many of the restaurants have yet to open for business. So, we opted to try a restaurant along
Clarke Quay, Singapore's version of the New Orleans Riverwalk. In case any of your were wondering, we did find a steak restaurant in Singapore (lol) and our food was very tasty! This area seems to offer patrons great dining and entertainment. We are sure to frequent this area during our stay.
Sunday brought back memories from my childhood as Jason and I walked to 9:30 am Mass at St. Bernadette. When I was younger, Grandma Lina and I used to walk to Mass from her house to St. Pius in Lafayette. This was always a highlight from my visits to Grandma's house. Jason and I and another couple with Ensco were the only non-Asians in attendance. And, we quickly learned the Asian custom of bowing to each's neighbor during the peace offering, instead of the usual hand-shake gesture--lol! After Mass, Jason got us breakfast from a nearby Starbucks and later that evening we went for walk around our apartment area. An early afternoon rain shower really cooled the temperatures and made for a very pleasant stroll.
All in all, Singapore is growing on us by each passing day. We have a greater appreciation for the people and culture here. The food...we are still trying to figure out!
Here is some eye candy for your enjoyment...
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View of the Financial District and Merlion
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Marina Bay Sands Casino/Hotel/Shopping Area
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| Looking out from the shops at Marina Bay |
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Any takers on this bling?$$$
We were only able to capture this picture "looking in"... |
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This view and this gem of a pool is what greeted us once we made it to the top of the Sands.
Maybe this will entice some of you to come visit :) |
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| The area below the ferris wheel will serve at the starting point for the Formula One Race next month. We are trying to get tickets, but we hear tickets are hard to come by for this big event. |
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Fuse Piano Bar where we had cocktails
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| View from our balcony at Great World |
~Jason and Alaina
