My second home, Singapore XD!! pt. 3... the last blog of the Asia trip :(
The last days of acting like tourists...
Every part of the day, the iconic Merlion statue was always taken a photo of, tourists striking a pose as the water from the lion's mouth gushed out. But it didn't shock me as to why there wasn't a single person roaming around here to visit the statue at 8am.
I honestly don't think anybody would be willing to sacrifice their precious sleep to beat the crowd, but I believe it was only us that would.
Because it was.
But there was some benefits to that though. The Saturday morning breeze was especially perfect today at the time we visited the statue, and I was ever so grateful for that, because if that wasn't so, I'd practically melt to the floor if it was any hotter.
For the entire morning, we circled around Marina Bay Sands and admired the expanse of the Merlion Park, followed by - of course - the usual photo-taking, the humid air did not bother me at all for once. I actually thought to myself at the time that I finally got used to it!! I was quite impressed how we didn't even spend a single dime at all and yet we enjoyed ourselves, just chatting about the memories this place held.
My legs were practically going to snap at any given moment if I didn't get a moment's rest. Entering a mall was the only thing that could've saved me right now.
I attempted to combat my burnoutness by catching my breath and clutching my knees, and it took me a while to start getting back on my feet. Partially the main reason was that the unmistakable smell of mouth-watering Singapore cuisine led me onward.
(mini food review!: overall the meal was satisfying, but only note for me is that the broth was... yikes... very oily... so it was a bit difficult for me to finish, but I managed :3)
I couldn't quite place why I was going through this much hunger when in reality, I'd only walked an average distance a person would in the morning when you'd circle around Merlion Park, so I found it quite strange. The hunger that was gnawing in my stomach somehow made the meal even more tastier than it was, scooping spoonfuls of soup and swallowing it whole.
I patted my stomach, unable to move my hips without a slight discomfort, but alas, it was a yummy meal.
Last days just hit harder
On the very last day of Singapore, Nenek* visiting us in the airport before we flew back home was extremely last minute, but since my parents are amazing at organising plans and schedules, we made it work!
*Nenek is a Malay word for Grandma
I might've seemed calm and composed on my exterior, but on the inside, I was incredibly nervous, because I hadn't seen her in ages. Who knows? What if I made everything awkward, and the mood in the air might change...? Or maybe we might click instantly? Honestly, I wasn't exactly certain of the outcome, but I was determined to make a great impression on Nenek.
Ninang told us we were going to meet Nenek at Old Chang Kee, one of our old time favourite restaurants, and order some meals before we board our flight. Hopefully I'll be talkative today... I can't believe I'm actually going to see her!!
Overthinking everything, I glanced at the MRT station map. "Ninang, which station did Nenek said she's on now?" She pointed at a stop on the map, which was dangerously close to the airport. My heart reacts by beating on my chest like a rhythmic drum.
Several minutes later, and Ninang received a notification on her phone telling her that Nenek...
...Has arrived!
Here it goes...
We spotted Nenek stepping out of the train station (since the station was connected to the airport), and...
It actually went surprisingly well than what I'd braced myself for. Me and Nenek clicked instantly, since I kept asking her follow-up questions about what she'd been up to, or about her life.
I also noticed, even if the years had passed, she was still her lively, jolly self that also greeted me with a kind smile.
We spent the final hours before boarding our flight strolling around Changi Airport, browsing through clothes (since Nenek loves clothes) and food (since I love food), just communicating and catching up on what we missed out over time. And when the point in time where we had to board our flight reached and had to say our goodbyes, it suddenly hit me how badly I was going to miss this place. And Nenek. And everything in Singapore. It was actually devastating how I had to say goodbye so quickly. But as Nenek turned away to board her train to get back to her home, she kept on looking back, her smile so wide, waving. We all waved back to her, giving her wide smiles in return.
As I was thinking to myself about how badly I was going to miss this place, almost on cue, Mum blurts out. "Goodbyes aren't always forever, you know?"
I locked eyes with her.
"Yeah. I couldn't agree more."
Maybe we'll see you again, but bye for now Singapore...
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