Around the Island

So happy that we just saw P and K in Seattle and now again in the new year when they were on a stopover in Singapore. Like us, they love the takeouts from Kedai Makan. On this trip, they wanted to try some local flavors to compare the interpretations dished out by Kedai Makan. We assured them it was close and super satisfying. Really! Our friends love food, do well with peppers and spices and totally enjoy food trails. This is the best time of the year to be outdoors, never mind the humidity. When we're dressed for it, it can be quite a pleasure to feel the perspiration run down the neck.

We weren't surprised when they asked to visit housing estates in Singapore. After all, the city's slick sights could just be another city's slick sights. They did ask if we were a fishing village before the founding fathers took over and made the city boom this way. Had to roll my eyes and remind them that 18th century Singapore was not exactly the boondocks of the Far East. The British colonial overlords turned it into a rather profitable hub for entrepôt trade. By the time founding fathers took over in 1965, we were already quite sophisticated. P and K had two full days in town. We started with Tiong Bahru. Hahahaha. Of course lah. Hipster neighborhood wat. After P and K were done with their morning at Gardens by the Bay and Botanic Gardens, we ate up a storm at Tiong Bahru Market, took a ton of photos and walked around. Stopped for coffee too, naturally, at Nylon. 

Then we moved on to Woodlands and Toa Payoh. We set them on their own along the train lines to Bishan and Punggol. :P It's easy to get around. P and K have top-notch navigational skills, estates' maps and points of interests, and two phones with local data on 4G. They managed to sort out a happy dinner at the local kopitiam. They sent us photos of many dishes attempted, and actually polished off. I think they had a swell time.