Singapore

Singapore was a country that was far more advanced and developed than any other city or country I had ever visited. It was a country run by brain power and intelligence that together, created a vast technologically advanced and functional country. In a matter of forty years after becoming independent from Malaysia, Singapore has evolved into a gigantic city by the sea home to high rises, foreign investement, and an entire city of streets as clean as clean as suburbia. It is a shopper and food lover paradise filled with mega malls and ritzy affordable restaurants and bars.

Me, Charli, Sarah, Chris, and Taylor started our day off in a mall that was directly connected to our port. It didn’t even feel like I was walking through a port here. It was by far the most clean and orderly port we had arrived in yet. Just stepping foot into this mall I was so impressed. We met up with one of Chris’ friends Celine, a former reporter who had grown up in Singapore. She took us on a nature walk right outside of the port that gave us an aerial view of the city.

After the hike, we waited at the cleanest bus stop I had ever seen located outside of the city. There was absolutely no garbage, dust, signs of a homeless population, or any stray animals running loose. In the meantime we attempted to wave down taxi’s on the side of the street but failed after each cab that drove past us. We were told later that the taxi business is so organized that they only pick people up in specified locations throughout the city.

Orchard Rd. was our next stop, a street filled with mall after mall and restaurants that stretched on for miles connected by lively city streets and an underground subway system. We ate at a food court filled with high quality southeast Asian cuisine.

Next we went to the Raffles Hotel, one of the oldest buildings in the city of Singapore. Everything at the Raffles was marketed as the first and finest which gave them an excuse to mark up all of their prices. The hotel was great but we wanted to see more of the city for less.

Before arriving in port I had stumbled upon a picture of an infinity pool on a rooftop that overlooked the city of Singapore and was determined to find it. We asked around and were pointed in the direction of the Marina Bay Sands that was known for its lofty view of the city.

It was my first time being on the 56^th floor of a building and we had the best birds-eye view of the city! Being at the top of the hotel I saw the endless sea of highrises and modern infrastructure. The entire rooftop was luxurious with the exclusive infinity pool and jacuzzis for MBS guests only, a chic Asian cuisine restaurant, and a open air bar. I spent the rest of my day in a hedonistic indulgence of food, sights, and relaxation as I lounged around on a comfy sofa overlooking the city. There was really nothing else do for a day in Singapore but to pamper yourself, and I did just that.

On ship time was slightly extended from our normal 6pm to 8:30pm. This change however did not stop students and faculty from pushing the limits on their Singapore city bliss giving 200 people dock time in Vietnam.

Singapore was my first real city experience was that will make it hard for me to compare once I visited a modern city such as New York in the States.