Singapore Day 2

This morning I had several hours before I needed to pack up and leave to catch a plane to Bali, so I decided to head out to Clarke Quay, a shopping and nightlife area on the Singapore River just two MRT stops away.

It's another beautiful day in Singapore - humid and warm and so comfortable for me, especially after a chilly summer and the beginning of New York's sinister slide into winter.

I wandered around the spacious and really lovely mall area for a bit, and then outside and across the river to the outdoor restaurant-ish area. It was only about 9:45 am when I'd gotten there, and it turns out nothing opens until 11, so I had time to kill. I had been able to grab an egg custard and taro bun from a pastry shop on my way out of the subway (the way the subway is connected both under and above ground to vast shopping areas reminds me of Montreal, btw), so I ate those out of doors and sat, journaling, overlooking the river.

Come 11, I wandered back over to the indoor mall side of the river and browsed the shops and Christmas displays. I'm definitely starting to recognize some of the elements of Singaporean fashion - not that different from New York or anywhere else but fairly specific. More LA-like, actually, which makes sense given the climate. I'm also starting to recognize the price and high-end nature of basically everything! Ha.

I passed a very fancy looking coffee shop/restaurant and almost didn't go in because I was intimidated by the fanciness of the coffee, but I steeled myself and was welcomed by the lovely woman working there, who sat me in a comfy chair overlooking the incredible river view, and served me a hazelnut cappuccino and two macarons.

Actually I was tempted by the expensive, enticingly-described black coffees, and I probably should have gotten one of those to counteract the sweetness of the macarons, but regardless the capp was delicious. I can't turn off my baker brain, of course, and the macarons were good but not perfect. Beautiful on the outside, but the insides had hollow spaces, so the bite didn't have enough crackle at the beginning or enough chew, and the filling wasn't as soft as it should have been. The peanut butter caramel one had ok-to-decent taste; the bittersweet chocolate one was more fully flavored and less hollow. I'd give them a solid B and I don't regret the SG$2.50 I spent on each; they're prettier than my own but slightly less satisfying in terms of taste/texture, and I'd give my own macs about a B as well. What I think all this means is that I am overdue for a first visit to Paris. Herme, I need you!

Anyway, I eventually headed back to the ground floor, where I thought I was going to grab ice cream (you may be beginning to wonder if I ate only dessert for lunch. The answer to that is, no comment.) and then go home, but instead I felt satisfyingly full of sugar already and I couldn't resist the temptation to go back outside and sit in the sun and look at the river some more, so I did that instead.

Seriously, I am pretty sure that sitting in the sun is legitimately my favorite activity. Above baking, reading, or hanging out with friends. Now, if I can sit in the sun while reading and chatting with friends and eating homemade ice cream, all to the better, but even (and sometimes especially) if I'm alone and caught without reading material, there is still nothing I'd rather do.

I finally got up the willpower to go inside and head home, where I've been chillin' out with the cats ever since. I do really want to go back there for dinner sometime, since it's supposed to be a great nightlife scene (hahahahaha did you ever think you would hear me say that?), plus I want some of the savory pastries from the pastry shop and I want the ice cream still and also there's a coffee shop I didn't go into that I totally want to try. And now it is time to go to the airport! See y'all when I get back from Bali, suckas!