Adventures of a Princess: Food, Parks & Celebrities: Post Christmas in Singapore

My family decided to spend the rest of the holidays in Singapore with my brother and sister in law. So we woke up at 3am yesterday to catch a 6:30am flight. (Note to self: never take a 6:30am or an earlier flight again.) I was groggy the whole morning until my dad pointed out "John Lloyd" in the boarding area of MIAA. Not that I'm a fan or anything like that. But I just remembered John Lloyd being my philosophy professor's celebrity crush. She gushed in front of the class as to how good-looking he was.

He wore a black jacket, shades and a cap.. the usual celebrity stealthy get-up..which ironically made him look even more like a celebrity. He had a very fair complexion, smooth skin, and a little bit chubby structure. Then I also saw Shaina who was pretty in her flowy pants and sleeveless printed top. She had her make-up on which made me think, she probably didn't get much sleep the other night. They were with a large group, probably J.L.'s family. There were kids, teens, and middle aged people with them.

So as an evidence, here's our picture together. (My mom mustered up the courage to ask for their photos.)

We arrived in Singapore at around 10:50am. The Cebu Pacific plane was really full. I felt quite sorry for John Lloyd and Shaina Magdayao because all eyes were on them. I caught a great number of eyes following the couple (my parents included) as well as whispers and giggles from the plane to the baggage counter in Singapore. There was no special VIP treatment when they arrived. The last time I saw them was when they took off in a double deck bus. Anyway, enough about them. It's time for some food tripping!

Lunch, 12:00: Sushi Tei

My brother who has been a resident in Singapore for more than five years highly recommends Sushi Tei for Japanese food enthusiasts. We tried the Sushi Tei branch along the beach in East Coast.

I ordered Nabeyaki Udon. The tempura was normal for me. I couldn't taste the difference. But there were some chicken chunks, soft mushrooms and fish cakes that added texture to the dish. The thick udon was chewy which was, to my taste, good. The soup was savory and not overpoweringly sweet. Overall an okay-okay dish.

I first tried a big piece of tempting futomaki. One of my criteria for a good maki is an obedient seaweed covering that is soft and easy to bite on. This maki passed with a high mark. I could also taste the freshness of each ingredient wrapped in Japanese rice. When I was ready to take my second piece, the makis were I guess very well appreciated, that there was only one other futomaki left.

Yummy Zaru Soba for my dad -- my dad's personal fave. He orders this in almost every Japanese restaurant we go to. An evidence of how much my dad liked it, he said, "I still can't forget the Japanese restaurant we went to yesterday."

It's milk tea for dessert! I love the teh tahrik (SGD $2) being served in East Coast. Edivita introduced it to me last January. It was love at first sip. I prefer it a lot over the pearl milk teas we have in the Philippines. I guess probably because it's the real thing.

Dinner, 18:00: Akopo's (Grandfather's sister) residence

We ate in the balcony of their house where the wind was blowing freely through the wooden railings. It was a lovely & refreshing ambience for a family gathering. Felt like I was in a picnic.

Here's a classic Singaporean-Chinese dinner spread. There's misua, spicy fish curry, fried tempura, fried chicken, sticky rice with Chinese longganisa and bittermelon soup among others.

Merry Christmas la from Singapore!

Cheers! Yes, this is their way of digesting after a heavy meal. And this is also the Singaporeans' (as well as Chinese's) way of bonding and catching up.

One thing I love about Singapore is that playgrounds are abundant! Children can freely go out of their house, ride on the swings, and then go home for dinner. In our case, we walked around after a full meal. This is a park 10 steps outside Akopo's house.

I was surprised when an auntie told me that these logs were for the biceps.

Seems to me that this can also be a playground for adults! What a healthy & engaging place.

They also have a trail for joggers and a stadium probably for aerobics and other exercises.

The picture below shows the second playground near their place.

It's such a blessing to be able to walk leisurely, look around and enjoy the clean surrounding in Singapore. I won't have this much liberty when I get back home. But I read somewhere recently that if the surrounding is not as pleasing, look up. The sky, glorious and magnificent, is the same everywhere.