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Before moving to Japan I had always said that Singapore was a country I wanted to visit. Why, I am not quite sure... but it has always been at the back of my mind. So... this year, having spent Christmas in Malaysia, it only made sense to spend at least a few days in East Asia's 'safest,' and 'cleanest' city/country. The slogan of Singapore's tourism board is "Uniquely Singapore," but although it is a beautiful city, I can't say that it is very different from any other major city worldwide. It is true that you can visit a Chinese temple, Muslim mosque, Hindu temple and Christian church - all in the same neighbourhood, but ... it is also packed with Starbucks, McDonalds, Gucci, Armani, Calvin Klein, HMV, and...　well, you get the point. There are thousands of international shops and restaurants located throughout the city, making it hard to see the unique side of things. But, on the other hand, this cosmopolitan city is a shoppers' paradise and a food lovers' heaven! The population (almost four million), comprises of 77% Chinese, 14% Malays, 8% Indians and 1% Eurasians... providing a wide variety of everything and anything your heart may desire.

Aside from our visits to Merlion, and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, our Singapore visit was spent eating, shopping, eating... and eating throughout the day, and experiencing Singapore's famous clubs at night. Taking advantage of what this modern city had to offer, we thoroughly enjoyed our 3 days!

Looking back, I would have to say that the highlights of my Singapore experience all revolved around food. After 2.5 years in Japan my taste buds have forgotten what it is like to have an explosion of spice hit them, and my throat now feels a little funny when I eat something moderately sweet. With a mélange of flavours from around the globe to choose from, I could not help but wake up each morning and dream of the meals to come! There was an endless variety of food, served hot or cold, at any hour of the day (or night)! Even when we couldn't recognize something, we tried it. Best discovery - fried carrot cake with soy sauce!! Amazing!

So, in the end, although the raw cultural experiences may have been missing, the quality of shopping and dining was far better than we could have imagined, and we had a fabulous time spending our money in Singapore!! :)

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