Back to reality

Apologies for the lack of posts over the past few days.  I was visiting my bestie Sonali and her family in Singapore which called for little/no computer time.  As cliché as it sounds, this holiday has done me a world of good. It creeped up at the perfect time and I feel so reinvigorated.   To sum up Singapore in one word, it is amazing- what a place! Fortunately language barriers are not an issue and people are more than willing to help.  The temperatures peaked but I thoroughly enjoyed soaking up the sun and filling up my month’s quota of vitamin D!  😉

Before I went, everyone kept raving about the food and advised me to pack my appetite.  Naturally I obliged…wouldn’t you?  The food in Singapore surpassed all my expectations.  Everything tasted so fresh & I loved how the country caters to all kinds of tastes.  Whether you want something greasy or healthy & light, you’ll easily find it.  Down the streets, there are vendors selling sticks of seasonal fruits, frozen yogurt, peanut butter toasts and fresh coconut water.  Right beside them, you can also pick up pandan cake, bubble tea (tea with tapioca balls :s) and ice cream sandwiches.  While I embraced it all, I haven’t come back feeling guilty at all.  Holidays are all about straying from the norm, eating habits included! Sonali and I also stayed quite active which helped minimise the bloated feeling.  Here’s a glimpse of some of the delights which we indulged in:  

•Truffle fries  & truffle with parmesan pizza at SkinnyPizza.  The crust was literally cracker-thin.
•Snickers and hazelnut gelato (along with a billion taster bites ;))
•Chilli crab at Long Beach in Dempsey.  This is one of Singapore’s specialities.  Think bib-wearing, getting your hands dirty trying to ‘fish out’ (haha :D) as much crab meat from the shell, and dipping steamed bread into the chilli gravy.  Gluttony, you have met yo’ match!
•A superfood salad from PS Cafe with quinoa, blueberries, grilled kabocha squash, almonds tossed in a passionfruit dressing

More than just an appetite for food, Singapore has an appetite for life! From sightseeing to shopping to eating to bar hopping, there’s something for everyone. Despite only being there for 5 days, it feels like much longer because of the amount we packed into the trip.  Here are some highlights if you ever do plan to go:
•Drinks at Lantern Bar– a rooftop bar with a breathtaking skyline, including a view of the Marina Bay Sands
•Singapore’s nightlife is buzzing, as exhibited by Clarke: a strip of happening bars, including Chipitos which serves peanut butter Bailey’s shots.  Now that’s a shot!
•Haji Lane: an area with funky shops (those living in London, think Portabello Road)
•Robertson Quays which again has cool bars and pubs.  This is where we watched India bring home the World Cup Cricket Cup (and watched Sri Lanka drink outta their saucers ;))
•Sentosa Island & Tanjong Beach Club: ideal place to spend a Sunday afternoon
•Brunch at Spruce, especially if eggs are your thang.
•Orchard Street for shopping. Along with the standard TopShop, Forever 21, and Zara, it’s also filled with malls and local boutiques 
•Running in the Botanic Gardens. Despite a belly full of warm banana cake & butterscotch sauce with vanilla ice cream, this was probably one of my most memorable runs.  Beautiful scenery and the carbs were working their magic!

If Singapore’s humidity and its effects on the appearance of my  hair weren’t an issue, I’m not so sure I would have been able to make it back to Mumbai.  That being said, priorities are priorities and you know what that means: back to reality it is.