Up to Singapore - February 13th-24th 2010

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February 20th 2010: Chinese New Year Festivities


Page 1 of 2.
Click on images below to enlarge:
Furama City Centre Hotel
A video tour of our hotel room. Listen with audio to hear my (often wry) commentary. I don't properly explain the odd feature of our bathroom. The bathtub is enclosed in glass with the toilet on one side and the bedroom (!) on the other. Right now (in the video) there's a curtain between the bathtub and the bedroom. It would be odd if it weren't there, or it were pulled back by default.
Breakfast at the hotel's buffet. I was still feeling a bit sick so I chose the more innocuous items.
Some fruit (and vegetables, and more toast) to round out my meal.
A video tour of our hotel room. Listen with audio to hear my (often wry) commentary.
I don't properly explain the odd feature of our bathroom. The bathtub is enclosed in glass with the toilet on one side and the bedroom (!) on the other. Right now (in the video) there's a curtain between the bathtub and the bedroom. It would be odd if it weren't there, or it were pulled back by default.
Breakfast at the hotel's buffet. I was still feeling a bit sick so I chose the more innocuous items.
Some fruit (and vegetables, and more toast) to round out my meal.
Lunch at Maxwell Hawker Centre
The Specialty Dried Mee Sua booth was now fully open (unlike last time).
The blended fruit juice stand. Rather than pure juices, this stand is unusual in that it offers a number of mixed drinks. (See the signs at right.)
My specialty dried mee sua was like the dish (of a different name) I ate last time, just with less soup. The star fruit and pineapple juice I bought from the juice stand. It was a bit sweeter than I'd prefer. I later noticed many star fruits in Singapore are labeled "honey star fruit" -- perhaps the use of that variety is the cause of the drink's sweetness.
The Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff booth.
The Specialty Dried Mee Sua booth was now fully open (unlike last time).
The blended fruit juice stand. Rather than pure juices, this stand is unusual in that it offers a number of mixed drinks. (See the signs at right.)
My specialty dried mee sua was like the dish (of a different name) I ate last time, just with less soup.
The star fruit and pineapple juice I bought from the juice stand. It was a bit sweeter than I'd prefer. I later noticed many star fruits in Singapore are labeled "honey star fruit" -- perhaps the use of that variety is the cause of the drink's sweetness.
The Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff booth.
Our delicious (and spicy) curry puff contained chicken, potato, and egg. I can taste why it won awards. We bought more later in our trip as food to eat at the airport.
Our delicious (and spicy) curry puff contained chicken, potato, and egg. I can taste why it won awards.
We bought more later in our trip as food to eat at the airport.
Chinatown
Decorations on the major road (Eu Tong Sen Street / New Bridge Road) that runs past Chinatown.
Chinatown's food street (Smith Street).
Unlike the day after Chinese New Year, Chinatown was once again restored to its lively, bustling self. This picture looks north through the street market on Trengganu Street.
At night, I spotted this pretty line of colorful lanterns in Chinatown. It's actually alongside a temple I visited on an earlier trip to Singapore.
Decorations on the major road (Eu Tong Sen Street / New Bridge Road) that runs past Chinatown.
Chinatown's food street (Smith Street).
Unlike the day after Chinese New Year, Chinatown was once again restored to its lively, bustling self. This picture looks north through the street market on Trengganu Street.
At night, I spotted this pretty line of colorful lanterns in Chinatown. It's actually alongside a temple I visited on an earlier trip to Singapore.
Dinner in Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre
Still feeling ill, I didn't feel like eating much. I ended up buying a popiah from this stall.
My popiah. For some reason, I find the taste and textures comforting and easy to eat on an upset stomach.
We bought some lime and some sugarcane juice. Neither were good on their own, but they both improved when we mixed them together.
Still feeling ill, I didn't feel like eating much. I ended up buying a popiah from this stall.
My popiah. For some reason, I find the taste and textures comforting and easy to eat on an upset stomach.
We bought some lime and some sugarcane juice. Neither were good on their own, but they both improved when we mixed them together.
Sights Near Marina Bay
Emerging from the subway station / underground mall near Marina Bay / the Esplanade, we found ourselves next to this Chinese orchestra.
The Singapore Flyer lit up at night.
Later in the evening, I got a much closer view of the Singapore Flyer.
The casino resort (Marina Bay Sands) being built at Marina Bay. The shape of the platform that joins the top of the resort's three towers looks to me like a ship's hull hauled high in the air and placed on props. This ship is so high it might better be called an airship. Part of the ship's deck is slated to be a public park.
Emerging from the subway station / underground mall near Marina Bay / the Esplanade, we found ourselves next to this Chinese orchestra.
The Singapore Flyer lit up at night.
Later in the evening, I got a much closer view of the Singapore Flyer.
The casino resort (Marina Bay Sands) being built at Marina Bay. The shape of the platform that joins the top of the resort's three towers looks to me like a ship's hull hauled high in the air and placed on props. This ship is so high it might better be called an airship.
Part of the ship's deck is slated to be a public park.
A very good shot of decorations along Raffles Avenue, with the Singapore Flyer in the background.
A close-up of the streamer of light, the lanterns, and the phoenixes (?).
A different perspective of a phoenix. Look how colorful its tail is!
Nothing I'd read about any of the night's events mentioned fireworks, so these were a nice surprise. (The fireworks are the orange explosion; the weird circles of blue and yellow lights are what my hand motion does to the light streamers hanging from the trees.)
A very good shot of decorations along Raffles Avenue, with the Singapore Flyer in the background.
A close-up of the streamer of light, the lanterns, and the phoenixes (?).
A different perspective of a phoenix. Look how colorful its tail is!
Nothing I'd read about any of the night's events mentioned fireworks, so these were a nice surprise. (The fireworks are the orange explosion; the weird circles of blue and yellow lights are what my hand motion does to the light streamers hanging from the trees.)
On another road, different styles of lights hung from the trees.
On another road, different styles of lights hung from the trees.
Chingay Parade
The first of many floats we saw at part of the Chingay Parade. Incidentally, we arrived late, so we missed some floats.
The tail end of the preceding float.
A dazzling, complex float.
Another shot of the same float.
The first of many floats we saw at part of the Chingay Parade.
Incidentally, we arrived late, so we missed some floats.
The tail end of the preceding float.
A dazzling, complex float.
Another shot of the same float.
Finally, a clear shot of the same float as it traveled away from me.
A cupcake float, or mushroom float, or short-tree float?
Excellent, mainly because of the name: Dream Catcher ("Singapore Largest"). What an imaginative structure, very open to interpretation. I won't tell say what I think it looks like.
Fairy wings?
Finally, a clear shot of the same float as it traveled away from me.
A cupcake float, or mushroom float, or short-tree float?
Excellent, mainly because of the name: Dream Catcher ("Singapore Largest"). What an imaginative structure, very open to interpretation. I won't tell say what I think it looks like.
Fairy wings?