Wandering Solo in the Lion City – Day 2

Now here’s when my solo adventure actually begins.

Since Singapore doesn’t actually has enough tourist spots and shopping malls are just too plenty there, I decided to just commit this day to shopping for pasalubongs for my family back home  Char has work that day so it’s just me who will go around the city this time.

Char and I woke up around 9am. She’d been raving about the yummy chocolate chip cookies which can be bought in Fair Price at a really good bargain price since last night so we decided to go to Fair Price and check out that cookie and buy food for our lunch that day.

And that was a really happy decision! I was able to buy almost 60% of my pasalubong from Fair Price and paying only SGD37 for all the goods I’ve bought! They had a Buy 1 Take 1 promo of 365 chocolate chip and oat cookies so I was able to buy a good amount to bring back home.

For our lunch, Char cooked Chicken Adobo so I was able to save my dollar allotted for lunch that day 

After lunch, I headed to the nearest MRT station in the area which is the Tampines Station. But before I leave the house, I made sure I already have a map of the MRT station saved in my phone so I won’t get lost and I’ll know where to get off and go to.

In Tampines alone, there are already 3 malls you can find that’s why most of the people living in Tampines area don’t normally go to the city to shop there.

I’ve been reading a lot of good posts about Bugis Junction so I decided to have my first stop there. I almost got lost because I entered the wrong door and which I’m supposed to be going out to go to the street side. Good thing I have my virtual tourist guide friend Pao to guide me where to go.

After few walks, I found Bugis Junction….

Bugis Junction is like the Greenhills or 168 of Singapore. You can find really cheapo stuff here. There were shirt dresses being sold for only SGD10 and some sale items for SGD5 only. I was able to buy a bag for my sister for only SGD15. It’s actually SGD 30 but they have a 50% off sale so I was able to get it for half the price. I also bought 3 canvass bags for only SGD10 total. And since Pao’s been raving about the Wheat Grass Juice which can be bought in Bugis, I also tried it for only SGD1. It tasted weird at first but it’s actually yummy 

After Bugis Junction, I went to Mustafa Center. When I told my friends that i went to Mustafa Center, they were all laughing because I actually put that in my itinerary. They told me that they’ve only visited that place once in their entire stay in Singapore and they don’t have any intention of going back there. Perhaps because of the extra warm weather in the area plus the not-so-really-nice smell you can inhale from the place.

But still, I was happy I experienced Mustafa Center  I was able to buy lots of chocolates for good bargain prices. There were some packs of 6 chocolates being sold for only SGD5.90. Of course, don’t expect to get branded chocolates at that price, although Hershey’s and Cadbury chocolates there are being sold less than a dollar or some cents compared to other chocolate stores in the city.

I left Mustafa Center with a bag full of goodies (different chocolates, rice crackers, coffee) for only SGD 32.30.

My next shopping mall after Mustafa is the famous Ion Orchard Mall. You can find lots of high-end branded stuff here. I even spotted one of my favorites Joey De Leon shopping inside this mall with his wife.

I was scheduled to meet my former colleague from Suysing and still a good friend Michelle that night but my fone’s battery was already close to dying to I asked the concierge where can I have my phone charged and he directed me to Topshop. I love it that Topshop has that charging service free of charge and it’s safe because each phone has a locker for charging  You just have to leave your phone there and sign their logbook and you can just come back anytime 

After charging my phone, I then contacted Michelle and met with her. We also met with some of her Pinoy friends from Singapore who were very friendly and treated us to a yummy dinner at the food station inside Wisma Atria.

It’s been more than 9 years since I last saw Michelle so it was a really happy feeling to see her again after such a long time.

After that sumptuous dinner with Michelle and her friends, I head back to Tampines to meet with my highschool friends who are also living in Singapore–Pio and Randell. Char also joined us since her shift at the hospital’s already finished.

I love that friends from Singapore were very generous to visitors like me  I got another treat that night from Pio who paid for our Starbucks drinks that night. It was a night full of laughters and reminiscing with high school friends again. It’s like we’re never really growing old whenever we talk about our fun highschool days.

By the way, Starbucks coffee prices in Singapore ranges from SGD5.60 for tall Frappe to around SGD7 something for the Venti size.

Directions:

From Tampines Station to Bugis Junction:

Ride the MRT green line going to Joo Koon and alight at Bugis Station. From there, you exit the station and turn right to the stairs heading to the street. Walk towards Topshop and you can find Bugis Junction across the street.

From Bugis to Mustafa Center:

Ride the MRT Green Line going to Joo Koon again and alight at City Hall station. From the City Hall station, ride the Red Line and alight at Dhoby Ghaut station. Ride the Purple Line going to Punggol and alight at Farrer Park. From there, you just have to walk a little and you can already find Mustafa Center.

From Mustafa to Ion Orchard:

Ride the Purple Line going to Harbour Front. Alight at Dhoby Ghaut station and ride the Red Line going to Jurong East. Alight at Orchard Station and you can just find your way to Ion Orchard from there.