I Can See Your Voice is showing on our hotel room television. Judges have to identify real and fake singers. That’s the excuse for the title. Also, I was feeling very poorly last night with a massive headache and woke up feeling rotten. I guess I’m sick.
The weather in Singapore is also poor today. So we decide not to go to the zoo.
First, breakfast. Passing through the Fortune Centre we pass a shop selling nasi padang an have a breakfast with green pandan rice, fried and curried chicken and cokodok. Very good!
Alex just wants something simple. We continue to the Albert Food Centre, where B spots a well known yong tau foo stall and fills herself further while Alex and I have more excellent apom balik from Grandma’s Pancakes.
The Chinese New Year stalls are desperate to sell the last of their stock of traditional snacks before tomorrow’s New Year Eve. So we snag some good deals on snacks. B also buys fresh cherries.
After delivering them back to the hotel room we head down to the nearby National Museum of Singapore.
The exterior of the museum is undergoing renovations. Inside, the museum charts the history of the country, from the first Malays and Chinese traders, through to British rule, Japanese occupation and independence. It’s interesting, but ultimately unsatisfying. Alex notes the lack of interpretation and analysis behind the exhibits. There’s no questioning, just facts. And the history behind Singapore’s separation from the Malaysian Federation is also lacking.
After the Museum we travel to Orchard on the MRT to have lunch at a branch of Nana, a Thai restaurant that they fell in love with last trip. We get a bit delayed under the Ion shopping centre, where there are many interesting dessert shops. I buy more kuih lapis legit from Bengawan Solo.
Nana is hidden away in the Far East Plaza. Their Golden Mile branch is now closed. We order scrambled egg fried rice, tomyam soup, lemon fish and fried papaya salad, all different to your standard suburban Australian Thai restaurant menu, all delicious. I have a sweet lemongrass syrup drink and dessert is red water chestnuts in coconut milk.
Now we are super full. The idea was to go to Gardens By The Bay, but it’s still pouring with rain. Instead we explore some of the Orchard Road department stores. Tang’s, Wisma Atria, Takashimaya.
Our destination is Don Don Donki, which the other two also visited a branch last night. It sells Japanese foods and groceries.
We eventually locate it, but only buy a few small items. We offer Alex the chance for a dinner at MOSburger nearby, but they don’t sell ebi (shrimp) burgers here. He and B share a bowl of Teochew noodles in the Malaysia Boleh food court. I’m still full from lunch.
That’s enough for the day. Time to rest and recover. Poorly.