Weekend in Singapore

Off for a weekend trip in Singapore.  Mimi and Papa were so kind to watch the children over the weekend so Chad and I could could fly over to Singapore together.  Chad lived in Singapore through his elementary years so we thought it would be fun to visit his old stomping grounds and see the city.

The Republic of Singapore is  a Southeast Asian city-state of the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula located 85 miles north of the equator. For brief history of Singapore visit blog page http://dallasandersons.blogspot.com/2011/07/brief-history-of-singapore.html

Here is Chad behind his old house.  He was so excited to see his home where he has so many fond childhood memories.  It was being renovated so we were able to see the inside as well.

Here is the neighborhood pool. 

The neighborhood boys use to take the elevator to the top of this tower and drop water balloons down to the parking lot.


Lizard we saw climbing up a tree near Chad's old house.

Chad and his friends used to always get tickled 

about the slow hump signs in the neighborhood.

After visiting the old stomping grounds, we decided to visit the beautiful Botanical Gardens that afternoon.

 Self photos on our way to the gardens.

Twirly Tree

Interesting Tree Trunk

Neat Bridal Picture being Taken

I love this sculpture!

He found a yummy egg for dinner!

Beautiful green space!

Here is a historical turn of the 20th Century Black and White House located next to the garden.  Black and Whites are the most distinctive of Singapore's colonial architectural legacy.  The Black and Whites are not found anywhere else in the region.  They are English in nature and were designed for expat colonialists.  They represent a legacy of the island's colonial past recalling an era of charmed lives of ease and elegance.

Checking out my videos from the day on the iPhone

Beautiful Open Air View Bathroom Sinks

The next day we spent the day visiting all the tourist spots like Marina Bay, Little China and India and Geyland Road.

Marina Bay

It was SO HOT and HUMID here!  Many people carried umbrellas to dampen the heat's intensity.

Merlion

Chad with the Sands Bay Marina Hotel in the background.

More pictures and video of this very modern and innovative hotel below.

The Amazing Infinity Pool

Little China

 Buddhist Temple Pictures

 Inside the Temple

Little India

This is were we ate a traditional Indian Lunch.

Notice the clothes hanging out all the windows.

Geyland Road

Back in the olden days, the Geylang Serai area served as a centre of Singapore’s native (Malay) community. Tradition these days still prevails with the Geylang Serai village. 

An area abundant with old shophouses dating back to the early 1900s, it is a rare corner of Singapore which is slowly scheduled for redevelopment. The area also hosts several famed local eateries along the district’s major roads.

Currently, Geylang is also notoriously known as Singapore’s main red light district. The legalized designated prostitution zone is towards south of Geylang Road (starts from Lorong 2 and extends all the way to Lorong 30). Keong Saik Street located in the Chinatown is another area in Singapore that has been an 'approved' red light district.

Probable Ladies of the Night

Interesting Buildings, Shopping Centers and the MRT

MRT

MRT stays super clean!

The Esplanade

The American Club

The old grocery store is still there.

These bumps are so the  blind can get around underground in the MRT public transportation train.

There are so many people EVERYWHERE here.  

 Goodwood Park

While in Singapore, we stayed at the Goodwood Park Hotel which is over 100 years old with an interesting history.

Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore History

In 1918, three Jewish brothers by the family name of Manasseh bought over the property and renamed it Goodwood Hall after the residence of the Duke of Richmond and Gordon in England. Goodwood Hall was registered in 1922 as a restaurant-café-entertainment establishment. One of its highlights that year was a glittering performance by one of the world’s greatest ballerina, Anna Pavlova.

In 1929, the Manassehs turned Goodwood Hall into the Goodwood Park Hotel, catering to travelling businessmen from Malaya. The hotel became one of the best-known hotels at the end of the 1930s and among the noted guests from that period was the Duke of Windsor, then the Prince of Wales of England.

World War II, which reached Singapore shores in 1941, converted Goodwood Park Hotel into a residence for high-ranking Japanese soldiers during the three-year occupation of Singapore. After the war ended, the Hotel served as a British War Crimes Court before it was returned to Mr Vivian Bath, a Manasseh descendant, in 1947. The hotel also made local history then by being the first hotel in Singapore to offer a swimming pool in its premises, a visionary idea by Mr Vivian Bath.

The 1960s saw a rapid expansion of the Goodwood Park and the introduction of several innovative changes such as air-conditioned Goodwood taxis, the longest bar in Southeast Asia and an air-conditioned wine cellar. In 1963, Goodwood Park Hotel was bought over by Malayan Banking Group and in 1968, it changed hands again to become the property of the late Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat, a former Managing Director of the bank. The hotel underwent massive renovations and expansion when Mrs Mavis Oei, the hotel’s current Chairman and daughter of Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat, took over.

Goodwood Park Hotel has been improved and upgraded continuously to put it among the world’s best, and has since played host to many well-known dignitaries and personalities from all over the world. In March 1989, the historic tower of Goodwood Park Hotel was gazetted a national monument by the Singapore Preservation of Monuments Board, which has since merged with the Singapore National Heritage Board.

On 21 September 2010, this grand dame celebrated her 110^th Anniversary.
 http://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/history-en.html

Singapore is a beautiful metropolis with rich intriguing culture capturing the past and future perfectly. Thank you Chad for showing me around your childhood city!