The Queue

We never got to see Clarke Quay as Dean had a job to do. We met at 6.30pm after he had finished work, and he wanted to go to look at buying a new mobile to replace his very old one. He had a voucher from his provider who were running specials and thought he could get one for nothing. He could.. but after we had an experience of a Singapore queue. He took a number and we sat at Starbucks just across the way. Starbucks must have done a good trade that night with waitees. An hour and a half later he had a new phone in his hot little hands with all the modcons.

We then ate delicious roti at a nearby foodcourt before heading home, arriving at around 10.30pm. The streets were still really busy with people: late nights seem to be quite normal in Singapore. Dean knows where all the best foodcourts are too. I am writing this not far away from one I know we went to, and am overdue for lunch, but I can't find it!

Today I went to the Botanical Gardens which I highly recommend. Free entry. Lush tropical foliage of all kinds. The ginger family section was interesting. And I loved going down by the lily pond near where a stage is. Very peaceful, just looking in at the water lilies and seeing fish and turtles every so often. Almost meditative. In fact there were people in the area doing Tai Chi. There was an Evolution Garden that had hardly anyone in it. It was set out very well to show the development of land plants over time. Some tall Club Mosses, very odd things. I thought they were real at first but realised they are extinct and were reconstructed. No wonder they looked plastic!

Spent some of the afternoon in the Asian Civilisations Museum. Interesting to see displays from the various traditions of the area side by side. Exhibition of 'power dressing' : Chinese fabrics collected by one man, including many robes of the powerful.

Gotta go and find that food court! More later.