Chronicles of a Discoverer...: Evening by the River

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Today is Deepavali! Happy Deepavali! This also means that it is a... PUBLIC HOLIDAY!!!

Got to sleep in and woke up later (anyway, was out with my friends till late night yesterday). First half of the day was basically quite eventless... had initially wanted to go cycling with my friend (some healthy lifestyle) but guess lethargy got the better of me. Only managed to make plans to meet up with a friend in Clarke Quay area at 5pm.

Bad Taxi Experience
Took a cab to meet her but somehow had a feeling that he took me the long way... not only that, I mentioned that I want to go to Clarke Quay MRT but in the end he brought me to Clarke Quay itself... spent some $10 just for taxi fare... anyway serve me right for not planning my time properly, so much so had to take a cab to meet my friend.

Down the River of Memories
First stop, Singapore History Museum at Riverside Point. It is open house today and since it is free admission, I guess why not go pay the museum a visit since I hadn't the chance to visit it since it moved here. Saw many old artifacts there but guess the most unique artifact we saw was an old iron... Quite an ingenius design... from far looks like a cleaver but actually it is an iron where you the fabric in between the 2 metal plates and just pull it to iron it... this way you can iron both sides at the same time.

A torture contraptions? Nope, an iron (top)
and an illustration on how it is used (bottom)

Have always loved miniture stuff; had wanted to be an architect
in the past so I can make models. This is a model in the musuem depicting
living conditions in a coolies' quarters. Notice the details? Mini pots and pans etc

They were also selling some toys from the past which we used to play with during our childhood e.g. styrofoam plane, card games such as "happy family", "donkey", "snap", pick-up sticks, marbles etc. Simple toys but bring back good memories. Later, my friend brought me to a shop in the nearby Hong Lim complex which she said sold those toys but it was closed :(

The iconic sculpture outside the museum

Raffles' Place; Mine! Mine! All Mine!

Cheap Fish & Chips
We later went to "Fishermen's Wharf" where we had some cheap fish and chips... we had quite a big serving of fish and chips and root beer for $8.50... you can ask for their curry mayo dip also... A place with simple decor but good cheap fosh and cheap worth every cent. Although I am OK now but then everytime I swallow something, I feel this burning sensation in my throat, almost like I am swallowing something very hot... my friend told me that I may have throat infection. Guess will have to get some medical advice soon, doesn't help when I have ulcers in my mouth as well... eating now becomes such a horrible affair.

Fishermen's Wharf and my Fish 'n' Chips

Chill-Out by Singapore River
Lastly, we chilled out at TCC by Singapore River after my friend's boyfriend came to join us. This is an interesting concept-cafe, set in an art gallery setting with nice music and low tables, bean bags to spend some quiet time with your friends or loved ones.

TCC @ Boat Quay

Finally got to play the SWAP! game we bought yesterday. Haha quite a fun game... everytime I have only 1 card left and was almost winning, someone will always throw out a SWAP card and swap their hand with me *WAILING* The whole game, you keep seeing our hands being changed again and again... one moment, you may think you are winning, the next moment, you get a hand with 10 cards... arggghhhh!! Also played UNO... hahaha seems like a card game night... The trick seems to be (i) lose the coloured cards with the most number first, (ii) lose slap cards first to prevent people from winning and (iii) try not to keep more than 1 swap card or else others will use the swap card to swap hand with you when you do so with them; back to square one.