Saturday, March 10, 2007
This morning I was fully awake by 8 but forced myself to sleep till 9 before getting ready to hit for the road.
Had shrimp noodles for breakfast in the market. While sitting down I heard someone calling my name. I turned my head right and saw it was Wanling. She was helping at her grandma's stall, and we did some catching up on each other's lives.
It's been a day out alone. Yes, alone. I've longed for a day where I can wander aimlessly, without having to accommodate to others. It's kind of a loner to others, but I enjoyed today so much! At least I can devote some time to myself.
In Chinatown I went to change currency for my Vietnam trip coming up two weeks later. The exchange rate was best! USD was selling at 1.526! So with SGD300, I got back SGD196.
Soon after, I found myself walking under the hot sun along Pagoda Street where vendors poured out countless souvenirs to antiques hoping to earn some bucks from the tourists that popped by. All were too similar; and I could see almost every stall hanging that "Singapore is a Fine City" T-shirts for sale.
In between two stalls stood a Caucasian leaning against a locked gate to the left of Sri Mariamman Temple - the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, with his camera peering over the holes in an attempt to capture what became known to me a wedding procession. Saree-clad Hindu women were dancing in circles to the rythm of the drummings by the men. All sending their sincere blessings to the newly-wed couple. The atmosphere was simply boisterous!
My walk continued along Temple Street which was occupied by tailor shops, provision shops, Chinese medicine halls; a petite old lady sitting on the pavement busying herself with piles of cardboard caught my attention. She was so adorable, just like a baby....
Just as I turned right into a small road leading to the train station, two pigeons were flocking lowly towards my direction. I held my head down; the pigeons made an acute turn, brushing their wings against the head of a woman who was oblivious of the pigeons' approach from behind her. At that instant my thought (arising from superstition) was "Aiyo that woman is gonna be unlucky!" I can't help but gave an evil laugh...
Afternoon tea? I had kaya toast at Far East Plaza's Ya Kun outlet, at the same time reading
The Lonely Planet Story - about the incorporation of Lonely Planet, a popular travel guidebooks' company, its business ideas and strategies, and the lives of Tony and Maureen, the couple who founded Lonely Planet.
I made my way to the National Library in Bras Basah Road where I continued to complete reading the Lonely Planet, before dumping it into the bookdrop.
Bought some vitamins at Bedok's GNC outlet to replenish my stock at home, so gone were my 104.25 bucks.
Saturday is soon over in less than three hours.
Kinda miss today.
Labels: Time alone
|Melvin Ng| 10:00 pm|
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