HAJI LANE

HAJI LANE. BABUSHKAS FOR MISS CHARLOTTE. MEXICAN DRINKS. NATIONAL MUSEUM. OLD FASHIONED PORTRAIT AND FILM CAMERA. LUNCH FOR ONE. RAFFLES HOTEL. SINGAPORE FLYER. CRUISE LINER CASINO. CHINATOWN. CLUB STREET. FANCY BATHROOM #2. BLOOD ORANGE MARGARITA WITH CHOCOLATE SUGAR RIM. 

It's been a busy couple of days here in Singapore. Okay, bit of a lie – I spent most of Tuesday sleeping, reading, and relaxing in the pool. In the afternoon Meagan and I shopped our way along Haji Lane, a quaint street of quirky little boutiques. At the end of the lane we stopped for cocktails; she a caprioska and I, a margarita. The barman was exceptionally generous with the pouring of the spirits and we were both festively tipsy when we tottled from our bar stools to the street to hail a cab. Speaking of which, the taxi system is so effective here. You register your name and then any time you need a taxi (when you can't flag one down) you just send an SMS and you get a reply with the rego of the taxi and the number of minutes til he/she arrives. Taxis are cheap, too. Anyway, that evening we went out for chili crab and pork ribs, mmm, and then took a drive along Orchard Road to see the pretty Christmas lights.

Yesterday I psyched myself into tourist mode and trotted off to the National History Museum. They had carted in some paintings from the Musée d'Orsay Paris for a special exhibition. I also enjoyed the film, photography and fashion exhibitions. By the time I got to the History of Singapore wing (the main purpose of my visit) I was over museums, so afraid I can't tell ya much about that. Afterwards I went back to Raffles for some pictures and a wander. It's such a stunning landmark, soaked with opulence. You can feel the history of the place as you wander along the corridors, it's quite amazing. After that I wandered towards the Flyer, until the storm clouds closed in again and I headed back to Meagan's. Later in the afternoon we meandered through Chinatown and then took a left and then a right into Club Street. Enjoyed a beverage at '83' and then onto P.S. Cafe where I had the best calamari I've ever tasted. As my Dad would say, it was a "taste sensation" (on a holiday in Thailand over a decade ago, he'd say this at every meal, and it has stuck; we bring it out from time to time for teasing purposes). Meg sipped on the most elaborately garnished mojito ever, and I couldn't resist the blood orange margarita with a sugar and chocolate rim. Genius. Also genius was the heavenly bathroom, a black and cream tiled haven complete with fresh hydrangeas, classical music and a personal fan. Oh me, oh my. After dinner we headed back to Meg's place, stopping for a 40 minute reflexology massage on the way. With cocktails dancing in my bloodstream, the treatment's affect on my qi is doubtable, but it was a nice massage all the same.

Today I'm thinking of checking out the Botanical Gardens, book in tow. I have a date with Miss Meagan at 3.25pm for High Tea at Emporium on top of Swissotel. Excited! And afterwards we have tickets to Breaking Dawn. Movies are only $8 (AU$6.29!) here, so what better time to hop back on board the Twilight Saga train? Exactly.

It's 8.59am right now, I think I might head down for a little swim while the sun is shining.