I only had one hour sleep yesterday because of all the errands and packing I needed to do. I barely slept in the plane because the seat for some reason did not recline. I went about my day very groggy 😑

I regretted booking this hotel because it was very out of the way. I couldn’t check in early to rest so I went out again for forex. I wanted to go to Arcade near my office but guess what? The MRT from Outram going to Raffles Place broke down. No trains. Wow.

So I had to take the bus but I didn’t know which to take. I just took what seemed would pass through the areas near Raffles Place.

When it went through Chinatown, I jumped off.

It has been quite a while since I’ve been here. I have stayed away from this area because it was always crowded. Anyway, I got a good deal on the forex. UOB and DBS (via ATM) and at the airport offers PHP 42 = SGD 1. At some of the money changers at People’s Plaza, it’s about PHP 40.1 = SGD 1. I only got SGD 20 from the ATM to replenish my MRT card but the rest were exchanged in Chinatown.

Was debating whether I should go to Vivo City to buy myself a belt because the one holding up my jeans is falling apart. But I was already getting hungry at 1 pm and already sleepy. I just crossed to Chinatown Point and ate at Song Fa. Sadly this area is already taken over by restaurants and the stores I used to frequent were gone, like Hush Puppies and other apparel stores.

The Fairprice here is a favorite of mine because they have a lot of offers. The discounts are not that much but when you spot a good one, like a laptop bag (can’t remember if it was Targus) grab it. For some reason I was able to buy a laptop bag there when other Fairprice branches don’t carry items like that. Anyway, I bought the staples like 3-in-1 coffee that my bro and sis-in-law like so much. And I’m also a coffee runner for my friend from my old TV network for years. Same brand. I don’t know why they like it so much.

Found some stuff for my girls as well. They loved the matcha we bought at Mitsukoshi and they had been searching for it at the grocery stores but we weren’t lucky.

The rest are my spice mixes and drinks I will consume in my hotel because they cost twice at the vendo or at 7-Eleven.

I was debating whether I book Grab but I can’t remember where I can wait for such at Chinatown Point. In the end I suffered through MRT transfers with my grocery bags. I really regretted booking an out-of-the-way hotel.

It was old and big so there were a lot of people. 😑 But at least there was a 7-Eleven beside it but that’s it. The MRT station nearest it is quite a walk and it has been raining all day so it was very inconvenient.

I was again weighing if I should go out for dinner or feel sorry for myself eating noodles in my room. Then I realized I didn’t have chopsticks or a fork. That decided for me. Maxwell was just two MRT stops away.

I was hankering for a Tong Fong Fatt Chicken Rice but it was closed. So I thought about the much ballyhooed Tian-tian because it had earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand…

It was raining still when I got back to the hotel.

I think I was already out by 8 pm.