supertree by indochine, gardens by the bay

this is a half-review, so to speak, because hey, can we first talk about how beautiful Singapore is now? it boggles the mind to think that this transformation happened in less than four years – especially when you compare it to my beautiful dreamland of London, where construction often has terms spanning decades.

but look at how shiny it all is! we’ve got our own large ferris wheel, giant metal trees – and while I know there are detractors that scoff at the unnaturalness of all these – hello you, have you seen the heavily-made-up lady next to you? what’s natural? – I emphatically love it all.

so back to this blog’s raison d’etre, and I conclude this place is fantabulous for viewing our beautiful bright lights, just skip the complimentary drinks.

one probably has to appreciate that in this market of rising alcohol prices (thank god I’m basically abstinent), you get one drink (from a short list) with your $18 entrance ticket – but the white wine was incredibly dry (almost akin to the feeling you get after using a tongue scraper) , and a whiskey cola heavy on the latter.

I can’t comment on their larger a-la-carte drinks menu, because you know I nursed the heck out of my eight-dollar glass of coke (and it was rather flat! at that price I want darn humongstrous bubbles!) – but I was there for date night and the view, so it worked out all good.

have a good weekend! (and happy belated thanksgiving, if you celebrate it!)
x

lantern at the fullerton bay hotel, town

expensive drinks in a pretty roof-top bar above the gorgeous fullerton bay hotel. here’s one for the weekend – I’m not much of a drinker, and pretty much teetotaler in all. I do like going to beautiful places though, and when it gets dark, that usually means a bar or what not. the rooftop bit isn’t a misnomer so much as misleading: it isn’t very high up, and barely looks over the river over to marina bay sands, but it’s gorgeous – draped fabric ceilings, a large seating area with well-spaced tables, and a relaxed vibe about it all.

it’s a quiet place – more of the post-work crowd sitting down to some really expensive drinks rather than the crotch-baring rambunctious bunch, and I like that. I also like the complimentary traditional battered peanuts they served here –  you don’t get these very often.

ku de ta, bali

there is something poignant in a dark night spent beach-side, with the wind roaring through and a lonely spotlight going out toward the sea. even the trash on the beach looks like speckles of glitter.

potato head beach club, bali

generally good food – and better atmosphere – at this sprawl of a beach club in the seminyak area of bali. I’m not one for drinking – almost a complete teetotaler – but I do like a nice place to lounge about and have a bite, and this place fits the bill. the food came in rather large portions – certainly larger than you’d expect at places like this, which casts aspersions on options in singapore – and though our orders spanned the spectrum of terrible to really good, I wholeheartedly recommend visiting this place at least once if you’re in the area. the prices were fair, the menu sufficiently extensive, and service very friendly. an accessible and enjoyable sort of chilled-luxe.