Singapore Vacay Day 4: Science and Shopping

Our plan for today was to go to the Science Centre Singapore, the Merlion, the Marina Bay Sands, and finally Orchard Road. Little did we know that the flesh, er, the feet, would always be not willing. (Sus, mga ambi kasi!)

Day 4: First Stop--The Science Centre Singapore

The Science Centre Singapore aims to inspire young people to be excited about science. With interactive exhibits and galleries to challenge young minds, no wonder it attracts over a million visitors a year. Admission  is at S$9 for adults (Php 306).

Count the five of us in.

Knowing that the Boys have not gotten their parents’ shopping genes, we planned this trip especially for them. Although Jurong East was quite far from where we were billeted in, we still pushed through with this.

After 40 minutes of train ride and about 500 meters of walking, we finally reached it. As with most Singapore tourist spots, the façade was very impressive—clean, modern, immense.

Double Trouble!

They have featured Imax movies

A fountain can be found by the entrance. Later, we saw kids frolicking and playing in the water.

So many things to see and do and experience. The Science Centre features over 1000 exhibits which are interactive and hands-on. 

An observation: While the girls were always showing their pearlie whites...

...the boys were always poker-faced. What's up with teenage boys?

Anyway, can you see two pairs of people facing each other?

 All things electric

No one wanted to try the electric chair, so I had to volunteer.

Hwag po! Wala akong kasalanan!!!

Trivia: Did you know that the electric chair was invented by a dentist?

Their cafe rocks!

Both extinct species --the dodo bird and a 16-year old baby!

Sound check!

Did you hear Dad calling you, boys?

Antique gramophones

Even robots know how to play the guitar!

Twilight zone...teeenee neeneen...

In the future, table games would be like this...

Issa had a field day teasing Paolo about his fear of heights.

He didn't even want to be near the railing. Pao, seriously!!!??

  

Be. Inspired. Kiddos.

Last stop: Gift shop. TG the Kiddos are not into toys anymore!

As we were eating at McDo Science Centre, the Hubby revealed to us how far we would be walking going to the Merlion and our next stop. None of the Kiddos were talking anymore because they were not so keen into more walking. The First Son even whispered to me, “We are going to walk miles and for what, a couple of pictures?” I then suggested that we scrap going to the Merlion, and go straight to Orchard Road instead. And I was beginning to have a headache too from all these trekking. The Hubby really wanted to go, but he was outvoted.

So the next stop: Orchard Road

Our main purpose of going to Orchard Road was not to shop till we drop. Lord knows how much I have always wanted to do that, but the Visa heaven has its limits! We just wanted to experience the enormous shopping centers Singapore is famous for. And it didn’t disappoint. Orchard Road assaults you with rows of high end stores and gigantic display windows—Paragon, Ngee Ann City, Somerset, Orchard Central… I felt I belong here. Ambilis ng kaba ng puso ko!!!

Kahit sa picture man lang, makatabi ko si LV.

We first went to Orchard Central for the Daughter. Her only wish was to buy a pair of Doc Martens boots. Can you guess which one she bought?

Then, it was my turn. 313@Somerset has four floors of Forever 21, three floors of Zara, the largest Uniqlo store in SE Asia, etc etc. so that was my destination. However, I was just kind of disappointed in F21 because almost all of their clothes were flowery—floral overload! I came out of the store not satisfied. I also visited my other fave stores, but it was all blah for me. What was happening to me? Panic, panic, panic! Two hours of going around and still I was not carrying any shopping bags. Ewan ko ba. Maybe it’s the Singapore dollars sign on the price tag. Maybe the clothes didn’t appeal to me. Maybe I was pressured for time knowing that the Boys were waiting for the Girls to finish raking through all the stores. Or maybe it was just too much shopping adrenaline. I ended up buying things for the sake of. Oh oh. Not good.

Anyway, later in the afternoon, we noticed an unusually thick crowd slowly gathering along the street. We found out that Redbull was hosting an F1 Speed Street, where a famous Formula One driver, David Coulthard (no idea who he is!), plowed the Orchard Street for some racing stunts. Sorry, I couldn’t care less. I still had to visit Topshop.

Meanwhile, the Boys scouted to buy a Nintendo 3DS there, but the Hubby advised them to buy it in Cebu instead. It would be better for after service guarantee, and it might come out cheaper. Although frustrated that they would be coming back empty-handed, they saw the logic in their Dad’s suggestion. So they agreed.

Just when we thought we had sated our shopping curiousity (at syempre ang sakit na ng mga paa namin!), we headed back to Strand Hotel. So that was how it felt like to shop till you drop!

Back to the hotel room, we bought takeout food from Kopitiam (ano pa e di Hainanese ulit!) and finally got ready for our flight the next day. Later, the Daughter had fever. The Hubby got scared. Never fear, Doctor Mom was there. And everything was okay.

To be continued. (Huling kabanata na--pramis!)