A SHORT STOP IN THE HEART OF SINGAPORE CITY

Sultan Mosque from the window of
Zam Zam Restaurant

31st March 2017 ~ After the school visit at Swiss Garden Secondary School, the bus took us to the famous Arab Street. The (Muslim) men had to perform their Friday prayer, and the ladies the Zohor. We then had lunch at Zam Zam Restaurant which is popular for its Singapore Murtabak. 

We were then taken to the heart of Singapore city, the place where the Merlion could be found. For some people in the group, this was their first time in Singapore so they could be excited. As for me, I really need to make a comeback to explore all the museums and other interesting places in the area. I just never had the chance to do that.

the Esplanade, with its durian shaped roof,
which actually is the microphone

We could not stay longer because; (1) the sky had turned darker and there were thunders in the sky, and (2) there was one more place to go (or shop) and at the same time, we had to be at the Immigration Checkpoint before five to avoid the crowd.

WHEN IN SINGAPORE, EAT AS THE SINGAPOREANS DO

6th August 2016 ~ A friend from college, Pn. Sakinah Ismail, and her family wanted to do a short visit to Singapore and I was happy to tag along. We went backpacking, obviously - it was just a day trip. We met at JB City Square at 9:30 a.m. took a bus from JB Sentral to Kranji MRT Station (bus fare: RM1.50 each) and only cleared Singapore Immigration at 11:30 a.m.

From Kranji MRT Station, we took the train and stopped at Bugis Station (fare: SG$2.60) and walked to Arab Street. When we arrived at our first destination, Sultan Mosque, we were already hungry we could eat a horse. So we stopped first at a nearby restaurant called Zam Zam just behind the mosque across the street. Puan Sakinah wanted to try two of Singapore's well-known cuisine: Singapore Briyani and Murtabak. The verdict: the food was so good and it was the worth the effort to get on the public transport to get here. I am already thinking of making a comeback just to eat the same food, or maybe to try the briyani at the other restaurant, Victory, just beside Zam Zam. 

The murtabak came in many sizes actually and this one was SG$9.00. We ate chicken murtabak and it was different from the one I used to eat as it was filled with huge chunks of chicken meat which was tender and spicy. The bread was soft but crispy.

That was our only gastronomic adventure in Singapore and the lunch should provide us with enough energy to walk throughout the day.