First Stop After the Pandemic - Singapore (Part 1)

Finally, we are free. No more damn nucleic acid tests, no more scanning QR codes to enter public places. We've finally waited for all these 'finally's. The joy inside me was written all over my face, and I was grinning at everyone. The national borders quietly opened, so I thought, let's find a place to satisfy that little urge to step out of the country, to take out my passport that had been hidden away and getting moldy, and let it see some sun. Where to go? Of course, somewhere warm and sunny. Thailand? I heard that many Chinese chose it as their first stop abroad, with visa on arrival being convenient. The Thai people have been craning their necks looking north for a long time, eagerly waiting for Chinese aunties to fly over and go on a spending spree. Even the police are waiting at the airport to escort Chinese tour groups. I didn't want to be that foolish, so I chose a less crowded place. Just then, the Singapore government, ever so good at scratching where it itches, announced the lifting of the mask mandate. After February 13, no nucleic acid test or vaccination proof is needed upon entry. They're practically waving little red flags inviting you to come. How could I refuse? I had to oblige. Besides, Zhengzhou has direct flights to Singapore—a quick nap and you're there. So convenient.

So I swung into action like a tiger: applied for a visa, booked flights and hotels on Ctrip, wrote an itinerary, and got it all done in no time. Just waiting for March 1 to fly.

I arrived at Xinzheng Airport early in the morning—my first time flying since the pandemic. I left in a hurry without bringing any food. Little did I know that the shops and restaurants in the waiting hall were all closed. I filled half a bottle from the drinking water tap, the stream as thin as a child's urine stream. I was getting annoyed when an elderly lady trotted over and asked me, 'Young man, can you tell me where I should board?' Does this lady really look like a guy to you?

The six-hour flight was spent with a mask on the whole time—no eating, no drinking, no bathroom breaks. I felt extremely uncomfortable. I thought of my daughter two years ago, who missed home and bought expensive tickets to fly back to China for over ten hours. She must have gone through the same, only worse—wearing a protective suit and double masks. My heart ached for her.

Because my older brother had messaged earlier saying he'd treat me to a welcome dinner right after I landed, I endured hunger for six hours. Changi Airport truly deserves its reputation as the world's best airport. We chose to eat at 'Tim Ho Wan,' a Hong Kong tea restaurant by the Rain Vortex. The magnificent waterfall left me in awe—I even forgot my hunger and started snapping photos.

Yesterday, I squeezed into my brother's place, forcing him to sleep on the sofa. I felt really bad. Early this morning, my sister-in-law took me for a walk around their HDB flat estate. Singapore's urban planning is incredibly user-friendly. Every block has exercise equipment, children's play areas, meeting spots for guests, and badminton courts. Covered walkways connect all the buildings, so you can move between them without getting rained on. The walkways are lined with plants and flowers, and snails often crawl out of the grass, easy to step on. There's also a kind of bird called the Javan myna, which is quite bold—they fight in flocks right in front of you, completely ignoring people. Around noon, my brother took me out for another big feast. Was he trying to fatten me up? But under the old heritage block, there really was a lot of delicious food. We ordered a whole table, and when I calculated the bill, it was less than 30 Singapore dollars, which is under 150 RMB, and all were hearty dishes.

Originally, I planned to get up early to swim in the pool to freshen up before heading out, but the pool on the rooftop made me laugh like a goose. It was less than ten meters long and 1.2 meters deep—smaller than the soaking pool in a public bathhouse back home. If I did a dive, would I hit the bottom? Forget it.

So I freshened up and got ready to meet the red-haired orangutan. I had to make a good impression, right? I heard he was quite busy with many appointments. Our breakfast meeting was set for 9:30, so I headed to the zoo at 8:00. It was pouring rain outside, and I was soaked by the time I reached the MRT station. I transferred from the green line to the red line, then took a bus. I was so anxious—the appointment time was passing, and if I didn't make it, my carefully done makeup in the morning would be wasted. I arrived at Ah Meng Restaurant at 9:45, but there was no sign of that handsome orangutan. I was so disappointed. Look, this is the guy.

I had visited this zoo once in 2008. Even back then, I was captivated by the harmony among animals, people, plants, and the landscape. At that time, I hadn't had surgery for spinal stenosis yet, so walking and standing were difficult. My father pushed me around in a wheelchair for the entire visit. Sitting in the wheelchair, the zoo felt huge. Today, as I walked around, I could still recall my father nagging behind me. Now he's gone, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness.

Maybe because of the heavy rain, I didn't see many animals today—most were hiding in their shelters. There were far fewer than last time. At home, I still have a photo of my father teasing a large parrot, but today the parrot enclosure was closed to visitors. The ticket felt like a waste.

I circled the zoo twice and couldn't find anything more to do. It was past 1:00 PM, and my stomach was growling. I endured hunger for the Michelin-recommended Song Fa Bak Kut Teh at Clarke Quay. When I got there, I saw a huge crowd and thought it must be good. I swallowed my saliva hard. The sign at the door said a 20-minute wait. Luckily, I got a seat in less than ten minutes. I ordered a serving of Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, a piece of youtiao, and a bowl of white rice—less than 20 SGD. Halfway through the soup, the staff immediately refilled it. But I only ate one rib; the second one made me feel nauseous. I quickly drank a few sips of the peppery soup to suppress the queasiness. Fatty pork ribs are really a challenge for me. I had to give up on the second rib with fat. I thought, this isn't as good as Zhengzhou's stewed noodles (huimian). When I get back, I'll go straight to Xiaoji for a bowl. I didn't dare continue with the planned itinerary. I went back to the hotel to rest and recover, not wanting to push myself.

Tomorrow I plan to visit the National Museum of Singapore. I won't have to worry about rain indoors. My shoes are soaked through, but I still need to wear them to the museum—I can't go in clogs. That would be disrespectful to history.

Today was unexpectedly tiring, so tiring that I'm writing this journal the next morning.

As the Chinese saying goes, 'Rise early but arrive late for the market'—that's me, always missing the timing. I planned to visit the National Museum of Singapore this morning. It wasn't raining when I left, and I arrived at the gate by 9:00, only to find it closed. They don't open until 10:00—I should have checked the hours. Luckily, a sign indicated that Fort Canning Park was nearby. I went down the spiral staircase and found a crowd lining up. Then I realized this was the famous 'Heavenly Pit' or 'Dragon's Den' attraction. I didn't want to join the crowd, but the weather changed and it started raining, so I had to line up under the bridge. I thought there were only about a dozen people ahead of me, so it would take maybe 20 minutes. I could look around and then the museum would open. But I underestimated the photography skills of people from all over the world. Judging by accents and appearances, they were mostly South Asians, chattering away, striking weird poses, and preening at the top. By the time it was my turn, an hour had passed, and suddenly it was pouring rain. I had to bite the bullet and get wet. A South Asian young man took a photo for me—it looked like I was a frog at the bottom of a well.

See, when I left this morning, I looked quite spirited.

I followed a Chinese-language guide for three hours at the museum, learning about Singapore's history from a colony to one of the Four Asian Tigers. Every country's founding goes through the baptism of gunfire, suffering, and death; peace never comes easily.

Two stops from the museum was the pier for the Duck Tour. I had heard good things about it on Xiaohongshu, but the experience turned out to be mediocre. It's an amphibious vehicle that takes you around several landmarks in the city on land and water. The splash when entering the water got me wet, but otherwise nothing exciting. Because of the rain, the boat was covered with thick plastic sheeting, so I couldn't see much. It felt like another waste of money.

By 3:00 PM, I still hadn't eaten, and my stomach was protesting. I wandered around not knowing what to eat. Yesterday's Bak Kut Teh had upset my stomach, so I didn't dare try anything random. I decided to go back to the hotel area for a simple meal and rest. Then at the MRT station, I saw three super familiar characters: Yang Guofu (a Chinese malatang chain). I was overjoyed. The owner saw me from afar and greeted me in Chinese. Even my stomach smiled. A big bowl of malatang satisfied my unsettled stomach after several days. A Chinese stomach needs Chinese food to be happy.

After resting all afternoon, I went to Marina Bay in the evening. The Supertrees were hard to find—Google Maps kept spinning and couldn't pinpoint the location. I had to ask two Chinese girls to find them. My luck was bad again; maybe due to the rain, they didn't light up. But the photos still looked cinematic. Don't I look super cool under the Supertree?

I thought the Merlion was just on the other side of the bay, and the light show on the Singapore River was lively, with tourists of all colors huddling together and cheering. A walk around the bay would get me there. But my feet nearly gave out. 'The mountain looks close, but it kills the horse.' The horse's hooves are worn flat. I could see the Merlion spouting water in the distance but couldn't get near. I walked and stopped, soaked in sweat, and finally made it.

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