Cosmetic Changes

How quickly time flies and just as quickly changes roll around.

Since my last trip to Singapore, I noticed quite a few changes not only along Orchard Road but also the skyline of Sentosa Island.

Along Orchard have sprung up two notable towers, the Orchard Central and the ION. Both are iconic structures of steel and glass, very pleasing to the eye.

The Orchard Central is along Orchard Road and the building

is longer than wide. The internal decor is simple but striking.

We went up the escalators to each floor. There is also an outdoor escalator that takes you up to one of the upper floors. I didn't count as it was not in operation then. It still has a few finishing touches to add before it is finally complete. Overall it is an interesting building.

It was a pleasant shady walk from Orchard Central to the ION which stands at the corner of a big junction. The ION is

completed and the interior differs from the Orchard Central.

It is more circular and has got wider spaces. Here is the

home of all the branded goods such as LV and the rest of the haute coutuer. The boutiques are larger by comparison than those in Orchard Central and there is a food court in the basement.

I wanted to get across from the ION to the other side of the road to have my lunch in one of the recommended chicken rice restaurants. Do you know, it was a nightmare trying to find the underpass. There's no way you can hope to cross that junction above ground. The traffic is very heavy and I don't remember seeing any pedestrian crossings at the lights.

We had to go back into ION and the place is so huge that it took us a while, even after getting directions from one of the tenants, before we found our way to the underpass. Even then it was quite confusing as we didn't know which direction to take to get directly across Orchard Road.

I guess this is one of the constraints of being a stranger in a big city, especially when I have such a poor sense of direction. We eventually found our way out and to our relief, on the side of the road that we wanted. Then it was another short walk, again past boarded facades, behind which renovation was going on.

There are a number of buildings undergoing renovation and the boards that hide the clutter and mess are attractive with different designs, so that the surroundings are not marred by ugly sites undergoing cosmetic changes.

The chicken rice restaurant we were looking for was in one of the older shopping complexes and it was not easy to spot it. We found it only after going round and round, despite having the address. This was because the numbers were not in sequential order.

I found the rice fragrant and good. However the chicken although tender, was quite different from our Malaysian chicken rice. Somehow the Singaporean tastebuds are different from Malaysian ones. The condiments were good. I liked that they offered blended ginger, blended chilli and thick dark soya sauce. There was also the chopped garlic. All these are a must with chicken rice but not all chicken rice stalls offer the thick dark sauce or the ginger.

From there my next stop was a second hand bookstore where I had my feast of so many books. It was hard to choose especially when I could only buy one. Flying on budget airlines requires one to be careful with luggage weight and books are heavy. Finally I settled for one by Patricia Cornwell whose books I like to read.

On the following day we headed to Vivocity for lunch.

From there we saw how much the skyline of Sentosa

Island had changed. At our last visit, three months ago, there were no tall buildings as yet but now there are many buildings. So much change in so little time. I

understand the casino resort complex is due to open next year. Sentosa Island will truly be a playground for locals and foreigners alike, a big tourist draw.

Singapore is evolving at a very rapid pace indeed. There will be more changes in store on my next visit.