Chinatown & IKEA

Phew! Saturday was day two and it was a bit overwhelming!! We started off the day exhausted of course from the time change and odd sleeping hours. Had some bagels here in the apartment from a store across the street, which was a nice litle reminder of home. Then we got into a cab to head to Clark Quay and Chinatown. Now that we've done it, we're thinking it probably wasn't the best idea for our second day here in Singapore...

Arriving to Clark Quay wasn't so bad, but none of the stores or restaurants were open. As Americans, we're used to early hours, but that doesn't seem to be the case over here. So we walked around a bit before heading over to Chinatown.

OK, so let me tell you that this was a big mistake!! Chinatown was way too much to take in so early in our new lifestyle. It was much more dingy than any others areas we have seen so far, chaotic and loud. We attempted to walk around and then ended up deciding to have lunch in one of the food courts. Boy, what a mistake!! Now, I was prepared for the fact that Chinese food here would be nothing like at home, but it was an even bigger change than I expected. Jacob didn't enjoy his dish at all and I would say that my was okay, but nothing special. Although it is definitely much cheaper than what we're used to! A whole lunch costs around $4 to $5 at the most. By the end of lunch, we had enough with Chinatown and decided to head to IKEA.

Getting to IKEA involved our first experience with the MRT, much like the transportation system in Boston. The MRT is much cleaner than Boston, which makes a big difference to a neat freak like me. I was freaking out a bit at the idea of taking on all of this on my own once Jacob starts work. I can barely get around in Boston, never mind in a whole new city that I know absolutely nothing about. It ended up being pretty easy, but I'm still a little hesitant about taking on too much by myself during the first couple of weeks. I guess we'll see how it goes.

IKEA was just like back in the U.S....very good prices and plenty of choices. Our main goal was to get some linens and towels, but we ended up leaving with a few additional purchases. One of my greatest challenges was finding sheets!!! Fitted sheets are very easy to find, but regular sheets? I spent so much time searching for one and then ended up buying something that is far too small for our bed. UGH! So, I'm going to keep on searching for something else.

All together, it was another busy and exhausting day. I don't think I could go back to Chinatown anytime soon. I need some more time getting used to the area before taking on that experience again!