A Busy Afternoon On Bugis Street

A search for RC helicopter parts and Bluetooth headsets set my sights on the infamous Sim Lim Square. Prepared to spend the better half of my afternoon walking to accomplish my mission, I armed myself with a camera just in case there was anything interesting to capture. But first, I allowed myself the simple pleasure of sitting on the train ride from the Pasir Ris Station to the Bugis Station.

In hindsight, I realize that the thought about Bugis not being interesting should never cross anyone's mind. For locals, Bugis as the "largest street shopping location in Singapore" is sure to always have their attention, shopping being the favorite national past time, rivaled only by football and gastronomy. For tourists, Bugis is the best place to find cheap souvenirs. And for those who like to dig in a little deeper into Bugis' past, the place has been made famous by transvestites luring sailors and military personnel on their stop in the Merlion City.

As for my own experience, the visit of friends to Singapore is almost always never complete without a tour of Bugis. And why not? T-shirts, mugs, key chains, trinkets and other items that are light on the budget and easy to carry are golden to visitors wanting to take a piece of Singapore with them. A huge percentage of friends from neighboring countries are also interested in purchasing electronic goods during their visit, and for that, if you know what you're doing, what better place to go than Sim Lim Square?

As to my very own adventure during this particular visit, I am tempted to summarize it in two words: mission failed! Not only did I not find the helicopter part, but I also ended up not buying any Bluetooth headset. But then, all things considered, it wasn't a total failure. After all, few things could rival satisfying one's curiosity, and I say this after watching sales pitchmen go about their business — it was a priceless 10-minute education in making high impact presentations. (I will confess that I have more than once bought items they were selling even if they were speaking in Mandarin, a language I could count on my fingers the number of words that I understand.) How about the joy of drinking fresh juice after a long and tiring walk? Or the inexplicable pleasure of my longstanding affair with Ya Kun's kaya toast? Or the fact that I managed to buy something from the fruit stand for just $5? And oh, I made four people happy by bringing home Ritz' apple strudel.

This must be the weirdest way I've ever ended something I wrote, but I'm having a slice of that apple strudel for my midnight snack just after hitting that orange "publish post" button. Chow!