Singapore: July 23: Conference

These pictures accompany this narrative.

After grabbing a quick breakfast at my hotel, I ventured outside. It was pouring so I, lacking an umbrella, did the extravagant thing and took a taxi the two blocks to the conference hotel.

After the morning's sessions, I headed out for lunch, returning to the Tiong Bahru Food Centre which I'd visited for dinner a few days before. I discovered the mall's first floor is a fresh produce, meat, and fish market. I wandered around, looking at funky fruits and vegetables. Most of meat stands were already closed when I arrived at 1pm.

I planned to ditch the conference after the afternoon panels to head off to explore Orchard Road. However, I ran into my coworkers, who I had felt bad ditching for lunch and who I wanted to hang out with more, and walked with them to the (upscale) Great World City mall. When we returned to the conference venue, I headed out to Orchard Road. (Yes, I invited my coworkers, but they all had other things to do, including catching planes.)

Orchard Road is Singapore's shopping street. It's long and packed with hotels and glitzy and not-so-glitzy malls. I began my tour of Orchard Road on the end with the presidential palace (which we weren't allowed to approach). The pictures document some of the sights. At least judging by Orchard Road--which is admittedly one of Singapore's newer neighborhoods--, the historical places I visited were unimpressive/hard to notice, at least compared to the density and quality of sights in India.

I didn't go shopping during my walk along Orchard Road. I didn't think shopping in these modern malls would feel distinctive to Singapore.

After exploring the major part of Orchard Road, as I didn't know any places I wanted to eat in the area (does the modernity kill the places for good, cheap, unusual food?), I hiked to the Zion Food Centre. I got lost on the way, but it was no big deal. After dinner, I stopped in the nearby Great World City mall (again) for dessert and then walked home.