K.B. Tours: Singapore

First day and it is very humid even early in the morning.

Last time I was in Singapore I went to the Changi Museum. It is a memorial to the Allied troops and local Singapore people who suffered at the hands of the Japanese invasion force during WW2. In 2005, 90% of the museum was closed for refurbishment and only the outdoor chapel and the gift shop were open.

So it was good to revisit the memorial and view the whole exhibit. I went to the memorial by taxi with Richard and Petsy. It is easy to get to as it is just off the freeway which goes out to Changi international Airport. The memorial is next to the site of the original Changi jail, which is now a much larger complex and still serves as Singapore Prison.

The memorial is a fitting tribute to the harsh conditions that captured troops and local people were forced to endure for three years. Through many written recollections, photographs, personal artefacts, copies of the quilts manufactured by the women interned in Changi, artist impressions and a lot of regimental plaques the story of the three years of hardship is perfectly presented for everyone to take in.

The only disappointment was that you were not allowed to take any photos of the inside of the memorial. In fact the only are that you could take a photo was of the Changi Chapel replica. It is a good place to sit and reflect after walking through the memorial.

A photo of the replica Changi Chapel

After leaving the memorial, I was able to catch a bus right outside the memorial to the Train (MRT) station at Tampines. From there it is a 24 minute ride to the City Hall station, where you need to change lines to go to Orchard station which services the main shopping area in Orchard Road.

Singapore’s transport system leaves Sydney’s for dead. You have a swipe card which you use on both the buses and trains, swiping it both on entry and exit of the bus or train station. This card is credited with money which you can top up at any time at any railway station. The buses and train come very frequently are spotlessly clean and fully air-conditioned. Wish we could get something like this in Sydney.

I walked along the shops and was quite happy to enter many of them to get some much needed air conditioning. I headed towards Plaza Singapura, a complex which I knew from last visit contained a large supermarket called Carrefour. I bought my usual supply of current beer and Pringles cans and then started to walk back the way I had come down from the railway station. I continued to walk past the past Orchard MRT and looked for somewhere to get a taxi back to the apartment. I spotted a taxi advertising the Guinness 9 Ball Tour championship which was held in Singapore last weekend.
Soon after this I spotted a sign for Muddy Murphy’s one of a chain of Irish themed pubs in Singapore. This there for had to be investigated. It is located one level below the road level in the Orchard Hotel complex.

Grabbing a soft drink I had a look around and it is the same as any other Irish themed imitation pub in any country. I got the attention of the manager called Jay and gave him one of my Guinness collecting business cards and asked if they had any Guinness memorabilia around. Jay came back with a Guinness half pint glass and a Guinness badge which he gave to me. I asked if they had any shirts with Guinness and the pub’s name on them. He went away and came back about 5 minutes later with a Guinness t-shirt, a Muddy Murphy's waiters apron with Guinness also written on it and a Guinness cap. He told me I would have to pay $ S18 for the cap but the other stuff was free. I very quickly gave him the money and thanked him for the items. It was quite chilly inside the pub with the air-con so I went and sat outside in the beer garden.

A couple of minutes later Jay appears again with some Guinness promotional items used for the Guinness 9 Ball Tour competition which was held in Singapore last weekend. A cap, a set of cuff links and a pen were handed over to me as another freebie and also some Guinness beer coasters. I finished my drink and as i was leaving thanked Jay for the gifts.
Back up at road level I was taking a few photos of the pub and its signage

when Jay comes running down the street with some Heineken coasters with the Muddy Murphy’s name on them for me. What a good bloke, for $ S18 I got quite a haul of collectables.

My new Friend, Jay, who chased me down the street to give me some more beer coasters.

I then found a taxi and headed back to Branka and Oli’s apartment where we have had a quite evening catching up and i have been quizzing both of them and Oli’s parents on Orlando and Las Vegas as they have all been to both places.

Collecting:

I have started a photo album at Flikr, to catalogue the items obtained.

Click here to go to the photos.

I have mentioned most of it already I know but here is some of the days haul.