Singapore : Trainee Valentine's Reunion

Ep.35

“A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.” -Elbert Hubbard.

SIN – Singapore, Singapore.

14^th-15^th February 2012.

Me and Ciel

Since I failed to swap my 6 days off to Sydney, I managed to swap a Singapore long stay (even though it was still short, less than 24 hour stay) flight for 2 days off. Why would I do that? Why didn’t I just catch flight back to Jakarta to celebrate the St.Valentine’s day with my significant other? Well, there are certain things in our relationship that can’t be explained. Why Singapore? First, I would like to try this flight (which so called to be nightmare and tough) and second, I would love to visit another friend of mine in Singapore, Michele.

Frostbite

Consider that I was a really lucky girl that I found my Singapore flight was actually okay. It was a very straightforward service flight, 3.5 hours long and let say I am really lucky, Michele was more than available to accompany me. She replied to my message via lovely blackberry that she would love to stay over at my hotel during my stay. Yeay! Every time I have friend in the outport, it would be just like a mood booster so that I will have another source of energy to do the flight. I gave my hotel address and my ETA (estimated time arrival) to Michele already.

Us with lattes

On Valentine’s Day, I stepped on the hotel lobby right at 8.30 pm. I spotted no shadow of Michele anywhere until she jumped right from my back. Michele is my friend during my training in RCPP, a year younger than me (or two?) and she was trained as a chef back then at RCPP. She was taking diploma degree of culinary in Singapore and has graduated by the time I visit her on that Valentine’s Day. In fact, it was just a week before she went back to Indonesia to pursue her career as a chef in RCPP. What a kick-ass start, huh? Skipped all the “long-time-no-see” drama, we headed to my room immediately, dumped our baggage, few pictures, changed my uniform, and go out right away!

ION Center

The hotel is located in Chinatown, which is just 1 MRT station to Clarke Quay, my favorite place to hang out during my every visit to Singapore (more stories to come). I recharged my Ez-Link MRT card (SGD 10) and let’s go. It took less than 5 minutes for us to reached Clarke Quay. Many couples here and there, many bunnies selling roses, and we do look stand out from the other couples (don’t get the wrong idea). Once we’re in Singapore, Es Potong will be there. We bought the famous Es Potong for SGD 1.5 each and walked across the riverside bridge to Clarke Quay. Many pubs and clubs were competing, music wise, decoration wise, and crowd wise as well. Promising someone not to club, I told Michele not to invite me to do so.

first pict after meeting

An old friend time would not be completed without updating each other about our own life. I haven’t met Michele since the last days of my training, which means by December 2009. We chose a cozy coffee shop in the corner to sit and chat. We both ordered a 4-layered latte as we knew that we need an injection of caffeine to made it through the night (don’t get the wrong idea). Both coffees cost us SGD 19. We sipped our coffee and let all the stories lies before us, love, school, friends, work, quite many topics that we jumped one to another. Meanwhile, she was just nice enough to lend me her mobile phone to contact my bf. Michele I would say, even she’s younger than me, cute way of thinking sometimes, but she was mature enough to think about her own passion, her own future and dreams. That is why she was one among little others that I told about my dream as an FA during my training time back there. We talked, sipped, talked, sipped until we realized that it was almost midnight and the train services would be ended soon. We headed back to the hotel and continue our chat until we fell asleep.

interesting sentence *nom nom* munching*

La Luna Rosa

The next day, we started early. At 8 am, we were ready to hit the famous Orchard Road. There was nothing in particular that we looked for, just an exercise for our feet. Ha ha! First destination, ION Center. Michele said that there was Bonchoon Chicken wing that was really happening lately in ION food court. Last time I visited Singapore (exactly a year before), it was not there yet. So let's give it a try. But it hasn't open yet. It would be open by 11 am. So, we went out and got a quick Takashimaya snacks. We strolled Ngee Ann Palace for a while and we spotted a very nice brick wall Italian restaurant. Don't get it wrong. It's not like we'd like a fancy brunch or something, we were just want to take a picture in front of it. Even a couple of foreigner guys offered us their help in taking a picture of us. Are we that cute or what? We went back to the ION Center  for the famous chicken wing exactly at 11 am sharp. It was obvious that we were their first customer of the day. I bought a package of 8 pieces chicken wing for myself (SGD 9) and Michele bought a take-away lunch box just across the chicken wing restaurant. We sat on a table for two and eat greedily. (I just can't hold my mouth to munch again and again).

Me Vs My appetite

We finished Orchard Road very soon after the brunch and we headed to the Merlion Park (board MRT at Orchard, get off at Raffles) as Michele, who has been living there for several years has never been to Merlion Park. We took pictures, even with the Polaroid one that Michele brought. Marina Bay Sands became our backdrop as well (what a cute result). We then continue walking to Fullerton Hotel. I have been there twice (I found out how to sneak in from  inside the hotel on my last visit to Singapore) but considering Michele has dedicated all her time in the kitchen for years, I would love to take her there as well. Anyway, its her last few days in Singapore. We bought another King’s Es Potong for SGD 1 each (damn! we bought too expensive last night). We walked and took lots of picture until 2 pm arrived. I was supposed to operate back to HK by 4 pm. And so I bid farewell to Michele. A farewell was never be nice, but we will surely keep in touch and meet each other again somewhere. Maybe by that time she has become a great chef (I hope so!).

The Fullerton Hotel

Knock on my head that the flight was delayed. We were just informed after we had checked out from out room. We went to the airport (as it was the only choice) and waited for at least 2 full hours to be finally got on board. Delayed flight was always rushed. Passengers’ nerved up, we were demanded to give answer, which we also don’t know. Believe me that cabin crews, have no greater interest than passengers, towards delay. We also want to get our job of the day done faster.

A nice city sculpture.

On the other hand, every flight has it own stories, it might be pleasant and it also might be nasty. Service industry, as Michele and I know, is the industry where we deal with many kinds of people. They came from different background, intellectuality, nationality, personality and may more. How to meet them is our interest, how to deal with them is our challenge, and how do we serve them is our passion. 

 “We would never be able to change the way of thinking of a person, but we could change how we want them to think about us” – Me.