Confessions of a shopaholic...

Shopping in Singapore was never a difficult job. Singapore has famously come up as one of the shopping destinations in South East Asia in the last few years. If you are planning to make a trip sometime in future, here is a list of places you might want to consider for shopping.

1. Bugis- Bugis is till date the largest shopping street in Singapore. The street that resembles Fashion street in Mumbai. You can buy stuff from your favorite suede shoes to your favorite beer brand t-shirt at the cheapest cost you can bet. From sexy bikinis to lingerie, from purses to bags, you get everything. And yes, it’s not just one street. It’s a maze of streets and you are sure to get lost. Lost in the street and the items those streets offer. Bugis street is just a walk away from Bugis MRT station and a few bus stops from Chinatown market. 

2. Arab street- Named from the Arab merchant, Syed Ali bin Mohamed Al Junied who once owned this street this one brings to you carpets of the best Islamic designs, dress materials from various countries mostly Islamic. You can buy materials for as low as $5/meter or as costly as $150/meter. From linen to silk, net, georgette, chiffon you name it and you get it, and not just in one color or design.  I was definitely beguiled by the choices this street had to offer. Walking on these streets gives you the feeling of walking somewhere in Turkey or any other Islamic country. You can also have Islamic food in one of the restaurants here. You can surely treat yourself to a nice Turkish lunch or just some Moroccan tea or smoke some Shisha. The street starts at a beautiful mosque called Sultan Mosque. Spend a leisure day shopping fabrics, carpets, ornaments, perfumes here. 

3. Chinatown- From perfume miniatures to Disney cartoon printed chopsticks. You get all that you name at Chinatown. Situated right outside Chinatown MRT station this is every tourists’ souvenir shopping destination.   If you are not on the North East line you can always use other nearby MRT stations like Tanjong pagar on the East West line, Outrum Park interchange and even Clarke Quay. At this place you are sure to find the best cover for your new phone or an iPad. The tourists can have the privilege of having their name written over various items in Chinese at the local shops too.

4. Plaza Singapura-  This is where you should come to if you want the feel of mall, shopping. High end as it might look the shopping center also offers discounts and sales during festive seasons and on other months too. Build back in 1974 the mall has never failed to offer the best brands from Aldo, Gap, Cotton on, Aerosoles and more everything under one roof. Where the mall ends, Orchard road starts. 

5. Orchard Road- If your pocket gives you the liberty to shop more your search ends at Orchard Road. The street synonymous to best retail shopping, it is also the entertainment hub of the island city. It is a 2.2 km stretch that serves the best brands on your platter. Known among the tourist attraction places, the road has a place named Orchard tower which gives you the sort of pubs you were just looking for.

I am sure now you are more than willing to take a trip to Singapore soon.

A fall to remember- Skydive

Deprived of Aerophobia my cousin, my brother, my brother’s friend and I took to Dubai for a sky dive. We were told that we would jump over the desert, which was the second drop zone, first being at the Palm. It was a tandem jump, which means a trainer jumps with you.

We booked our tandem from India and were excited to jump adding it to our list of adventures. Adventures with friends have altogether a different feeling. A day before we were leaving for Dubai we went shopping for an angry bird’s t-shirt, which we had decided would wear while our freefall and fly free like those birds in the sky. When we arrived at Dubai we promised each other that it would be our last landing inside a plane, the next one would be ‘James Bond’ style in a parachute. The thought of jumping off a plane gave us Goosebumps, well it still does, but we were ecstatic and determined.

We had to wait for a day before we could sky dive. On the D- day we woke up earlier than anticipated and got ready in our so- called sky diving gear. Our car was awaiting us outside our apartment and then we left for our journey to the centre. At six O’clock an hour before we were scheduled to arrive we were at the desert. Luckily, they had place so they took us in for the second plane. We then underwent the usual physical checkup and signing of bonds, soon after we were put in pairs of two. 

The girls were ready to jump in the second round, over an hour before we had programmed our mind to jump. Our hearts beating faster than Schumacher in a car we boarded the plane. I was still skeptical to jump, I feared my life but my trainer assured me it was safe so then I was at ease. The plane took off and ten minutes later the lights in the plane turned green which signaled the door had to be opened. I was the first one taken and I with my trainer stood at the door.  I looked down. My feet were floating in air and in a split second we jumped off the plane.

 It was a freefall for about two minutes and later the parachute was opened, three more minutes later we were grounded, back to where the plane had taken off from, but this time ‘James Bond’ style in a parachute. We cheered and were happy to have dived and remained alive. Later we bought ourselves ‘Sky dive Dubai’s t- shirts as a souvenir, which we still flaunt to date. It was indeed an experience to remember.

Many people know where to shop in Dubai, but not everybody knows where to skydive. So, the next time you are in Dubai, you must fall free!