After having an Indie time with my father walking around Dempsey Hill (where I found yet another Jones the Grocer!), I decided to hit the shops.
Yumiest red bean bun ever.
Here is a piece of knowledge for you, lads. The communist art thing is totes Indie. If you use it to sell something, you will look cultured in world affairs and, hence, look like a good, trustworthy guy. Also, you must know something about propaganda and art and, therefore, you must be edgy. Therefore, the buyer can only feel some sort of respect and awe and affection for you and the desire to become your best bud and buying your product would be the first step. Remember, you're not selling a product, you're selling yourself.
I walked all through Dempsey Hill, avoiding some Australians, and came out near Gleneagles Hospital and the Botanic Gardens. I walked into the Botanic Gardens but this was the gate on the absolute opposite side from the MRT station, so I walked over to the Gleneagles bus stop. And I caught a bus going to Bras Basah because my mum said I should check out a shop called Cat Socrates. Anyway, I actually got off the bus at Plaza Singapura because I figured there might be a bathroom there. And then I went to a shop but as usual, couldn't be bothered to buy anything.
Then I caught the MRT from Dhoby Gaut Station to Bras Basah Station. And then this is where the plot thickens. I got out, read the map. Felt sure. Then as soon as I stepped away, I totally forgot all the streets I was meant to walk on. Or maybe I forgot to also check when to turn left/right. Then I got absolutely thrown off because I was standing outside the art gallery and couldn't decide whether to go in or not. I didn't. Shame. But anyway, then I was pretty much going to have a breakdown because I was walking this massive loop to find this Bras Basah Complex. I even passed City Hall Station. And I almost did a whole lap back to the station. But then I found where I was going to. And it was kind of hot and sunny that day.
So I went to this shop and it was pretty cool. The temperature was good. Pretty much, it was a kitsch shop. I really should have bought this Japanese shirt dress there. Damn. And they actually had live cats in the shop!!
Then I was walking around this arty district, being cool and not buying anything because yeah. I found this Liang Seah Street and sat down at this Chinese desserts shop. I must go back! I ate this mango sago with pomelo and small bits of ice.
I was a big fan of this place because it was totes authentic, well priced, but also modern. The combination of those things makes it almost not even of this time. Like it's from a better future or something. And it was actually a very decent sized serve. I was sitting on a wooden stool at a wooden table...Oh yeah, and then there were these two French blokes talking at the next table, or maybe they weren't French, but they were speaking French, anyway.
Then I really proved to myself that I'm cool. I navigated myself down to Haji Lane / Kampong Glam. Yeah, man. I just knew. I wanted to take a look in this antiques shop on Jalan Sultan. I didn't buy anything. And then I went to this shop called Doinky Doodles where they have all these handmade children's things, and art about children who died. I was ooming and ahhhing about buying this vintage dress. But then didn't buy it but totally should have because it was a bargain.
Then I caught the MRT probably from Bugis to Dhoby Gaut. But then I couldn't find a bus to take me where I wanted to go. Actually I couldn't find any buses going back through Orchard Road, so I started walking towards the city lights. I got to the mall Orchard Central, which I remember thinking was really cool when it was younger. It still was. In fact, there was this Indie shop I remembered I had to visit and was there. So anyway, it was kind of an Indie mall because they were obviously striving for that vibe. The stuff was expensive, though, though what does one expect?, and a lot of the shops were the same as the ones in the youth mall I forgot the name of. Anyway, there was this shop which was by women for women. It was so weird. It sold a few fashion pieces, some hair straighteners, one type of sanitary pad, one model of Vivienne Westwood for Melissa shoes, and some other stuff. I had never encountered such an alternative shop, especially in a shopping mall. I was trying to get out of Orchard Central and I really wanted to take these massive escalators on the outside of the building. Unfortunately, you cannot descend on them, you've got to go through the building.
By this time, my legs were about to collapse. But I had to drag myself to the bus stop behind 313@Somerset, at the skate park. I stood there staring at the people in the skatepark. I caught a bus going all the way to where I wanted to go. And then I was sitting on the bus which was stationary because it was at these traffic lights, and I realised I should stare at people a bit less. Because then it would stop the stupidity of accidentally having eye contact with strangers, especially when they are walking past a bus you are sitting on. That is tip number two for today.
