Singapore: Day 20

On Thursday, Emily and I made a trip to Vivocity to attend the official opening of H&M there. There are only two H&M stores in Singapore (one in Orchard Road and another in Somerset), so this will be the third one. The excitement affiliated with the opening was strange to us, because back in the United States, H&M stores are everywhere; However we were tempted by the gift cards given to the first 200 people, so we decided to attend. We left PGPR around 9 AM for the 11 AM opening only to find that we were too late! We were greeted with winding lines of people in front of H&M and security guards at each corner. We skipped a morning of work for this event, so we were disappointed that we did not make it. However, we still decided to stay and attend the opening at 11 AM.

Only part of the line in front of H&M

 Because the line was already closed off, Emily and I went downstairs to search for food. After searching around for a bit, we decided on Ya Kun Kaya Toast, a small cafe that specialized in kaya toast (as demonstrated by the name of the cafe.) Kaya is a spread of eggs, sugar and coconut milk and flavored with pandan; it is a popular commodity in Singapore, and kaya toast is a common breakfast option. I ordered the cinnamon toast with kaya, while Emily ordered cheese toast with kaya. The cinnamon toast did not taste like American cinnamon toast; it had more egg and less cinnamon and sugar. However, the bland cinnamon toast went well with the sweet and delicious kaya!

Cinnamon toast with kaya

Afterwards, Emily and I pursued a dessert option. Nicole had told us recently that Koi Cafe has tasty drinks, so we grabbed this sweet deliciousness after we finished breakfast. I ordered the green tea macchiato at 50% sugar, and it was definitely one of the best drinks I've had. I was surprised that the green tea went so well with the milk!

Green tea macchiato

After we finished our drinks, we headed upstairs to H&M and did a bit of shopping. I bought a shirt while Emily bought a dress (which she later returned) and a pair of shorts; all sales came with free flower clips, so we at least gained something from our morning escapade from work! By the time we finished our shopping, it was a bit before 12 PM, and we quickly departed for work. VivoCity is only a station away from my workplace at Outram Park, so I quickly arrived to lab. When I arrived, some of my lab mates were discussing the pollution situation-- PSI levels have been steadily increasing and hit 300 today. When I mentioned that I had mild asthma, one even recommended that I not attend work for the next few days. I did not grasp the danger of the situation, but it was obvious that many people were highly alarmed. Face masks are out of stock in Singapore, as many are hurriedly purchasing them to shield themselves against the pollution and Singapore was taken unawares by the entire situation, but thankfully our PI purchased a box of disposable respirators for us! Apparently, air pollution levels have hit a record high, and the Singapore and Malaysia governments are taking precautions: Schools all over Malaysia have been closed for the next few days, citizens are advised to stay indoors, etc. Everyone is watching the PSI levels closely...

 National Cancer Centre shrouded in haze

The skies of Singapore

 Fortunately, I stay inside lab most of the time, so I am safely away from the pollution. My gene finally arrived today, though it was after 5 PM that I finally received them. Because I had to calculate their concentrations and the new concentration necessary for the experiment as well as dilute them, I left lab past 7 PM and rushed to VivoCity. A group of us were meeting at Vivocity for dinner, and unfortunately I had left my phone in my room and had to wait at the steps in front of the mall for them to arrive. Thankfully, I did not miss them! We grabbed dinner at the Kopitiam, and I ordered the fish-ball vermicelli soup. It was a plain dish and I order fish-ball soup a bit too often, but I was attracted to the vermicelli component of the dish. I think it is obvious by now that I am obsessed with noodle soups. :)

Fish-ball vermicelli

 After dinner, we wandered around the mall for a bit and finally headed back to PGPR for a quick shower and games down in the lounge. We played Fish Bowl (Emily and I came in second place) and a couple rounds of Bananagrams. Afterwards, we went back to our rooms and hit the hay!