When in Singapore, Go Beyond Orchard Road

ABC Store Branches are scattered around Singapore. Image Source

I returned from a business trip to Singapore last Saturday.  This is one reason I have not been posting on my blog recently.

I have been to Singapore a number of times before, but during my last trip,  I decided to devote time to what locals call the "heartlands."   These  refer to the areas where the citizens of Singapore actually  reside and blend with neighbors of various ethnicities.  These are where one can find HDB  flats-- well-built  mid to high-rise buildings  that are  made affordable by the government.   I will not go into the details of how to acquire an HDB (Housing and Development Board) unit-- they are reserved for  permanent residents and citizens of Singapore.  These HDB flats are surrounded by commercial centers  with retail stores and those ubiquitous "hawker" centers.

I made a "mistake" of buying some toiletries from a shop in a mall.   Believe me,  the  prices of items such as toothbrushes and mouthwash  are way over  those in  Manila's gigantic commercial centers.   If  you want to save some Singapore Dollars,  take the MRT (Massive Rapid Transit) Train and head out  North, South  East or West-- away from Orchard Road.  BTW, tickets are readily available from those machines at  each station. 

Take the East West  Green Line and  hop off to   Clementi Station.   Walk over to the retail area and check out those  non-airconditioned stores  with friendly prices.   Their items are  of all sorts: shampoos, soaps, conditioners, batteries and other daily living essentials.  And if you want a quick haircut, there is even a salon offering S$ 2.80 for a haircut-- that is less than Ps 100.  I just saw the sign and the queue  so I did not know  how  satisfied the customers were.

Further away from Orchard, there is Jurong East station where there is a nearby ABC Store. which claims to have the lowest prices in Singapore.  Its management  is willing to refund the difference if one can get a receipt showing lower prices from other stores.

Now, if one wants to try the local cuisine, head for  the "hawker"  centers.  They are our version of the "turo-turo."  Some of these hawker stalls have ratings displayed prominently.  These ratings are given by a government agency and  are an indication of cleanliness and hygiene.  "A" is the highest and "C" is acceptable. Beware if there are no ratings displayed, just go for the ones that are rated.

Go  to  where the locals eat near the HDB flats,  a full meal should cost about S$ 4.00 or about Ps 140.  My favorite is spicy chicken curry.