NOW, don't be deceived by the title. Being rich can be in many forms – in having friends; being virtuous; being healthy; and being wise too. Wise in spending, wise in travels.
Marina Bay
While the movie Crazy Rich Asians may have depicted the literally-rich brats, Chinese-descent families in Singapore, one need not be filthy rich to get to the places that were seen in the movie.
Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Hotel, for one, is not only for millionaires. This iconic and imposing edifice has a Sky Park where visitors can have a panoramic view of sparkling waters of the bay itself while on the 57th floor. For only P800.00 entrance fee (Empire State Building Observatory in New York costs about P2, 000) at the observation deck, one can have an almost-perfect aerial view of the Super tree Grove, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Water Reservoir, the national stadium, the Louis Vuitton shop and another modern structure in Art Science Museum.
A view also of the Singapore Strait make the experience a world-class cityscape with the vibrant colors around the site within which the movie showed the synchronized swimmers danced in the amazing infinity pool.
At the Art Science Museum nearby (not in movie), a lotus-inspired building right under the towering edifice is a showcase of Singapore's high-tech interactive artworks. The future world displays cutting edge digital installations that include nature, town, sanctuary, park – all these are wonderful immersive digital universe. They show the role of digital technology in transcending the physical and conceptual boundaries that exists between the artworks as well as the viewer.
What attracted me was the Space where a so-called crystal universe lights up 170,000 LED lights, giving the illusion of stars moving in space. With matching soft techno music, the experience makes you feel like moving beyond the stars to encounter astrophysical phenomena such as planets, galaxies and even gravitational waves.
CHIJMES
That's Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Middle Education School (CHIJMES) – or so I thought the millennial would find hard to remember what it stands for.
One outstanding feature of the movie is the espousal of Christian faith in a country that has a good percentage mix of Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and other religions. Not that only Eleanor (Michael Young's mother) and her friends were seen having Bible study, there was also this one wedding ceremony in this Catholic convent built in 1852. It was here where lead character Nick Young's best friend Collin wedded Araminta. It was also here where Kris Aquino made a two-minute appearance as a snobbish Malay Princess Intan.
At this now commercially-stricken "church", eateries are now the top attractions that even its own website has Restaurants top the list in the main menu (I wonder masses and services are not in the main tabs of the page).
Just the same, one must try any of the featured cuisines in this place.
We had fantastic lunch at New Ubin Seafood where its squid with salted egg almost upstaged famous meals like Singapore chili crab, satay, and mi goring. Our thanks to Singapore Tourism Board's Area Director LaelLoh, who is not only so accommodating and for arranging this (and a lot of segments of the trip). Her assistant, Julia Jalandoon, a Filipina, was also of great help.
Gardens by The Bay
In the movie, a wedding reception was held in a place surrounded by otherworldly or out-of-this-world (whatever you may wanna call them) 160-foot high structures called Super Trees.
These are vertical gardens that were erected on reclaimed land where the top portions are solar panels. Work of genius and award-winning at that, this initiative by the Singapore National Park's Board is both fantasy-like and fantastical.
Oh, there is also this temperature-controlled dome – 23 to 25 degrees Celsius -- that houses the tallest man-made and indoor waterfall in the world at 35 meters.
Enter the Cloud Forest, a mysterious world veiled in mist. Take in breath-taking mountain views surrounded by diverse vegetation and hidden floral gems. And learn about rare plants and their fast-disappearing environment.
The dome has splendidly beautiful orchids that can only be found in the Andes and yet they grow in an artificial environment.
Gardens by the Bay has earned numerous awards and accolades including the World Building of the Year in 2012, the President's Design Award (Singapore) in 2013, the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Themed Entertainment Association in 2014, the Largest Glass Greenhouse (Flower Dome) in the Guinness World Records for 2015, and the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2016.
Indeed, this is where wonder blooms.
Newton Food Center
Our version of food parks here in the Philippines, but Singapore was a forerunner, definitely – in set-up and food choices.
As shown in the movie, this is where marrying couple Colin and Araminta took Nick and Rachel to grab some food after picking them up at the Changi airport that was also featured in the movie.
In this leveled-up hawker center, one can find an assortment of Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, Peranakan dishes and more that can be ordered in 83 food stalls.
Going to Singapore without making a stop in one of these is like going to New York without seeing the statue of Liberty.
This is where beauteous and amiable Charo Logarta-Lagamon, director of Corporate Communications of Cebu Pacific, had us order not just dinner but a feast. Man, the food was so enjoyable especially those chicken satay that were garnished with special herbs and sauces. Oh, that tiger prawn, no matter how filled we were, was not to be left on the serving dish. PR Genius Charles Lim had to ask staff Gabe Tomboc to pass the savory food around to everyone's delight.
See, one does not have to be so rich in order for all of these "craziness" to be had. Cebu Pacific can take you to Singapore as it flies to the city-sate out of Clark daily, and from Manila up to three times a day.
You just have to be rich in ideas and travel plans.
