What: Rare Day Out at Istana
When: 1st May 2011
Where: Istana
Participant(s): Alberton, Celest, Jean, Jiamin, Miaoting, Phyllis, Vyvyan, Xinyi and Yanling
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Miaoting, Participant:
9 of us went to the Istana on Labour Day not really sure what to expect because to the majority, it was our very first trip. At the Istana, a rather ‘friendly’ tree caught our attention. Why friendly, because it was just right the height for us to try climbing. Not too threatening (just enough for a tinge of excitement) and stable enough for 6 :)
Spent 2 hours chatting at a grass field and we witnessed the handover of guard duties at the entrance of the Istana. Had a group photo with the guards and our very own SG crest before we went off for Part 2 of the outing – steamboat buffet for dinner!
For the record, the 9 of us used 15.5 pairs of chopsticks because everyone (esp Jiamin) kept on dropping chopsticks. Whenever we needed a clean pair, we will conveniently pick one up from the table behind and what we soon realize was that there were 8 sets of utensils (WITHOUT chopsticks) on that table. Oh yes, we (Jiamin, Vyvyan, Alberton, Phyllis and me) had 9 plates of dong fen! Buffet restaurants must really really love people like us man!
Isn’t it nice to actually find a group of people that likes the same thing, and of all things, dongfen? So often we hang out with certain group of people so regularly but it is only when we sit down and do something so simple like satisfying out needy tummy that we find out such things. Mundane stuff, but we can feel strangely happy just eating that.
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Jean, Participant:
Definitely my first time entering the Istana legally. First thought that came into my mind, is it because the place is opened 5 times a year or is it because they really maintain the place really really well. So well that the grass in Istana seems to be the greenest grass I have ever seen in Singapore, till date of course. Haha! The trees seems different too. Maybe because it is Istanaaaaa~.
Climbing a tree in Istana? Definitely “Jiazhen-inspired”. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! She had safety ropes/cables and goggles while we only had our bare hands and legs to bring ourselves up the tree. I admit, the tree wasn’t that tall but being our first time climbing a tree, not to mention a tree in Istana, definitely something fun to do. We were still joking about accidentally breaking the branch of the tree and appearing on the newspaper headlines the next day. Tree climbing was fun, “chasing” after the guards was fun as well for it seems like we were chasing after someone. Why did we chase after the guards? We wanted to see the process of them “changing duties”. Took group photos with the guards and the gate and off we went for food!!!
Steamboat buffet at Bugis was nice because there is food! As long as there is food, I am happy:) Our table was fishballs, meat and “bamboos” while the table beside us was cellophane noodles, cellophane noodles and moreeeeeee cellophane noodles. HAHAHA! When they mean plates of cellophane noodles, it isn’t really the case. What I saw was a mountain of cellophane noodles on some of the plates. We kept dropping our chopsticks till we kept taking chopsticks from the table behind us. Before we left the place, we have already cleared the table behind us of all the chopsticks. Great company and still-can-make-it food! Did I mention, going home was fun as well, Bishan-yooooo~ HAHAHAHA!
P/S I survived the whole day with just 35 cents in my wallet:) Haha!
Jiazhen-inspired?
With the guard and SG crest
