A Fine City. The Red Dot. Lion City. And my personal favorite: My Second Home... Singapore goes by many nicknames but regardless of what it is called, it still holds a special place in my heart. This small little island in South East Asia between Malaysia and Indonesia hosts residency to many different races such as the Chinese, Malays and Indians (just to name a few). Along with these many different ethnicities, Singapore also is home to my entire maternal side of the family. I am so privileged to be spending a good bulk of my summer break in Singapore being surrounded by relatives and exploring all new spaces. Although I have been here plenty of times in the past, every visit always leave me speechless and wanting more out of this little country. And even with spending almost my entire summer here (June 10- July 29) there are so much more I wish I could see and could do! But allow me to highlight my trip and show you my home away from home.

In the recent years, cat cafes have been a popular theme in major cities across the globe. In Singapore there are five feline friendly cat cafes that many tourists and locals can enjoy. Fortunately I was able to lose my cat cafe virginity at a cozy little cafe hosted on the outskirts of Arab St, an area of Singapore that is known for its quirky boutiques, authentic cuisines and beautiful mural artwork. 

Nestled in between a tattoo parlor and poké bar, this cat cafe is home to seven unique felines that don’t mind the presence of new coming guests. Whether you know me personally or not, one key fact about me is that I absolutely adore cats. Back at home I have three beautiful little babies and they are just the sweetest things. So being able to reconnect with a cat on a comforting level definitely got me in a soft spot. For the hour and a half I was at Meomi Cat Cafe, I was able to feed the cats treats, play with them and of course pet them alongside with a slice of green tea cake and lychee soda. 

Although this cat cafe is small and only can take few patrons at a time, it does give you an intimate experience with the cats, especially if the main focus of the visit is to meet the stars of the cafe. Regardless if you have been a feline fan for ages or a team dog member willing to explore, Meomi Cat Cafe will have you in love. The experience, the cats and the menu ties perfectly together giving you one purr-fect time.

"OH MY GOD!" The world's first Friends Cafe has found its home in Singapore, being a cafe completely dedicated to the late 90s - early 2000s hit sitcom: Friends. Opening its doors late November of 2016, Friends fans from all over can enjoy a cup of joe from Gunther, something garlicky and pretentious from Monica, or have a Joey pizza special in the comfort of watching ongoing re-runs of the show in the cafe. Besides the food being themed after the show itself, the real thrill to see how the cafe replicates Monica's, and Joey's and Chandler's apartment along with some keepsakes of Phoebe, Ross and Rachel in the foyer of the spot. To keep the spirit alive, the cafe hosts monthly Friends trivia nights where participants are able to win store credit and every week there is a open mic for anyone who wants to channel their inner Phoebe Buffay.

Ever since I was a little girl I have been watching Friends the TV show with my mother and so have my brothers growing up. It became a show that my family can truly bond over, quote lines from, and always give us comfort when need be. Visiting this cafe was honestly a dream come true and I have never fan-girl'd so hard in my life. From the replicated apartments, to the famous couch, food and all, the Friends cafe was such an experience that I wish for upon any true die hard Friends fan to enjoy. The only concern I had for the cafe was the pricing of the foods and beverages, for it was a bit steeper than expected. But nevertheless, nothing in Singapore is cheap and to pay for the experience was worthwhile.

Known to be one of Singapore's "Haunted Attractions", Haw Par Villa is a theme park known for its statue displays and their depiction of Ten Courts of Hell. Built in the late 1930s as a legacy to Aw Brothers, famous for their creation of the eastern ointment "Tiger Balm", Haw Par Villa was a keepsake for the youngest of two brothers having the theme park surround his mansion. At one point the park had a zoo and live performances, open to the public for everyone to enjoy the wonders behind Haw Par Villa's gates. 

However, during the second World War whilst Japan took seize of Singapore, they also took seize of the park, forcing its owners to flee. It wasn't until the 1970s, far after the war when the park reopened, visitors would flood the space, making it an attraction worth seeing in Singapore. However, now times have changed and although the park is free and open to the public, it has lost its charm to lure in visitors. Despite the park owners keeping maintenance, painting over faded statues and replacing old pieces, some say the park is losing its touch on this world because of how in touch it is with the spirit world.  Singapore is known to have its fair share of haunted spots, like most countries in the far east. Yet, not many haunted places are openly talked about like how Haw Par Villa is. With their depiction of the Ten Courts of Hell, many rumors say it is one of the portals of where Hell itself lies and opens up to those who are going down that path; in other words: Hell on Earth. According to some local websites and the locals themselves, security guards have shared their experiences working the nightshift and they hear screaming of terror from the Ten Courts but there is no one nearby in sight. 

Personally to me, seeing is believing. Whether Haw Par Villa is truly haunted or not is relative to the individual and their experience. Since 2013, I try to make a visit to Haw Par Villa at least once every time I come to Singapore because its a little piece of Singapore's culture that remains as pure as it once was back when it was first constructed. I enjoy appreciating culture before they are stripped down from gentrification. Although I make the efforts to keep this tradition alive for myself, my family members in Singapore do not all share the same enthusiasm. For example, my brother told me the last time he went to Haw Par Villa back in 2013 he had nightmares the following nights and my cousins informed me that they have felt a certain kind of energy being at Haw Par Villa. Even though it isn't everyone's favorite place to visit, Haw Par Villa will always be a top recommendation from me to explore in Singapore. 

Peranakan Museum

Inside the Museum

Peranakan Armoire

Malay Magazine, Circa 1934

Potential Peranakan Wedding Gift

Once a Peranakan, Forever a Peranakan.

What is a Peranakan? The question is more of "Who are the Peranakans?" The Peranakans are of the Chinese descent that immigrated into the South East Asian parts of Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia between the 15th and 17th century. In Malay, the word Peranakan is derived from anak "child" and meaning "descendant of" implying connotation of referring to the ancestry of great-grandparents or of more-distant ancestors. The Peranakan lifestyle has a strong influence to these South Eastern countries from the food to the clothing, the traditions and even down to old sayings.  In Singapore there is a museum dedicated to the Perananakan lifestyle and perfectly gives its visitors an understanding of what has molded Singapore's culture today. 

Divided into nine different galleries, the Peranakan Museums educates its visitors on the many different aspects of a Peranakan's life back during those primal centuries, and gives a basis on how it has influenced Singapore and surrounding South East Asian countries. Three floors of nine galleries, it is ideal to visit each gallery in numerical order - starting with the first gallery. Walking through the front door, to left is the first gallery that opens the mind to Peranakan origins, from where it all began to where they are today. Going to the first floor up hosts galleries 2-5 that explains the many rituals and traditions of a Peranakan wedding. Also on the same floor displays gallery 6, a personal favorite of mine: language and fashion of the Peranakan lifestyle. Religion plays a huge role in a Peranankan's life, so gallery 7 has its own floor exhibiting all the aspects of religion from prayer to the life hereafter. Lastly above showcases the public life of a Peranakan and their food habits in galleries 8 and 9. 

Being a mixed ethnicity individual, identifying to a culture is difficult. Both of my parents are mixed ethnicities as well: my mother is Indonesian-Malay, born and raised in Singapore; my father is Chinese-Thai-Laotian, born and raised in Laos then emigrated to the United States when he was just under 10 years old. I was born and raised in the United States, only being told my culture from two different view points who only share English as a common language. Coming to the Peranakan Museum and immersing myself in culture that I have been missing for the last 20+ years of my life felt like I finally found a lost puzzle piece. Although I'm still missing my father side, the Peranakan Museum provided a greater sense of security and insight of who I am and what I am. It definitely best explains the origin to many of Singapore's favorite street foods, the vocabulary they use on a daily basis and why some Singaporeans are the way they are. I regret not being able to take more photos inside the museum, but that is because it is highly guarded and refrain it's visitors from taking photos, being more of a drive to visit this Singapore/South East Asian keepsake.  Indigenous culture is dying and if you're anything like myself, the Peranakan Museum is a real gem to better understand this society. I have visited it multiple times in the past and I know I'll find myself revisiting again in the future. 

Not a 'Goodbye', but a 'See You Later' Singapore!