Singapore: Water City

Water was a major theme of the McL. visit. Rainy season was already in swing upon their arrival and it showered many afternoons during their 2 1/2 week stay. Coming from Seattle, they are not phased by rain, but there it often drizzles while here it is usually a full-on downpour. On a rainy Saturday, we headed to one of Singapore's megamalls, Vivocity, for some indoor activity. C. loved the pet store on the top floor; she crouched in front of the animal cages with another little girl, pointing and repeating each other's words (which were either in Chinese or toddler language). The $2 Japanese store was also a hit with its abundance of toys and knickknacks. C. is such an experienced shopper that she pulled a basket off one of the shelves and put her items in. While the rest of the group finished eating at the foodcourt, I took C. out to the roof deck for a break. I wasn't sure how to entertain her at first, but it turns out that catching raindrops is endlessly fascinating for a toddler! The elephants on parade exhibit was also on display and the statues looked quite whimsical in the rain.

What's great about rainy season in Singapore is that mornings are often still sunny and warm enough to splash around in the water. The Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, part of the Singapore Botanic Garden, has a wonderful (and free!) water park. We went on a Sunday morning and it seemed to be the hotspot for expat kids. C. got more water-catching practice and learned how to redirect the sprinkler with her foot.  

The sunglasses seem to be affecting her aim.

One foot in the action.

Water activities were never far away, as our apartment complex has a very nice pool and the McL. were sure to take advantage of it. One of the best things about living in Singapore is definitely year-round swimming. In Seattle, you are lucky if it is warm enough for outdoor swimming 2 months of the year. I was a little worried that fair red-headed C. would get burned with all the sun exposure, but she was very cooperative in putting on sunscreen (I wish OD would be as obliging about it).

Another water-themed activity was the Ducktour; I have a slight addiction to Groupon and so I just couldn't resist their package deal. The Ducktour is also very popular in Seattle and when I lived there the McL. always joked that they wanted to go, but would feel lame being locals. Well, OD and I often look like tourists here (mainly because OD is partial to carrying his hiking bag and his camera on almost any outing) so we had no shame in taking the Ducktour. It was a pleasant ride through downtown and around Marina Bay as the guide pointed out landmarks and offered factoids about Singapore, but I'm glad we didn't pay full price. We took a lot of photos of the sights, but it being an overcast and slightly rainy day, they didn't come out great -- except for the ones of C. playing peek-a-boo with OD.