A Slice of Bucolic Singapore

The tranquil road to Changi...

Last Saturday, the cousins and I planned for a weekend stay at Changi Village Hotel in the rustic environs of Singapore's far east. The adult cousins yakked aplenty whereas the little cousins had wonderful fun playing incessantly! Short weekend stays are remarkable - they rejuvenate us tremendously and stretch the weekend endlessly and luxuriously.

We started the stay with lots of marvelous hawker food in the hotel room, all thanks to Irene and CC! Fragrant nasi lemak, succulent fried carrot cake and refreshing sugar cane juice. The Bees were devouring the nasi lemak, struggling with Hubby to fight over the rice and chicken wings! Little Bee could not get her little fingers away from a huge delectable chicken wing, massaging and digging into it like a surgeon!

The grannies (Irene's and my mum) also joined us for a couple of hours before they scooted off to indulge in their own social programmes. So, we had great fun in one hotel room, gorging on mouthwatering food with 3 generations!

After the divine teabreak, we ascended to the rooftop swimming pool with breathtaking panoramic vistas of the sea. The kids conquered the entire kids' pool, and had a blasting time splashing about with water toys! The view was stupendous - I love the expansive seascape just beyond the reaches of the pool and the giant planes zooming smoothly across the sky.

Big Bee was shooting water guns, shrieking excitedly, whereas the 3 little girls - Little Bee, Val and Chloe - were contentedly pouring water in and out of the myriad pool toys, courtesy of Irene and Fiona!

After swimming, the grannies adjourned to their next destination, whereas the 3 families spent some time on our own, bathing and chilling in the hotel rooms before dinner.

Dinner was at Thaipan restaurant, just a stone's throw from the hotel. The food was scrumptious, the company was enjoyable but the kids were mostly sleepy by then (with the exception of the hyper-active Bees)!

Everyone turned in early, and our family had a relaxing time lounging in the room before the lights were off!

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Big Bee and Hubby woke up bright and early the next morning at 7am for a romantic stroll at the beach, with sounds of awakening birds and the crisp fresh morning air - how divine! I had to stay in the room because Little Bee was snoozing soundly all the way till 8.30am.

Breakfast was really pleasant, served in a bright airy restaurant. We binged on the buffet breakfast, chatting and munching. The kids indulged in the plethora of food before crowding around Chloe to watch cartoons on iPhone, giggling away - how cute!

After breakfast, we proceeded to walk around the pastoral surroundings. We strolled past the idyllic ferry stop with the timeless Pulau Ubin bumboats.

We ambled around the Changi Beach and finally settled down on a grassy patch with mats and lots of bubbles, thanks to Irene! We women just reposed on the mat, while the kids frolicked with the bubbles and dug little holes on the sandy patch.

The men dispensed much of their energy in a short game of frisbee, with Big Bee and Val joining in shortly.

A gentle breeze caressed our hair softly. The rhythmic sounds of the crashing waves at high tide was soothing. An occasional formidable container ship sailed past majestically. The edge of the shore abounded with amateur fishermen eager for a lunchtime catch. The hypnotic halcyon quietness was interrupted by sporadic pompous airplanes thundering over our heads. Life is splendid indeed.

Closer to lunchtime, we packed our mats and sauntered back to the hotel. Our family ate lunch bought by Hubby at the adjacent food centre - minced pork and fishball noodles. The Bees slurped the noodles delightfully, savouring the local hawker fare.

Before we knew it, we were all packed and ready to check out by early afternoon. As we gathered in the lobby, we cousins agreed that more weekend stays are in store for us! What a glorious way to spend a weekend!