Earlier this year, in view of some personal challenges a friend suggested a little holiday might be good for the soul. With surprising spontaneity on my behalf, we hopped on a plane and visited some mutual friends in Singapore.
With no expectations but plenty of guidance, we set out to experience this modern city with its unique ethnic tapestry. My choice, which seems the antithesis of the prior description, was the Raffles Hotel; for no other reason, except it is a famous landmark of the colonial era and it conjured memories of a bygone era I had read about only in books.
As one who loves good food and beverages, the experience required more than a few photos. We both agreed that we must enjoy the famous Singapore Sling; even if it was 10.30am. After all, we were ladies and this drink was originally created to allow ladies to enjoy alcohol in public. Made with gin, cherry brandy, Cointreau, Benedictine and a dash of bitters, this ladies cocktail is shaken over ice with non-alcoholic pineapple juice, lime juice and grenadine. It packed quite a punch in the warmth of Singapore’s February humidity as we sat on a crowded veranda overlooking the hotel’s courtyard. (We had chosen to visit the very day the Long Bar was closed for extended renovations.) We nearly choked on the price of the drink as we had just come from Phuket and cheap Mai Tais at happy hour. We conceded to eat a very modest plate of ‘buffalo wings’ to absorb some of the alcohol rather than something else from the highly priced menu. That meant we giggled and wobbled a bit in the noonday sun as we wandered outside to enjoy some more of Singapore’s city.
I can relate to Bill Murray who said “Friendship is so weird. You just pick a human you met and you’re like ‘yup, I like this one’ and you just do stuff with them.” I am very grateful for my friends who like to do stuff with me; including one very special friend who liked me enough to drink cocktails for morning tea.
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