My Cousin and Cousin of Mine: A Day Trip to Singapore Zoo and Marina Bay Sands

We were in Singapore for a day tour on the 26 January 2013. I was leading the trip since I am the head of the big family consisting of my wife aka nenek, Yousef and Naqib parents and their aunt, ct. Altogether, there were nine of us. This was a family yearly trip. Last year we went to Port Dickson.

We started our journey from two different points. Ira, Yad and Yousef were from One Ampang View in a car driven by Yad while I and others (nenek, jaja, sani, ct and naqib) were from Putrajaya in another car driven by Sani. We put up in an hotel, Aman Sari, in Johor Baru. That was on the 25th.

Nenek , Asef and tokpa were posing in front of the hotel

Morning, on the 26th, around 10 we went to money changer for a Singapore dollar. For RM1,000.00, I got 400 plus SG dollar. I would thought the amount was sufficient for three people- nenek, ct and myself, for a day trip. I would not know how much both jaja and ira changed their money. I believed the amount was just as much as I had.

Aqib in the good hands of ayah, mama and ummi alang in front of the hotel

Since the hotel is just a walking distant to CIQ (Custom , Imigration and Quarantine) building or Bangunan Sultan Iskandar we decided to take a walk to the building. But we did not realise there were short cuts to the building through city central shopping complex that took us less than 10 minutes. Instead we took a few streets around city central that cost us another 10 extra minutes.

Azmira and son Yousef taking some

From the station (CIQ), we took up a yellow bus CW1 and paid one ringgit each for one way ticket to MRT station in Keranji, Singapore. A few minutes on the road, the causeway in both direction, Woodlands and Johor Baru was so congested, vehicles were bumber to bumper. Then we had to come down from the bus for Singapore Immigration procedure. It took nearly 45 minutes to pass through.

We boarded again on a yellow bus (not the same bus but from the same company) for Keranji using the same ticket. In other words tickets that we had bought must be shown otherwise we had to repurchase with the same price.

At Keranji MRT station, we bought tickets to Ang Mio Kio SG15-00 for seven. Then proceeded to Singapore zoo by taking up bus no 138.

AT THE ZOO

White tiger showing off his might by walking to and fro. Yousef asked Naqib, "Are you scared Aqib?". Aqib, "Not a second, that tiger is my toy".

Jia Jia was lonely that day because her boy friend Kai Kai was not well. "What a poor Jia Jia, pity her", Naqib was telling Yousef . "Not to worry Aqib, ask mama teh to prescribe medicine for Kai Kai. The sooner the better for Jia Jia" Yousef so cleverly read Naqib's feelings.

Naqib " I don't want to be alone like Jia Jia. I must find a friend, does not matter a stranger or otherwise. Having a friend we can talk each other. I must make a move now, now".

"I am Naqib, nice meeting you. How long you have been here". "Sinclair, I mean Sherry Sinclair. I just hang up here to see that beautiful Jia Jia . But pity Kai Kai is not here, not well. Look, Jia Jia is eating bamboo leaves". " I know my tokpa told me a story about panda before I came here. He told me about panda's food, and what panda likes and dislikes".

Yousef, " Come on Aqib, look there on your left. There is panda climbing bamboo tree. You will regret if you don't see. Please Aqib, forget your new found friend for a minute. We come here to see panda, not that cheeky girl".