An Assessment in Numbers

Days spent in Singapore: 9

Thoughts of doom and disaster (I can’t live here! I hate it! etc. etc.): None

Thoughts of hope and optimism (I can live here! etc. etc.): Enough to put husband and mother at ease

Boxes unpacked: 33

Trips to Ikea, Home Fix (Home Depot-type chain), etc.: 6

Days spent without phone, TV and Internet: 5

Malls visited: 11

Shoe shops visited: Too many to disclose

Furniture shops visited: More than the number of shoe shops

Bars/Clubs visited: Too few to disclose

Spa treatments enjoyed: 3
Going by the abundance of spas, salons and slimming centers and the newspaper ads for spas, salons and slimming centers, it seems like a fairly narcissistic society. I have to admit I got a little influenced and wore make-up everyday!

Italian restaurants visited: 3
The quality of Italian food was a complete surprise. The fettuccini with fresh porcini mushrooms at Il Lido and the tagliatelle with taleggio and radicchio at da Paolo put all my worries to rest.

Desi joints visited: 4
We enjoyed a variety of desi fare from the S$2.80 dosas at Sarvannas to the kick-ass kadai paneer at the dhaba-ish Haldi to the sublime saag at the sophisticated Rang Mahal. And then there was Tiffin. The phrase ‘Angrez chale gaye par ise chhod gaye’ (without the negative connotation) would be an appropriate description for this Indian restaurant at the Raffles Hotel (comparable in stature and beauty to the Taj Bbay before glitzy makeover.) The ambience and service made me feel like a memsahib from the days of the Raj.

Times we got lost driving: As many as the number of furniture shops. A trip that should take about 10 minutes (home to Orchard Road) took us an hour. Poor Vikram first had to wait forever and then witness Milind and me lose our tempers. Apologies!

S’pore Pros: Niraj & Sheila, small city (pretty much everything is 10-15 minutes by car), more space than NYC, friendly locals, lovely tropical vegetation, great food, good mix of east and west, close to Bbay.

S’pore Cons: It is not New York!