Riding Around With My BFF Warren!

I intern in a pretty macho environment. I call the guys I work with “sharks” for their aggressive nature at business. On my first day, I felt like a puppy thrown into the shark tank. Luckily by day 2 I met a gentle shark. Insert Warren, a native Singaporean of Chinese heritage, who completed his Undergrad in Australia, and with possibly the funkiest English accent I've ever heard.

Warren is the equivalent to my gossiping girlfriend in a 5’4 Asian male form. I’m so thankful for Warren, as he has taught me everything from office protocol to how to not get ripped off by the manicurists in Chinatown. We clicked when he would take me out for lunch dates to the “real” Asian centers. On my first weekend here Warren declared he would take me out to see the real Singapore. As a newbie to the city, I obviously would not put up a protest

Here’s some lessons I’ve learned about travelling around the great city of Singapore from my weekend with Warren,

1. Mopeds are awesome. I was lucky enough to ride through the streets on the back of Warrens cute little Vespa. Bikes give you way more of a view than the back of a taxi does. Plus you look ballin’ wearing a George Jetson helmet.


2. Always wear loose fitting clothing. This may sound gross, but I’ve gotten use to constantly sweating. Due to the close proximity to the equator, it is roughly 85 -100 degrees each day, with a warm blanket humidity. Thankfully all the foreigners sweat like nuns at a lady gaga concert…so at least I fit in. Despite the fact that almost everywhere has Air Conditioning (even public transport!) I imagine the deodorant industry is very lucrative here. Long story long, you should never wear gray. As you can see, for outdoor excursions this red flowy dress from Target has been my best friend here.

3. Try everything…at least once. Insert picture above of my feet in a fish tank. This is a Singapore Fish Spa. It’s a treatment where schools of fish nibble on your feet, eating away the dead skin cells. Warren took me and his girlfriend to one of the fish spas in China town. Skeptical on the nature of the “spa” I tried it. It was dangerously ticklish, but I survived.

4. Bring a local. Yes, Singapore is probably the most westernized country in Asia. Yes, English is the official language. But this doesn't mean that I don't stand out like a female viking walking down the street here. Case in point when we stopped for coconut water off a vendor in Chinatown the price of my coconut went from 5 sing dollars, down to 3 [after Warren barked a few selective Chinese words to the guy of course].
I probably would have never stopped for an Indian lunch at a stand on the side of a sketchy looking street, or known how to position my head for a photo to make it seem as though Singapore's national mascot, the "Merlion" [1/2 lion, 1/2 fish, 100% bad @$$] was shooting water into my mouth. But I was lucky enough to have a great guide to show me the way.


Ali