The only essential item every traveller should ownOctober 12, 2016

Have you heard of the 31-year-old blogger from Melbourne who wrote about luxury hotels? My flatmate asked me that question after I told him about my charming tour of the Marina Bay the other morning. He might be thinking of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, where the infinity edge swimming pool would offer a stunning panorama of Singapore. I haven't been up there, but I thought it wouldn't make my holiday less memorable. It reminded me of Port Jackson, though.

A fellow backpacker was staring at my outfit a few days ago. I didn't don a pair of Cargo shorts. There wasn't any sight of an Osprey Sojourn hybrid bag. And I forgot to buy Havaianas thong at the World Square shopping centre. I found out that these were the essential items every traveller should own. I was wearing a pair of black Reebok shoes. A black backpack (and I don't recall the brand at the moment). And a paperback to keep me company (during those restless moments). I figured that imagination was the only item every traveller should own. I was thinking of a university student who was taking advantage of his gap year.

I had a blast, as the DUKW passed by colonial structures not far from the Singapore Flyer. I imagined Emma Bovary in this part of the world, as Gustave Flaubert might be thinking of a female variant of a Don Quixote. My tutor thought it was an outrageous idea, but the French author shared the same sentiments with Jane Austen. There weren't too many options for women during that time. If Charles Bovary didn't opt for the dull country life, then he might have ended in the Malay peninsula. Adultery might not have been the main theme of his greatest novel, though.

My other Singapore highlight

Rusty recommended the Universal Studios, which I didn't forget at all. My flatmates and I were amused at his Instagram post, where he had a selfie with Grover. His visit happened on the penultimate day of July, which was declared International Friendship Day. It was a coincidence, which was the same with the long line of tourists who wanted to have a selfie with Frankenstein.

Unlike Rusty, I wasn't a huge fan of "Sesame Street". I didn't attend the kiddie show, as I wanted to be up close to the Egyptian temples. I enjoyed The Mummy franchise, which prompted me to stand in line for an hour. Hundreds of visitors were eager to take part in the Mummy Ride, but I would bet that many don't have a clue about Boris Karloff. He had a gaunt look in "The Mummy", making him the ideal actor for the role of a forgotten (Egyptian) royalty. In the case of this horror picture, revenge brought him back to life. It was a frequent theme in novels, but there was too much noise. I would welcome it. I wasn't worried about procrastination. Major decisions would come later.

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