Little India, Singapore

Little India 

My boyfriend and I are utterly obsessed with Little India in Singapore for a multitude of reasons. First of all, it is so colorful. These pictures (which you might have seen on my Modcloth Travel Bug post)  barely scratch the surface of this beautiful and dynamic rainbow-region of Singapore; the buildings, wall murals, street vendor wares, the marigold necklaces…  And don't even get me started on the saris! There's so much to take in and look at - not to mention buy! 

Another reason we can't enough of Little India is the food. Stephen is curry-crazy and eats it any chance he can get. For me, I'm all about the mint-corriander chutney and butter masala at Delhi Restaurant. Oh, and butter nan. (Basically anything with butter. You can take the Southern girl out of the South but you can't take the South outta the girl…) In between wandering around and shopping, we always get roti prata with gravy and lime juice for a snack at one of the side street hawker centers. We usually will grab a few beers at Countryside Cafe, too. It's this charming little bar on the backpacker's street where the lovely and welcoming owner, Shiree, will gladly chitchat with patrons. I don't think she's ever met a stranger! 

Stephen and I also always feel nostalgic when walking around Little India. Even the smell of incense takes me back to three years ago. In summer 2012, Stephen was planning a month long trip to Northern India and at this point, we had been dating for about a month. He asked me to go with him and I laughed in his face! I thought he was insane. But luckily, Kristen and he convinced me to go and I'm so glad I did. It was hard work traveling there and India is full of crazy extremes but we experienced so much there and created so many memories together. The beginning of a long-lasting relationship is incredibly exciting anywhere but to do that in India…! So Little India holds a special place in my heart, personally. 

For this particular visit, I actually went with my friend Lauren from Fried Green Kimchi. She had recently moved to Singapore so it was only too fun showing her my favorite little haunts and she did such an incredibly job capturing all the colors of the area! She also does amazing things with fusion food on her blog so I'm really curious to see what she'll cook up for the Singaporean-Indian-Western dishes... (**hint, hint**)

The Outfit

I bought this dress years ago on super discount at Target. I almost didn't get it because it's just a smidge too big for my taste. Or so I thought. But with the loose shift dresses being a huge trend now (and very necessary) for summer, it's just the ticket! And who can resist red and turquoise together in a bird print? No one in my book, that's who. To me, this dress is very much the style of many young Singaporean women I see: a fun and casual dress to easily throw on, a simple tote bag, great sandals. The girly little bow was a Lindsey touch, though! 

Dress: Target (old) | Shoes: Thrifted | Tote: H&M | Sunglasses: Cotton On | Ribbon: Coach 

Photographer: Lauren of Fried Green Kimchi

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Cherries & Raspberries: Mix and Match Swim Suit

This past weekend we went to Sentosa in Singapore to check out a beach bar called the Wave House. A few weeks ago I did a post about another Sentosa beach bar, Tanjong Beach Club. Maybe I should do a whole series about all the beach bars on the island…? I mean, if y'all reeeally want me to I guesssss I could. Anything for the blog. 

At Wave House they have 2 different type of wave pools where you can surf. I was too busy enjoying their Wednesday special buy-one-get-one free (for long-term residents & Singaporeans only) that I didn't take any decent pictures of the wave pools. We did enjoy watching folks wipe out though! And of course, they have just a regular pool or the beach to jump back and forth in between pina coladas. 

While at Tanjong I opted for a retro look, this time I decided to keep it more casual. Besides, I was having a good natural hair day and THOSE are rare to come by. 

Y'all know else is rare? When you uncover the most sublime thrift store find, obviously. I saw this top in the $2 bin and squealed in delight. This top epitomizes all that is holy this summer: fruit prints & off the shoulder. To top it off (pun intended) it matches my favorite high-waisted bottoms! A match in mishmash heaven (also pun intended. Man, I'm on a roll… wait, I'm in a swim suit. No one talk about rolls.) 

Okay, sorry. Let's get to the bottom of this. Wearing my Surania high waisted bottoms. If you follow my instagram, you might have already seen the full swim suit. It was my first time getting a custom made swim suit which made me nervous at first but when you have a big booty and a small waist, any custom made bottoms sound like a dream. It was totally worth it! 

What places have you been exploring this summer? And of course, what are you wearing while exploring? 

Swim Suit Bottom: Surania | Swim Suit Top: Thrifted (New2U) | Sunglasses & Bracelets: Cotton On 

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Modcloth's Retro Swimsuit / 4th of July / Tanjong Beach Club

Patriotic Bathing Beauty

You might have noticed this picture from my Modcloth Travel Bug post. You didn't think I just took the one photo and called it a day, did ya? ;-) 

This outfit would be my top choice for 4th of July festivities if I wasn't working on Saturday. At home, Independence day is always spent at either the pool or at the Marietta Square tailgating until fireworks time. 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays and it's not just because I can wear my favorite color-combo unabashed! 

This swim suit literally is the most perfect suit you will ever find. All the hype (if you've heard/read the reviews about it) is true true true. It's Modcloth's Ester Williams Bathing Beauty and it is the most flattering thing I've put on my body, swim suit or otherwise. 

I particularly love that they named it after Ester Williams. As a kid, I was obsessed with the movie Million Dollar Mermaid (I think we randomly rented it at the library) and after that, I almost thought I had dreamed up the movie because no one seemed to know what I was talking about when I brought it up. 

FYI, for this pear-shaped lady, I went for the size 14. Because of my big bottom, I was supposed to be a size 16 according to the chart but I was afraid the top would swallow me up. I'm glad I got the 14 - it's a little tight around my thighs but I've slowly and carefully stretched it out. 

Beach, Pool and Hamburgers 

Like I said, I've already written up a review for Tanjong Beach Club for Modcloth but let me tell you a little bit more! Because I have my "weekend" during the week, when we go it's usually pretty chill. However, on the weekends it has more of a party-vibe and I hear they put their beer pong tables to good use! They also have a volleyball net for those less lazy than I. 

For us though, we like to sip our beers on the large lounge beds and take dips in the pool and beach to cool off, alternating between the two. I've heard they have a lot of delicious seafood on their menu but for me, it's the burgers and truffle fries all the way. Forgive me for stating the obvious but Y'ALL. IT. IS. SO. GOOD. Their burgers are insane - flavorful and tender. 

I will warn you the prices can be a little intimidating but 1) so many cool places in Singapore are and  2) I think it's a very fair price for being able to lounge luxuriously at the beach all day. The TBC staff is very helpful and relaxed and they won't shoo you away after you've eaten your food. 

I feel like such a ritzy person when I'm at Tanjong Beach Club (though I'm most definitely a champagne taste on a beer budget kinda girl). I wonder if that's how you feel when going glamping…? 

Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers! 

And happy Canada day and Bastille day and Hari Raya as well! 

What are your plans for the celebrations? 

Swim Suit: Modcloth | Shorts: Forever 21 (Australian Goodwill) | Shoes: Modcloth (sold out, similar ones here and here) | Sunglasses: Cotton On | Scarf: Vintage

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Vintage Red Midi Around East Singapore

Eunos

Eunos was an area of Singapore I explored when I first moved here and then promptly forgot about when moving to the other side of the island. Luckily, Lauren from Fried Green Kimchi reminded me of all it's charm! (Lauren also took all of these stunning photos for me as well!)  It's a great spot in Singapore to see the quaint and iconic buildings of the region's yester-years. For me, I always think of the long corridors of shop after shop, where the paint and the tiles changes from each small business, but the crown molding and darling details are always present. Besides aesthetically, Eunos is a perfect place to explore the trendy cafes and restaurants. 

Sinpopo Brand 

Sinpopo Brand is a restaurant all decked out in mid-century decor and draws inspiration from traditional old-school Singaporean dishes. I love not only the vintage feel but the novelty of walking down retro Singaporean memory-lane. They had recently redecorated and while the 1950's vibe was still the same, they had changed from turquoise and red to grey and black. Not gonna lie, I was a bit bummed. But they were incredibly friendly and helpful and the chilled pandan soufflé was truly scrumptious. I want to go back next time and try their beef short rib horfun. 

Joo Chiat 

Lauren cleverly called these buildings "painting ladies". I have never been to San Francisco to see the real deal but it's still a perfect description of these absolutely adorable homes. On either side of the street are rows of colorful pastel two-story houses, each with their own personality. I can't even imagine how much run of these darlings would run ya, but a girl can dream! #housegoals  From what I've learned, this street is named after a man, Chew Joo Chiat who was a wealthy landowner of the area. He was part of the Peranakans - Chinese and Indian immigrants who married the Malay natives. There's a great museum in Singapore about the Peranakans and my one of my favorite part was seeing the intricate beaded slippers. 

As I'm starting to think of my next step outside of Singapore, I'm realizing I need to take advantage of the beauty and culture that is around me now! I wish I had done that when I was living in Korea for my blog but I guess ya live and learn! 

Once again, a very special thank to Fried Green Kimchi's Lauren for taking these gorgeous photos! Make sure to check out her blog - she'll give you serious wanderlust over her road trip in the Western part of America and you'll drool over her apple pie hotteok! 

Shirt & Shoes: Thrifted | Skirts: Choies | Headband: Korea | Bag: Bugis Market

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