across the causeway and back

I don't work on Tuesdays. And in a rare alignment of the stars, G did not have to work as well. It was the first day of the official school term here in Singapore and we knew that families and officer workers would have made the dreaded passage across the causeway, leaving the both of us starry-eyed lovers (not) free to wander across at leisure.

On a good day like this Tuesday, one only needs less than an hour to get from Central Singapore to the fringe of Johor Bahru. There are in general two bus companies with services plying the Singapore-Johor Bahru route for Woodlands or Kranji MRT station: SBS and TIBS. We chose TIBS although it was slightly more pricey because our experience told us that TIBS tends to be more reliable, speedier, more comfy, less crowded and more 'gung-ho' (risk-taking) drivers. "Risk-taker" might not be the ideal adjective to look out for when selecting a bus company let alone a driver, but when the route in question is the ghastly woodlands-johor causeway, you need gusty drivers who will do everything inside and outside the rule book to get their passengers to their destination.

Our journey was a smooth one and slightly less than an hour later we found ourselves in the cool air-condition comfort of City Square Mall (Johor Bahru). It is not the most exciting of malls but it does have less pricey shops and a Cathay Cinema as well as international outlets such as Mango, Coffee Bean, Starbucks, Buskin Robins and City Chain. Cheap, delicious food is the main draw for me in Johor Bahru as although the ringgit is not so strong against the (Singapore) dollar, international outlets usually have price tags that reflect this and eventually work out to be the same. In fact, some things such as SWATCH watches cost a whole lot more in JB. The only advantageous thing was that watch shops in JB are very updated and they sell the latest models unlike those in Singapore. As for the coffee outlets and international eateries, expect prices to be slightly lower than that of Singapore's.

Our first stop was to a little "chinatown" area to the left of City Square for our favourite bowl of wan ton mee.

The couple who mans the stall are infinitely generous with their helpings.

We braced the heat (for some reason it always seems a lot hotter in JB than in Singapore although we are mere kilometres apart) and made a beeline for the Cathay Cineplax where our 1:30pm tickets for Fair Game was waiting for us. Again for a reasons unknown to us, Fair Game (released in the first week of Nov) has not made its way to the Republic's shores.

Anyhow, I was shocked to learn that the movie was largely based on factual events and felt that on a whole it was rather well executed, gripping, informative and entertaining. But we all know that movies tend towards idealistic solutions to life's very complex problems based on the premise that all viewers like a good story with loose ends tied up or ... a worthy sequel in the making. This film seemed to convey the sense that Truth had ultimately prevailed and the individual and her American family and husband had transcended the layers of paper work and red tape to have her voice heard all over America and the world. It is as if the film were a testimony to the strength of America and its democracy, an assurance that they were still after all that shebang, a FREE nation. Afterall, humans make mistakes, don't they?

the public and the private

Shortly after our movie date, G and I roamed the malls. Surprisingly, I found some gems ... I mean, I never ever manage to buy anything in Johor Bahru so this came as a pleasant shock to me! :)

Shortly after my last post about Anna Sui purses, I realized how exorbidant Anna Sui purses really cost as I was happy to stumble upon a chic bag shop selling (what I presume) are ordinary purses with the Anna Sui label sewn on. This was only for 5SGD!

I also bought for myself three huge pairs of earrings. I've an weak spot for earrings and over the years, I've amass quite a serious collection, never really having the heart to throw away any of these precious jewels.  I thought these three simple but elegant pieces would go well with dresses and gowns for more formal affairs, parties and weddings. Plus they cost me only slightly less than 6SGD for all three pairs. What a steal!

One of the other things I truly enjoy about City Square is their MPH bookstore. The selection is not really that great, but once in awhile I stumble upon special finds. I usually try to resist giving in to yet another book purchase but I succumbed to two purchases which I thought were utterly necessary for ANY respectable bookshelf!

I bought this thick collection for a little less than 18SGD. Friends will know that the new Sherlock (BBC ONE) series has cast a deadly spell on me and I seem to be hooked to my beloved detective. I have several of his books at home but alas, not all of them! I'm well-aware I could get these stories free off the internet, but electronic books and I have not experienced any sort of success beyond page 1 yet.

My second pick was Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby". I've wanted to buy this novel on a number of occasions but have never done it because I like the story, but the prices have always been slightly more than what I would pay for a classic which an ugly cover. This exact edition cost 9.90dollars here in Singapore but only 3 dollars in JB. I saw my chance and I grabbed it!

This, I promise will be the end of my book buying! I've a tonne of fresh novels to read since I went a little bonkers in borders two months ago. I hope the kino. sales do not hit our shores too soon.