SINGAPORE (benci tapi rindu)
After collecting enough information through persons and internet, my family and I decided to take off to Singapore for the weekend. We depart on Saturday morning March 1st, 2014 at 8 o’clock as if we consider that it would minimize our living cost and maximize our time to spend in Singapore.
But before, we would like definitely appreciate all of our friends in Indonesia who have helped us on our first trip to Singapore. Actually, my daughter has been in Singapore last year with her friends, so she also helped us to arrange our stay and the flight ticket.
The information told us that right after we arrived in Changi Airport, Singapore, We should directly go to the ticket office to buy STP (Singapore Tourist Pass). STP is formed for all tourists who’d like to use public transportation around Singapore without paying for each trip. Considering how often we will use MRT for the next three days, I thought STP will be so helpful to minimize our outcome. (To find the information about STP, find this link: http://www.thesingaporetouristpass.com.sg/)
After buying the STP, we headed to our stay in Mitaa Inn. We will stay here for the next two nights. I really recommend this place for all family backpackers considering the fit price and the location that is reachable. Especially for us, knowing that there is “Masakan Padang” restaurant right in front of our place is a pleasure. Besides, the service is excellent, the front office is friendly and such a helper. After we were all set, we decided to walk to Mustafa Center (not far from our place) and ahead to Sim Lim Square by MRT. We were going to buy a cellphone so after checking out the price in Mustafa Center, we decided to go to Sim Lim Square just to compare the price for the cellphone. We were surprised because there is a shop called “Darling Photo” sold the cellphone we wanted with a cheap price, so we decided to check in first. Checking out the price offered here is cheaper than in Mustafa Center, we decided to buy the cellphone. Since this is the first time for me and my family went shopping in Singapore especially for electronic stuff, we didn’t know that we’ve been set. So instead of paying cheaper, we have to spend our RP 5.200.000 for paying the cancellation of our purchase. The shop said that the law in Singapore about cellphone is very strict, we need to pay for something more than just the cellphone itself.
Note: There will always be people like that in every country, so we politely warn you to be careful especially in Sim Lim Square, Do not be very easy to sign any contract.
Since our budget got cut out for nothing, we need to rearrange our agenda during our stay in Singapore. On Sunday, March 2nd, we went to Merlion Park and Orchard Road afterwards to Little India to buy something for our friends and family in Indonesia. After feeling tired of walking the whole day, we went back to our stay. But on the way home, the curiousity about the case that happened in “Darling Photo” Sim Lim Square got on me big time. So I decided to go to Mustafa Center nearby the place where we stay. We bought the same cellphone as the one we wanted in Sim Lim Square. Apparently, when we asked all information about the Singapore’s law in Mustafa Center, we figured out that there is no such thing as the law that “Darling Photo” told us. Everything that “Darling Photo” said about Government’s rules and the policy of having  a cellphone is a LIE. The price that Mustafa Center offered has been tax included whereas the tax itself will be refunded when we would head back home in the airport, no need to pay extra for software installment and stuff like that. So apparently, There is no Singapore government rule that told that if a person who purchased Cellphone and will use the cellphone abroad, should pay extra for the software installment and provider unlock to the shop that sells the brand of the cellphone in Singapore.
Monday, 3/3/2014 afernoon, we packed our bags to leave Singapore for Jakarta. Our flight will take off on 8 PM. So we decided to visit HarbourFront. It is the place where you want to be in before you head to Sentosa Island. We went there only to espied the port and Sentosa. After that, we went directly to Changi airport to refund our deposit on our STP card.
The process of refunding the tax in Changi Airport is very simple and easy, besides the service is so friendly, It was quite a pleasure to have a sweet experience as the closure of our journey in Singapore. After lining up to get the boarding pass, before we enter the security pass, we saw all the flight passenger for India is strictly checked by security. Their belongings were strictly weighed but thank god that didn’t applied to flight passenger for indonesia. Perhaps this is because Indonesia is part of ASEAN so that we can feel every convenience that ASEAN country offered. It also applied in Soekarno Hatta airport that gives a lot of convenience to all passengers that arrives from Singapore.
I can’t wait to have MEA applied through ASEAN. This will make every country in ASEAN united, and hopefully every citizens especially in Indonesia will be able to approve this. Singapore has a beautiful city with technology applied and Indonesia has million tourism places show different kinds of nature beauty with a unique culture and traditional ethnic. God has provided all these, this is our task as each and every country’s citizens to determine ourselves to develop our tourism. Don’t let the irresponsible person(s) like what happened in Darling Photo Sim Lim Square ruin the image of our country especially for tourism area.

Thank you my beloved Indonesia and Thank you Singapore. Cheers to all Indonesian Backpackers.

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