From the perspective of a library patron whose DVD rentals are due back after seven days, letting the last free evening this week pass us by with no movie watched puts more pressure on us to do our movie viewing during the daylight hours. Even though Mom has gotten used to borrowing periods of at least two weeks in the Singapore library system, she received with enthusiasm my suggestion of a movie right after lunch.
It was lucky for us that the movie Cry Freedom lasted nearly two and a half hours, for it kept us indoors while a thunderstorm dumped rain on our locality. When we finally did emerge from the flat to make our way to the Bayfront MRT, the clear skies for the remainder of the day allowed us to keep our umbrellas stowed away throughout the evening adventures.
Gardens by the Bay has a free collection of outdoor gardens and two indoor collections for which you need to buy a ticket. We stayed outdoors for the first hour of our visit, Mom with her head in a book and me with my head on the bench, trying to get some rest in anticipation of a long night ahead.
When I finally arose from the awkward sleeping position, there remained only enough time for one ticketed attraction before our scheduled rendezvous with Katherine and Brian Chinn under the supertrees. We opted to see the Flower Dome, in which thousands of plants from various climates are arranged for easy viewing along either side of a gently sloping walkway that rises and falls like a mountain path. Mom found the plants and the informative placards endlessly fascinating. For my part the people watching provided just as much material for observation, from the variety of language being spoken to the different behaviors involving smartphones and cameras.
Thanks to the convenience of smartphones, Mom and Katherine eventually coordinated our rendezvous on the sidewalk outside the Supertree dining facility. From there we began our walk out of the park, pausing to look up when the music and light show grabbed our attention.
Katherine and Brian led us along the guard-rail-less Dragonfly Walk to the bridge back to the Bayfront MRT. From there we ascended an escalator into the luxury shopping center called Marina Sands. Mozza Pizzeria, where we had a reservation starting at 8:30, was in fact able to accommodate us earlier than that, thanks to Papa's absence under the influence of heavily sedating medicines.
Mom, Katherine and I shared a salami salad, while Brian whetted his appetite with pizza-flavored crackers. Mom, Katherine and Brian each ordered a pizza, while I selected roast duck with lentils (the special dish of the day). After the meal Katherine gave us a box of chocolate truffles, adding a little extra weight to the bag that already carried an unneeded umbrella.