Alright, so let’s get started trying out their suggestions.
Their first one was to take funny photos. They gave us some pose ideas…
Let’s take one in front of the Merlion,1 while we’re here. Yukikaze, could you stand over there? A little bit to the right… A little further back…
Here?
Right there! Okay, now just turn that way and look up…
*camera snapping*
Perfect!
What kind of picture did you take…? Let me see.
I made it look like you were drinking the water coming out of the Merlion’s mouth. What do you think?
Pff… Haha! What is that? Yeah, I guess that’s a pretty funny photo.
Okay, it’s your turn, Raito. Let’s switch places.
Alright. Make sure to take a good one.
Leave it to me. Bend your knees a bit more… Wait, turn your head this way…
*camera snapping*
Now it looks like you’re using the Merlion to do waterfall training.2 I think it’s a pretty good shot.
Hahaha…! Looks like a masterpiece to me.
Alright, let’s move on to the next one!
Let’s look for some exclusive souvenirs here. I wonder if they have any special ramen I can try.
Always on the lookout for ramen, I see.
(It’s like we’re on a real high school field trip. I’m grateful those students gave us ideas.)
Oh, some otter merchandise…
(And this one… Yeah, looks good…)
Hmm, I think I got a little carried away. My hands are completely full with shopping bags.
Same here. I just wanted to buy souvenirs for the chief and all of my little brothers at HAMA Tours… We should drop everything off in our rooms.
Great idea.
Alright, now that we dropped everything off, our hands are free.
The receptionist recommended that we go on a sampan boat ride.3 Let’s give it a try.
Looks like we can board…over there. Let’s ask them about it.
Alright, we can still do it. Along with a tour around the mall, they also offer one that loops around the waterfall.4
Oh, the waterfall tour. I see.
The waterfall’s supposed to be a sign of good luck according to Feng Shui.5 I’d love to see it for myself. Could we take that tour?
Yeah, of course.
Two people? Alright, come on in!
It feels nice to be riding on a boat along the pathway we were just walking on. There’s a certain elegance to it.
Ah, I can see the waterfall. It almost looks like there’s a fountain attached to the ceiling.
That must be the source of the waterfall.
They say that if you look at the skylight the water’s flowing out of and make a wish, it’ll come true. Give it a try!
(I hope I can come to Singapore with everyone in HAMA Tours one day.)
(I hope I get to see the Bukit Timah Monkey Man…6)
Alright, and that concludes our tour. It’s already getting dark outside, so be careful out there.
We got to see a lot and even did some field trip activities. I’d say I’m pretty satisfied. Should we head back to the hotel now?
Not yet. We’re just getting started.
?
We’re back here… Are we taking nighttime photos now?
Not quite. We still have some field trip activities on our list.
Ta-da! I brought us some pillows! I asked a hotel employee if we could borrow them for a bit.
Ah…! I forgot about that…!
Right, this is a perfect spot.. It’s wide enough to throw safely. Okay, let’s do it. It’s time for the field trip classic: The Pillow Fight!
Alright, here I go! Take this!
Woah… You won’t get me with…that!
Nice aim! Hup!
We’re getting in a good workout by throwing everyday items while surrounded by a beautiful night view… This is a fantastic field trip activity. I’m having fun!
I didn’t know this could be so fun. I’ve been missing out!
Hmph!
Hup!
Hm? Is there a power outage?
What just happened…?
Footnotes
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The Merlion is a mythical creature that is a cross between a lion and a fish. It is the official mascot of Singapore. Famously, there is a large statue of a Merlion in Merlion Park that spits out water from its mouth. A lot of tourists like to take forced perspective pictures in front of it to make it look like they’re interacting with the statue in a funny way (for example, standing in a way where it looks like the statue’s water is coming out of their mouth). ↩
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Waterfall training (AKA waterfall meditation) is a Japanese Buddhist ritual that involves standing under a waterfall in order to purify your body and soul. ↩
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A sampan boat is a type of wooden boat that’s found all throughout Asia. There’s a water canal that runs throughout the Marina Bay Sands mall where you can ride around on a sampan boat, which is what Yukikaze and Raito are doing here. ↩
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The Marina Bay Sands mall has a man-made waterfall in it, called the Rain Oculus. It was created by artist Ned Kahn, and it mainly collects rainwater from the outside and funnels it into the mall. Since it’s surrounded by water, they offer sampan boat rides that go around the waterfall. ↩
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The Rain Oculus is a sign of good fortune and wealth, as water in Feng Shui represents the flow of money, among other things. As the water of the Rain Oculus is constantly flowing, it can indicate a constant flow of wealth. ↩
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The Bukit Timan Monkey Man is a cryptid from Singapore. It’s usually described as a 2 meter tall bipedal ape with a monkey face. ↩