By 
My last trip to Singapore was four years ago. I went to see U2 at National Stadium. If you asked me what country I’d consider my second home, I’d choose Singapore. My favorite aspect of this country is, first and foremost, the food, and second, the transportation. It’s very simple to go around Singapore. Their train stations are the best.
I was in Singapore just a few weeks ago to see a concert. I saw BTS’ Min Yoongi, aka SUGA, aka Agust D, perform. Singapore was one of his Southeast Asian visits, and he played three nights there. I was fortunate enough to witness his Sunday and final show in the country, and he was incredible. I’m getting ahead of myself; let me first discuss Singapore. Going there was just as simple as going there four years ago. Fortunately, I wasn’t caught in the long ass line at the immigration like before I left for Bangkok. My flight was early and I was at Terminal 3 hours before my trip. Three days prior to me leaving, here are some of the things I did:
- Checked-in online
- Inputted details on the E-travel site (needed at the Terminal 3 immigration)
- Inputted details on the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (needed upon arrival at Singapore)
- Bought a Singapore sim via Klook
- Printed my ticket, E-travel QR, and ICA details. Print copies aren’t needed but I was just making sure
I also observed a number of ARMYs on the same trip. I’m just grateful that I was able to travel again and see concerts overseas despite the pandemic. Our flight arrived on time, and I was met by Dra. Marion Carteciano, my friend and host who has lived in Singapore for 14 years. We took a short bus ride to Jewel Changi for breakfast, then returned to her house for me to rest and her to prepare for her shift. Then in the evening, I met up with my childhood friend Ina and we grabbed dinner.
The next day, I took a train to the stadium to meet my friend Chen who got me the ticket for the D-Day concert and we checked out the venue. We were handed out a few freebies there by our co-ARMYs. Then in the late afternoon, I went to the Marina / ArtScience Museum to meet up with Marion so we can check out the Sneakertopia exhibit. It’s an exhibition of over 100 sneakers, installations, murals, and artworks by local and international artists.
At the Sneakertopia Exhibit at the ArtScience Museum
Concert day, finally. For the past days that I was in Singapore, it didn’t rain but come Sunday morning, it was pouring. It was good that by the time that I was ready to go to the Singapore Indoor Stadium, the rain stopped. I was conserving my energy while waiting for Chen then when she arrived, we headed to the area where our tier was supposed to wait. I love watching concerts in Singapore because it’s so well-organized; they’re always on time. Even though technically travelling there is more expensive than watching here, it’s always worth it.
When it was time for us to go in the stadium, everyone was so excited. Chen and I hung out with some interARMYs who, like me, flew all the way from where they came from only to watch Agust D. I was surprised that my ticket was pretty near the stage, it was actually the same area as the VIP ticket holders it’s just that they were able to come in first for the soundcheck. We waited another hour for Agust D to appear. He began with “Haegum,” the main track from his album D-Day, and then moved on to “Daechwita.” Yoongi was lively and active; he didn’t appear to have been on tour for a month, performing at least two to three gigs per country. He annihilated song after song. It was a real joy to see him play the guitar for an acoustic rendition of his song “Trivia: Seesaw.” The concert lasted for about two hours. It was such a good show and I’m glad to have experienced it. Bonus that I got the guitar pick of his touring band guitarist Park Shinwon when he threw it in my direction when I was saying “goodbye” to them. It was really worth the hours of standing. As expected, there was a crowd attempting to board the train, so Chen and I waited until there was no longer a queue heading to the station. That’s one piece of advice I can give you: don’t follow the crowd to the station after the event since it can be dangerous. Simply wait it out. Because trains arrive fast, the crowds usually disperse quickly.
I had one more free day in Singapore the following day, so I went to Sentosa to see Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience. I enjoyed seeing replicas of his work as well as hanging out in the large room where his story and paintings were projected. I could spend the entire day there. Before returning to Marion’s house, I went by the Botanical Garden to sit and relax. The atmosphere was peaceful. Unfortunately, I was not dressed appropriately, but I would have jogged or walked for a few minutes if I had been. I stalked a few cute dogs that were being walked at the park. I ended my Singapore trip with a good meal at Changi airport after buying a few chocolate bars for my friends. Although I’m not sure when I’ll be able to visit Singapore again, I can say that my most recent trip there was one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Denise J. Mallabo 
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