On my flight back to San Francisco, I had a 9 hour layover in Beijing. Chris, Andrew, and I decided to leave the airport and visit the city. Our goal: eat some Peking duck.

Having come from two weeks of hot and humid weather in South East Asia, our bodies were not prepared for the freezing cold. The icy blast that awaited us as we stepped out of the terminal into the morning air nearly knocked us over. We quickly jumped into a cab and asked to be taken to Tiananmen Square.

The drive took an hour and a half and was filled with banter which I lovingly refer to as “China Sass.” Basically, cab drivers in mainland China don’t take crap from anyone. Don’t speak English? Too bad. Get out of my cab. Want to go somewhere? You know nothing. I have a better idea.

“Why the heck do you guys want to go to Tiananmen Square,” the driver asked us in Chinese. “I’ll take you guys somewhere better.”

“Uh… okay.”

Welcome to China.

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Chinese people have trotted the globe far and wide. So it’s no surprise that just about every country in the Asian hemisphere has a Chinatown (except for China of course).

The last stop of our tour before going to Jumbo Seafood for chili crab was Singapore’s Chinatown. Considering how expensive products are in Singapore’s shopping centers, it was a welcome sight to see trinkets on sale for a mere 5-10 Singapore dollars.

I had an hour to shop and managed to procure an iPhone case, three shirts, and an assortment of lucky cat charms for friends. I originally wanted to buy watches and ties as well, but sadly the stand was unmanned. I couldn’t find the owner to pay him. And of course, stealing in Singapore was out of the question. We’ve already established how strict law enforcement is in this country.

I realized that no matter where you go, every Chinatown adheres to the same three absolutes:

1. Overcrowded walkways
2. Inexpensive souvenirs
3. Loud people shouting

Although I wish I had another hour to shop in Chinatown, I did manage to procure enough souvenirs for my friends back home. And that, my friends, is the purpose of traveling abroad — to buy useless items for friends back home.

My classmate Jerry really loves to eat and is always hungry. Aren’t we all? As we were moving from station to station this morning, barely making it off the platform before the fast-moving glass doors shredded our pale, scrawny arms, Jerry kept making nonsensical comments about phantom smells. “I smell soup base,” he’d say. “Does anyone else smell soup base?”

When we finally made it to Orchard Road, Jerry immediately spotted Din Tai Fung and ushered everyone inside. “Ooh, it’s DTF? Does anyone else want DTF?”

Having watched three seasons of Jersey Shore (ironically, I insist) my mind immediately wandered to other things.

Din Tai Fung is an award-winning Michelin star-rated restaurant from Taiwan. At least, that’s what I learned from Wikipedia because I am nothing if not an amazing researcher of facts. Din Tai Fung is best known for its buns.

We ordered xiaolongbao (or little dragon buns) which are soupy meat buns. Normally, you have to get a reservation and wait 30 minutes to an hour in order to get a table. However, the Din Tai Fung restaurant we went to was inside a mall. We arrived early and was able to grab two tables immediately.

More images after the jump.

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It’s my last day in Singapore. Chris, Andrew, and I are catching a flight out of Singapore to Beijing at midnight! Sadness reigns. Before leaving, Viv and Nikhil took the remaining crew out to do a few last-minute touristy things: ride the MRT to Orchard Road, buy trinkets in Chinatown, and eat chili crab at Jumbo Seafood.

Before I write any further, I should mention that all names on this blog have been changed to preserve the anonymity of those involved. We are MBA candidates seeking summer internships after all. If you’re an employer reading this, good luck trying to figure out who ‘Viv’ and ‘Nikhil’ really are!

Orchard Road is a posh shopping area with mega-malls connected to mega-malls connected to mega-malls. How much shopping does one country need? For that matter, how many Louis Vuitton stores does a single mall need? Apparently, the answer is more than 10. “Be careful of that LV store,” Viv told me as we entered the Ngee Ann City mall. “My friend went inside to try on some shoes and they kicked her out because her feet were too big.”

To get around town quickly by rail, Viv procured Singapore tourist passes for everybody. We were herded like cattle from station to station, but I loved the experience. It’s one thing to sit in a tour bus and see the city. It’s another entirely to immerse yourself in public transportation and be one with the people.

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