[A Modest Travelogue ②] Changi Airport Transit and Entering Singapore with a Princess Constitution
One of my missions this time is to lead a group of 20 young employees from other companies going on a language training trip. Although they are adults, some of them are traveling abroad for the very first time, so they need a bit of looking after.
Pocky (a pseudonym), who had a lone-wolf vibe, was a typical modern youth who always looked sleepy, didn't talk much, and was glued to his smartphone while waiting for the group to assemble.
While talking to him, I found out that he had traveled around Southeast Asia alone during his student days.
He was an experienced traveler.
In a group where women overwhelmingly outnumbered men, would the solitary traveler Pocky be okay?
Regardless, we departed Japan without a hitch.
Pocky asked me, looking lethargic, "Do they serve meals on the plane?"
When I replied, "Well, of course they do!", he asked even more sleepily, "Can you watch movies or something?"
Wait, didn't you say you traveled abroad?
You've been on a plane before, right?
Pocky said, "I've only ever flown AirAsia."
He also mentioned that he had downloaded movies to watch on the flight just in case.
He had even prepared a neck pillow for the flight, showing off his seasoned traveler credentials.
As soon as the plane took off, Pocky fell into a deep sleep.
He ate his meal and then fell back into a deep sleep.
He slept so soundly that his neck pillow flew off somewhere.
When I asked him later,"Singapore Airlines was incredible!✨" he said.
He was moved by how comfortable the seat was, allowing him to sleep soundly. He was also happy that he could watch movies.
By the way, his seat was right in the middle of the back of the economy section.
"Singapore Airlines is the best✨" Pocky muttered again, as if savoring the experience.
That's good.
I suddenly remembered my son. When he was in junior high, he spent his summer vacation with my sister who lives in the UK.
Since he was traveling with his grandmother, my sister laid out a thin mat next to her bed for him to sleep on. My sister was worried that his back would hurt from such a thin futon, but as soon as he lay down, he shouted happily,
"Wow! This is such a fluffy futon!✨"
My sister was dumbfounded, asking, "What kind of futon do you usually sleep on?", but thanks to that, my son grew up to be a strong child who can sleep soundly anywhere.
Hearing Pocky's story, I was once again convinced that children should be raised in tough environments.
Now, having arrived at Changi Airport, our group decided to head to
Jewel.
Jewel is a massive amusement facility adjacent to Changi Airport, featuring a famous man-made waterfall, the Rain Vortex, as well as shopping malls and attractions.Although it is directly connected to the airport terminal, you have to temporarily enter Singapore to get there.
Singapore is very accommodating to transit passengers, and although we passed on it this time, those with a layover of 5.5 hours or more can participate in a free Singapore tour.
Singapore is amazing.
The procedure for temporary entry can be done at the airport upon arrival, but we had declared it online in advance.
It is a very simple procedure that can be declared starting 3 days before travel.
The site is here ↓
https://www.ica.gov.sg/enter-transit-depart/entering-singapore/sg-arrival-card
When you go to immigration, there is a spectacular row of automatic gates.
Perhaps because there are so many gates, we moved through without waiting at all.
There are also immigration declaration machines in front of the gates, so even if you decide to enter on a whim, it's fine.
The automatic immigration gates are easily completed by scanning your passport, followed by fingerprint and facial recognition.
In the past, there was English conversation at immigration.
Immigration Officer: "What is the purpose of your visit?"
Visitor: "Sightseeing!"
That kind of thing.
I used to shout "Sightseeing!" over and over at grumpy officers (it's universal, why are all immigration officers so unfriendly? There must be a requirement to be unfriendly in the job description). Now, it's completely unnecessary.
I think being friendly is an advantage in most jobs, but I wonder if those grumpy officers whose jobs were taken by machines are doing okay finding new employment?
The 20 of us passed through the efficient automatic gates one after another.
However, I struggled quite a bit with the fingerprint authentication. Because of my "princess constitution," my hands get rough immediately after doing chores, and my fingerprints disappear.
I get eczema when I wear vinyl gloves, so it's quite troublesome.
No matter how much I claim I have a "princess constitution,"
I don't have a maid,
and I reluctantly do the housework with my husband.
Because of my fingerprint-less thumb, I was rejected by the machine many times. When I checked my right thumb, it was smooth and I couldn't see any fingerprints at all.
In the age of the samurai, I would have been forced to commit seppuku before a raid because I couldn't provide a blood seal.
I'm glad I live in modern times.
Just when I was about to give up, the gate suddenly opened and the princess (constitution) rolled into Singapore.
For those with the same constitution, I recommend fingerprint care before entering the country.
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#NewZealandBusinessTrip
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