Dear Beloved Strangers,: Remarkably Artificial, Delightfully Natural

We've all heard about hoo-haas from the freshly opened garden complex built on the near-bottom of Singapore. I was skeptical yet curious. Skeptical because, it might feel phony. Well of course it is, the country doesn't have the real stuff they have to make the artificial ones. Curious because, who likes artificial stuff anyway? Me! Especially if it is superbly done! Like some other things in Singapore you wouldn't guess are man-made. I hope this one falls to the better category. So let's hope and let's go!

The Gardens by the Bay can be reached from MBS (tuh kan, nowadays fun revolves around Marina Bay Sands #artscience #viviennewestwood #harrypotter), so after a bowl of Kolomee and a $2.40 te peng, we walked with thousands of fellow curious people towards the place where wonders bloom (nice tagline!). The route from MBS to the destination was pleasant, with a connecting bridge that gives you unique view of Marina Bay Sands and ECP, but not to forget it was a roasting Sunday afternoon.

And here comes the 1st impression of the gardens: fake. Just like most areas in the Botanical garden, and I started to lose interest (but later I heard the scenes at night are pretty amazing!). Sorry for being a pain in the garden but the grass wasn't green enough, the waters weren't so clean nor placid. But nevermind, what we were really kepo about was what's inside the domes. As we walked further inside the more curious we became, because on our way there, we heard some words of temptations such as 'cooled', 'flowers', and 'there's a mountain and a waterfall inside the dome' whaaaaaaat. Enough to make us stood outside in awe and queued for the tickets.

Cloud dome: WOW.

I say this is mindblowing, beyond expectation. Even though the magnificence cannot be compated to the Alps or Bromo (duh), but I guess we're here not only to experience nature, but moreover to catch a glimpse of the future –and to ponder at the admirably clever space planning, thumbs up for the effort! And here in the cloud dome lies the secret of making artificial stuff pretty: is that you don't try to hide its artificiality. You embrace, and unite harmoniously. Pretty.

I wish I brought the long-forgotten DSLR, so please bear with the smartphone quality pics, as usual, you know me so well.

Mindddblowingg

It is freezing inside, which really helps you 'getting into' it.

Definitely not a place for acrophobics.

Flower dome: not as wow, but still.

This one is wider but not taller than the cloud dome, it is grand-er, but as we walk through it, hmm, this dome isn't as impressive, and a little dissapointing for pink rose admirers like me (only few roses, fewer pink roses, and only 1 pink rose which shade is approximately ideal - according to me). Maybe because the space usage isn't as genius as the one applied in cloud dome, and not enough flowers (I am serious, the flowers can be much more densed - kayak gw ngerti cara berkebun), and this one feels...sorry, a little, fake. But, BUT, I would really really really like to see this place at night (how romantic!). I guess it'll look like Avatar's Pandora?

And, there is a function hall in the middle of the flowers. That is something. Sesuatu banget. That is a huge thing for wedding-minded people like us. The next 5 minutes of our visit were spent for future space planning: where the altar will be, where to put the siomay stall, and so on.