Jurong Point

I never stepped into Jurong Point after I graduated from NTU about 7 years ago. NTU used to be the only shopping centre that we could visit to kill our time while in between lessons. However, being relatively not a very smart person and who craved lots of sleep, most of my free time were spent catching up on my work or sleep. My favourite hangout during those break times were either on the benches outside all the tutorials and lecture theatres or inside tutorial rooms, if I was lucky to find one. My preference was of course the tutorial rooms with proper chairs and aircon and mosquitoes free.

During those times, Jurong Point had already undergone one round of expansion. This time I saw a much bigger Jurong Point with high roofs and so many more shops. At the new wing, I felt like I was transported back in time and across continent to Australia. It reminded me of Harbour Tour in Perth wiht the sun light streaming in from the transparent roof, the high ceiling and the white pillars and structures on the roof. The rather Al fresco Starbucks outlet was also a huge draw among man students.

The numerous eating places with some of the lesser known eating styles and eateries were rather attractive. There were a couple of Western restaurants offering Italian pasta (Olive & Fig and Ambush) and foodcourt style eateries with well-known local names such as Fatty Weng and Japanese restaurants like Botejyu. There were also the ubiquitous food courts such as Banquet and Kopitiam. For those who looked forward to local cafes, there were Old Town coffee and cafes offering Nyongya cuisines.

For boutiques, there were many shops selling fashion and shoes. There were also departmental stores such as NTUC Extra and John Little.

What we foresaw as a short trip became a half day trip with so many to see and walk around. The place could easily occupy us for a long time if you slowly stroll among the many shops. This was indeed a good hangout for people living in the west.