To Australia We Go
Saturday
As the plane began its descent into Singapore, Anna and Hou Yi quickly returned to their seats, fastening their seatbelts. The co-pilot’s voice came over the internal communication system. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are preparing for our descent into Singapore. We’ve just been informed that we can land immediately; however, due to other flight delays, our departure will be delayed by about two hours, as commercial flights are being given priority over private flights. To make the most of this, we’ve arranged for CEO Hou and Madam Hou to be escorted into the city for a couple of hours by the airport’s VIP Services. They’ll ensure that any shops you need to visit will be kept open.”
Within five minutes of the announcement, the plane touched down on the tarmac in Singapore. They came to a stop moments later. As the seatbelt sign turned off, Anna turned to Hou Yi and said, “I really need to change.”
Hou Yi nodded and addressed the cabin crew, “Give us five minutes to change.” They quickly made their way to the bedroom they had used for resting earlier. Hou Yi handed Anna a bag. “Here’s your change of clothes. I’ll head into the bathroom to change; if you want, you can change here.”
“That’s fine with me,” Anna replied. They both quickly changed into more suitable outfits and headed back out to the main cabin. As they left the plane, Anna was handed her handbag and camera.
Inside Changi International Airport, they were escorted by four bodyguards to a VIP immigration counter, where they breezed through the process and were quickly ushered to their awaiting car. Once inside, Hou Yi turned to Anna and asked, “Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”
Anna thought for a moment. “I’m not sure what’s open this late. I’ve always wanted to visit the Changi Memorial Chapel, but it’s associated with WWII, so I guess that’s not realistic. Raffles Hotel is famous for the Singapore Sling, but honestly, that’s not a priority right now. Shopping? I don’t really know. You decide. I’m guessing we only have about four hours, so I don’t think we should try to pack too much in.”
Hou Yi smiled, clearly having thought this through. “I have an idea. How about we skip the Changi Memorial Chapel for another time and go to Marina Bay Sands Hotel instead? There are plenty of shopping opportunities there, and we can go up to the observation deck to get a fantastic view of the city. We’ll have options.”
“That sounds good to me,” Anna agreed.
Within 40 minutes, they had arrived at Marina Bay Sands. Despite not having a reservation at the hotel, Hou Yi was warmly greeted by a VIP Guest Manager…
