Some people travel for leisure. Others travel to find luxury. But here
at Gang B207, we believe in travelling to experience pain, hardship and the harsh,
cruel realities of life.
So we went to the park.
Marina Park
Kirkland’s Marina Park is a nice little scenic crescent-shaped spot
facing Lake Washington. The gang took a bus down from across our apartment
complex towards the Kirkland Transit Center. From there it was a short sunny walk
to the park. But seeing as to how we are all Singaporeans, you don’t just make
a beeline for your destination. No, the first thing you do is get some grub.
Stomachs growling, we found a quiet little shop selling hotdogs (or ‘hautedogs’,
as its sign said). It was a simple place with simple fare (and no public
restroom). I ordered a chilli-cheese dog topped with onions, relish, mustard
and mayonnaise. The result was a monstrous-looking beast that was as delicious
as it was messy.
I dare you to eat that with your hands.
After lunch we walked towards the park, stopping first at the pier
where the locals launch their yachts out onto glistening Lake Washington. The
pier is situated beside a row of expensive-looking townhouses with an excellent
view of the lake. We took some pictures, mesmerised by the clear water, while
Jackie got himself acquainted with a family of ducklings.
Houses that cannot exist in Singapore.
While we stopped to soak in the flora and fauna, we noticed a couple
of folks enjoying ice-cream out in the summer sun. We left the park with a new
quest: to get ourselves some ice-cream. The quest was, unfortunately, a
failure, and we wound up buying some bubble tea at an Asian vegetarian
restaurant instead. Kenneth got a vanilla milk tea, and I got my favourite Thai
milk tea.
It was hot and I couldn't wait.
As we made our way back to Marina Park, Shaun spotted a people coming
up from a secret stairway holding cups of frozen treats: it was ice-cream! But
since Kenneth and I were already loaded up on cold drinks, we weren't in the
right frame of mind for it. Shaun and Jieqi weren't burdened with the Taiwanese
beverages, however, and entered the rustic parlour to order a cone of rock-road
and a strawberry shortcake ice-cream pop respectively. They ate while Kenneth
and I watched grudgingly, bubble tea in our hands and stomachs.
I scream for...
Once we were done gallivanting, Jieqi decided we should walk all the
way back to Redmond. Hungry for some punishment, we foolishly agreed. As we
began our long walk, we bumped into an old Swedish lady struggling to push a
pram loaded with two grown kids up a long and steep slope. At Shaun’s
suggestion, we offered our help and pushed her pram as far as our paths
converged, conversing along the way.
The slope eased out and we bade the lady and her grand-kids goodbye. We
walked out further and soon found ourselves devoid of road. After narrowly
avoiding oncoming traffic and dashing across the highway, we finally arrived
back in pedestrian-friendly ground. We stopped under the shade of a tree and
looked into the distance: a cloud of smoke was rising from the treeline. It
seemed like there was a fire of sorts, though we couldn't be certain. So we
stopped to do what any respectable Singaporeans would do: we took pictures.
It's like haze all over again.
We had a pit-stop at MacDonald’s to drink up and revitalise ourselves.
Note that the distance between Marina Park and Gates of Redmond is approximately
5.6km. The other three got themselves dinner at Mac’s, but I opted to wait and
see what else we’d stumble upon. True enough, we found a Little Caesar’s
takeout sitting along the road, where I got a box of Deep Deep Dish Pizza.
Not just Deep, but Deep Deep.
The most important lesson in all of this? Appreciate side-walks.
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