I found another autumn thing to try to try to convince me it's not still Summer: Pumpkin Spice Latte.

It's the first Starbucks I've bought in 3 mths. Starbucks is everywhere, but a Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte put me back $8.20 SG ($7.91 CAD), where as a local Kopi (strong coffee with sweetened condensed milk) from a drink stall costs $1.50 SG.

Starbucks looks the same as in North America except the food sold is a bit different. Prawn Sandwich anyone? There are more iced drinks to choose from than I'm used too. I had to specify that I wanted my Latte hot. Looks like I'm also Betty in Singapore - at least that's what the Barista wrote on my cup. Betty is much more common than Becky here.

In the Autumn in Canada, I get my Starbuck through the Drive Through, then we head to the local park. The kids groaned when I said I was grabbing a latte; but no Drive Through was required here, and we were in VivoCity Mall so the park was just through the door. It's in the Mall's outdoor courtyard - centre of the mall on the 2nd floor. I actually sent the big girls out to start playing while I waited for my drink to come up; I could see them through the window.  Concrete slides, climbing structures, swings, teeter totters, some trampolines, 2 different aged play zones, shady seating and a fountain to splash in. This playground is pretty deluxe.

I told the kids they would regret going in the fountain. I saw that there were a number of children's stores surrounding the fountain, so we could have bought new clothes, but my 3 soaking wet children survived our grocery shop instead. I shortened the list to bare essentials: fruit, veggies, bread and kopi.

The air conditioning made Ms.E so cold, her lips turned purple. It's probably the first time she's truly been cold in Singapore. When we emerged from the Mall into the heat, she said, "I love Singapore." She was warm enough and/or dry enough in the just the 10 minute walk home that she sat right down for lunch instead of going and changing her clothes first.