The Terminal: Changi

We've all seen it, or at least heard of it, the movie The Terminal. A movie starring Tom Hanks released in 2004. It tells a story about Victor Novarski (Hanks) reaching JFK airport from a politically unstable country. Due to the collapse of his government, his papers are no longer valid in the airport. Essentially Novarski is forced to live in the airport until his country's politics become more stable.

In this movie, it is definitely fiction. But what if you find yourself in the same place he is in?

About a month ago, I found myself in Changi Airport, Singapore. I was on a 12 hour delay/layover, and this 12 hours I decided not to explore Singapore by going out of the terminal. Thanks to this movie, it made me realise that being in an airport terminal was a journey on it's own. For 12 hours, I was Tom Hanks.

I am no stranger to Changi airport, to me it's one of the most holistic airports I've been to.

I was a bit groggy from my midnight flight from Perth, so I needed to catch some Z's. And Changi Airport provided that, with "Snoozing areas" spread all over the three terminals. These reclined lounge chairs made my sleep as comfortable as laying down on a hammock. The area was for travellers like myself rest before the next leg, or couple legs of their flights. There was peaceful, serene music to make unwinding all the more comforting. The view to the parked planes wasn't so bad either.

After being awoke by a rude business man talking loudly on his phone boasting about his stock prices going up, I made my way to a nearby cafe for a pick me up. The coffee was okay, but it did it's job. The croissant was surprising good though. I took this and walked to Terminal 3, where there was a Tiffany and Co store, still closed. I wanted it to be like Audrey Hepburn. (Regret not taking a picture of that).

I still had 8 hours left, and I started to feel as though I needed a shower. But since it was a sunny tropical day, I made my way to the swimming pool. Yes... that's right, a swimming pool in the airport terminal. I packed a pair of board shorts for the occasion (don't worry, towels and showers are provided). You do have to pay an admission fee of SGD17, but honestly, it's worth the small admission fee. If you don't feel like swimming, you can have a massage, mani-pedi and the works in the several spas within the terminal.

Before I knew it, it was lunch time. There is a wide range of cuisines in the airport, from Western sports pubs to Local Dishes to Fast food chains. But seeing as I'm in Singapore, and no one else does their Char Siu Pork, I ate exactly that. With a barley drink of course. One thing I do recommend when traveling is to bring an empty water bottle in your carry-on. This way you can refill your bottle from the drink fountains, or on-board. Still have time to kill I thought to myself, so I made my way to the Butterfly Gardens. There is also a Cactus Garden in Terminal 1. Water lily, Orchid and Sunflower gardens are also placed in the airport. For nicotine addicts, there are smoking areas provided. For those wanting a cold one, there are airport bars. And for those traveling with children, there are several play areas in the terminals.

Movie theatres, lounges, an airport hotel and charging booths are also provided. Oh, if the free Wi-fi cuts out when writing an email or checking your status on Facebook, make your way to the computers provided for Internet access. All in all, the airport has a wide range of entertainment beyond the shopping and dinning experiences you would normally be accustomed to in airports. It's more of a shopping centre, rather than an airport.

So next time you are on a layover in Singapore or waiting for the dreaded delayed flights. Changi airport is an experience on its own.

"You say you are waiting for something. And I say to you, 'Yes, yes. We all wait'."