Dinner with Robert and Paul
Jackie Chan endorses Segways!
Luge races at Sentosa Island
At the sushi restaurant with Stephen and Joanne
In front of a Hindu temple with Tori
In the Arab Quarter with Stephen and Joanne
I want you, too!
The beach at Sentosa Island
Huts in the water off Sentosa Island
Christmas in Singapore
Yes, I know, I know. I have been bad yet again. I tend to get very lazy and unmotivated to write when it’s buckle down and study time. Dan once again left for a business trip in Hong Kong, which meant catch-up time for schoolwork. This essentially translates to an average of six solid hours of study time or an eight hour work day. By the end of these long days, I always feel dogged and dragging. Add to that the super high level of humidity and heat, and you are in for yet another night indoors. Typically I would take little ten minutes walks up and down the river behind our hotel just to get the blood flowing a little, but other than that the days and nights were kept simple and predictable.
Except for a few highlights…
During lunch and in the evenings I had access to the internet. This whole trip I have had relatively little time to make use of it other than to pay bills, post pictures, post my journal, or call home. I checked my Facebook page for the first time in ages and happened to see that Taylor Higginbotham had just posted something to the effect that he would be playing poker at Lakewood Tavern that night (it being a Wednesday and all). Well, my heart was aching, aching I tell you! I miss my Wednesday night poker buddies like you wouldn’t believe. So I posted this on his page… “I am jealous in Singapore.” Shortly thereafter, a friend of his (whom I did not know) named Stephen wrote on Taylor’s wall that he was in Singapore. This initiated a series of e-mails between Stephen and me until I asked him, no, begged him to meet me for a drink! I figured that a friend who was good enough for Taylor was good enough for me! So that night I met Stephen and his girlfriend Joanne for drinks and sushi. They couldn’t have been nicer! Stephen was originally from Dallas, and Joanne was from Malaysia, so there was a lot to talk about. We ended up going out another night for drinks and dinner as well, but this time in the Arab quarter. We sat on pillows on the floor among hookah pipes and Persian décor. Tres chic! After dinner we strolled down the street and listened to local street performers play on native instruments. I couldn’t have met two nicer people, so thank you, Taylor, for hooking us up!
Dannie discovered a little day spa, and once again, treated me to a full body massage and separate foot massage. They were extraordinary. I have never felt so pampered before in my life. A girl can get spoiled with all the treats she has given me! After the massage I signed up for a little procedure called ear candling. I had never heard of this ancient Chinese practice before. But what it entails is deep massage of all the upper lymph nodes, which I know sounds incredibly strange, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! That particular massage was the most relaxing, amazing massage that I have ever had! And now for the strange part… After the massage, they put some kind of wick in your ear and light it! The only way that I can describe the experience is to say that it sounds like a firecracker fuse burning. It is supposed to draw out any impurities in your lymph nodes, which in turn, is supposed to help you sleep better. Whether it’s fact or fiction, I cannot say, but what I can say is that I have never felt so good than after it, and that for the next week, I slept like a bug in a rug! I have to look this up when I get back to Dallas.
After Dan returned from Hong Kong, he took us to Sentosa Island, which is a resort island off the coast of Singapore. We reached the island by an elevated monorail, which offered us a bird’s eye view of the working harbor. Once we arrived we headed for the luge ride. Helmets in place, the race was on downhill! I couldn’t believe how much fun the little rolling carts were! We all sped down the hill, and I managed to pass John near the end of the ride, but of course, Dan took first place. The family took a second turn on the ride while I walked along the beach.
After the luge we headed over to the Segways. Now I have seen these things time and time again, but I have never had the opportunity to actually ride one – until now, that is! We put on the safety gear and had a speedy course on how to manage them. I did alright during the test drive, but once I headed for the very curvy trail, I discovered that I was terrible when it came to turning! I ran into every tree and curb that existed! Tori laughed at me the whole time, and I was rather tickled, too, which didn’t help my steering skills (or lack there of) at all! I think, though, that all my mistakes and crashes made the run even more fun.
Afterwards, we headed for the beach, which was positively gorgeous! Fortunately, Dan had advised us to bring our swimsuits. The kids and I jumped in the ocean and went exploring. The water was beautiful and fairly clear, so much so that I could spot shells on the ocean floor, dive down for them, and bring them up for the kids to see. Most of the time they were devoid of sealife, but on a few occasions I found some that contained sea snails, and one of them hid a crab, upon which discovery, I screamed like a girl and threw it as far as I could! I can’t stand the feeling of those tiny pointed feet! They give me the weebie-jeebies every time! We swam across the inlet and played in the sand in a little cove. Sentosa Island could not have been more perfect or more fun!
The only other little adventure that I had was going to Chinatown by myself one night. I jumped on a bus and hoped that it would take me in the right direction, which luckily, it did! The streets in Chinatown were entirely magical. The smells, the sights, the sounds were from a different time and place altogether. They had red lanterns hanging everywhere above the streets between the buildings. Jewel-tone colored lights draped the streets like linear streamers. This place was utterly electric and buzzing with energy! Little food stands and little outdoor sidewalk stalls selling everything that you can imagine inhabited every square inch of space, and the shopping deals were extraordinary! If only I could pack up an extra suitcase, I would be queen of the shopping world. As it was, I had to restrain myself and only buy a Christmas present for my niece Lauren, but what a beautiful present it will be for her!
Overall, I would have to say that Singapore is a most unusual city. Other than the heat and humidity, it cannot be improved upon. The vegetation is lush, and the flowers are abundant. The streets are impeccably clean, organized, and orderly. Everyone I met was so kind and hospitable. There is an endless amount of things to see, do, and eat here: from the Arab quarter, to the Indian quarter, to the Chinese quarter and beyond. Given the chance, I would definitely return here and make the most of my time.
