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Archive for the ‘Singapore’ Category

Typing this while waiting for the flight to Delhi – why? – because I wanted to try out this wireless system although it costs S$9 (GBP3.60) for an hour.  My mother tells me that two of my cousins spent time here in 30′s – jail that is – as the airport I think was somewhere else then!

Amazingly, considering the problems we have had on this leg of the trip, we checked in without a problem.

Had lunch at Lau Pa Sat, a food court on Raffles Quay – we went there last time we were in Singapore but we did not quite know the system.  The food court houses booths of food sellers or hawkers as they used to be known when the street of Singapore had a food hawker on every corner.  The government here cleaned it all up and these food hawkers are now housed in centres – this one I am sure was an old fish market.  There are about 8 around town.  This a Chinese market but I have been to the Indian Centre in the Indian quarter.  We bought our food from different hawkers but both ate together in the communal eating area.

We were there at about 1 o’clock and it was crowded with office workers eating or getting take aways.  It was very cheap – I had roast pork and rice with soup which cost GPB1.60 and Jean pushed the boat out with fish, rice and broccoli which cost GPB2.40.

Oh yeah, there’s that haircut again!

Oh and we saw the merlion for the last time and here he is.

Down to the Indian High Commission this morning and $400 (GBP160) later got our visas!  We fly out this evening at 18.55 to Delhi just a week late.  The experience has been enlightening, if irritating, and I did not lose my cool in public once which must be character building if nothing else.

Checked out the Billiard Room Bar at Raffles last night and while it is a nice room it has been ruined by a modern bar and there is zero atmoshere – had a good meal on the terrace.  Raffles, for all it’s reinvented glitzyness is still a magnificent venue in this very modern city.

Now that the Raffles Long Bar has dropped out of CD’s Great Bars of the World (due to incessant rap music being played when I was ther at 7pm) I have decided to replace it with the Cliff Bar at Sentosa (see previous posts for description and ambiance.

Just read in the Straits Times that it is the longest and driest hot spell for 29 years i.e. 1976 remember that year?  I camped all summer and spent 2 weeks in Scotland which was bliss – we even had a Minister for Water – the Labour Sports Minister Denis Howell.  Well it was hot in UK then and it is bloody hot in Singapore now (humid and well over 34C!).

Going back to the city today and to the High Commission in the morning – wish us luck!  In Delhi it is about 24C.

This from this weeks ODT:  So, as the freshmen tread meekly around the halls, the second-years strut proudly around this year’s salubrious lodgings, the third-years sit porch-side and reminisce on hazy times gone by, and anyone above fourth year begins the slide into relative old age, the legend of the Otago experience lives on.

I understand that University of Dunedin students are known by JAFA’S (Aucklanders) as scarfies because it gets a bit cold down south!

Saw a peacock with it’s feathers fully displayed – that was the highlight of another lazy day in Singapore.

Plenty of emails re haircut but only two comments on this blog!

Got new itinerary for India but due to availability we are only in one hotel for two nights – the rest of the time we are on the move but that may improve but because of the time difference and the weekend we will not now find out final itinerary until we get to Delhi – still keeping my cool but finding it difficult.

Oh, and the chicken curry from the wedding last night was on the buffet this morning – surprise surprise but still very tasty.

No curry on the menu tonight but a waitress went and snatched some very edible chicken vindaloo from a wedding party at the hotel – she liked my haircut but I told her I was weak having had my strength ebb when my curls were cut.

Walked all over the island today after I had my massage which was superb.  We got a bit lost and hopped on a bus and then another bus and arrived back where we started.  We then hopped on the monorail and came back to where we started but then back to our hotel.

Had some NZ Sherwood’s sauvingon blanc which was very acceptable – we have had this before but have not looked it up – must do!

Oysters – on this trip I have had them in Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco, Auckland, Sydney, Perth and now in Singapore – and I always thought they were found only in cold water – well what do I know?  Foolishly they were part of a buffet tonight but I cleared them out!

People are coming up to me who I have only known for a few days and saying how much better I look with short hair – what do they know!

It was so bloody hot I went and had a hair cut – I haven’t had it so short for 40 years – it really feels weird.   However, got to say in this heat it is much more comfortable.  Will I keep it short is the next question!

Also it was the first time in over 30 years that I had my hair cut by a man.  So I booked a massage just to even things up.  Will it be a male masseur?  I bloody hope not!

Finished Rumpole and back with Hemingway.