Seoul - the Price of Beauty

The China Doll Look
The ladies here are very pretty.  Apparently, it's very important to be pretty in Korea.  According to our tour guide by the time they reach their mid-20's, one quarter of all Korean women have had some form of plastic surgery.  As I tried to take a clear photo of this plastic surgery poster in the subway, women kept stopping to read it.  Not a quick glance, they stopped and soaked it in. 

Seoul - Wired

Perhaps Un-Wired is a Better Description
Seoul may give Tokyo a run for its money in the tech department.  South Korea is the most wired nation on the planet, with 90 pct plus able to access the internet, mostly from their phones.  We spent an hour at Lotte World, a megamall that has an amazing electronics section.  Lots of things that aren't over to the US yet.  I know the nephews would have been excited to be here.

Seoul - First Impressions

Like Tokyo, but Less Ugly
Seoul and Tokyo favor each other in this reporter's eyes, though I'd give the nod to Seoul in terms of look and feel.  It's hilly, with a nice mix of wide boulevards and small alleyways.  There is a view to the sky much more than in Tokyo, where I feel penned in and claustrophobic. 

Seoul - Subway

Happily Underground
Landed in Seoul, one word for you: freezing.  High 20's, windy.  It's all about the layers I tell the rookie.  She only half listens, as usual.  We ducked happily into the subway to warm up.

Seoul - Camera-less

Murphy's Law, Korean Style
My camera is on the fritz, so will be using iPhone and Samsung tab to take photos.

Singapore - Let There Be Light

We No Longer Live by Candlelight
The lighting folks came by and installed all the lights on both floors in a matter of hours, they were really professional and speedy.  On the roof, we got canister lights for the columns.  They cast light up and down.

Singapore - Getting Around

The Free-Mobile
It's totally free, we pay nothing.  Jean's company pays the car note and the C.O.E. They also pay for the gas, tolls and parking  I've been driving all over, sometimes taking Jean to work in the morning.  It's pretty schwanks - the lights come on automatically when the car senses darkness.  The windshield wipers activate when it begins to rain.  There are so many buttons inside - I don't know what half of them do.  The only issue - it's a big car, feels like you are a captain steering a ship.

Singapore - the Study

Workaholics Unite!
First piece of furniture - the desk for the study.  Sad, isn't it?  No couch, no tv, no dining room table.  Nope, first up - the work table.

Singapore - From 17 You Can See Forever

Or, At Least to a Neighboring Country
Today I took a long look from the balcony and noticed some hills in the distance.  Since Singapore doesn't have any hills in that direction, I pulled up Google Maps and noted that I was seeing Indonesia.  That is over 15 miles away, an area called Batam.  You can take a boat there and play golf, which I've done in the past.

Singapore - The Little Things, Again

Analog Spam Filter
We received a notice in our mail box that shows us how to set it up so that we no longer receive any junk mail.  There is a small lever on the inside of the box that you can move into a position that signals no junk mail desired.  Can you even imagine that would've been possible?  I wonder if it works....  Stay tuned.  Gonna set the lever soon.  Not for a while though - turns out a lot of our junk mail is quite useful at the moment - all kinds of contractors offering to sell us window blinds, painting services, etc.

Singapore - Breakfast

First Meal in the Tokyo Tower
How bad was the jetlag?  I went to bed at 10pm and woke up at 2am and quickly gave up falling back asleep.  I spent some time throwing away boxes and packing things as Dodo slept like a dead person.  I also took a practice spin in the new car at around 4am.  Glad I did.  It's much larger than I'm used to.  At about 6:45, the sun started to peek.

Singapore - Here I Come

Things Are Shaping Up Nicely
I leave for Singapore at midnight tonight.  By Saturday at 6pm, I will be moving into the condo.  Dodo has been working on the condo, which we've renamed the "Tokyo Tower" or "TT" for short.  She has turned on the gas, as you can see below.  Water is on, electricity is on, internet is on.  Fridge is on and cooling, washing machine is ready.

Brooklyn - the End of an Era

State Street No More
Twenty years of Brooklyn, boiled down to two bags.  I gladly donated some of my furniture to one of Che's relatives, an older gentleman down on his luck a bit.  He took the black chairs and side tables.  It's nice to know someone is sitting in those, probably watching television.  I didn't feel much when I drove away in the cab.  I wonder when it will hit me.