Singapore - SuperTunnel Opens

Yep, I Have Become an Infrastructure Geek
The new supertunnels outside our condo just opened for business.  Ok, not sure they are "super", that's just my name for them.  To be specific, they are "fly-unders" - roads sunk under other roads so that you don't have to stop at a stoplight.  This particular project was a huge one, costing around 100 million smackers.  Why so much?  They had to sink them under a highway but above the subway.

Singapore - Minor Condo Stuff

Bedside Reading
Not much to report lately, condo-wise.  Got some bedside lamps, not your typical ones.  These look like miniature houses and give off quite a glow.

Bangkok - Scenes from the Airport

Bye for Now
Man, I really love Bangkok.  The hustle and bustle, the food, the weather.....  I woke up at 6am to head to the airport.  Dodo had to stay the rest of the day to handle some CFO business, whatever that is.  I don't really feel like going back to Singapore.

 

Bangkok - Upon Further Review

There Are Some Minor Differences
Now that it's been a few days, I've noticed some differences from my last visit.  A few blocks from our hotel, a reminder of the flood - sand bags on the edge of a canal.  These canals were overrun by the rising waters in most parts of the city.  According to the papers, the real estate prices have risen dramatically in the few neighborhoods that withstood the floods.  Apparently the residents fear more to come.

Bangkok - Reflections

Can You See Me?
I doubt it....

Bangkok - The Levels

Keeping Cars, People and Trains Apart
In the busiest sections of Bangkok, they do a good job of keeping things flowing.  High above the street traffic are walkways filled with people and one level above them are the trains, called "skytrains."  Three separate rivers of traffic, none of which mix.

Bangkok - Back in Business

Post Riot Sales
Last year's riots were essentially about income disparity.  The rural poor got fed up with the rich city dwellers and came into Bangkok to let them know.  Near the end of the riots they set fire to some of the malls.  One is just a few subway stops from where we're staying.  I went over to take a look this morning.  Everything is back to "normal" - shiny, spiffy and stocked with pretty things...

Bangkok - Prepping for Work

This One's for Mach
It's hard to believe there's a place out there that's 102 degrees colder.  Even crazier that a family member is in that place.  Yep, we both moved for love, Mach.  I just lucked into loving the woman from the better climate.  After my run, I sat poolside and sipped frozen drinks and read my Kindle.  You see Mach, my job is stressful, so I must find ways to unwind.  I am liking my Thailand approach.  I'd type more, but it's time for my nap....

Bangkok - the Usual

It's All Coming Back to Me Now
After 5 hrs of sleep and breakfast with the girlfriend, I went out for a walk.  It's been two years since my last visit.  While I was away, Bangkok has seen riots, floods and a change of government.  None of it is obvious to an outsider on a short visit, things look just as before.  There are small temples, like this one outside of a coffee shop, with offerings of fresh water, coffee and tea.

Bangkok - We Ain't in Kansas, Toto

Nor Are We in Singapore...
Hotel welcome package.

Bangkok - Safely Landed

...and Straight to Work
At exactly 11:40am, Singapore time, I watched the Giants kick their way into the Superbowl.  We then did a mad dash to the airport for our 1pm flight to Bangkok.  We're staying deep inside the business district, this is the view from our room.  I am only 12 hrs ahead of NY now, rather than 13.  It's a short 2hr flight and it was 9am in Paris when I got to the room.  Perfect timing to start the work day.  I will do some walking around town tomorrow morning.

Singapore - Rain

The Pattern these Days
Sunny in the morning.  White clouds by 1pm.  Darker clouds by 4pm.  Thunder and rain by 5pm.  The rain is hard is swift and clears up quickly.  Yesterday, the normal pattern was broken when a double rainbow appeared after the rain.  From the roof you could see it from one end to the other.

Bangkok - Here We Come Again...

It's a Bad News/Good News Thing
Chinese New Year begins this coming Monday.  It's a huge holiday where the focus is spending time with family, eating, giving gifts, etc.  Unfortunately, someone in Dodo's company doesn't seem to care - she has to fly to Bangkok for a week for a client pitch.  She's not too happy about it, as you can imagine.  I'm sure her mom is really pissed about it.  I'm going to tag along for comic relief.  We leave on Sunday morning and come back the following Friday.

Singapore - Now We're Cooking...

More Condo Updates
The dining room table arrived yesterday.  It's what I would call "industrial" - the base is cast iron, the top wood.  It has one of our favorite features - a foot rest beneath.  We didn't know this when we met each other but we both share an affinity for foot rests.  As with the couch, I will get to check it out on Friday night.

Singapore - Condo Update

The Couch Arrives...
About a month ago we went couch shopping and saw something we almost liked.  It was a normal couch but we were looking for something with a chaise lounge on one end.  When we asked if we could "design" our own version, they were happy to comply.  I scribbled out a design and went back and forth with the shop a few times and hoped for the best.  It arrived today.

Singapore - First Barbecue

A Roaring Success
There are two seasons in Singapore.  From October to March it's windy and cooler.  The rest of the time there is little wind and it's really hot.  So, if you have a barbecue on your roof in December, the wind may take your coals and food to the heavens.

Singapore - Early Morning

This is Why Blackout Shades are a Top Seller
7:05am

Singapore - Miniature

More Camera Play
There is an interesting setting on my camera called "miniature."  When you take a photo with that setting it blurs the top and bottom of the photo which somehow tricks your mind - the photo comes out looking like a small replica - a miniature.  It really works, check it out - this is a shot from the roof:

Singapore - How to Make Enemies

With the Weather

Singapore - More Condo Updates

Let There NOT Be Light
I'm all for waking up with the sun, but we're on the 17th floor with nothing blocking us.  So we put up "blackout" shades.  They don't black things out totally but it's a good start. 

Seoul - Food

Pickled Everything
They eat big, meat-filled meals and pickle everything they can.  The biggest surprise, however, was seeing a menu touting Welsh leeks.  I ate it just for that reason and I wasn't disappointed.  See more by clicking here.

Singapore - Night Shots

From the Top of Tokyo Tower
A bit of practice on my long exposure photos.  This is a shot looking west from the roof.

Singapore - Condo Update, Part II

Bay Windows in the Bedrooms
We decided to install wood laminates on the bay windows in the study and small bedroom.  This is another typical thing done in Singapore.  It gives you a nice clean surface that you can sit on without worrying about scraping up the paint.  The laminate guys pre-measured and then arrived a few days later ready to go.  One large piece, pre-cut, per room.

Singapore - Condo Update

Balcony Done
Seems strange to me but in Singapore when you buy a condo they give you an empty balcony that you have to fill yourself.  Everyone ends up doing the same thing - laying down wood decking.  We considered the options - a dirt planter with flowers, stone, etc.  However, we ended up doing the same old same old.  The deck guy was a real pro - right out into the bright sun with his air gun.

Seoul - New Years Gambling

Yutnori
Otherwise known as a game that leads to lots of drinking.  Yutnori is a game played on New Year's day.  It's pretty simple and as each game is lost, the loser gives money which goes into a "drinking pile."  After a number of rounds, the money is used to buy drinks.  We played with our kimchi teacher but unfortunately we didn't get to drink, it was a friendly game used to instruct.

Seoul - Train Technology

When is the Train Arriving?
Focus on the bottom of the screen.  If you play the movie, you will see our current station in the lower right hand corner and the train is a few stops away - it shows you exactly where.  So cool.

Seoul - Korean Script

Less Intimidating Than it Looks
When I first looked at Korean I couldn't imagine learning it.  I expected it was ideographic like Chinese.  In other words, you memorize each unique character and it's meaning.  It just didn't make sense though - the characters looked too alike and there were a lot of repeats.  Dodo explained that I was actually looking at an alphabet.

Seoul - Post No Bills

Defense D'Afficher
A novel way to prevent advertisers from posting on street lamps....

Seoul - Insadong Neighborhood

The Soho of Seoul
One of the four Tigers, South Korea has come a long way in a short time.  It was demolished in the war and rebuilt at a pace that defies belief.  Usually when things are done in a hurry the result is less than pleasing to the eye.  Overall, they did a nice job.  This is a charming, though harried, megalopolis.  Now that it's one of the wealthier places on the planet, the latest generations are turning towards design and the arts.

Seoul - Make Way

For the King and Queen
More Korean culture for you, dear readers.  At a house in the hills we sat down to a cup of yuzu tea.  Yuzu is a citrus fruit similar to an orange.  The tea was sweet and tangy.

Seoul - Now I Realize What it Reminds Me Of

A Nicer Pittsburgh
No, not because there are defunct steel mills or dilapidated buildings.  I mean the geography of the place.  It is hilly, every which way you look you see mountains.  There are rivers too.  We stayed right on the main river but there are many smaller ones as well.

Seoul - the National Dish

Kimchi Making
This is the Korean national dish, a pickled (fermented) cabbage that is quite tasty.  Kimchi goes back 3,000 years and the goal was to make the veggie last through the long Korean winter.  In the old days, after all the prep, it would be buried in clay pots underground to keep it cool.  Nowadays, it's stored in the fridge.  The Dodo and I signed up for some Korean culture and we got to make our own.

Seoul - Supermarketing

In Every Country, Ms Chan Must Go Supermarketing
My girlfriend is a supermarket junkie.  As far as addictions go, it could be worse.  I've been in supermarkets all over the world, including Seoul now.  You can tell a lot about a place from the supermarket - how open they are to other cultures being the foremost.  Based on what I saw at Lotte, they're pretty open.  Just about anything you're looking for, they have.  Including crappy American cereal.

Seoul - People

Neither the Camera nor the Skill
Taking people shots takes both skill and a good camera.  I have neither but it was fun to sit in the window of a second floor cafe and try.  Enjoy.