Singapore - Bye for Now

Time to Head Back to Snow and Work
I head back to Paris tonight, arriving there Tue morning.  I had some random shots from this trip to post, so here they are.  This is a Sikh temple in Chinatown.  I was trying out my new tripod for the first time when I took this shot and it didn't come out exactly as I'd hoped.  The darks are too dark and the lights too light.

Singapore - Fireworks Fail

Where Else?  At MBS
The Marina Bay Sands ("MBS") has quickly reached iconic status here in Singapore.  Almost all events are near it or include it as a backdrop - case in point: this year's fireworks.  I went with Dodo and the girlfriends to a restaurant near the marina to eat, drink and bring in the new year in style.  The view, as you can see, was pretty good.  The marina was filled with 20,000 floating white "wishing balls" that appear purple in this shot.

Singapore - Night Photos

Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands
I joined up with Pirate, MC and Ying Ying, three of Dodo's girlfriends for a night of photography.  We headed downtown to the marina and parked next to the Singapore Flyer, a large ferris wheel.  We planned to head towards the Marina Bay Sands hotel, on the right.

Singapore - Weapons Training

and I Thought I Was Hot...
Did I mention that we were playing our Futsal match at an Indian community center?  Well, in the pitch next to us a very interesting Sikh ritual called "Gatka" was taking place.  Gatka is a Sikh martial arts that developed in the late 1600's as a means of fighting back against Mughal oppression.  You can read up on it here.  I wasn't quite sure what was on the table as the men arranged themselves for photos.

Singapore - Futsal

Getting in Shape, Singapore Style
Dodo's brother Ben and I are pushing each other to get in shape.  When two lazies get going, it's dangerous.  We've been running, playing basketball, doing situps and pushups and most recently playing Futsal which is a contraction of the Spanish " fútbol de salón" or indoor soccer.  The Singapore version is played on a small outdoor field boxed in by a net.  I estimate the field to be about 60 yds by 25 yds which suits the 10 total players, 5 a side including the goalie.  Ben's friends rent the field each Sunday from 11:30am to 2:30pm.  There were enough players for four teams.

Singapore - New Fruit

New to Me, That Is...
Dodo's cousing bought me some Mangosteens and was eager to see if I liked them.  She said "it's kinda like durian" which stopped me dead in my tracks.  Durian is a SE Asian fruit that conjures up smelly, sweaty, cheesy feet.  "Durian?!?!?", I yelled, handing them back to her.  No, it doesn't TASTE like durian, she explained, it's similar in that it originates in this part of the world and I doubt you've had it.  She was right.

Singapore - Cab Ride

Granny Behind the Wheel
Yesterday we got a ride from a grey-haired granny in her cab.  I've never seen this before anywhere in the world.  She was so cute.  She drove, well, like a granny.  If you look through the windshield you'll see a sign that says "Slow Down."  She took it quite literally, changing lanes at a glacial pace, getting passed on the highway by everyone, though nobody dared honk.   She flashed me a nice granny smile when I gave her a tip - something you don't usually do in Singapore.  I couldn't help it - she was awesome.  Best cab ride I've taken yet.

Singapore - Condo Update

Who Will Win the Bet?
The official handover date for the condo is Feb 2012, however in Singapore the developers usually beat their estimate by 6 months or so.  Dodo and I have an over/under bet.  She says we'll get the keys prior to July 1st, 2011 and I've taken the over.  Both buildings have reached full height.  We will be in the left building, the top two floors on the right side.  The left building has 17 stories, the 17th being the roof decks for the two "penthouse" apartments.  The right building has 16 stories.  At the bottom of the left building, they've made a lot of progress on the pool - it's elevated more than I expected - at least 2-3 stories.  Makes sense, since the garage is underneath.

Singapore - the New Mall

Just a Year Later and it's Already Open
You may not remember the post about the mall that was being built across from Dodo's mom's house.  Click on the link for that post.  That was a year ago and guess what - it's open for business.  It's pretty large and sits on top of the two subway lines that converge underneath.  The bus interchange is moving into the lower level as well.  All coordinated and concentrated.  I've been in a few times.  It's like a giant food court - there are more restaurants than stores, which is a very Singaporean trait I guess.  There is a cineplex on the top floor, which is nice.  We already went to see a Thai movie last week and we're going to go see a Japanese one soon. 

Melbourne vs Sydney

Like New York vs Los Angeles?
Having only spent a few days in each city I'm probably not qualified to opine.  Out on the internet there are plenty of opinions and it was interesting to read the e-arguments between the citizens.  From my point of view, Sydney seems more like the big brother, flush with cash, full of beauty.  Melbourne is the little brother, perhaps with a chip on his shoulder.  You look for the small lane with the quaint coffee shop in Melbourne while you eat in style in Sydney.  Melbourne seems smaller, more laid back, greener and has better public transport.  Sydney has take your breath away sights - it's hard ot beat their harbor.

Melbourne - the Deal

Horse Trading for Photo Ops
By the time Monday afternoon rolled around I was pretty beat.  The weather was a lot cooler than it should've been for the time of year - high 50's to low 60's with a chilly wind.  I hadn't packed correctly so I was a bit tired of being cold.  When Dodo asked me for the fifth time "Do you want to go to Federation Square?" I began to understand that she really wanted to go.  I don't exactly have a high EQ and I really didn't want to go but I thought about a nice trade-off....  "I'll go if you let me take photos of you jumping in the air" I said.  I never thought she'd go through with it.

Melbourne - At Dinner

Eating Vietnamese with a Paparazzo
Melbourne has a large number of Asian immigrants, primarily from Hong Kong and Vietnam.  They tend to stay in a suburn called Richmond, which is NE of downtown a few clicks.  Late one night we trammed our way over there and picked a Vietnamese restaurant the good old-fashioned way: we walked down the main drag until we found one that was packed with Vietnamese.  We were quickly seated and handed menus when Dodo conducted a menu symphony composed of nine movements.  Enjoy.

Melbourne - On Getting Lost....

and Friendliness
We did some web research and found a promising fish and chips spot for lunch.  We hopped a tram near the hotel and started our journey only to realize we weren't necessarily sure we were headed the right way.  The trams seem to be for locals, not tourists - if you don't know what stop is coming it's hard to figure it out - like a bus, they only stop if you pull a stop cord.  We finally did just that but when we got off, we were nowhere near our lunch.  We took another tram the opposite way and finally gave up.  When we got off we argued about which way to go. Since I'm a man I was sure which way to go - you know how that is.

Melbourne - Arts Center

Strange Building
We took a stroll around the Melbourne Arts Center which hosts a weekend arts market.  I liked the building - it has a intersting scaffold roof that looks like a sharp witch's hat.