Update

Due to lapses in internet availability, having too much fun and other things, I have fallen behind on updating where I am and what I am doing. We went to the Night Safari, spent a week in Langkawi, Malaysia and are now in Bali. I'll try to update more later, but wanted to keep everyone up to date on where we are. Hope everyone is well.

Jurong Bird Park

The Jurong Bird Park was our destination for this weekend. One of Vicky's co-workers - Henri - from California just arrived last night, so we thought this would be a good introduction to Singapore -- and a good way to try and keep him up and help adjust him to the time change. Like normal, it was very hot and humid, so a good introduction to the weather he will be facing for the next month or so.

Thanks to Vicky's diligent research, we found the proper bus and arrived at the bird park just about when it was opening. Unfortunately, our plan to eat at the restaurant overseeing the flamingo lake were undermined when we found out it was reserved for some type of corporate event. Not letting this stop us, we had a quick bite at the cafe out front and embarked on our journey!

First stop, the Flight of the Predators show. Getting some really up close views of falcons, vultures and hawks was pretty cool. The well trained birds swooped a mere foot or two over the heads of the crowd, caught food thrown into the air, and chased fake rabbits showing their predatory skills. Overall, a pretty good show so far as zoo and animal shows go.

The park itself is laid out really well. Basically, a big loop with a few offshoots spread out adding to the mix. They had tons of different birds, including eagles, ducks, flamingos, tucans, owls and penguins. One pretty cool feature was the Lory Loft -- essentially the biggest walk-in cage in Asia. It was about 9 stories tall and had a number of walkways through the treetops. You could cruise around the foliage and check out the birds where they are most comfortable -- in the tops of the trees. You could hear tons of birds chirping and making a racquet. However, we did not see quite as many as you could here. Most of the ones we could see were really pretty -- extremely colorful and playful.

Despite the buildup, the African Waterfall Aviary with the "world's tallest man-made waterfall" was a bit of a letdown. Yeah, there is a tall waterfall, but it really did not look that dramatic and there was not much else to see. There were a few birds around and lots of foliage, but after the buildup it didn't seem like that big of a deal.

Surprisingly, we spent about the whole day at the bird park. In the end, we were all hot, tired and ready to head home. Time to call it a day. Next stop will be the Night Safari!

Formula 1 night in Singapore

Formula 1 was back in Singapore for the second year. The promotions for the race have been going on for months. It was finally time to get the show on the road, so to speak.

The race itself was but a two hour event Sunday night, but the events surrounding the main attraction filled a whole 3 day weekend, and them some. There was a big "F1 Rocks" concert event that started on Thursday night. Beyonce, The Black Eyed Peas, No Doubt and other U.S. stars joined a number of Asian bands to kick off the race weekend. There were also numerous other live performances scattered throughout the weekend, many during the racing day. (More on that later).

Friday and Saturday were for practice and qualifying for the main event on Sunday. Vicky and I got tickets for Saturday as the Sunday tickets were mostly sold out or prohibitively expensive (S$1,500 and up for grandstand seats and special events). Gates opened at 3, even though the qualifying runs did not start until 10 p.m. It was going to be a long, hot day.

Getting to the venue was a breeze. We took the MRT (subway) right to one of the entrances. Up the stairs, through security, and right into the grounds. Even with the bag check, it did not take long to get inside. Typical Singapore efficiency at work once again.

There were a number of smaller races and qualifying runs going on throughout the day -- prior to the big cars hitting the track. Right when we got in and found a place to stand and watch some of the action, a car flipped somewhere on the track causing a red flag and the end of that qualifying run. As there was some downtime, we decided to wander around the venue and orient ourselves -- trying to find a prime spot to watch things later.

The racetrack is a twisting, turning amalgamation of city streets configured into a 5km course with over 20 turns. Spectator areas were spread through the city, split into 4 different zones. We were in zone 1 -- the largest of the sections. It encompassed at least 3 different sections, connected by overpasses and underground passages so that you could watch the races from many different angles and different sides of the track.

Many of the sights along the racecourse were really amazing. Old, stone buildings lined one section, while huge modern skyscrapers lines other sections of the track. The course went over a long bridge over the harbor providing for some really cool views of the cars racing by with the water in the background.

Our first viewing position was right by a 90+ degree turn, leading to a long straightaway. It was amazing to hear the cars rushing into the corner, quickly downshifting and braking, then shooting out of the turn and taking off into the distance, especially when we were a mere 10 feet or so from the course! Small, raised platforms were provided to allow more fans to get a good look at the track.

Speaking of the platforms -- the organization and design of the race event was fantastic. There were plenty of food and drink vendors (with prices surprisingly reasonable for a sporting event -- unlike back home), first aid stations, information booths, attendants and signs to tell you where to go. Not only that, given the large amount of downtime between races and practice sessions, there needed to be other things to keep people preoccupied when things were slow.

Scattered throughout the grounds were a number of stages. Bands, DJ's and other music was performed at each during the times between races. In addition, at the end of the night, there were a number of concerts to entertain fans (and I suspect help spread out how many people left the venue at one time). There was also a large field behind one of the main straightaway sections, where one of the main stages was set up, that also had two giant screens showing the events on the track, and providing commentary as to what was going on. It was great to be able to sit on the grass, try to cool off a little (despite it being 10 at night it was still 30+ degrees Celsius (85+ degrees Fahrenheit) and really humid (75% at least)) and catch all the different action -- not just the limited bit you could see if you decided to stay at one section of the track.

Prior to the main qualifying run, while we were chilling on the grass we were treated to a bizarre performance piece -- which we did not realize was anything at first. Five people on stilts, wrapped in long white sheet-like togas, with faces painted white began wandering around the crowd. After a few minutes, some weird music started and the people started to ... inflate. The robes started expanding and they slowly turned into giant walking Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man looking guys -- with giant, inflated heads bobbing about. They danced around to the strange (almost tribal-like) music. Three bird shaped floating shapes were brought in, flapping and "flying" about. The five figures joined the "birds" and they all started to light up! They all had lights inside making them glow. The performance continued for about 25 minutes. Overall, it was really pretty cool -- rather strange, but still pretty cool.

Right on time, after the performance, the qualifying laps started for the F1 cars. (It was amazing how right on schedule the races stayed all night -- always starting right on time.) Vicky and I hung-out on the large lawn, watching the big screens, listening to the cars scream by (they are amazingly loud, even with earplugs). At the end of the first round, which was 12 minutes long, the bottom 5 (of 20) cars were sent to the garage. After a short 7 minute break, another 12 minute round was held, again kicking the bottom 5 times to the garage. The final qualifying round included the 10 remaining cars -- all vying for the pole positions! Amazingly, the total time differentiating the first and last car was less than 2 seconds! These cars and their drivers are so close in performance that only hundredths (if not thousandths) of a second separate their times around the course.

At the conclusion of the qualifying, we decided to head out. Tired, hot and sweaty from the long day, we were ready to face the mobs cramming into the MRT station and trying to flee the venue. Like many other things here in Singapore, this process was a model of efficiency. It was unlike most of my experiences leaving a major sporting/concert event back home. The crowds kept moving in an organized group. Plenty of police and security were on hand to keep the people moving (people trying to stop, blocking the paths were immediately told to keep moving). We walked straight down to the MRT and onto the waiting train -- no waiting. It really was impressive how well organized everything was.

Overall, it was a fun evening. Well organized, lots to do, good food and cool drinks -- you couldn't ask for much more (except maybe slightly less humidity and lower temperatures :-) Tomorrow, off to the Jurong Bird Park!

Brunei Darussalam

Last weekend was the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The end of the fasting month is celebrated on Hari Raya Aidilfitri (also know as Eid). As Hari Raya is a holiday in this region, Vicky had that Monday off, giving us a three day weekend. After looking into a few options, we decided to go somewhere neither of us had been -- Brunei. We found a hotel, booked a flight, and arranged transport for when we landed. Brunei, here we come!

Brunei is a tiny country on the north coast of the island of Borneo -- surrounded by Malaysia to the south and the ocean to the north. Some of you may have heard of the Sultan of Brunei, who was considered the richest man in the world prior to Bill Gates' rise to the top. It is a very small country -- about 2,200 square miles with a population of approx. 400,000 (about 1/2 the population of San Francisco).

The first sign that we were headed to an Islamic country was on the flight from Singapore to Brunei. Before takeoff, along with the safety procedures, there is a pre-flight prayer. The video screens show images of different mosques while and Islamic prayer is played overhead. Not something you would find in the States. The flight was about 2 hours long and uneventful.

Upon arrival, we exited customs and began looking for our ride. The hotel was supposed to send someone to pick us up. Apparently, with the holiday and all, they forgot to tell the driver. After looking around for 15 minutes or so, we bargained a taxi driver to get us to the hotel. Luckily, Brunei dollars are pegged to the Singapore dollar and both currencies are readily used in Brunei. No need to exchange (which is nice since we arrived at about midnight and nothing was open).

The first day, we were going to check out the Royal Regalia Museum and a couple of the main mosques. First stop was the museum. Before entering, everyone must remove their shoes -- a nice tradition that I think should be imported back home. One of the first things you see when entering the museum is a giant chariot surrounded by swords and shields. This is the chariot that was used during the coronation of the Sultan. Elite guards pushed and pulled the chariot through the city streets presenting the Sultan to the public. It is quite large and appears to house a few modern conveniences one would not really expect. To begin with, the large wooden beams used to pull (and push) the chariot are supported by wheels -- relieving the people pulling the chariot from having to bear the weight of the beams as they pulled the very large chariot.

There also appeared to be air conditioning vents around the base of the stand on which the Sultan was seated. As Brunei is much like Singapore environmentally -- i.e. freaking hot and humid -- it makes sense that they would have something to prevent the Sultan from melting during the coronation. In the back of the museum, there is a huge room set up showing what the procession looked like. It included life-size mock ups of the guards leading the procession, along with pictures of people lining the street all around the chariot. There were some videos of the actual procession, which looked pretty cool. (Unfortunately, there were no cameras allowed past the entrance room of the museum, so I cannot show you what this looked like).

The rest of the Regalia Museum housed numerous gifts to the Sultan (pen sets seemed to be popular gifts from other royalty), as well as a section showing the history of the country. Brunei was formerly a British protectorate -- finally gaining complete independence in 1984. There were copies of numerous treaties and other legal documents between the countries showing the evolution of their relationship. Overall, the Regalia Museum was a pretty good starting point.

Next stop was the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque. It is hard to miss this giant mosque in the middle of the downtown area of BSB (Bandar Seri Begawan -- the capital city). The massive golden dome is visible from most parts of the city. It was built by the present Sultan's father (apparently as a birthday gift to himself). As Vicky was prepared with a head scarf she picked up earlier in the day, we made our way to the entrance to see if we could check out the interior. They do allow visitors, and had black robes available for both of us (and a number of other tourists that came by for a look). Again, shoes were removed before entering. If you are not Muslim, you can enter during non-prayer times.

The inside was gorgeous. Huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling. British stained glass filled the windows around the mosque, Italian marble was everywhere. (Again, we could not bring cameras inside). The main room could hold 3,000 worshipers at a time, we were told. Since we were there at off-hours, only a few people were there praying. There was a partitioned off section on the left where the women prayed. The sexes were apparently separated inside, with a different entrance on the side for the women. There was a group of men at tables on the far right side. Occasionally, men would enter and head over to the tables. We asked what was happening, and were told they were making donations. I guess like when Catholics pass the plate for donations, a similar practice occurs outside of the actual prayer times. A newspaper article we saw later during the trip stated that the making of a donation was not considered optional to those with the means to donate.

After seeing how impressive this mosque was, we decided to try and find the Jame'Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque -- the largest mosque in Brunei. Vicky and I jumped on a bus from the city center and headed out to try and find the mosque. Conveniently, we were dropped off right by one of the entrances. The parking lot looked empty -- not a hopeful sign. We entered the gates and began the long walk across the empty parking lot toward the massive building. Like the Omar Ali, a massive golden dome shone at the middle of the building. This was surrounded by four taller, skinny towers -- each topped with a golden dome of its own. The ground surrounding the mosque were impressive as well. Beautiful landscaping, fountains, marble and tile work. It really was amazing.

Not seeing anyone around, we slipped off our shoes, Vicky dawned her head covering and we started into the building. Not more than 30 feet in the side entry way, a person came out and informed us that the mosque was closed. They were apparently preparing for the Hari Raya crowds and would not be open to the public until after the holiday. After informing us of this, he asked if we were Muslim. Apparently, if we were Muslim we could probably have gone in to pray. As neither of us knew what this might entail, and we didn't think we could fake it, we decided to just wander the grounds outside and see what we could.

It was getting late so decided to call it a night. Tomorrow was a big day. It was Hari Raya and, from what we read and were told there was a special treat on that day. Apparently, on Hari Raya, the Sultan opens the royal palace (the largest royal residence in the world) to the public, meets people, provides gifts and food and basically has a big shin-dig at his place. This is the only time that the public is allowed into the palace and onto the grounds. We wanted to make sure we got up and made it out there rested, refreshed and ready to go.

A little about the palace: It is called Istana Nurul Imana. It is larger than the Vatican Palace and Buckingham Palace. There are 1788 rooms, 200 toilets and banquet room that seats 4,000 and cost over $350 million to build. (Apparently, prior to the discovery of oil, the Sultan lived in a two story house in the water village of Kampung Ayer -- right alongside the regular citizens.) We were told that the grounds included polo fields, a large mosque of its own, and a shopping center. (The shopping center is for the workers there and the Sultan so he does not have to go into town). Excited that we might be able to meet the Sultan (or at least I could and Vicky could meet his [first] wife as the sexes were apparently separate again) we went to the bus station and found the route to the palace.

Unfortunately, when we arrived the rumors we had been hearing turned out to be accurate. For the first time since the Sultan started this tradition the palace was NOT going to be open to the public on Hari Raya! The stupid H1N1 swine flu "pandemic" had taken hold here and the worry caused the Sultan to cancel this year's festivities. Even though the paper showed a grand total of 3 cases being treated here, our chance at meeting the Sultan and checking out the royal palace -- a very rare treat -- was undermined by a pig cold! Kind of ironic since pork does not appear to be served here as it is not a part of the Muslim diet.

Another thing to note, since I just mentioned the Muslim diet. As alcohol is not allowed by Islam, Brunei is a dry country! That is right - alcohol sales are prohibited. Non-Muslims are allowed to import up to 2 liters of alcohol and 12 cans of beer, but cannot consume it in public. There was also a story in the paper about an elderly lady that was arrested for selling alcohol and was fined and jailed for the offense. She apparently sold 6 cans of beer and was fined a couple thousand dollars and jailed for a short period. So, having been let down that we could not enter the Mosque, and now could not check out the royal palace, we could not even drown our sorrows in a stiff drink.

All around, the town seemed to be pretty slow. There was one last chance for some excitement. Vicky arranged for a boat tour of the river. The tour included some river views of the palace, a chance to see the famous Proboscis monkeys (maybe some crocodiles) and the Kampong Ayer water village. With dark clouds rolling in overhead, we headed back to the hotel to get picked up for our trip.

We got a ride to the docks, boarded our boat with our guide and skipper and were off! The small, canopied boat took off up the river, away from the city center and the water village (for now) into the jungled area beyond the main city.

The first big sight was the back side of the palace. From the river we had better views of the main palace and the mosque on the grounds. We were told of the stories that the palace was haunted and there were two ghosts that have been seen lately -- the blue guard and the white woman (who apparently looks like Queen Elizabeth). The Sultan currently has two wives -- numbers one and three. (He is divorced from wife number two who apparently lives in Las Vegas now!) The first wife lives with the Sultan at the palace and his other wife has a house somewhere else in town. Although they were previously allowed as many wives as they wanted, either by custom or law (it was not clear which) men in Brunei are now supposed to be limited to four wives. We were also told that large families are the norm. It is rare for a couple to have 2-3 children. Six or more is not unexpected, and ten or more is not unheard of. (The Sultans brother apparently has five wives and 35 children!)

A bit further down the river, we pulled to the shore to try and spot some Proboscis monkeys. These monkeys are recognizable due to their giant noses (at least on the males). With the help of the guide's keen eyes, we spotted a number of monkeys in the trees. They were a bit far away, but with the aid of some binoculars, we could get pretty decent looks at a few of them. Unfortunately, most of the monkeys sat with their backs to the river. The guides actually said this was the norm. It was weird that they appeared to do this purposefully. Even when they moved, they would then sit and turn with their backs to the river. Their diet consisted of leaves from the trees surrounding the river -- which are apparently poisonous to other creatures.

We proceeded up the river, making a few stops to see different groups of monkeys. As we were doing this, the rain started to trickle down. Luckily, there was a canopy over the top of the main part of the boat, so as long as we were relatively still, the rain did not bother us much. A little farther up the river was a key spot to sight some crocodiles, we were told. Unfortunately, we were not lucky enough to spot any this trip. As it was getting dark, and the rain was starting to come down, we started heading back to town. At this point, the clouds really opened up and started pouring rain. The little canopy did not do much to stop the downpour -- especially as we sped across the water back to town.

Even with the rain, the tour was not over yet. Last stop: Kampung Ayer -- the water village. This is an old, traditional village across the river from BSB. It is basically a village of buildings set on stilts, sitting on top of the river. Each house is shared by 4-5 families -- including extended family. Included in the village are a couple schools, a mosque, and the fire and police departments. It is its own self contained village with all the amenities any other town may have. It was pretty cool boating through the "streets" between the buildings and seeing the village from the water.

Overall, the trip to Brunei was pretty cool. It would have been great to be able to enter the mosque, see the royal palace and meet the Sultan, but the other sights were interesting to see. Now we are back in Singapore and getting ready for the next big event this weekend -- the Singapore F1 race. It is the only F1 race that is run at night, under the lights, through a major city. It should be a blast. We have tickets for the qualifying and practice rounds. (Unfortunately, the race day tickets were either sold out or very expensive). I'll let you all know how that goes next week.

Everyone Loves Fishhead Curry

As a number of Vicky's co-workers from the States were out here at the same time, a group of us decided to head out to dinner one night. We wanted to find a good, family-style place that was relaxing for a big group. Indian food sounded good to everyone. On the recommendation of a few people we decided to try a place called Samy's Curry over on Dempsey Hill -- a cool area that has numerous restaurants and shops.

Samy's is really relaxed and perfect for a big group. Big, long tables and excellent service. After being seated, instead of getting plates, each person's place is set with a giant banana leaf. I guess it saves a lot on clean-up, and is better for the environment as you can just compost the whole "plate" and everything left on it.

As soon as you get your banana leaf, the food starts coming out fast and furious. People start streaming to the table with tons of different dishes. First were two kinds of prawns - curry and tandoori. These really exemplified the oxymoron of "jumbo shrimp" -- they were huge. After the prawns, the parade of food continued faster than you could eat it -- different curried, tandoori chicken, dried chicken, veggies, naan. It was amazing. You did not have a chance to eat what they gave you before another type of dish arrived. The food just piled and piled on your leaf.

The main dish -- the one we heard Samy's was famous for -- needed to be ordered separate. This dish was their fish head curry! This is, not surprisingly, just what the name implies -- a big bowl of curry with a fish head in it. (It is a bit hard to see in the picture, but the jaw is by the bottom right of the picture, the neck is where the spoon is and the eye is the milky white part in the middle of the bottom third of the head.) It was mostly submerged in the delicious curry sauce when it arrived at the table.

Apparently, the best part is the cheek meat. You kind of have to dig into the head with the spoon and pull out the delicate meat from between the bones and cartilage. Spooning what you extract over some rice helps soak up the wonderful sauce. The other delicacy is, what I was told, the eye. (I'm not sure if this is right, or if people were making this up just so two of us would eat them). There is a hard membrane that you need to pick off to get to the edible part of the eye. It is a bit squishy, but did not "pop" as I thought it might. It also did not taste much different from the rest of the fish.

Overall, the food was great, the company was fantastic and the evening was a blast. If you are in town, and really hungry (because the food keeps on coming) give it a try.

This weekend is a holiday weekend here in Singapore, so Vicky and I are heading to Brunei for the long weekend. Rumor has it that the sultan only opens the royal palace to visitors once a year -- on Hari Raya, which is this weekend. Hopefully, we can get a rare chance to check out the inside of the royal palace. I'll let you know when I post about this trip!

Signs and Sights of Singapore

The infamous "Merlion" -- Singapore's mascot.







There is a reason Singapore is called a "fine" City. Also, for those that don't know what a Durian is -- it is a fruit. The problem with it is that it smells like body odor/old gym socks and is very potent. You can smell it a block away. Thus, the movement of such dangerous fruit is somewhat regulated.






Speaking of Durians, this is the Espalande - Theatres on the Bay. It has been called the Durian building by some given the resemblance to the fruit.









They are serious about no trespassing...







...but they make sure there are seats on the MRT for people who are elderly/disabled, pregnant and ventriloquists, which is nice.







They are also serious about showing what can happen when you smoke. Amazingly, smoking still appears to be popular. There seem to be very few places to do it, but there are always people outside gathered having a smoke.



Random art throughout the City:

Who wants Chili Crab?!?!

One of the signature dishes you have to try when you come to Singapore is the Chili Crab. It consists of a delicious whole crab, smothered in a delicious chili sauce (not too spicy) with egg and generally served with fresh, hot rolls to dip in the sauce. It is awesome. The best way to enjoy this wonderful meal is with a group of friends. Accordingly, Vicky and I went out with a bunch of her co-workers to try some of the local delicacy.


On suggestion from one of the locals, we headed to Changi Village -- an outdoor food market of sorts -- to try some local dishes, including some chili crab. The location was great -- a lively collection of buildings housing numerous eateries and little shops. Our group of nine found the location and gathered for the feast. We started with a few pitchers of beer and scanned the nearby aquariums and cages to see what looked good that night. Like most places around here, your dinner can be seen swimming or hanging out just a few feet from where it will be prepared. We let Vicky's co-worker from Singapore do the ordering for us -- she seemed to know what to do.

In addition to the chili crab we were expecting, we also were treated to a number of other local favorites, including some black pepper crab -- a twist on the chili crab dish. (I think I actually liked this better than the chili crab.) Whole, fried, and crusted giant prawns, and "Singaporean escargot" started things off. The latter were some sort of conch shell with a little creature inside. You could see a small claw-like appendage sticking out of the shell, and used a toothpick to try and slide the meat out from inside the shell. A light dipping sauce accompanied the dish. (If you look close at the picture - the shells at the very bottom have portions of the creature sticking out).

In addition to the above, we ordered some stingray (dish on left in picture) in a really nice sauce and some mixed greens in a garlic sauce. All of the food was delicious -- and messy. As I have discussed before, the lack of napkins can be a bit daunting, especially with chili crab, as you generally eat this with your hands. Needless to say, the sauce, shell, and everything else seem to get everywhere. Luckily, the place at which we were eating had a sink ready for use that was taken advantage of a number of times throughout the meal. Even though the crabs come pre-cracked (for the most part), one still needs to dig in with their fingers, pull loose shell apart, and dig in to the luscious meat. Dipping the soft, warm buns into the delicious sauce can get messy as well!

All-in-all, it was a great night out with fun people, good food, and lots of laughs. If you make it this way, be sure to take some time and enjoy the chili crab! You will not be disappointed.

Hawkers stands and mall food

Food appears to be an important part of life here in Singapore. There are tons of cuisines to choose from and price ranges to fit every budget. Not matter where you are, there seems to be some choice of food within sight. Each of the shopping centers seems to have its own food court, as well as a number of nicer, higher end restaurants. Many areas of the city -- Chinatown, Little India, etc. -- have numerous restaurants and food stalls, as well. It really can be a daunting task just trying to decide what to have for lunch.

Like most places now a days, Singapore has all the great American institutions like McDonald's, Carl's Jr., Starbucks, KFC and even Chili's. You might as well skip all of these since 1) you can get them at home, 2) they aren't really cheaper than back home, and 3) the other food here is WAY better.

Although it can be intimidating heading into the food area in one of the malls, once you figure things out it is not that bad. First, if you are going to eat at one of the many food courts/hawker stand areas, don't forget to bring your packet of tissues. This will serve at least two purposes. One, napkins are not always readily available or provided at most of the food stalls. If you are used to using a napkin throughout a meal, you will likely need to provide your own. (Most of the places that serve messy foods do provide wet napkins, but it's better to play it safe.

The second, and probably more useful reason to bring a packet of tissues, is to save your seat. There is an unwritten rule here that a packet of napkins on a seat/table is reserved. Although some places are trying to discourage this habit, it comes in handy when places are very crowded. It also is nice when you are saving seats for a few friends, you usually don't have to keep telling people that the other 3 seats are taken -- generally, people see the tissues and move on.

Next, take your time and browse around a little. Most of the stalls specialize in one particular thing. Almost all of them have nice, color menus with pictures next to each dish they offer, along with the name. This makes is a lot easier when you have no idea what Mee Tai Mak (Rice noodle soup with fish balls -- no, not that kind) or Laksa (a spicy noodle soup) are. It can be a bit of a problem choosing when you see all the great looking food in the pictures, or just being cooked right in front of you. That is one other nice feature -- the kitchens are often right up front, not hidden away in the back. You can watch them prepare most of what you are going to eat. (This can also be a bad thing -- depending on what they are preparing ;-)

Finally, sit back and enjoy your meal.

Tropical Storms

Being by the equator, there is a lot of moisture and much rain here in Singapore. The occasional downpour in the middle of the day is to be expected. There have been a few times that I have risen from the depths of the shopping malls to find out that the clouds have moved in and decided to let loose with all the rain they had packed into them. Mostly, these showers are relatively short lived, but exciting -- ending within an hour or so.

Sometimes, the rain is accompanied by some thunder and lightning -- to add to the ominous effect. It is a pretty cool sight. Last night, however, things were pretty out of control.

Vicky and I were both awakened around 3 in the morning by a huge BOOM shaking the apartment. It wasn't just a loud clap of thunder, there seemed to be something more. The air sounded like it was sizzling with electricity. Then ... a bright flash of light, followed by another loud rumbling. Not just a short bang of thunder (which is how it normally occurs back home), but a long, drawn-out rumble, again accompanied by the electrifying sizzle of the air.

The burst came closer together and really lit up the sky. We peaked outside for a little while to watch the sky light up and the air shake with the powerful energy. It was as if Thor himself was coming to awaken the sleeping city/country of Singapore! (Okay, that might be a bit much, but if you get a chance to reference Thor in a blog, how do you pass it up?)

It was pretty cool to watch dazzling lighting and hear and feel the monstrous thunder booming in the night. The storms here are quite a bit different than those we have back in San Francisco. I was impressed to see there did not appear to be any flooding or huge messes from the storm coming morning's light. Singapore held off the terror of the skies ... for now!

Hiking in Singapore

Roughly in the middle of the country is a large natural preserve with a number of reservoirs and hiking trails. There is a really nice trail around the MacRitchie Reservoir which makes you feel (for the most part) that you are really out, away from the big city. The hike we chose was about 11 km (about 6.8 miles).

Being Singapore, there were plenty of signs telling us what not to do and the path was in excellent condition. A large section of the trail consists of a raised wood walking path set a foot or two above ground level so that people do not disturb the wildlife. Even though it was a Sunday, the trail was not too crowded.

The trail starts off (where we started) on a nice, gradual climb on a dirt path. Not more than 5 minutes into the walk, we already noticed the wildlife coming out to greet us. A whole group of monkeys were hanging in and around the path. They were looking for food, playing and just hanging out. Most of them were pretty playful and did not mind us stopping to take some pictures. There were a few temperamental ones that bared their teeth and hissed when we got near them. We were impressed that we got to see monkeys so soon into our hike.

Next stop was one of the main attractions on this trail -- the Tree Top Walk. It is a suspension bridge that is about 250m (750 ft.) long that rises over 75 feet over the ground. It literally takes you walking through the tree tops. It is very narrow and can only be crossed in one direction. The views are really nice and you can feel a nice cool breeze (which is always welcome in Singapore) up in the canopy. Well worth the trek out to walk across.

About halfway through the hike, there is another cool feature which doubles as a nice rest stop for a snack. It is a 4 story lookout tower in the middle of the trees. I am not quite sure if it was actually used for anything before, or just put in for the hikers. Either way, it is nice to get up into the breeze and sit a spell away from the animals so you can rest a few and have a snack. The views were nice, but they also dispel the myth that you are out in some wild jungle as you can see a few hundred yards away is a golf course.

After a short break, and a nice snack (rice balls, stuffed with different things -e.g. chicken, sweet beans or pork -- wrapped in a lotus leaf) it was time to finish the trail. Here, we had an option of staying in the trees, or walking along the water. We chose the water. There is a great wooden path built right alongside the reservoir which makes for an easy stroll around the water. Here, were saw some more wildlife, including turtles and a pretty large monitor lizard. The monitor was approx. 5 ft. long and right under the walkway. It scurried into the underbrush as we passed over him.

Overall, it was a great day at the reservoir. Hot and humid as usual, so make sure you bring plenty of water! It is a nice break to head to a jungle of trees as an escape from the jungle of shopping malls!

I am trying to add some pictures here, so hope they come through. Will add more when we download Vicky's pictures as I think she got some better shots.

Singapore -- The City below the City

Singapore is an amazing country/city. It is incredibly small (about 275 sq. miles), but has a lot crammed into that small package. To call this place a shopping mecca would be an understatement. You can plainly see this just walking down the main shopping district -- Orchard Road. Malls shoot up on all sides, with brilliant displays and signs showcasing every imaginable item. (There do not appear to be any zoning issues as "adult" shops are right next to clothing stores and electronics.)

The real interesting part, however, is when you step off the main road into one of the shopping cathedrals and go underground...

Not only are the large shopping centers five, six, ten stories tall; each of them seem to reach as far into the earth as well. There is a whole extra city below your feet. And I don't just mean each mall has its own sub-levels. Most of them are intertwined, creating a huge network of connected shopping centers spanning (what appears to be) miles under the city streets.

One of the reasons for this is undoubtedly access to the very clean, efficient (SF could learn from this!), and economical public transportation: the MRT. It is akin to BART, but nice, clean, timely and generally comfortable. As the MRT runs underground, it makes sense to put some shops down there as well to aid in the comfort of the commuters. It sure is nice to be able to step off the MRT and grab a cold beverage or a light snack for your walk above ground (if required) to your destination. This need/desire for a cold beverage leads to the next major reason...

The weather. Singapore is a mere 85 miles north of the equator. Thus the weather is constantly hot, humid and muggy. It sometimes takes a concerted effort just to breath the thick air. (Okay, a bit of an overexaggeration, but it gets the point across -- or just shows that I am really out of shape.) Walking out in the humidity tends to get uncomfortable. Thus, huge expanses of underground passages -- fully air conditioned for the shopper/commuter's comfort. It wouldn't be good to show up to the important business meeting or first date dripping with sweat, right?

Needless to say, there is a lot more to see in Singapore than just what you see on the surface. The city below, with the shops, MRT and vast array of hawker stands (i.e. food stalls), is an adventure in itself. I am sure I'll write more about the food soon, as that seems to be a big part of life out here and there are tons of places to try and a large variety of cuisines to sample.

I'll try to add some pictures soon, but wanted to give everyone a quick update on some of the first impressions I have from settling in here in Singapore. More soon!