Singapore Experience

Fireworks in singapore

View more photos 

Day 1 (New Years Eve) - Well, arrived in singapore via London at 7am local time after a pleasant flight with singapore airlines.  Those air-hostesses aren't nearly as hot as they are in the brochures :-) ...  Ozzie couple sitting next to me on way out - they were cool.  Yer man was working in London and was heading home for month. 

Coming in at arrivals there was a bloke standing with a name card waiting on a guy called "Patrick Looner".  Somebody musta been taking the piss ... Paddy Looner I thought ... It has to be some Oirish guy havin a laugh - I know I got one anyway.

Found out when I arrived at airport that they didn't hold hotel so booked one at reception at airport.  Last room in the whole of singapore she said.   Got to hotel and slept for about 5 hours.  Shouldn't have but just had to.  

Chinese Temple

View more photos 

Got up and went down town to an eatery.  Food is mad stuff - lotsa fish.  Ordered my tiger prawns and a bottle of tiger beer.  This local guy was at the table next to me drinking a bottle of Guinness ... thought it was a bit Ironic ... brought a smile!  Bought digital camera.  Went down to Marina to see new year fireworks.  They were fab devo dire.  Crowds were crazy.  Didn't make it to muddy murphies as planned but had a scoop ion the local for new year. Had to go back to hotel to sleep more ... got back about 2am.

Thinking about my Irish and Italian friends and wondering what they are up to now.

Day 2 (New Years Day) - got up about 8am local feeling good.  Turns out Ireland is celebrating new years eve right at that moment.  Weird feeling to celebrate  new yrs eve twice.  Get a few texts.  Al is ringin it in at christchurch... wonde if it's cold there?  Check out and go down town shopping all day.  Great place if you're into that sort of thing.  Bought the T-Shirt.  Got a pretty short bazzer (#1 at the sides ... hmmm).

Went to a local tailor today to get my pants turned up (my legs are too short - or maybe the pants are too long ... not sure which was the main reason :-)).  He was interesting guy - knew all about english football and supported liverpool.  He knew everything about them so he wasn't just a local keeping the tourists happy.  He even knew all about Nottingham Forest (Cloughie etc) which impressed me.  Paid 13 dollar for the pleasure which is like 6 Euro ... how bad... probably a rip off in local terms but I don't care too much - it was ready in 20 minutes.  These guys are super efficient.

Anyway staying in hostel tonight.  Lotsa americanos about.  Chatted with a spanish couple who are travelling around worl for 15 months .. they're off to borneo next - cool out as they say - was teaching them a few irish words .. only the bad ones of course :-).

All in all Singapore was a pleasant first encounter.  The people are like the irish were 20 years ago ... very very fiendly and welcoming and so very polite.  Everything is so easy here - it's just like london in a way with all the english names streets.  Everyone speaks english. You can really feel the influence of colonilization here.  It's like being back in the 1920s with the overhead fans and old colonial english architecture.

Taxis are cheap and the streets are well signposted so you can't get lost!    The mix of Indian, chinese and a few other sothern asian cultures thrown in makes it a very interesting place and well worth the visit.  Two to 3 days is just about enought if you're thinking of coming here.

It's 11.45 now and I'm jacked and have my early flight to brisbane tomorrow ... must be at airport at 7.30am so am hitting the hay now.  Hope there's no snorers about tonight.

Slan
     EireMan