Slingin' in Singapore

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emoh ruo

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It was the night before Singapore and all through the house,

Not a person was stirring, not even a mouse.

A mouse? Where is Monty when you need her?

Oh yes! She went missing for a while but was eventually found in a nest of dried leaves under a rhododendron in the back yard. She had managed to make a nice little bed for herself and looked like she was there for the duration.

Now she is safely fed and watered in her new home.

Early on the Wed morning Tim beat the alarm clock! He rang from Rosebery to wish us well as he was already at work and on his way to a site meeting. Liz was to drive us to the airport so we had breakfast with her. What a contrast is ahead of us. See photo? It was a cold, frosty morning at their house and we are heading for 30+ in Singapore tonight. Rock on!

clarke quay and river

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Don’t let anyone tell you that Columbia trousers keep out the wind. They don’t. I wore “Skins” with a pair of trousers over them in preparation for Singapore. It was a very cold walk to the car. They will be great in the heat of Asia and Europe but not in Alaska! I will be able to zip off the trouser legs and be cool.

Booking in early gave us an aisle row. I wonder who will get that? The same person who grabs the window seat (irrespective of ticketing) on all short flights? (this is Marg doing [roof reading, and I will have you know that I was the one tucked into confined spaces. What is more I have accepted that he always has the aisle seat providing I have all window seats when that is an option)

Singapore, here we come!!

Here we are in Singapore. It is overcast 29 degrees and humid. Shane and Yixin met us and we taxied to their condo. There is no requirement for a personal car, even if you can afford one. The public transport system is so good.

bird park

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Apparently in Singapore the paternalistic State provides access to all citizens to housing. They are referred to as “HBD”. I assume Housing Board Developments. As non-citizens, Shane and Yixin don’t get access they have bought a condo. It is a lovely unit with 2 b-rooms and is on the 14^th floor. It has a pool and other “nicer” amenities that the HBD does not have.

The HBD can be funded from superannuation contributions so a young couple can buy one and pay it off as they contribute during their working life. But they MUST be married and stay together. So they joke is, according to Shane and Yixin, that a marriage proposal in Singapore can be when a young man goes down on his knee and asks his intended; “Would you do me the honour of becoming a partner with me in an HBD?”

It was midnight local time before we hit the hay. That’s 2am back home. Who’d have thought I’d become a night person? I ain’t.

But I have become a bit of a philosopher. So I will share some of my lessons for life that I have learned this far. That is, new lessons, not the old ones that I have already learned.

Lesson 1: Make sure your case is zipped up before you demonstrate to other show clever you are to get packed before them. ( See photo? Marg informed me that this was not a good way to prepare for a flight. Duh!!!)

Lesson 2: Listen carefully to what the flight attendants say. When warning us about not smoking she said, “It is a feral offence to smoke anywhere on the aircraft”.

Lesson 3: When going out of the country be a believer.

That small bottles of stuff DO have to be in a sealed plastic bag or they will be removed.

That ginger tablets in foil will set off an alarm as you go through the sensor.

That the third time through the sensor having removed almost everything, it COULD be the plastic mobile phone.

That after a fuss in the metal detector you CAN be selected randomly for a drugs and explosive search.

That your spouse can stand and watch all the above happening with a “Can we go now? I have a plane waiting.” expression.

Lesson 4: that when sharing mints from a small box it is possible to recreate your childhood. Remember other kids, the naughty ones, rolling Jaffas down the aisle at the pictures. Mints really roll when a jumbo is climbing.

Lesson 5: If you spill water in your lap just before you want to join the queue at the loo, it is a long time before your lap dries out enough that other passengers don’t think you couldn’t make it.