Wow, Changi airport is very efficient!

I had a rough first night at hostel called Lee’s Mansion – place looked like such a dump, but I was soooo hot & sweaty and my feet were soooo tired that I couldn’t bear to keep searching for another place. Got at least 20 mosquito bites that night & didn’t get much rest up on my top bunk. The area of town really scared me, but once I’d been in Singapore for a couple days I got a better feel for the culture & realized that I was probably much safer than I’d felt. Anyways, I moved out to the Sun Sun, a much nicer place, the next day with 3 girls from Norway.

I loved the cable car ride to Sentosa Island, even though I had to admit that the huge Merlion with lazers coming out of his eyes was a bit tacky! Just being there on a breezy evening and wandering around was so relaxing, though. Caught a fountain show which was pretty elaborate – lasers, lights, music, and cartoons lit up in the mist. Mount Faber, on the other end of the cable car, was a beautiful place to walk around & look at the views, but unfortunately I was quite rushed so I couldn’t hike town the hills.

I followed in Craig’s footsteps and used the Singapore Airlines Hop On bus to get to the Botanical Gardens. Beautiful park & I was glad to see some spots in Singapore that still didn’t have concrete on them. Funny that people call Singapore the "concrete jungle" but they also call it the "green city" with its many parks. Felt like a tropical jungle with all the lush plantlife there.

In Singapore I learned 2 things about myself:

#1. I hate soy milk! (I tried to like it, but nope I just couldn’t stomache it!)

#2. I hate crysanthemum tea even more!!!! It looked so good sitting there, all cold in that vending machine, but it was so vile that I couldn’t even drink it!! That’s a flower that should stick in bouquets, not in iced tea!

I think Grant and my Dad would be proud of my navigating skills so far! The minute I get to a city I get set up with a detailed map & transit schedules, and I can get just about anywhere!

• EFFICIENT is the key word to describe Singapore – Pete says its due to economies of scale (lots of people in a little area)
• Strict laws – no gum-chewing, sign in bathroom "Fine of $150 for not flushing toilet"
• Singlish – many older people in markets with speak with an accent which is almost like a cross between Malais and English with shortened words & slurred phrases. Many times I just gave up and shrugged my shoulders after I’d already asked them to repeat themselves 4 times!
• Rains every day around 3:30
• Singapore is a small island, but it seems very difficult to actually get to the ocean! For me to get to East Coast Beach (one of the only seaside parks) I had to take the metro, then a bus, and then walk a fair ways
• Hawkers markets – the best place for food. Funny that they won’t give out any paper napkins with your meal. A bit tough if eating something sloppy!
• $15 Singapore Sling and $11 cider (8.4% alcohol, though)