Five Countries, Four Weeks Pt.2 "Singapore"

We took a cab to the hostel on Hong Kong Rd. Jesse had booked the hostels for the beginning of the trip as I had booked our flights for most of the trip. The hostel was great, it was the second trip that I had stayed in one and certainly not going to be the last. We enjoyed our stay and found ourselves ready for a late night snack. Really, the best thing open was the only thing open in this area, a Singaporean Fish Ball Soup restaurant court. It was small, looked sketchy (especially for Singapore) but had bumping clubs and well dressed individuals hanging out sucking back Tiger Beers.
A couple things we did before the trip was research and plan. Among the research we realized we had to be on our best behaviour in Singapore because of the strict reputation it is believed to have regarding its laws (caning, fines, jail time and the scariest of all, executions). Although we came innocently and without intent to create any mischief, we were worried. Three friends running around Asia, not to mention we were textbook victims of Murphy’s Law; so yes we were quite nervous. Turned out that smoking in public was merely frowned upon, the police won’t snatch you up randomly, strangers smile and even say hello when passing by. Yes, there are signs everywhere reminding one not to do this or that; however it really does not feel like it is more or less than anywhere else in the world. I would go as far as to say that the level of public awareness of laws and punishments help make Singapore the “City in the Garden” that it has been well described as by visitors.

Among the things we did in Singapore, we went to the Night Safari; Marina Bay Sky Sands; shopped; saw the botanical gardens; “Little India”; “Chinatown”; and “Arab Street”. Singapore was an expensive city, but we also spent a lot of the time relaxed in different places of the city. A great deal of time enjoyed was spent staring into the cityscape that looked like a practice session of gigantic Tetris. Food in Singapore ranged from great familiar western foods to new and interesting that we find hard to come across even in China where we live. The weather was great until the last day when the downpour began. We were boarding a train to Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. The tickets were easy to book and purchase online, well in advance.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Income Tax for Foriegners

To begin this, I'll sum up that if you are not necessarily interested in my own personal outlooks and views on things this is what you would like to see and get assitance with if you are an Expat in China who has no idea of how taxation works. http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2015/01/28/paying-foreign-employees-individual-income-tax.html For those of you who appreciate and looked forward to my "Feihua", here it is. I have been in China for four years now, just when I think I understand how things work-I'm wrong (or it changed). Regardless of what it is when you read this, it is this for the time being. Realistically it is not as bad as one may think it to be when comparing the tax process from here to other places such as in the Middle East. Again, the view is from an outsider of that culture and expat community, however it still seems to be a relatively  conversed and ranging topic of positives and negatives. The tax system in China has its benefits as wel...
Read more

大黑山 Big Black Mountain Hike (2014)

Smoggy day :( could be better but I have been trying to do this for far to long and I currently have the opportunity to do so. Seizing the day. Origin point jinshitan, qinggui to kaifaqu. Stopped in kaifaqu, heading to tong shi tai, it is the first stop of the smaller line that stems from kaifaqu station. When getting off the train in kaifaqu, walk to the railway to your right that has the next station sign pointing in the direction your train came from. Get on train. Get off the train and head down stairs, exit off the same way you entered the train. Once you punch out of the station, exit the right side of the building onto dongbei road, a short distance to your left you will see a curve I to the next street which is______ road, go down that road _____ a short distance ahead you will see a hard to notice bus stop, jump onto bus 4, take it till they kick you off. After you get kicked off you will be confused and around what looks to be a street market. Lots of places to get food and w...
Read more

Five countries, Four Weeks Pt.6 "Koh Phi Phi-Bangkok"

Koh Phi Phi was indeed a beautiful island, right from the moment we stepped off  the boat  till the second we got back on to leave. Again, everyone seems to be asking for a dollar here, a dollar there. It becomes regular yet annoying. The island itself is very small but so incredibly easy to get lost on. Every back alley takes you to the same main bays but how far down the bays you are is the tricky part of figuring out your location. We stayed at a shady looking guesthouse called “Oasis Guesthouse” which was not too expensive but certainly didn’t seem all that secure considering the windows were just glass panes and there seemed to be a gecko or two which were always running around. Kyle and I roomed together while Jesse and Krista were sharing a room. I mostly remember from the time spent in that room, Kyle telling me again and again “rather have geckos than anything else…” I looked at him as if he was getting ill. He continued to explain that geckos are two things, faster ...
Read more