Danger Danger!

Where the Hell is Noah?

From the Bangkok Post:

Flee to the rooftops!

It's official. Bangkok will be flooded. After 2 weeks of promises from the Prime Minister all the way down to the dude selling mangos on the corner that Bangkok would be safe, we have finally been told to expect the worst. Abandon all hope ye who dwell here:

Unless, like us, you live on the 12th floor.

Luckily our street isn't expected to be flooded. So naturally our building looks like Fort Knox (that's a big... bank? in America).

Let's just say this: at least the people protecting our building are taking a pro-active approach that will virtually guarantee that we'll be safe, whether the water comes or not. I only wish the janitor of our building would run for Prime Minister of Thailand.

Thailand Re-Visited

Well, we're here. We are staying in a hotel room, essentially, for the next month. The building is nice and has a gym, but the pool is being renovated, so none of that. We don't have to do anything work wise until next Friday when we have our first day of orientation. Then we do training the week after that. Should be good.
We took a walk and it's like... BAM. Back in Asia! All the noise and pollution and poverty is thrust right into my face so fast. It is simultaneously overwhelming and comforting. It feels like home... which is good that I feel that way. I'm not sure why I have such an affinity for the chaotic nature of these places, but it just has an energy that Western countries don't. It's exciting and alive.

But we do not feel excited or alive at the moment. So wrecked. I slept about 30 minutes on the first plane and 20 minutes on the floor in the airport. But Malaysia has the world's most excellent coffee for less than $2 a cup and I enjoyed a few of those and some Malaysian food favorites. That kept me going. We're back in our room now, it's 5:30 and we feel like we should be asleep... haven't even had dinner yet!

I Finally Did Some Calculations...

Finally, six weeks after after finishing the trip, I decided to sit down and add up all my expenditures. So here it is:

Including all flights (except going to Thailand in November, which was paid for by my last job in Korea) and all accidents (remember the motorbike?) the grand total for 4 months of travel is $3,123.27. December 10th-April 13th, 18 weeks, and that's all I spent, including my flight to New Zealand. Pretty amazing how cheap it is!

On average I spent $178.52 a week and $25.60 a day.

In each country:
Thailand (5 weeks): $666.32 = $133.26/week
Laos (2.5 weeks): $293.03 = $117.20/week
Cambodia (2.5 weeks): $404.47 = $161.80/week
Vietnam (4 weeks): $558.13 = $139.53/week
Malaysia (4 weeks): $440.01 = $110/week
Singapore (5 days): $106.92 = $134.66/week

I thought about breaking it down by what I did, like transportation and food... but that would require too much time and math. So no.

But there it is, I spent a little over 6 weeks of pay in Korea to travel for 4 months. So for all of you who say you can't afford it, I say PSHAW!

The Unveiled Truth

So we didn't stay in Singapore to house sit. We didn't even stay in Asia! The journey had to come to an end. Leighton and I were feeling quite travel-weary way back when we were in Phuket in February. It must sound a bit strange because we haven't mentioned it at all. That was all part of the secret ploy to surprise Leighton's parents, our most avid readers. Well, the gig is up and the truth comes out. Four months was about 1 month too long.

Except for our wonderfully lazy week in Phuket at Melinda's and Sarah's house. Thank God in Heaven for their hospitality! We spent almost that entire week glued to the TV doing almost nothing. We barely left their house! But it was all for the best. We were tired. We were sore. We were traveled out! All we wanted to do was sit around in a house in a vegetative state. We had ZERO interest in seeing anything. We couldn't bare the thought of a temple, museum, or palace. Even our ventures into the darling downtown of Phuket Town with its Portuguese-colonial shop-houses became daunting and exhausting. All we wanted was to go home. Thanks to Dear Melinda and Sweet Sarah we had that opportunity. As a result, we felt better.

When we finally departed and found ourselves in Hat Yai we found ourselves in a state of excitement. A new adventure! A new place! All that homesick weariness was fading, and our spirits were up. By the second or third day in Georgetown our furious desire to "go home" washed out into the straights that surrounded the island. And thank God! Malaysia was one of our favorites! Everywhere we went was impeccably clean and filled with kind people and stop-you-in-your-tracks-delicious food. We were happy again. We craved the next place. And yet, we were tired. We were ready for a bit of rest. What we needed was to stay in one place for more than a week.

Now, in Timaru, we are "home," in a house that Leighton saw only in its early stages of being built and I've only seen in pictures. But it feels like home. Leighton's parents are wonderfully kind and the house feels exceedingly like home. In New Zealand the winters are quite warm and, as a result, houses aren't fully heated like they are in the States. They have a "heat pump" (which looks identical to the A/C in my apartment in Seoul) that heats the open-plan living spaces (kitchen, living room). The remainder of the house (bedrooms & bathrooms) aren't heated. The beds have electric blankets under the fitted sheet and the bathroom has a heated towel rack (and the best shower we've had in months).

So here we are. We've cooked some of our favorite meals and shared some of our stories. We've unpacked for what I hope is the last time for a while. Computers booted up and recharged. Clothes laundered and put away into drawers. Two men, tired and weary, at home and restless with the lack of direction. I literally paced the house today while watching TV (freaking MacGuyver on TV!!). I couldn't sit still...

Tricky Tricky

Ha ha ha! We pulled off the surprise!

We left Singapore and flew to Kuala Lumpur where we caught a plane to Christchurch, New Zealand! We had chartered a shuttle to Timaru and it let us off about 10 minutes from Leighton's parents house. We had just enough time to set our packs down before they pulled in the drive way and SURPRISE!!!

His mom about had a heart attack! They both said they had some inkling that we were coming. His dad said he had a strange feeling...

Either way, we got them! Four months of plotting!

Aside from some visa issues and emergency plane ticket-buying, it went off without a hitch. I'll leave the details at this: the NZ embassy in Bangkok might have to fire the idiot who told me I didn't have to have proof of outward travel (i.e. a plane ticket leaving NZ).

Anyway, we're here and just slept for almost 11 hours and have a dentist appointment later. We finally made it "home" and it definitely feels that way.

Singin in the Rain, Just Singapore in the Rain

Singapore. What a place. It reminds me so much of Chicago! The vast sidewalks and wide avenues lined with skyscrapers galore. Landmark architecture feeds the visual field gluttonously. Every direction has a skyline worth a picture. The buildings under ten stories are equally impressive in their design. From the erotic Ilumi building to the provocative School of Art, Singapore's architects compete with the world for beauty and win.

We arrived late due to traffic at the military-chic immigration facility that had a strong resemblance to a prison-cum-fortress. We were nervous because we were smuggling chewing gum into tue country. It's the little things in life that get me worked up these days. We walked from the bus drop-off to the ultra modern MRT station and easily found the ticket machine and the right platform. Four stops later we were lost. Bloody poor exit signage! One point to the Seoul subway! Eventually we found the apartment of he girl we're staying with only to discover a note that she and her friend were out to dinner. Blast! On the Ignoble House of Traffic a plague for the ages!

No worries though, the chicken rice place was just around the corner. It was nice to see Jess again! Chicken rice is pretty simple: chicken (either steamed or rotisserie) and rice done in spiced chicken broth. Yummy and relaxing, a true comfort food and one of Singapore's specialties! The place around the corner is also, according to Jess, a local favorite spot that the tourists skip in favor of a much pricier one down the street mentioned in the travel guides. We got reacquainted and then took a nice long walk around the city with our very own tour guide!

The hospitality just got better and better. Jess demanded we sleep in her bed while she took the couch and was just as kind as a button. We can't begin to say thank you enough for all the things she has done for us while we've been her guests. We felt like family and it made all the difference. On Saturday we woke up and set off for some kaya toast and coffee. Kaya is a honey and egg spread that is best compared to peanut butter. Locals enjoy it on "Texas toast," which is just a thicker bit of toast than the average. They finish the meal with a dollop of creamy butter and nice dark coffee, all for less than $3 (cheaper if you go to a kopitiam, the popular food centers all over town). After breakfast we set off for a grand tour of the city. We saw a glimpse of Singapore's cave system known as "the mall." There are over 500 malls on the island and many of them are linked via subways and underground tunnels, making it possible to spend the whole day out of the sun and then whole night out of the rain.

After a quick stop at home to change we headed for Palau Ubin. You'll remember that palau means 'island' in Bahasa Malaya, the "local" language of Singapore until it broke away from the Confederation of Malaya. These days there are more Chinese people in Singapore than any other race, but the name of this eco-island stuck. We took a cab over to Changi Village and caught a 'bumboat' from there to the island. We rented some bikes and hit the road. With only a few vehicles on the island and a derth of local interest in anything other than shopping, we found solace and quiet on the many trails. At one point we were riding along talking and catching up when the bushes in front of us suddenly rumbled and exploded! A WILD BOAR burst out of the brush and sprinted across the path into the safety of the jungle on the other side!!! It was huge! At least 100kg I'd guess. It was so massive! We were all a bit stunned as none of us had ever seen one before.

I was surprised Leighton's inner Maori didn't jump off his bike and tear off after the beast! Haha. He told me he didn't get that gene. Oh well, plenty of pork available in the city...

We stopped for a lunch of bitter gourd soup before returning our bikes.

We returned home after the long ride via the bus, showered and rested for a bit, then set out for Little India. Apparently we are among the most insane of people for visiting this part of town, especially on a Saturday and even more so at night! It was crowded and noisy, but actually felt more normal for Leighton and me. We've gotten so used to crowded, dirty cities that walking around Singapore felt strange. At least in Little India felt more like locals than Jess. A stroll through Mustafa mall was all we needed before hunger took hold and we needed some dinner. We hit up a 24-hour roti place and enjoyed it way too much.

Then we walked to Clark Quay, the big, touristy bar/club area. We sat out in front of a bungee slingshot thing and watched as grown men screamed like girls while we sipped on beers, our first since Thailand. After only 2 bottles I was a bit tipsy...

The next day we ate breakfast at home and then headed for the Singapore Art Museum and National Museum of Singapore, both of which were free for the day! Yay for free! They were both really great museums and we saw some very provocative art and learned some interesting things about Singapore's past and it's cultures. After the museums we ate a simple lunch at the kopitiam. Leighton and I both opted for a "choose 7" tofu soup deal for $3.50. Essentially we could choose any 7 items to put in a vegetable broth, with noodles for an extra $0.50. We chose some tofu things and rounded it out with 3-4 vegetable options each. Yum! Very simple, very healthy, very cheap!

Afterwards we took the MRT to Santosa Island and took a walk along the beach. We sat down and watched the sunset as best we could through the gathering storm clouds, enjoying some fruit and juices while we did. Although the storms eventually blew out to see, there was lots of beautiful lightning to watch as it bucketed down on our way to dinner at Lau Pa Sat hawker market. We were celebrating Jessica's friend's birthday with a dinner of satay Singapore style. They grill the sticks (15 each of beef, lamb, chicken and shell-on shrimp) and deliver them to the table with individual servings of satay sauce. The meats were so delicious we barely needed to dip them at all, but we did as the sauce was a winner as well! Not as spicy as the Melakan version, but even more peanut flavor.

After dinner we took a long walk around the Esplanade area and enjoyed beautiful night views of the city's towers, hotels, and attractions including the Giant Ferris Wheel and the Marina Bay Sands hotel (three 60ish story buildings which, in collaboration with each other, support what looks like a cruise ship that some how landed on top in a giant wave). Very cool. Never seen anything like it.

Monday Jess went to work and Leighton and I took the opportunity to find the Korean market. We bought some necessary supplies before meeting Jess for lunch (sliced fish with ginger and spring onion with rice topped with oyster sauce). This is where I took my camera out to photograph the food, only to lose the extra memory card I had tucked in the case. Fail. No more pictures of anything for me!

That afternoon we walked to the famous Orchard Road and hit up some malls. We shopped and laughed before heading home and getting dinner together. We made some side dishes we thought were appropriate and prepped dinner so it would be easy to throw together when Jess got home. The birthday boy, Saravana, came over just before Jess arrived home so we added some mass to the food. We popped the cork on the wine and started cooking. Dinner went over well as both of our "guests" enjoyed everything we cooked. There weren't any leftovers! After dinner we took a stroll and Jess showed us the location of Garrett's Popcorn!

Could Singapore be anymore like Chicago!? Garrett's, here? Mon Dieu! On Tuesday I made sure Leighton had a taste, but we skipped buying a bag as a small caramel or Chicago Mix cost $9. Sick.

Tuesday started with heartfelt goodbyes to Jess, who had to jet off to Jakarta for work. We hugged and thanked her for everything. She asked us to stay and housesit while she was gone! THANKS JESS!!!

The day started lazy but eventually we made it down to Chinatown and ate at a noodle shop Jess recommended. La Mien somethingorother on Smith Street is famous for its hand-pulled noodles you can watch being made. We waited for almost 15 minutes for our food, an eon in Asia. When it came it was good! For only $4.80 we had a classic Chinese dish made with love. Unfortunately the proprietors find it necessary to scam customers. They placed some "pickles" on the table along with 'wet-wipe' style tissues while we waited. Now, we learned not to use the hand wipes back in Vietnam because they're not free. The pickles, however, we assumed we free. They were basically like a kimchi. Having done the Korea thing we didn't think twice about them.

When it came time to pay our meal was $3 more expensive than the expected $9.60. Each tissue was $0.50 and the pickles were $2! We didn't use the tissues, "fine" she said, and then pointed to the itty bitty writing cleverly hidden in a column of other food that said that each table would be charged $2 for the pickles. I stood my ground and told her I wouldn't pay for them. She argued for a few seconds before throwing her toys and storming off to the cash register to bring us change for our $10. We decided to just leave and let her keep the damned $0.40! If you visit Singapore definitely go here for food, but be aware of the prices and be careful when ordering. She tried to get us to order a batch of dumplings and assumed the sale so well we almost didn't realize she MADE us order them. Tricky lady, but good food!

Then we walked through Fort Canning Park and made our way back over to Orchard Road for some more faffing about. We got home early and did some laundry before heading out for dinner and comedy. Jess had told us about an open mic night at a nearby bar that sounded very similar to the one we attended often in Seoul. The host, Umar, had even won second place in the same Hong Kong International Comedy Contest in 2009 as Seoul's host, Brian, had in 2008 (Brian also took second place... interesting parallels happening here). The standup was a bit rough at times but the second half of the show brought out more seasoned performers. We laughed a lot and were very happy when a visiting comedienne did 5 minutes at the end in preparation for her upcoming sold out shows at the British Club. She was worth the wait; we didn't get home til after 1am!

Today is Wednesday and we have heaps more on our agenda for Singapore! We also have to plan our trip to Indonesia. Jess should have some good tips when she gets back!

Again, thanks a million to Jess for the free accommodation. With cheap hotel rooms here costing an average of $60 a night, she saved us from starvation and tears. Singapore wouldn't have been the same without her amazing suggestions and excellent tour-guiding. We did so much and saw so much. We ate food from well-known food stalls that only locals would know about and met great people with interesting stories to tell.