Singaporean Rain

Coming from Southern California to Singapore results in a lot of getting used to, on a lot of different fronts. Cuisine, culture, and especially cataclysmic weather fronts.

Having grown up in the Northwest, I have no reason to be enthralled with rain.  There a wet day was as common as being called to dinner.  We went days, weeks, even months without seeing the sun all while being dripped on by those Alaskan storms caught over Puget Sound.

So why has Singapore's rainy season been such a lure.  Late November and all of December are rain days.  Everyday. Sometimes in the morning, more likely in the afternoon and evening, but always daily. Perhaps the shear intensity and instant effect have me completely under their spell.

I recall seeing an old Sean Connery movie where he played a scientist in the Amazon.  One of the scene featured an "instant on" rain storm, and I thought, what a Hollywood effect that was. Now, I stand corrected, and I totally get it.Tropical rainstorms are magnificent works of Mother Natures art.

Water drops the size of Brazil nuts, thunder and lightening pummeling the atmosphere, all packaged in a relatively quick interlude, make up storms I only saw occasionally in places like Chicago and New York.  Here they're taken in stride, literally and figuratively.

Just for fun, here are two I captured recently.  One at night and one in the afternoon.  Use you're super headphones to take in the 5.1 surround sound on the thunder.

Bangkok Night & Day

Being close to so many countries in the Asia Pacific area seems to make it impossible NOT to travel.  So I bit the bullet and booked a bombardier to Bangkok, Thailand for a quick two nights and days.

I'd heard the good, the bad and the ugly about Bangkok, but also learned it was a tourist savvy and welcoming country, despite the current government/military unrest....and occasional bombings. It's cheap, has incredible food, with good western hotels and shopping malls, transportation directly into the main part of Bangkok from the airport and more noise, smells and sounds than you can shake a stick at.

I booked a great room at the Holiday Inn Siam ( about $75 a night super deluxe upgrade all in), crammed my backpack with enough clothes to get me through a sweaty weekend and off to Bangkok I headed.  As I was on the train from the airport, it looked inviting to depart at a local station rather than the end of the line.  It gave me a chance to walk the streets on a hot Friday night with just the locals, exploring side streets and dark alleys (well I'm getting dramatic now) and taking in the sense of being deep in the heart of this energetic and non-stop city.  Here's what it looked like the night I arrived............

Now, to be fair.....Bangkok also has a daytime.

  

You can spot the teams of women who come to shop in Thailand at their huge malls.  Whereas you'll find NO DEALS in Singapore, you'll find tons of them here. The dollar is strong and the Bhatt is weak.  Figure it out.  However, and I wish I had taken one more picture, after seeing all the western brand name stores at all the malls, you have to walk through another huge, long mall at the airport....with the same stores.  It's like "honey, I forgot to pick up a $25,000 Guicci watch in Bangkok.  Let me just grab one here at the airport".  Really?

The Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand

 There are many things considered a sin in Bangkok.  But missing a tour of The Grand Palace might be the biggest.

During my quick weekend to Thailand, I made it a point of getting up early and being among the first people in on a Sunday morning.....a heavy tourist visiting day to the G.P. It opens at 8:30....I was in line at 8:00.

The Grand Palace is a combination of sacred Buddhist Shrines and Temples and the Halls and offices of governmental Thailand when used by the Kings and Queens.  It's all on one big area.  Like Disneyland and California Adventure all in one spot.  This complex was established in 1782, so its got some waters under the bridge, so to speak.  There's nothing like it in Singapore, or Florida, so I found this a fantastic journey.....until all the crowds hit.  Then it was a fantastic body pack.

Honestly, unless you are steeped in reverence and can enjoy the meditative and prayerful  aspects, The Grand Palace complex, all 218,000 square meters of it, becomes a super visual experience with overwhelming structures and colors.  You just plain need to walk around and take it all in as best you can.  And try to kiss up to the Guards for a close photo.  I felt secure here, considering two Thailand military guys also took the picture.  This guard never moved. 

Let me give you a quick tour............hit the button.

Always lots to do in Bangkok, but start one of your mornings off early and enjoy The Grand Palace.

Putting the Boy Oh Boy in Botanic

Now with over a month and a half of Singapore in my veins, I am finding it a bit challenging to come up with something to do on the weekends. 

There's always the Malls, which are in full Christmas swing.Or some other ideas......................

Malls on both sides as far as you can see on Orchard Road

Candy Canes in 85 degree weather

Buy fresh fish at the grocery store

Start a delivery service

Look at buildings around town

Ride the bus around town all day

Singapore Botanic Gardens

 Or I could finally go to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, one of the recommended tourist and local things to do on weekends.  So, Lewis & Clark move over.  I'm now officially "Botanical", at least in my mind.  Play the video and see the grass.   
It is a great reminder that walking around in Singapore is more about glowing with perspiration than enjoying a leisurely stroll.  In fact, a leisurely stroll induces perspiration, so you basically just sweat.  The nice thing is, so does everyone else.  Somehow being in the calming green of the Gardens made it more tolerable.
-Exeunt-

Buying a car in Singapore is not for the faint of heart.

Singapore has so many unique aspects to it, that everyday seems to provide a gutsy look at  world governance and dealing with success. This country has been forced to be inventive, collaborative, staunch and visionary because it has no natural resources, borrows water from it's neighbors and sports a thriving and growing population, who view all people as equal and deserving of respect.  Singapore also takes on tough questions and rules in favor of sensible decisions.

Take owning a car, for instance.

Here, the roads are in perfect condition, beautifully landscaped and designed so you can easily make your way around the country in a variety of directions.  So, who wouldn't want a car to take in all the vistas and causeways provided?  Well......maybe it's not a question of what YOU want, but what the government has figured out to keep the country from choking on increasing traffic congestion.  They put their foot down.  Public transportation is everywhere and superb.  But how do you force people to use it?   Watch this.

So, scooters for everyone! 

A couple of additional points. The C.O.E. is an actual bi-monthly bidding function.  You basically sign up for a lottery on your new car purchase.  In addition, it is only good for 10 years.  No hanging on to the old Mercedes 190.  If you want to keep your favorite beater, after 10 years, pay more....again. Then that little device stuck on your windshield, sends a signal to automatically pay your daily road tolls, parking and whatever else, all of which just keeps adding to your costs.

Will driving be elitist in Singapore in a decade or so? Only for the most wealthy?  Perhaps. But already I pick up in conversation from people at all levels,  owning a car in Singapore is not a necessary lifestyle fixture.  Yes, it's great for showing off your wealth, if that's your "thing". But  other than that, save an immense wad of money and just use public transportation. Walking, subways, buses and taxis are an ingrained part of Singaporean life.  Cars.  Well, not having one is not the end of the world.

Think of how much spending green you'd have in your pockets each year without payments, insurance, maintenance, gas costs.  But, I live in L.A., so forget that model.

Continuing to Explore my Singapore "hood"

There just are no bad areas in Singapore.  Especially in the City portion where I'm located.  Literally you can walk outside, spin around and just start moving and I guarantee you'll find a park, Mall, Hawker Center, forty 7/11's (all the size of a phone booth here), fruit stands, and whatever. It's safe no matter what time and where you are.  No begging allowed. Relatively zero bugs. But always humid.

So, I walk around on weekends and explore.  My biggest concern here is forgetting they drive on the other side and I'll forget to look before I walk. Wipe Out !!!!!

Here are some random shots from all around.

The famous "Singapore Sling" at Raffles Hotel

The "Long Bar" at Raffles where they serve the $30 Singapore Sling

These two bartenders made me the best drink at a restaurant called Bacchanalia

These are my worker friends Wai Loon and Audrey at an "American Burger" restaurant.

Interesting clouds outside my hotel window

Sushi layout at a super market.  Food is expensive here.

Massive indoor garden called Gardens by the Bay

This is across the courtyard and it's called the "Cloud Dome" You walk around up on those ramps.

This is the Supreme Court Building in downtown. 

Fresh fish, anyone??????

the veggie section

Sentosa Island - Singapore's Theme Park

Simply because it rests in every tourist brochure, airline magazine and Singapore Guidebook, I  suppose I succumbed to a visit to Sentosa Island out of pure Caucasian curiosity.

Sentosa Island is a reclaimed land mass island adjacent to the Singapore Harbor, which has been put together as a convention spot, casino, theme park and high-end mall.... with a beach attached.

It stands as the singular spot for a family visiting with children to let off some steam, hit some rides, and to do so in a clean and organized fashion.  And like the rest of Singapore, it's safe. Although I took some shots of three Chinese women from Singapore who had never been there. So locals are a strong market as well.

Since it is an "island" there are a couple of ways to get there....one was just to tempting to not try.

So there's a quick look at Sentosa Island.  The amazing thing in addition to spending all day around food, shops, and shops and food.... when you arrive back on the mainland, you'll be at Vivo City, a action-packed, gigantic super mall, with food, shops, and shops and food.  The astounding thing, after my first month here I 'm beginning to differentiate the Malls.  I actually know which ones are the must sees, and which to avoid. It must be the Singaporean water!

There.  I've done Sentosa Island.  Now onto the less familiar areas of Singapore and the heart and soul of this adventure.

Lucky for Lewis & Clark I wasn't there!

Blow the whistle! Flag on the play!

I thought I was Mr. Singapore "go anywhere, no problem"!  Eating my words today.

I wanted to put a little travel log together on the Chinatown here in Singapore. I've done Little India, now Big China.  However, I had my directional lunch handed to me yesterday. A wrong exit out of the MRT and I got a little lost, didn't have my map, wasn't on WiFi for my phone and just walked around hoping to find Chinatown.

By the time I found it......I was tired, hot and dehydrated.  I frankly did not do it justice. However, looking for the silver lining, I probably found some streets I wouldn't have ventured otherwise.

Bottom line however.....there is a tourists Chinatown and a Chinese Chinatown.  I touched both.

Singapore: Asia for Beginners

Since this is my first sojourn to Asia and I admit being a complete apprentice, perhaps some good observations, based on information from locals, might be worthy of sending along.

This week the phrase "Singapore, Asia for beginners" really struck home.  The moment I heard it from my luncheon guest Sylvia, a woman from the Netherlands who has lived here for 9 years with her husband and son, I understood the concept. There is a reason I have found Singapore to be so welcoming and appealing.  This country is set up to handle the world.  I'll detail this in a moment.

But first, I found prior to my departure, many of us had little if any idea just exactly where Singapore is situated geographically.  If I had polled most of us, I bet "somewhere in China" would have been the most common guess.

So I put this little geography lesson together on just where exactly is Singapore.

Hope it helps.

Why is Singapore Asia for beginners?

Simply put, if you're trying out Asia for the first time.....start here!  Everything works!

• They speak English as the official National language
• The people are incredibly friendly
• The transportation system is fantastic and easy to use
• It is squeaky clean and prides itself on good citizenship
• Every food is well represented here (you can have Kaya toast for breakfast, Bat Kut Teh for lunch and KFC for dinner)
• It is small and moving around is manageable and quick
• They have cool places to visit for tourists like a fantastic zoo and futuristic waterfront
• Their airport (Changi) was just named the best in the world this week
• Their financial business economy was just named best in the world this week
• They have more shopping malls than you can imagine, all spotless and air conditioned
• Their films are released at about the same time as in the U.S.A.
• It is safe, safe, safe.  Walk anywhere, anytime.
• They don't try to rip you off
• It's beautiful with lush vegetation
• No potholes
• Incredible hotels and upscale restaurants
• Their currency is called a "dollar" and the fellow portrayed looks like Walt Disney

You get the point.  No disrespect, but.....go to Thailand......crowded, dirty, bad traffic.  Go to Cambodia, temples, crowded, dirty, mixed food situations....go to Vietnam, backwater, crowded, pollution......Indonesia, security concerns....Malaysia, security concerns, etc. China,....try breathing! Japan, crowded, congestion.  All totally interesting and fun to visit, should you be so lucky.

But start here!  Singapore: Asia for Beginners!

More Local Singapore Food Dishes

Yes! I snuck in a Whopper from Burger King the other night because I needed an American Food fix.  But now I'm repenting and have asked my friend Wai Loon to continue my authentic food indoctrination..... (such a good word to use in Singapore).

Wai Loon's local food knowledge goes way-deep and his epicurean lessons on traditional Malay and Chinese foods served in Singapore take, what could be a plain meal, and turn it into an historic understanding of why some of these dishes have such importance.

Today, it's Bak Kut Teh....which means meat on the bone with tea.  As you'll see, it's a spicy soup which evolved from the early Chinese work force in Singapore taking essential healing herbs and just adding them to the meat soup they ate daily.  This enhanced the flavor and turned it into a ritual habit.  Today, Singaporeans argue over who knows the best local neighborhood Bak Kut Teh restaurant.  Trust me, none of them are fancy, but all serve each meal with care and immense pride.

Wai Loon tossed in another surprise, which picked up the heat and was an all-time first for me. Take a look.

Hitting the Singapore Tourist Nightlife

On a hot Saturday evening in Singapore, you can't just stay home and count down the hours.  You have to get out and feel the city!  In terms of just walking around with the crowd, the place to go is the River Front at Clarke Quay.  Apparently, everyone else was thinking the same thing, at least if you are affluent or have tourist dollars in your pocket, because the folks were out.

This stop is definitely not catering to the typical Singaporean, as the food prices are high and the drinks higher.  Draft beer $18. Come on.  But it is a place to walk, sit, relax and enjoy having the work week finished.  And if the evening is too hot, just go inside the adjoining Mall.

Houses in my Singapore "Hood"

 Looking at a little architecture in the 2 or 3 blocks exactly adjacent to my hotel, I enjoyed seeing the modern, private condos, or small homes and even the older pre-war buildings.

Space and housing in Singapore are presenting a growing problem, as the island is not infinite in size, yet the population expands continually, now over 5 million. So, having a home is not cheap.  A nice three bedroom condo in a top neighborhood, roughly 1,200 sqr. ft. would set you back over a million dollars easy.

 This is a little park up at the top of a slight hill about 3 blocks called Mount Emily park. Singapore stresses green areas as vital to helping keep the temperatures in check and maintaining the ecological balance. Large and small green spaces flourish everywhere.

 Returning down the hill and back to the hotel, I walked through a block or so reminiscent of Indian design, with doorway adornments, shuttered windows and rich wooden colors.  I'm located only 2 or 3 blocks from the Little India neighborhood, so I'm certain some of this architecture is a spill-over from that area.

Literally I have a neighborhood to my left each morning and a city to my right. There are no suburbs and only the nature preserves still smack of early Singapore, when it was marshes and a group of conjoined islands.  The rest of the country is growing up and up and upon itself.

Eating "Authentic"

Granted, my neighborhood around the hotel is filled with dining establishments of all types.  Tons of Korean BBQ, Thai, malls packed with Hawker stands (local food courts indoors and out)with fish balls, chicken of every sort, French, sushi, Italian, KFC's and Burger Kings, Carl's and McDonalds scattered all over the place. 

So  I'm never going to starve.  But I really hadn't delved into truly trying authentic local fare until my co-worker, Lum Wai Loon, plucked me from the office and drove to a local area filled with small shops and restaurants catering to that locale.  Upscale, unpretentious, yet totally traditional, I loved being in an area that wasn't set up for tourists.  And Wai Loon insisted I try the standard chicken rice lunch.  The order was placed in Chinese and I just sat there awaiting whatever showed up.  I was pretty confident it would have chicken with it.

After lunch you'll see we checked out a nearby nature preserve and found a surprise. 

By the way, that was a typical 2 hour lunch time frame.  Lunch is a big deal in Singapore.  Or perhaps not working mid day is the real draw.

Strolling around Little India in Singapore

Singapore may be small in actual size, but it is packed with multi ethnicity, and especially growing in numbers are the labor force from India.  Trucks filled with men are busy in the morning commute heading to various construction sites, as the need for trade workers is growing, as is Singapore. Since many skilled jobs are reserved for Singaporeans, the entry jobs require outside migrant workers. India seems to be the biggest supplier.

As a result, an entire community took root here and has become not only the center for India culture, but a major tourist stop as well.  Little India, as it is called by everyone, is in the center of the city, just two blocks from my hotel.   It is completely unique within Singapore, as you immediately get the feeling you're in a different country within about 100 ft of the entrance.

I shot this video just taking a quick stroll up and down about a 4 block square.  However, it will give you the flavor.

And speaking of flavor, the Indian restaurants are plentiful and fantastic.  Perhaps I didn't do them justice in this piece, and frankly none of these on my walk looked that enticing.  However just a few blocks away are rows of packed and delicious places, catering to locals and foreigners as well.  Portions are smaller here than America and everyone is fine with that.  It's more about the flavor than the size in Singapore.

Little India is totally authentic and the happiest place on earth if you're missing dear Mother India while living in Singapore.

Singapore River & Government Headquarters

Saturday morning came around and it seemed like a perfect time to check out another area of Singapore.  It was also the only day off this week.  I want a little sympathy here.

So I hopped on my favorite mode of transportation the MRT (subway) and went south a couple of stops to Clarke Quay (pronounced kay or key, depending upon who tells you).  There is a river that runs through part of Singapore called, hold it.....The Singapore River.  Adjacent to that area, which is peppered with Government offices of all types, is the nightclub area, another big shopping mall, The Central, some awesome apartment building with gardens growing on the balcony and the Parliament and Courts.

By the way, it rained in the morning, as you'll see, then the sun came out and ruined everything.   By the time I headed back to the hotel I was literally dripping wet from the humidity steaming off the pavement.  My only solace is the Singaporeans complain about the heat more than I do. Apparently the only respite from Singapores weather, is Singapores Malls and office building lobbies.  The A/C bill in this country has got to be a deuzie.

Just Looking Around Singapore

The City portion of the Country of Singapore (I keep reminding myself to think of Singapore as a country, because it's so small) has  many various neighborhoods and ethnicity. Actually Singaporeans pride themselves on how segregated the various races are.  They claim it keeps them as one.  Seems to work.  Today I found myself in Chinatown.  Last night I had dinner in Little India.  Yesterday I was at the Malakan food market.  Everything is so close and everyone is so mobile because of the size of the city and the public transportation, that it just seems to all make sense.

I'm located in a mid-point between several areas, so it's not a particularly glamorous part of town.  But it has a lot of energy because there is a Kaplan University and Singapore School for the Arts right here, meaning my "hood' abounds with youthful energy.  Here's what it looks like just outside of my hotel and around the first couple of blocks.

I'll do something on food later, but I will note that although there are over a zillion places to eat around here, I wouldn't exactly call it Paris.  Lots of Thai, Korean BBQ, McDonalds, KFC, Indian and bakeries with pastries stuffed with meats or chickens...I think.  And you can get spaghetti at the drop of a coin. But in terms of lovely and quaintly adorned small restaurants, that's not really the case here.
Every interior public space,like office buildings, condo's, malls, are crammed with little places to eat or buy fruit drinks and coffee. The nicer malls have nicer places with lines (ques) waiting for a table, so there is no lack of finding "food court" type environments everywhere.  Spots right off the sidewalk are abundant.

A little Singapore Sightseeing

Folds into 5 ft. Bed.

After flying 11 hours to Tokyo, then another 7 hours to Singapore, I actually felt pretty good thanks to my terrific Business Class seat and food on Singapore Airlines. Food was great and so was the service.  The 2 hour layover in Tokyo was a waste, but I can say I was there.  I literally could not eat all the food they gave me on the flight.  But the fold out bed to 5 ft made for a great sleep from Tokyo to Singapore. 



I checked out my neighborhood. Little stores (7/11, McDonalds. KFC) and a lot of young students who attend the School of the Arts Singapore.  Wild building.

My Boring Block

School of the Arts

Then I figured it would be wise to check out the MRT, mass transit system.

After I felt comfortable enough to rise to the surface, I walked around the Bay area to see the skyline and a couple of iconic spots.  The shocker here is really the heat and humidity.  As I walked around, I literally was pouring sweat. But after 5 days now, I'm starting to adjust.  I'll do a blog on how Singaporeans beat the heat, because they hate it just as much.


Heading out to explore more of Singapore....so far the experience is really cool.  Safe as all get out, clean, tons of food places although many are a little dicey in my mind.  In general, I was impressed with how green surrounds every part of the City.  Trees and plants everywhere with lots of parks scattered about.  So much to see.   The MRT at least can zoom me around to spots all over the country.  Just hit a couple today.  I'll work on a video or two to send along.

Jet lag abating. Later.

A brief Singapore uneducated view

Fantastic City View

This is the first initial posting I'm doing for my blog "Wellivers Travels", as I prepare for an adventure and work experience in Singapore beginning in October. These are various pictures of Singapore, which at this point, looks like the amazing city of the future I hear from friends who have visited.

Located just below Malaysia

 As I prepare for an extended work visit to Singapore and a new show start up, I'm already beginning to anticipate the lifestyle, action and energy that is modern Singapore.

Looking up the river towards town

A nation about the size of Manhattan , this country has arisen from post World War II as a disjointed and backwater country of small islands with shifting allegiances to the British Empire, Japan and China, to an independent and dynamic global leader as a  financial center, architectural leader, appreciated for its religious tolerance and embracing cultures from all corners of the earth.

The food seems to be the greatest sense of national pride, ahead of even Singapore's' propensity for building air conditioned shopping malls,  A virtual cornucopia of "hawker" eating facilities (groupings of inexpensive and delicious eating stands) and upscale restaurants, Singaporeans seem to relish (no pun) a heightened ability to explore and devour some of the worlds most diverse and inventive culinary delights. Even Wolfgang Puck has a restaurant.


This is a city I expect to find both intriguing and guarded.  To attain its substantial successful rankings in the world, Singapore continues to oversees it's society in ways an American may find repressive or controlling.  There are rules which differ from our cities and towns.  But welcome to the world. Part of global traveling is understanding what makes each country succeed or fail.

The obvious trade off for a stricter hand, is the magnificence of what this country has become.  It is the diamond of Southeast Asia and I look forward to absorbing as much of its gestalt as possible over the next several months. Any travel book will be overflowing with places, ideas and suggestions.

Performing Arts Center

My role will be serving alongside the official production group preparing a nightly live magazine show touching on all varieties of subjects and topics pertinent to Singapore.  Working closely with the primary English speaking television network, I no doubt will learn a thorough lesson in disseminating the appropriate and approved information for this country of over 5 million people.

My goal is to send along and update this blog to my special friends and family and attempt to do justice to the experience of living an extended tour of duty in an area of the world I have never visited. Along with pictures and short video clips, I will do my best at keeping you informed and abreast of Wellivers Travels.