Hello, readers,
We are now home as of Tuesday afternoon, a day later than expected.
I was planning to write about our 3 days in Germany, but I guess I got lazy.
The highlights were probably the high speed train (260 km per hour) and a visit to a medieval university town called Tubingen. We were confused half the time since there were no English signs or instructions. ( Which bathroom should I go in, Herren or Damen ?) Tried Schnitzel and Spatzle and wonderful pastries. Loved the weather, no humidity.
So Derek picked us up in Toronto, and we were back to Reality, which included a lost suitcase and a large tree blown down in our back yard. But the cat was really happy to see us, and we were happy to sleep in our own bed.
My suitcase has since shown up, and I made the draw for the bag. And the winner is..... Cheryl! Congratulations, I will mail it to you tomorrow.
Thank you all for being readers of the blog. I enjoyed doing it, and it makes a great souvenir for us. It is fun to travel and see new things, but we all know that the best is to see the familiar faces of you, our favourite people, our family and friends.
That's it for now. And in case you were wondering, I made the right choice. I went in to Damen.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Singapore is a Fine City
Singapore is a Fine City.
No smoking - Fine $1000.
No urinating in lifts - Fine $500.
No feeding the birds - Fine $1000.
No eating and drinking on the subway - Fine $500.
No littering - Fine $1000.
Not flushing the toilet - Fine $150.
Possession of firecrackers - Caning
Possession of Drugs (20g.) - Death Sentence
Vandalism - Jail and Caning
No spitting - Fine $300.
No chewing gum - Fine $800.
No using mobile phones while driving - Fine $1000.
No flammable goods - Fine $5000.
No water wasting - Fine $1000.
No picking the flowers - Fine $500.
(Information gleaned from a souvenir Tshirt. Accuracy not guaranteed, but probably pretty close to being right.)
We managed to stay in Singapore for 2 weeks without getting any fines!
No smoking - Fine $1000.
No urinating in lifts - Fine $500.
No feeding the birds - Fine $1000.
No eating and drinking on the subway - Fine $500.
No littering - Fine $1000.
Not flushing the toilet - Fine $150.
Possession of firecrackers - Caning
Possession of Drugs (20g.) - Death Sentence
Vandalism - Jail and Caning
No spitting - Fine $300.
No chewing gum - Fine $800.
No using mobile phones while driving - Fine $1000.
No flammable goods - Fine $5000.
No water wasting - Fine $1000.
No picking the flowers - Fine $500.
(Information gleaned from a souvenir Tshirt. Accuracy not guaranteed, but probably pretty close to being right.)
We managed to stay in Singapore for 2 weeks without getting any fines!
Goodbye Singapore!
Last day in Singapore -- our flight was in the evening. One of the things we wanted to do and hadn't done yet was view the city from a high vantage point. They have a Singapore Flyer, a ferris wheel type ride like the London Eye. But my guide book said that it was pricey and you could actually get a better (free) view from the 70th floor of a downtown hotel. So we went there, and the view was pretty cool. Here are a couple of samples.
This is a bird's eye view of St. Andrews Cathedral-- remember, I visited it way back on my first Saturday here.
It also would have been interesting to see the view from the top of this innovative new building.
Singapore has decided to let a casino into the country. The 3 towers are connected at the top with a huge SkyPark. According to the website it is opening soon.
And I can't leave without telling you about my shophouse obsession. They were built in the old days, just 4 to 6 metres wide, with a shop on the ground level and a place to live upstairs. A lot were torn down in the 60s and 70s, but now they are treasured and restored. Often painted in bright colours, I just found them really attractive, so I took pictures of them whenever I came across them. I thought some might be nice enough to frame when I got home. Here's a couple of samples.
So, it's time to leave Singapore.
Foods I wish I'd been brave enough to try:
durian, king of the fruits
fish head curry soup (spicy)
I should have taken more shophouse photos.
Goodbye Singapore.
This is a bird's eye view of St. Andrews Cathedral-- remember, I visited it way back on my first Saturday here.It also would have been interesting to see the view from the top of this innovative new building.
Singapore has decided to let a casino into the country. The 3 towers are connected at the top with a huge SkyPark. According to the website it is opening soon.And I can't leave without telling you about my shophouse obsession. They were built in the old days, just 4 to 6 metres wide, with a shop on the ground level and a place to live upstairs. A lot were torn down in the 60s and 70s, but now they are treasured and restored. Often painted in bright colours, I just found them really attractive, so I took pictures of them whenever I came across them. I thought some might be nice enough to frame when I got home. Here's a couple of samples.
So, it's time to leave Singapore.
Foods I wish I'd been brave enough to try:
durian, king of the fruits
fish head curry soup (spicy)
I should have taken more shophouse photos.
Goodbye Singapore.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Final Tour
Our time in Singapore is coming to an end. We did lots of things, but there are lots more things we could have done. Today I sent Jim off to the weekly chapel, sent my regrets, and played hooky to go on a final tour. This tour took us out of the downtown core to see other areas of the island -- I assumed to see the countryside. Guess what --there is no countryside! The entire island is built up and developed. I shouldn't have been surprised. It's one of the smallest countries in the world, no where near as big as Prince Edward Island, and it has 5 million people! For the last 50 years they have successfully increased the size of the island by doing land reclamation on 3 sides of the island. I think one of the hotels we stayed at was on reclaimed land. It boggles the mind.
The tour guide told us that 90% of people live in high rises.
I asked if there was any agriculture. She said only 2% of land is used for agriculture. I think there's an organic farmer somewhere on the island. So all that food we ate was brought from somewhere else. Every day there are 1000 ships out there in the harbour waiting their turn to unload their products. It's the world's busiest container port by tonnage. They also import people to fill blue collar jobs. Being the rich country on the block, people from neighbouring poorer countries come here to work. We met a young woman working in the hotel who was from the Philippines. She has a one year old son back home who she misses very much. She said she was doing it for him.
Many containers at the port
A major stop on our tour was the Changi Museum on the east coast. We were not allowed to take photos, but I think they have a good website if you are interested. This area was a prison for civilians and POWs during World War 2. Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942 and they call it the three and a half years of darkness. It was a very bad time in their history, and I got the feeling that they never quite forgave the British for not being able to protect them from it. Prisoners constructed makeshift chapels and the museum features 5 Christian murals painted by a prisoner.
Just so this post won't be too depressing and negative, how about I end with a pretty picture. I think this is some variety of an orchid, which is the national flower of Singapore. Orchids are one thing that they do grow and export. (Maybe this isn't an orchid at all. I'm not much of a flower gardener.)
The tour guide told us that 90% of people live in high rises.
I asked if there was any agriculture. She said only 2% of land is used for agriculture. I think there's an organic farmer somewhere on the island. So all that food we ate was brought from somewhere else. Every day there are 1000 ships out there in the harbour waiting their turn to unload their products. It's the world's busiest container port by tonnage. They also import people to fill blue collar jobs. Being the rich country on the block, people from neighbouring poorer countries come here to work. We met a young woman working in the hotel who was from the Philippines. She has a one year old son back home who she misses very much. She said she was doing it for him.
Many containers at the portA major stop on our tour was the Changi Museum on the east coast. We were not allowed to take photos, but I think they have a good website if you are interested. This area was a prison for civilians and POWs during World War 2. Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942 and they call it the three and a half years of darkness. It was a very bad time in their history, and I got the feeling that they never quite forgave the British for not being able to protect them from it. Prisoners constructed makeshift chapels and the museum features 5 Christian murals painted by a prisoner.
Just so this post won't be too depressing and negative, how about I end with a pretty picture. I think this is some variety of an orchid, which is the national flower of Singapore. Orchids are one thing that they do grow and export. (Maybe this isn't an orchid at all. I'm not much of a flower gardener.)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Singapore Giveaway...for Free!!
Andrea suggested that I spice up my blog by doing a free give away contest. So here it is, but first some background.
Singapore has its own fabric. It was designed for the staff of Singapore Airlines to wear, and even though we didn't fly on Singapore Airlines, I saw their stewardesses a few times in airports with their striking outfits. The fabric has a kind of Oriental look and comes in 4 colours. It is readily available here. So when I bought an outfit for Dorothee, I bought it in the red Singapore fabric. Isn't it cute?
Anyway, this is the giveaway item: a cute bag in the dark blue Singapore fabric. It is a good size, and coated with plastic for practical purposes. Could be useful for carrying anything, maybe a few grocery items from the store.
If you are interested in winning this bag, all you have to do is post a comment to this entry, and I will put your name into the draw. Then I will put the names in a hat, draw one out, and announce a winner. Come on now, I know you want it! If you have trouble posting a comment, just choose the Anonymous option and then say who you are. Good luck!
Singapore has its own fabric. It was designed for the staff of Singapore Airlines to wear, and even though we didn't fly on Singapore Airlines, I saw their stewardesses a few times in airports with their striking outfits. The fabric has a kind of Oriental look and comes in 4 colours. It is readily available here. So when I bought an outfit for Dorothee, I bought it in the red Singapore fabric. Isn't it cute?
Anyway, this is the giveaway item: a cute bag in the dark blue Singapore fabric. It is a good size, and coated with plastic for practical purposes. Could be useful for carrying anything, maybe a few grocery items from the store.
If you are interested in winning this bag, all you have to do is post a comment to this entry, and I will put your name into the draw. Then I will put the names in a hat, draw one out, and announce a winner. Come on now, I know you want it! If you have trouble posting a comment, just choose the Anonymous option and then say who you are. Good luck!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Chinatown Downpour
Oh, my purse feels so heavy. I think I'll take out the umbrella and leave it behind today. It's such a nice sunny day -- I won't need it. I think you can see where this story is headed.
Chinatown was my destination today and not that far from where we are staying. I took the subway only a couple of stops and came up on Pagoda Street. It is part of the Chinatown Street Market -- my guidebook calls it souvenir heaven. I am ashamed to say that I spent quite a bit of time on this street and couldn't resist buying a few items. I didn't take many pictures today. I was too busy browsing. I discovered that prices are not really firm, but I am not that good at bartering. And that the tailors are quite persistent and irritating, trying to entice you in for custom made clothes.
In Chinatown you come upon a lot of "Medical Halls". They appear to be shops selling all kinds of strange things that I can't identify, mostly sold in bulk. I think they are dried herbs and things used for medicinal purposes. I went in to one more modern medical Hall that is famous for its bottled Bird's Nest, a potion that will cure all. I would have bought some, but who knew bird's nests were so expensive.
This is a more typical open medical hall selling traditional Chinese medicines.
I tried bak kwa, a Chinese snack, and it was yummy. It is a sweet BBQ'd pork strip -- think Chinese beef jerky, only better. And I also tried another recommended treat, the egg tart. It was yummy, too--think butter tart, only with a sweet yellow filling. It was while I was eating the tart sitting at an outside table that I was surprised to find that it started to rain. Oh,oh!
Taxis are everywhere until it rains, then you can't find one. I had to find my way back to the subway stop, and it was quite a downpour. At one point a lady saw me looking bedraggled and spontaneously gave me a piece of cardboard to hold over my head. See, people are nice! (There will be no photo accompanying this part of the tale.)
Chinatown was my destination today and not that far from where we are staying. I took the subway only a couple of stops and came up on Pagoda Street. It is part of the Chinatown Street Market -- my guidebook calls it souvenir heaven. I am ashamed to say that I spent quite a bit of time on this street and couldn't resist buying a few items. I didn't take many pictures today. I was too busy browsing. I discovered that prices are not really firm, but I am not that good at bartering. And that the tailors are quite persistent and irritating, trying to entice you in for custom made clothes.
In Chinatown you come upon a lot of "Medical Halls". They appear to be shops selling all kinds of strange things that I can't identify, mostly sold in bulk. I think they are dried herbs and things used for medicinal purposes. I went in to one more modern medical Hall that is famous for its bottled Bird's Nest, a potion that will cure all. I would have bought some, but who knew bird's nests were so expensive.
This is a more typical open medical hall selling traditional Chinese medicines.I tried bak kwa, a Chinese snack, and it was yummy. It is a sweet BBQ'd pork strip -- think Chinese beef jerky, only better. And I also tried another recommended treat, the egg tart. It was yummy, too--think butter tart, only with a sweet yellow filling. It was while I was eating the tart sitting at an outside table that I was surprised to find that it started to rain. Oh,oh!
Taxis are everywhere until it rains, then you can't find one. I had to find my way back to the subway stop, and it was quite a downpour. At one point a lady saw me looking bedraggled and spontaneously gave me a piece of cardboard to hold over my head. See, people are nice! (There will be no photo accompanying this part of the tale.)
Shoes Off...again...and again...
One of Jim's main interests in Singapore is to visit places of worship. Last week it was the Buddhist temple, so today we set out to visit a Hindu Temple called Sri Mariamman. It certainly stands out, with its ornate tower. And yes, you have to remove your shoes and leave them at the door. It's weird to see Jim walking around in public in his socks. He doesn't even do that at home.
The first thing Jim did was ask one of the bare chested Hindu priests if he could have his picture taken with him. He agreed.
While we were there, a bell started to toll, joined by a drum beat and a musical horn that I didn't recognize. It was 12:00 noon and time for the priests to complete a ceremony to the main deity, Sri Mariamman. We hurried around to see it. Jim got one photo before the camera batteries died. I hurried to a nearby shop to buy some more (had to stop to put on the sandals). When I got back, the compartment door was closed and the goddess had been put to sleep. But Jim got several great photos of other statues.
Notice the flower garlands that I saw earlier in the market.
As they leave, devotees ring one of the bells attached to the door, and their prayers will be answered. I thought the bells were very high, I doubt if I could reach them.
Just down the street was a quiet Mosque with a very friendly young guide who declined to have his photo taken. Of course, shoes off again! He gave us a mini tour and explained how Muslims pray 5 times a day and showed us the timetable for the year. It was almost time for the 3rd prayer of the day, but we weren't allowed to take photos of the people anyway. So we left, ate some Indian food for lunch and went back to the hotel to cool off in the pool. It was a cloudy day but still hot for us. We were the only ones in the big pool -- oh, those crazy Canadians.
The first thing Jim did was ask one of the bare chested Hindu priests if he could have his picture taken with him. He agreed.
While we were there, a bell started to toll, joined by a drum beat and a musical horn that I didn't recognize. It was 12:00 noon and time for the priests to complete a ceremony to the main deity, Sri Mariamman. We hurried around to see it. Jim got one photo before the camera batteries died. I hurried to a nearby shop to buy some more (had to stop to put on the sandals). When I got back, the compartment door was closed and the goddess had been put to sleep. But Jim got several great photos of other statues.
Notice the flower garlands that I saw earlier in the market.As they leave, devotees ring one of the bells attached to the door, and their prayers will be answered. I thought the bells were very high, I doubt if I could reach them.
Just down the street was a quiet Mosque with a very friendly young guide who declined to have his photo taken. Of course, shoes off again! He gave us a mini tour and explained how Muslims pray 5 times a day and showed us the timetable for the year. It was almost time for the 3rd prayer of the day, but we weren't allowed to take photos of the people anyway. So we left, ate some Indian food for lunch and went back to the hotel to cool off in the pool. It was a cloudy day but still hot for us. We were the only ones in the big pool -- oh, those crazy Canadians.
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