Bloggin'......

Singapore Revisited, Literally

Though, I never thought I'd say that I am tired of traveling, I am, now. I've been traveling for at least 6 out of the past seven weeks, and visiting the US about 3 times in those past seven weeks, I am poooped! I thin kmost on my mind is it almost seems I've put parts of my life on hold, to be able to travel like this, which is probably one of my biggest difficulties. The travel is truly exciting, but I think i just need a break from time to time. Saturday was probably one of the first days I've had to rest and relax in a long time.

I've been to Singapore a few times before, so there wasn't anything new that I was dying to try or any expensive shopping I needed to do. Rather I just wanted to be able to stop and put everything on pause.

Now, on a long trips like this, I cannot avoid getting sick, at least once. So, the first thing I did Saturday morning, I took the MRT subway to the Raffles Hospital Clinic for a quick check-up. Luckily, I had nothing anymore serious than a pesky cough. Though, here in Asia, that can mean different things in America. The doctor did give me some antibiotics just in case.

After that it was just my day. I walked to a few shopping malls, down Arab Street, and through the city center, but it did grow a bit tiring and anti-productive. What I needed was something else to relax by and I suddenly had an idea, since it was such a hot day. Again, I took the MRT over to the metro area, and decided to take a Singapore River Tour. I really didn't care for the tour, I actually wanted to just sit down and enjoy the ocean breeze coming up the river and around the island, and I think my other shipmates had the same idea, too. Such a nice day!

Sunrise Over Singapore

Sunrise over Singapore, from the Swissotel, Stamford. 6:58AM local time

Hiking on Angel Island

So, I touched down in San Francisco, at 2PM, Friday afternoon, back from the Philippines. Only to fly out again at 2PM for Singapore, Sunday afternoon. Exactly 48 hours to do everythig I ever wanted to do in my life! Or it only seemed that way.

Friday, I got a hair cut, had dinner with my family, and then went out for drinks with some friends. The haircut was much needed after being on the road for the past five weeks. But it's also all the friends and family that I miss the most, when I'm away.

However, it was Saturday that the real whirlwind began. I went hiking on Angel Island with another friend, and this was a long time coming. We had planned this for a long time, but I kept putting it off for one reason or another. It is such a beautiful island, so close to San Francisco, that it is very refreshing after such a long trip away from home. We started from Tiburon, which is just north of San Francisco, and took the ferry to the island. We had simple sandwiches on the trail and at the peak of the island, before coming back down just in time to catch the last ferry back to Tiburon.

Afterwards, we still met up with some other friends for dinner at PF Chang's in Downtown San Jose, before I got to call it a night. And in all of this, I still had to do my taxes, which was the main reason I came home in the first place.

I finished, at least, and made it to the airport the next morning. This had been such an unbelievable trip, but for somethings, it made it all that much more memorable.

The Traveling Essentials

No sooner, that I am on my way home, I am still in transit, I get an emergency call to be in Singapore next week. There are times I believe the power of the internet is too much. Within minutes, I have made travel arrangements, communicated with everyone in the home office, paid my credit card bill (huge), and cancelled dinner plans for saturday. Urgh.....

Anyways, I believe my laptop bag has had it though. It is starting to tear at the seams, so I believe I will have to go shopping this weekend. Quality suitcases really do make a difference.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Start of two days of travel, starting in Kuala Lumpur to Sinapore to Manila, Philippines to stay for one night. Then Manila to Incheon, Korea, back to SFO. Wow!

Malaysia Day 3

Where does the time go. I think this trip is finally catching up to me, as I have been getting more and more exhausted when I get back to the hotel. Last night, I was so tired, I decided to take a nap before heading out to dinner. The next thing I knew, I woke up with all the lights on, the TV on, and it was 4AM. Dang it!

Today was the last day of work, fortunately. Unfortunately I could not carry my camera for the past couple of days, since site security was checking all incoming bags, and cameras, of course, are not permitted on the premises.

Anyway, so which city did I like more, on this trip? The Philippines seemed like a more happening and entertaining place, but the lifestyle here in Malaysia seem so much more vibrant and exciting. Ok, it also helps that I've been working with a bunch of pretty girls here in KL, too. Hopefuly they will have some problems, so that I will have to come back.

However, I also have to rate these hotels somewhat, too. Something has to be said, when you are first spoiled by the Pan Pacific Hotel. Employees always stop to wish you a good day, inquire what services you may need in the day, and never let you open your own door. They hold your bags and always make sure you are well served. Wow! Then I stayed at the Hilton here in Malaysia. MAN this sucks! My hot water turned brown this morning! (I had to lodge a complaint) Breakfast is not included in my bill and the furniture here sucks! And this is five star hotel? Next time, I will have to select a new hotel.

Tomorrow, I have a big travel day, or days, ahead of me. I will fly from KL to Singapore, change planes, then fly from Singapore to Manila. I will stay overnight at the Pan Pacific, of course, then go back to airport, to fly from Manila to Incheon, Korea. Then I will change planes, again, to fly from Incheon to San Francisco. Whoa!

What else, what else..... Next trip: Singapore, April 19-23...... hahah, yup, again... I stayed at the Swissotel, in Singapore, during my last trip, but I thought it was a little too inconvienient for my work. I may try to stay closer to Orchard Road, but I did not like the hotel I stayed at much. However, my contacts tell me the Mandarin Oriental hotel charges the same rates as the rates at the Swissotel. I will have to look into this.

I did give in, and buy a pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream, today, for 27.89 Ringgit. Most residents here only spend about 5 ringgit for lunch. As of this writing, there is not much left. It's well past midnight, and according to reports, daylight savings occurred in the United States. hmmm. what else changed while I was gone?

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Day 1

I have to admit, I had my reservations about coming to Kuala Lumpur. I had my preconceptions that it was going to be just like Singapore. If I didn't mention it before, I didn't like Singapore much, because much of the lifestyle is modeled around shopping malls for it's air-conditioned space. It's not the air condintioning I despise, but I really don't like being confined in crowded places and I truly believe it is the reason I get sick everytime I'm in Singapore. All of that air is recyled back into the shopping mall really increases the chances of catching some sickness floating through the air (read: SARS). But since I've been here in Kuala Lumpur, it feels so vibrant and so pretty. So many more things to do and so many more things to see. It simply feels exciting to be here.

I had dinner at the Kuala Lumpur Tower, the "Seattle Space Needle" of Asia to me. It was cool and the view from the rotating floor was even more fun. Out in the distance, was the Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers, made famous in the movie "Entrapment" with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones, a couple years back.

Travel Day

So I didn't sleep last night because I needed to pack my suitcase, and having gotten back late from being out, didn't make things anybetter, either. When I could sleep though, I did not, because I was afraid I would oversleep since I had to be at the airport early in the morning. I was a complete walking zombie in the Manila Airport. I didn't know where to go, and I couldn't see anything, because I was dumb and packed my glasses into my suitcase. Long live the dyslexic.

I flew from Manila to Singapore, changed planes, and flew to Kuala Lumpur. Total transit time: 5 hours. argh...

To my surprise, when I arrived in Kuala Lumpur, it was freak'n raining! Hard! I was not prepared for rain at all. I only brought a fleece on this trip for the plane, since I had a tendency to be cold on the plane. But everywhere else I had been was freak'n hot, but only mildly humid.

Anyway, luckily, I ended up just going to the hotel, and to my surprise fell asleep, and didn't wake up, until the next morning, where I realized, it was time for work, again.

Manila, Phillippines Day 4 - Never ending

Ok, So I did not go to sleep, and I went out and about on the town. It's a Saturday night! At first I was getting discouraged, nothing much but just city sights, at night. But aimlessly, I stumbled in the Vive' Ceurvo Street Beach Party! Ah, there is nothing else than being in a pseudo third world country, where public drunkeness was encouraged. I didn't understand much Tagalog, but I heard, "blah, blah, Ceurvo Gold... blah, blah, blah, drink more" They also had a talent search for a new Jose Cuervo Spokes model, but they called it a "personality contest" where 50% was judged on sexiness. ah yes.... Oh, and 10% was judged on how many shots of tequiela they could drink.

There were other games for the audience as well, such as drinking contests; "fear-factor" style. Contestants from the audience were to drink five different shots, one hot sauce, one soy sauce, one super hot sauce, and two shots of Jose Cuervo, of course. The person who drank the fastest won.... something, something, somthing... I don't remember what it was, but it was a trip to somewhere. But the organizers had given out water guns prior to the start of the show, and there were several guys in the front who kept spraying the girl's dresses with water. I know what you may be thinking, and NO, i was not part of it. I was just an innocent person on the side.

I know some of these pictures are blurry, but you try to take pictures with a point and shoot, in the dark, 20ft away.

Manila, Philippines Day 4 - The end?

What a surprise. Today was a working day for me, and a very late one at that. I didn't get out of the plant site until 8PM, and didn't get back to the hotel until well after 9PM. There was so much crazy traffic, commuting almost doubled in time, compared to everyother day which I was stuck in traffic. However, when I got back into my hotel, there were big beautiful fireworks display over the Manila Bay. I thought it was just a noisy neighbor, before I looked out the window.

Well, today was also the last day I am staying in Manila, before taking an early morning flight to Kuala Lumpur. Will I sleep? Should I?

Manila, Philippines - Day 3

Well, I finally had little time, or actually had enough rest, to go out at night. Only three days after having arrived here. So I hunted the streets high and low for anything that made the Phillipines, the Phillipines, and I found the street markets. However, at least in this one, they only seemed to sell tropical fruits and vegetables, and those cheap plastic toys you can buy at the Flea Market and in Chinatown, back at home. Anyway, by day, I was eating Phillipino food, so for Dinner I stopped into, of all places, the Havanna Cafe, for a little gin and mint, and some baked clams. Nothing to write home about, but I will have Philipino food again tomorrow for lunch, anyway. =P

Manila, Philippines - Day 2 - The Afternoon Commute

Well, If I go to, I must come back. So, here are some of the sights I saw along the road.

Manila, Philippines - Day 2 - The Commute

So, everyday, as I got up, it was a ritual to go to work, but always stopping off for a light breakfast at the Pan Pacific Lounge. My commute is a little interesting, as I actually commute through the small city streets of Malate, and Manila, and out into the country-side, which is about one hour.