Heaven or Mammon?

Chadstone is child's play compared to Orchard Rd. Even more impressive than Bangkok, the sheer number of shopping malls is overwhelming. They seem to be breeding, with at least 2 new malls opening. And the luxury brands seem to dominate here. This is a world where I don't belong! But it's fun to pretend. Shame there are no knock offs here.

I bought moisturizer. It's all I can fit in my backpack.

However, I found good coffee and had my hair cut. It looked awesome for at least 10 minutes after walking outside into the humidity.

Chinatown gives a better idea of how the locals live. Huge apartment blocks line the land (from the plane they looked like they were made of paddlepop sticks). This one, however, caught my eye:



No wonder the locals gather in public places in the evening! The sense of communal living is something we don't have at home, it makes me wonder what their mental health stats are like. I'll bet they're better than Australia's.

Now it's pouring with rain. Hopefully it won't dampen the celebratory fireworks tonight.

Merry New Year everyone!


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Back again

I'm finding the structure of Singapore somewhat appealing. After experiencing the madness of other places, this does not feel much like Asia. But the rules are so clear cut here, there's no need to think. You can concentrate on shopping and eating. A bit Orwellian, but quite pleasant. After a delayed flight, landing in Singapore was breathtaking. The view across the ocean with floating clouds and tiny islands as the sun set was magnificent. How huge this world is and how little I've seen. How minuscule I am.

Al Fresco dining the Singaporean way was my first experience -in "food street" a hawker centre where I reserved my table simply with a box of tissues, ordered food from a selection of amazing food stalls and ate fresh seafood noodles for under $5. Pretty good start.

Apart from the humidity, I think I could live here. But probably not in this tiny hotel room:

Location:Keong Saik Rd,,Singapore