It's Monday, do you know where your pants are?

I mentioned the other day about how nice it is to walk around with a soundtrack (via my mp3 player). This morning I had a good example:

Walking to the local train to start my first leg to work, I'm listening and as I mix with the locals in Singapore, Ted Leo comes on singing "Six Months in a Leaky Boat." It doesn't describe me so much, but it fits the situation well.

When I was a young boy
I wanted to sail 'round the world
That's the life for me, living on the sea

**

Sunday I spent some time by the pool. It was cloudy and cool for a change (cool = get out of the pool and the breeze made you put your shirt back on*), but pleasant enough. I decided to have one drink at the outdoor bar and ended up spending more time as the bartender (Salmah) was fun and talkative. She knows Anna and Wendy (my dinner dates from Saturday night) as well as my coworker who has been in town for a month. Salmah had gone out with them the night before and didn't get as much sleep as needed, so was a little drowsy.

We had a good time talking and doing a word-seek puzzle. And she taught me a little Malay which is surprisingly easy to read (regular letters like English and simple pronounciation). She said she taught Wendy some curse words and they came up at inopportune moments. That's always funny :)

*The other people at the pool usually ask me to put my shirt back on even when it's warm

**

Last night I went to a going away party for an engineer here in SG. He is quitting his job and moving to London, hoping to find something in marketing. His colleagues that threw the party are very nice (just having the party was pretty nice) and there was food, drink, and a video of group photos set to music that they made for him to take as a momento. Maybe he'll run into Cheryl and they'll find they both know me :)

I also had the chance to play the separated-at-birth game. For instance, I found the Chinese version of my friend, Steve. Just something about this guy's face and expressions made me think of Steve. Another guy reminded me of Trevor. A swarthy, dark-haired version of Trevor. It's like I'm in a parallel universe. Given the ethnic background here, I'm unlikely to find the tanned, blond Maura. [I'd call this Bizarro Maura, but that might be redundant ;) ]

**

Lore (of Lore Brand Comics fame) writes for Wired.com sometimes. Read this and understand why I love him so: Fun Food for the Trivia-Minded. If that's not enough to make you laugh, check out his comics or blog at slumbering.lungfish.com.

**

Now I'm at work, it's Monday morning here and I'm going to have some busy couple of days with bosses coming into town, preparation for Suzhou, etc. Oy, playtime in the sun is over.

what I did on my Saturday in Singapore

I'm warnin' ya. This is a long 'un.

(photos can be found here)

After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to get Singaporean women to show me around, I decided my best bet (at least a fun way to do things) was to take the MRT (local train) far away from my hotel and then see what's there.

So, after breakfast, I got my stuff together - camera, phone, mp3 player - and headed for the MRT station. Well, I needed more money, too, so I hit the ATM and bought some sunscreen (I now own 28 bottles of sunscreen) as I knew I'd toast like a slice of ultra white if I wasn't careful.

I decided to take the train to Boon Lay as it sounded interesting. It's the furthest stop on the western part of Singapore. I jumped off partway there near Holland Village as it sounded interesting. Didn't find much, but I did get some exercise walking. I also chatted with Mom as I walked and that's always a nice way to spend some time.

Before I forget, I've taken to listening to music while riding the bus or train and while walking around. It's like having your own soundtrack to your travels. I like it :)

Anyway, I grabbed a bus and it stopped at the next MRT station. There area bunch of little stores there, so I looked around and bought a little bag (like a camera bag or real small backpack) to tote my sunscreen and other stuff around. I'm also getting a pretty good bag collection going at home :p

Back on the train and out to Boon Lay. I checked the bus schedules there (note: each MRT station has a bunch of buses going everywhere. And I've started to decipher their schedules.). I found that one of the buses goes to the Reptile Park I mentioned earlier. Hey! A goal!

Let's cut this part short. The reptile park was worth the 8 Sing Dollars (about $4.80US), but that was all. I then went across the parking lot to the Bird Park and decided that the risk of Avian flu was worth it. Then, however, I noticed it is $14S to get in the park. Hmmm, is it worth $14SD (about $10US) to see the birds? I do like birds, but . . . Then I realized I spend $12-$14SD on a beer here, (yes, really) so it was relatively cheap :)

And, it was a good time. Many photos, much walking, interesting seeing all the birds. A little sad to see the pelicans and storks try to fly with their feathers clipped. But, still very interesting.



Ok, now I'm tired, haven't had enough liquids and only had a vegetarian puff pastry (yuck) for lunch. Time to head to Clarke Quay for beer and food.

Clarke Quay is kind of a bust. Everything's just getting started (people eat late here) and I see a bunch of over priced and/or crappy places (e.g., Hooters). I stop at one place, Australian flavored, and have a couple of Victoria Biters. Not too bad. Expensive (of course). Hmmm, maybe just back to Chijmes for my regular place.

Well, instead, I go straight to my hotel. I stop at the bar for a quick coke to get some liquid and some sugar as I'm going to the gym next. "Coke please." A can of Coke appears with a glass, some ice, straw and lemon. And a bill for $7SD. Yes, $4.25US for a can of Coke. yikes. While I was there, a woman ordered two hot chocolates. Yes, it's 85F and 85% humidity.

The bar tender starts getting stuff together and then says something to the waitress in Mandarin. I realize a few seconds late that her reply is "bu dong" "I don't know." When he comes back, I make a joke about how neither of them know how and he's impressed I picked up what she said. What can I say, I'm a natural with bartenders.

I do the gym thing (ugh, 5k isn't so bad, except the room is hot. I might as well run outside) and then upstairs to cool of, shower, and take a nap.

But, my phone chimes saying I've got a text message. What? Oh, it's from Anna, a Chinese woman who works at the hotel. I told her to call if she wanted to get together for dinner. After I quick shower and no nap, I met her and her friend, Wendy, at the mall. We had some food court goodness (better than Sbarro or the typical US food court fare) and chatted. Anna and Wendy are both from China and studying in Singapore for certifications in hotel work (or something like that, I'm not completely clear on it). I first met Anna during my last visit and it turns out their last day is tomorrow and they'll be heading back to China.



As I'm talking to Wendy, she mentions she was working at the hotel lounge tonight. Yes, she was the waitress who said she didn't know how to make the hot chocolate. She hadn't recognized me, but then we had a good laugh. Ah, the wacky life I lead :)

Finally, the women take off as Anna has to get up at 4:45am for work. I head to Chijmes for a Hoegaarten and then back to the hotel to call Maura and write this wonderful essay of my day. I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, I'm enjoying a Kit Kat (with caramel - also available are white chocolate, dark chocolate and some lemon thing) and a last Hoegaarten (only $4.50SD from the 7-11) then it's bed time.

Ok, one last photo from today. I'm not sure of what caption to use. Maybe I'll start a vote.



"When you want only the best, ask for Cock"
or
"If it's aromatic, see your doctor"

dry eyes, rainy skies

When it rains in SG, you realize where the term "rain shower" comes from. And it's a nice, high-flow showerhead, too. With the rain and all the humidity, it's surprising my eyes are so dry. All the staring at my little laptop, no doubt.

I'm hoping to hit the coast sometime for black pepper crabs black pepper crabs, though it's not the kind of thing one can really do alone. It'd be like going to KC and hitting a really good rib joint . . by yourself.



Too bad Maura didn't fit in my suitcase. Then again, given the damage to my suitcase, it's probably best.

Some local women suggested I take the bus into Malaysia "the food's just as good and it costs half as much". Um, yeah, but then I'm eating the same thing, still alone, but as an American in a Muslim country. I think I'll wait until someone else is available to go along.

I was looking at a map, trying to decide what to do this weekend. I told my friend, Dodgie, that I was thinking of hitting the Jurong Birdpark. "Uh, are you sure you want to go to the birdpark with bird flu spreading?" I guess I'll go to the reptile park (Crocodile Paradise) instead. Any reptile flu I don't know about?

I also need to hit the swimming pool as I brought my new swimsuit along (purchased specifically for the Blue Lagoon visit). Also need to go running more so that they don't harpoon me on the beach.

I had an experience that typified the dangers of communication in Singapore. Most of the Singaporeans are native English speakers, but not English as we know it. Also, pronounciation is different for both sides. Which is why, when I ordered a zombie at the hotel bar, I received Drambuie. It wasn't too bad, in fact, almost as good as the zombie I eventually got (not as good as the last one at the same place).

And don't think I'm splurging by having a drink at the hotel bar. At the grocery store here, a bottle of Absolut (750ml, about $20 in the US) is about $45 or so. I guess I'll stick with the grass jelly drink in a can. (Yes, I did drink this once, but it was while I was eating stingray and other exotic stuff, so what the heck.)

Writing this piecemeal between episodes of work has made it sound like an Andy Rooney session. Apologies to those who noticed. Grass jelly drink for the rest of you.

humbled in Singapore

Could it be any more humid here? Without water actually falling out of the air? I have a simple walk to the train, a little walk from the Yio Chu Kang station to the bus and a short bus ride. But I'm sweating like a beast by the time I get to the office. And it's just me! I think everyone else in SG doesn't sweat; they must be used to the weather. I need a wardrobe of all black shirts as I have sweat spots all over me by the time I get here :p

And then, after my 30min walk/train/bus/elevator, I realize I've spent the entire morning with my pants zipper down. Sheesh. I might as well wear the dunce cap today.

new travel technique

After the last two trips, I've decided to change my travel methodology. From now on, I fly somewhere with just my backpack and buy new clothes when I arrive.

Some may remember that I was without luggage for 3 days in China in December. Successfully resolved, but unforgettable. Well, last night I arrived in Singapore (hi, I'm in Singapore right now) and found that United had ground my bag (that sounds painful, don't it?) until it was in bad shape. It looks like it got stuck somewhere and the conveyer belt did a belt sander on it. The end handle was worn through, the end zipper was ground such that the metal tab was about 1/2 gone and the plastic had melted together. At least nothing inside was damaged.

The UA people were nice and are hopefully giving me something for my bag. It was an old one, but I rather liked it. Now I get to buy something new and I'm leaning towards a nice, hard case. Something trendy enough for our upcoming Euro trip and sturdy enough for Asia travel.

And maybe I can find a bright green one so it's easy to spot at the baggage claim.

Happy Valentine's and Public Service Announcement

Happy Valentine's Day

I'm a little early, but who knows if I'll have time to write on Tuesday. Craziness begins as I was finally approved for 3 weeks of travel starting Saturday morning. Time to pack!

Lily got new mousies (as she's one of my special Valentines). Maura is also getting toy mousies as, well, she's a little freaky and likes to bat them around. I think Lily's a strong influence on her.

Saturday night/Sunday we had a treat of about 12 inches of snow. Some areas reported as much as 18 in this area, but I don't think we were quite up there. Clean up wasn't bad, especially as the neighbor with the snowblower did my driveway and sidewalk. I'll have to get him a 6-pack or something. We baked cookies for him, but then ate them. Heck, we'll probably drink the 6-pack, too.

Enjoy the holiday, but don't support the commercialization by spending a bunch of money. Easy enough for all of my friends (as we are pretty cheap, aren't we?).

A couple of additions

Donnie Darko - very good movie. Moved onto my favorite movie list.
Check it out here.

Addition #2. Always mark the containers in your garage clearly. Let me share an anecdote regarding my suggestion.

I was working on the CBR last Saturday. Maura came out a couple of times to learn a little about motor vehicles. She happened to be there after I drained the coolant (radiator and overflow tank) and was about to run some 50:50 mix through the overflow to get the last of the old stuff out.

"See how the old stuff is bright green? That tells me it has silicates in it that are bad for the waterpump. See how this new stuff I'm pouring in is bright orange? Uh, dark brown and thick?" Scheiss! My jug labeled "diluted coolant" was actually used oil. Luckily I was watching closely and luckily I was pouring it in the overflow and not the radiator.

A few scrubs with towels held with the spring grabber and all was well. But, a lesson was learned and passed on to my dear readers.

One last thing: Homemade pizza with red onions, olive oil, oregano, fresh mozzarella, jumbo olives stuffed with blue cheese, and fresh garlic is very, very good. Especially washed down with Chimay white.

It was a very good weekend

The weather was pleasant, I spent hours in the garage working on my motorcycles, I didn't get sick (it looked like I was, Saturday night, but it appears to have been a big allergy attack).

The VFR is ready for the road: new brake pads, new tires, new chain/sprockets, new oil/filter. I should bang out the air filter, but it's pretty well ready to go. Looks like the CBR inspection is also due in January, so I guess I'll take 'em both at once.

The CBR got a clean chain (looks good as do the sprockets), new oil/filter, new coolant, new brake fluid. Pads are ok and tires are good. Nice that someone took care of it. Appears one of the POs also already did the cam chain tensioner mod, so I don't have to worry about that.

If I'm feeling rich, I might take it to the shop for jet kit install, valve check, and tuning. But, only if I feel rich. Luckily, the shop didn't have the Alpinestar, one-piece, red-and-black leathers I want in a 44, or my lack of riches wouldn't have stopped me. The 42 was just too small. Luckily :)

Even though she isn't excited about full-face helmets, my dear sweetheart, Maura, has a motorcycle bug now. She has yet to ride with me, but has already signed up for the MSF course and spent a few hours checking out pretty bikes online. She's not in the market, but enjoys looking as all true moto deviants do. Guess what she likes best? Heh, heh. And to think I came close to buying one :^D

Another Friday, so much done and to do

Happy Friday to all! It's a glorious day in Philadelphia, mid-50F and rainy. It'll clear up soon and be a warm afternoon.

I did my taxes during a conference call last night. Now *that* is a good use of time. Downloaded TaxCut, installed it, ran the numbers and now just need to print it out. Not nearly as good as last year (with a spouse in college, paying tons in tuition, things were good), but enough for a few beers in Europe. Now to fill out the horrendous local tax form :p

Tentatively planned my next work trips. Looks like I'm leaving two weeks from tomorrow for a week in Singapore and two in Suzhou. Then back for 6 days before 9 days in Europe. Happiness is a warm passport.

stupid fingers

I had a witty post all done up and then I did something wacky on the keyboard (I think I can accidentally hit ctrl-a) and it was all gone but a 'k'.

Anyway, none of you will believe it was witty anyway. Here's a recap in a nutshell.

We have picketers out front this morning. Unhappy that we hired a nonunion place to renovate our new building. Almost half of the people coming to work this morning aren't from the US, so I don't think they'll have much sympathy. I wonder why these guys aren't working somewhere this morning. Do they get paid to stand in front of my building? Why isn't it raining? I wonder what will happen when the CEO comes in.

Along with training for a 5k (which I'm not really doing), I need to train for the World Grilled Cheese Eating Championship. If I'd only known! 100-lb woman eats 26 grilled cheese in 10 minutes.

This woman also ate 46 dozen oysters in 10 minutes. Ewwwww.

A week of blood

Sunday I hit myself in the face and bleed, Monday I cut my chin scar shaving, Wednesday I cut my neck mole shaving.

I just sneezed, but luckily didn't bleed.

I'm afraid to go to the bathroom.

---

Looks like I'm ready to do taxes, should be relatively easier this year as I only have to file for one state. I'm claiming Lily as a dependent again, this year she is blind and has tuition expenses. Hopefully that will offset her short-term capital gains as she's been cleaning up in the real estate market.

I think I've had too much tea.