A few notes post-Asia adventure

     We are finally back on some type of normal schedule. Our current HQ is at my folk's house in Tahoe and we've been here for about a week. Aside from re-teaching our bodies the difference between night and day, we've also been trolling the internet for a place to live back in Denver. I had figured we would be getting ready to leave for good at this point, but alas, a buyer's market means us renters have to put in some extra hours in the housing hunt. We'll be visiting Denver to look at places mid next week. Aside from mission-housing, I came down with a mild cold. Sweet...

     The initial culture shock wasn't anything to write home about. I don't really think we were gone long enough, or the 24hrs of layovers in a comparatively tame Singapore and Hong Kong made the transition back to the west a bit easier. Either that or I'm just not fazed by anything anymore.

     Before I get into the meat of this post, I'd like to give some monetary logistics out there for anyone who may be following this blog and plans on doing a similar trip. All in all, from leaving Tahoe to arriving back 43 days later the trip costed around $3K USD. Airfare was a significant chunk, taking up about 2/3 of the cost. Almost 1/3 of that was the trans-world flight. Food, lodging, activities, overland transport, drinking, and shopping cost around $1250 USD each for 6 weeks. We splurged minimally, and in comparison to US prices, didn't splurge at all. In terms of lodging, we didn't stay in complete shit holes or shared dorms (usually between $10-15), but we never paid over $30 a night either (and $30 was expensive!). Keep in mind that this route involved a significant amount of island hopping where 99% of the time a ferry was simply unavailable or completely un-economical in terms of time. If we had stuck to the more traditional overland routes (ie gone to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia) the cost could have been lower. However, the other factor that kept us using flights is time. It takes a LOT of time to get around in some of these places, especially if roads aren't in the best condition or if it's anywhere close to monsoon season. For example, the route from Denpasar, Bali to Jogjakarta, Indonesia is roughly 370 miles. Tack on a few more if you just look at roads, so to be fair let's say 450 miles. This is about 90 miles over the distance between where I used to live in Los Angeles and where my parents live in Lake Tahoe. That journey, let's say on a snowy day where there is road trouble, can take anywhere between 10 to 12 hours. In Indonesia that distance takes about 24 hours of actual travel time (excluding overnights and 'layovers'). Keep in mind that Bali doesn't have awful roads, and Java's roads and train systems are significantly better than one would expect. The difference is the speed limit, public transport's affinity for countless stops, and never really running on any type of schedule that makes travel particularly difficult. If you have the money or are sick of 'adventure,' just book a tourist bus between places as they tend to stop less, but keep in mind you will be overcharged way over 200% of what it could cost, which, over time, will add up quickly.

     So let's get on with it...here is yet another list post on the highlights...and not-my-favorite moments of the trip...after the break of course!

     We are finally back on some type of normal schedule. Our current HQ is at my folk's house in Tahoe and we've been here for about a week. Aside from re-teaching our bodies the difference between night and day, we've also been trolling the internet for a place to live back in Denver. I had figured we would be getting ready to leave for good at this point, but alas, a buyer's market means us renters have to put in some extra hours in the housing hunt. We'll be visiting Denver to look at places mid next week. Aside from mission-housing, I came down with a mild cold. Sweet...

     The initial culture shock wasn't anything to write home about. I don't really think we were gone long enough, or the 24hrs of layovers in a comparatively tame Singapore and Hong Kong made the transition back to the west a bit easier. Either that or I'm just not fazed by anything anymore.

     Before I get into the meat of this post, I'd like to give some monetary logistics out there for anyone who may be following this blog and plans on doing a similar trip. All in all, from leaving Tahoe to arriving back 43 days later the trip costed around $3K USD. Airfare was a significant chunk, taking up about 2/3 of the cost. Almost 1/3 of that was the trans-world flight. Food, lodging, activities, overland transport, drinking, and shopping cost around $1250 USD each for 6 weeks. We splurged minimally, and in comparison to US prices, didn't splurge at all. In terms of lodging, we didn't stay in complete shit holes or shared dorms (usually between $10-15), but we never paid over $30 a night either (and $30 was expensive!). Keep in mind that this route involved a significant amount of island hopping where 99% of the time a ferry was simply unavailable or completely un-economical in terms of time. If we had stuck to the more traditional overland routes (ie gone to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia) the cost could have been lower. However, the other factor that kept us using flights is time. It takes a LOT of time to get around in some of these places, especially if roads aren't in the best condition or if it's anywhere close to monsoon season. For example, the route from Denpasar, Bali to Jogjakarta, Indonesia is roughly 370 miles. Tack on a few more if you just look at roads, so to be fair let's say 450 miles. This is about 90 miles over the distance between where I used to live in Los Angeles and where my parents live in Lake Tahoe. That journey, let's say on a snowy day where there is road trouble, can take anywhere between 10 to 12 hours. In Indonesia that distance takes about 24 hours of actual travel time (excluding overnights and 'layovers'). Keep in mind that Bali doesn't have awful roads, and Java's roads and train systems are significantly better than one would expect. The difference is the speed limit, public transport's affinity for countless stops, and never really running on any type of schedule that makes travel particularly difficult. If you have the money or are sick of 'adventure,' just book a tourist bus between places as they tend to stop less, but keep in mind you will be overcharged way over 200% of what it could cost, which, over time, will add up quickly.

     So let's get on with it...here is yet another list post on the highlights...and not-my-favorite moments of the trip...after the break of course!

     We are finally back on some type of normal schedule. Our current HQ is at my folk's house in Tahoe and we've been here for about a week. Aside from re-teaching our bodies the difference between night and day, we've also been trolling the internet for a place to live back in Denver. I had figured we would be getting ready to leave for good at this point, but alas, a buyer's market means us renters have to put in some extra hours in the housing hunt. We'll be visiting Denver to look at places mid next week. Aside from mission-housing, I came down with a mild cold. Sweet...

     The initial culture shock wasn't anything to write home about. I don't really think we were gone long enough, or the 24hrs of layovers in a comparatively tame Singapore and Hong Kong made the transition back to the west a bit easier. Either that or I'm just not fazed by anything anymore.

     Before I get into the meat of this post, I'd like to give some monetary logistics out there for anyone who may be following this blog and plans on doing a similar trip. All in all, from leaving Tahoe to arriving back 43 days later the trip costed around $3K USD. Airfare was a significant chunk, taking up about 2/3 of the cost. Almost 1/3 of that was the trans-world flight. Food, lodging, activities, overland transport, drinking, and shopping cost around $1250 USD each for 6 weeks. We splurged minimally, and in comparison to US prices, didn't splurge at all. In terms of lodging, we didn't stay in complete shit holes or shared dorms (usually between $10-15), but we never paid over $30 a night either (and $30 was expensive!). Keep in mind that this route involved a significant amount of island hopping where 99% of the time a ferry was simply unavailable or completely un-economical in terms of time. If we had stuck to the more traditional overland routes (ie gone to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia) the cost could have been lower. However, the other factor that kept us using flights is time. It takes a LOT of time to get around in some of these places, especially if roads aren't in the best condition or if it's anywhere close to monsoon season. For example, the route from Denpasar, Bali to Jogjakarta, Indonesia is roughly 370 miles. Tack on a few more if you just look at roads, so to be fair let's say 450 miles. This is about 90 miles over the distance between where I used to live in Los Angeles and where my parents live in Lake Tahoe. That journey, let's say on a snowy day where there is road trouble, can take anywhere between 10 to 12 hours. In Indonesia that distance takes about 24 hours of actual travel time (excluding overnights and 'layovers'). Keep in mind that Bali doesn't have awful roads, and Java's roads and train systems are significantly better than one would expect. The difference is the speed limit, public transport's affinity for countless stops, and never really running on any type of schedule that makes travel particularly difficult. If you have the money or are sick of 'adventure,' just book a tourist bus between places as they tend to stop less, but keep in mind you will be overcharged way over 200% of what it could cost, which, over time, will add up quickly.

     So let's get on with it...here is yet another list post on the highlights...and not-my-favorite moments of the trip...after the break of course!

     We are finally back on some type of normal schedule. Our current HQ is at my folk's house in Tahoe and we've been here for about a week. Aside from re-teaching our bodies the difference between night and day, we've also been trolling the internet for a place to live back in Denver. I had figured we would be getting ready to leave for good at this point, but alas, a buyer's market means us renters have to put in some extra hours in the housing hunt. We'll be visiting Denver to look at places mid next week. Aside from mission-housing, I came down with a mild cold. Sweet...

     The initial culture shock wasn't anything to write home about. I don't really think we were gone long enough, or the 24hrs of layovers in a comparatively tame Singapore and Hong Kong made the transition back to the west a bit easier. Either that or I'm just not fazed by anything anymore.

     Before I get into the meat of this post, I'd like to give some monetary logistics out there for anyone who may be following this blog and plans on doing a similar trip. All in all, from leaving Tahoe to arriving back 43 days later the trip costed around $3K USD. Airfare was a significant chunk, taking up about 2/3 of the cost. Almost 1/3 of that was the trans-world flight. Food, lodging, activities, overland transport, drinking, and shopping cost around $1250 USD each for 6 weeks. We splurged minimally, and in comparison to US prices, didn't splurge at all. In terms of lodging, we didn't stay in complete shit holes or shared dorms (usually between $10-15), but we never paid over $30 a night either (and $30 was expensive!). Keep in mind that this route involved a significant amount of island hopping where 99% of the time a ferry was simply unavailable or completely un-economical in terms of time. If we had stuck to the more traditional overland routes (ie gone to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia) the cost could have been lower. However, the other factor that kept us using flights is time. It takes a LOT of time to get around in some of these places, especially if roads aren't in the best condition or if it's anywhere close to monsoon season. For example, the route from Denpasar, Bali to Jogjakarta, Indonesia is roughly 370 miles. Tack on a few more if you just look at roads, so to be fair let's say 450 miles. This is about 90 miles over the distance between where I used to live in Los Angeles and where my parents live in Lake Tahoe. That journey, let's say on a snowy day where there is road trouble, can take anywhere between 10 to 12 hours. In Indonesia that distance takes about 24 hours of actual travel time (excluding overnights and 'layovers'). Keep in mind that Bali doesn't have awful roads, and Java's roads and train systems are significantly better than one would expect. The difference is the speed limit, public transport's affinity for countless stops, and never really running on any type of schedule that makes travel particularly difficult. If you have the money or are sick of 'adventure,' just book a tourist bus between places as they tend to stop less, but keep in mind you will be overcharged way over 200% of what it could cost, which, over time, will add up quickly.

     So let's get on with it...here is yet another list post on the highlights...and not-my-favorite moments of the trip...after the break of course!

Full Circle

     Back in Hong Kong folks. We are heading for SF in a few hours and it's almost surreal. I'm not quite prepared for an end-of-the-journey post, so I'll save it for later. 

     We left for Singapore and upon arrival had a crab feast with R, M, and R's dad (thanks again papa R!). It was a LOVELY last night in Asia and arguably the greatest meal of the trip. We washed up at R's place and shared a few drinks before catching a few hours of sleep between our next flight. 

   Hong Kong was all about stuffing our face a diner and then resting...lots of resting. We are super thankful for our original host here, R, for taking us in for the day. 

   I'll get back to posting once we've reached Tahoe. 

-M

     Back in Hong Kong folks. We are heading for SF in a few hours and it's almost surreal. I'm not quite prepared for an end-of-the-journey post, so I'll save it for later. 

     We left for Singapore and upon arrival had a crab feast with R, M, and R's dad (thanks again papa R!). It was a LOVELY last night in Asia and arguably the greatest meal of the trip. We washed up at R's place and shared a few drinks before catching a few hours of sleep between our next flight. 

   Hong Kong was all about stuffing our face a diner and then resting...lots of resting. We are super thankful for our original host here, R, for taking us in for the day. 

   I'll get back to posting once we've reached Tahoe. 

-M

     Back in Hong Kong folks. We are heading for SF in a few hours and it's almost surreal. I'm not quite prepared for an end-of-the-journey post, so I'll save it for later. 

     We left for Singapore and upon arrival had a crab feast with R, M, and R's dad (thanks again papa R!). It was a LOVELY last night in Asia and arguably the greatest meal of the trip. We washed up at R's place and shared a few drinks before catching a few hours of sleep between our next flight. 

   Hong Kong was all about stuffing our face a diner and then resting...lots of resting. We are super thankful for our original host here, R, for taking us in for the day. 

   I'll get back to posting once we've reached Tahoe. 

-M

     Back in Hong Kong folks. We are heading for SF in a few hours and it's almost surreal. I'm not quite prepared for an end-of-the-journey post, so I'll save it for later. 

     We left for Singapore and upon arrival had a crab feast with R, M, and R's dad (thanks again papa R!). It was a LOVELY last night in Asia and arguably the greatest meal of the trip. We washed up at R's place and shared a few drinks before catching a few hours of sleep between our next flight. 

   Hong Kong was all about stuffing our face a diner and then resting...lots of resting. We are super thankful for our original host here, R, for taking us in for the day. 

   I'll get back to posting once we've reached Tahoe. 

-M

Adventures in Singapore seem miles away, but better late than never

Nothing says 'cultural exchange' like a good fart joke. 

written 8/15/2012

Right now I'm sitting in an open kitchen in a location with no address deep in the rice fields of Bali, Indonesia. Although it's a simple 1hr and 45 min plane ride from the location I'm going to write about, it feels as if it is a whole different planet. However, the adventures of the last two and a half days here are left for another post. 

I'm not quite sure when I will actually be able to post this, but I'll do my best to keep all my catch-up posts organized. After our adventures in Hong Kong came to a close we headed south to Singapore. I came to Singapore for the sole reason of seeing friends, in particular R, my egyptian friend who I've seen over 5 times in the past year and in 4 different countries. The plane landed and another friend, S, who I was also looking forward to seeing did us a kind favor by picking us up at the airport and escorting us around for a Saturday night on the town.

Traveling on a budget is impossible in Singapore, which is the main reason why we spent so little time there. I was actually anticipating spending more per day in Hong Kong, but luckily this turned out not to be the case. 

We arrived late (around 10:30 pm) and got out on the town for some grub. S took us to a place that served up some unbeatable butter chicken (a ghee based curry dish) which we mopped up with some naan. The next stop was an Indian club, but not really a dance club. The best way to describe it is a strip club, except the women dance to Indian music (mostly Bhangra I believe) and wear saris. No badonkadonks, cookies, or boobies, but plenty of gawking men. Apparently in India, the men make it rain on the women (ie brush bills off of there palms into the air) but Singapore's prices don't allow for such things. We had a pint there then headed to Clark Quay, (pronounced 'key' by the way) for a tall can on the bridge. We people watched and exchanged stories, it wasn't nearly as wild as my first time to the bridge, but after a long plane ride and MB's struggle to adjust to the time zone, the fact that we were even alive past arrival time is a small feat. After a beer or two we wandered around the club area and ended up going to a cheap place with a minimal cover charge and live music. Don't get me wrong, I love live music, but in most cases in Asia a live music bar can be a terrifying nightmare. However these guys were REALLY good. Granted they were on their last set and played mostly drunk cover songs (think Journey people!) but it was awesome. We danced, had a drink and watched all the complete waste-os try to get some. Overall it was an entertaining night and we stayed up until past 4am which allowed for us to finally get adjusted to the time zone. S, if you're reading this, I left my phone in the cab (again) on the way back from the airport so sorry if you smsed me and I didn't respond. Speaking of my phone, it was on it's last leg (it fell apart multiple times a day and couldn't hold a charge for more than 2 hours) so I don't miss it. Plus, R gave me an old one to borrow for my trip so no worries there.

We slept in a bit and then woke up at R's place. R was still in Langkawi on holiday so we opened the door to find one of R's roommates, L, cooking up some Roti. She made us some and gave us some teh tehrik (my fav). We hit it off quite well, she was excited that she could talk with us because two of her other roommates were French, and their guests never spoke English. She's from KL and we talked about the food vs the Singapore food. She mentioned a place nearby that had Penang food (argued to be the best in Malaysia, and therefore, some - if not THE- best in the world). I jumped on this opportunity because MB and I didn't have the time to squeeze in Penang. We all hopped on the MRT and headed over to the place. 

It was DANK...AWESOME...HAPPY...pretty much as authentic as Penang food can get without being the real thing. We got Penang Laksa, squid/cuttlefish (I can't tell the difference) curry, char keow tow (sp?), and various juices. This was the commencement meal to our hari makan (eating day). We decided to walk off the meal and headed to a few markets to pick up beer and fresh fruit. We tried these small nut looking things that actually have fruit that tastes a lot like Lychee (the name escapes me right now...I think it starts with an 'L'), and some mangosteens. It was hard not to eat everything in sight. We also learned that R lives near the 'red light' district of Singapore, which was funny because I thought Singapore was too polite to have one. Apparently it's pretty obvious at night, but it isn't dangerous or anything like that. The only thing that happens is a man might ask you 'how much?' if you are a woman out alone at night. In which case, it would probably be more dangerous for the man as my fist or foot would meet his face or happy spot.  

We headed back to wash up, enjoy some fruit, and wait for R and his girlfriend (another M) to arrive. I was so excited to meet M as I hadn't met her yet and R spoke so well of her. After the reunion we went out again for some makan and a little sight seeing. This time we got some bakuteh (again with the spelling), which is essentially a clay pot stew of broth and spare ribs. Delish and one of my favorites of Singapore. Afterwards we went to get MB some more foot pads, as his achilles had some blisters from his new sandals. Then we decided to head to Arab street, as no visit with R is complete without a shisha session. Not to mention, MB had never been to a shisha establishment so it was a must. The shisha was great despite the wind (ash) and heat, which by this point, was starting to get to me. 

After we left it was about time for buka pasar, or the fast-breaking market that happens during ramadan to start. We headed to the big mosque, which I had never seen before, and strolled through the market. It's always great to wander through these types of markets, and even better to eat at them, but I was already stuffed at this point, so I enjoyed it with my nose. However, R insisted that we stop by Singapore's signature place to buy some Murtabak, which we were planning to eat 'Egyptian style' or on the hood of one's car. This plan quickly backfired because the nastiest thing I have ever witnessed in Singapore occurred in the parking garage, a broken sewer pipe. NASTY. So we opted to take the food back to R's place instead.

Once again, we washed up and I checked my email to get some info on meeting up with my Spanish friend, N by the Marina Bay footbridge. We had agreed to meet as she had a layover there, but both of us had no way of communicating to one another. We walked by the waterfront at night, which MB hadn't seen anyways (I also haven't, despite the fact I had already been to Singapore last year). It was quite charming and really pretty. We waited around for N for about an hour then gave up to makan (eat) one last time. We headed to a hawker center near the Esplanade and I had some mee goreng (fried noodles, nothing too special as I was full enough by this point) with veggies and MB had some chicken wings (the whole wing, stretched out, with tasty dipping sauce and a delicious glaze). We bumped into other CSers there (CouchSurfers) V and his surfer. I hadn't seen V in over a year so it was cool to bump into him. The other surfer had just came from KL and stayed with someone I know there. We were laughing about the 'small world' effect. Apparently it's quite common in Singapore. They say there are 6 degrees of separation but I have been told by more than one person that in Singapore there are only three. 

R dropped us off at his place (he was staying with M for the night so we would have a bed) and wished us well. I was sad to leave, as it felt too short, but Singapore isn't a cheap place to be, and without jobs it was about as much as our wallets could handle. However, we'll be back for 12 hours at the end of our trip and we will at least get to see R and M one last time.

We passed out almost immediately after being on the go for so long. The next morning we awoke, packed our clean laundry (thanks again for letting us use your washer L!) and said bye to L. We snacked on some kaya toast at the airport before we boarded the plane to Bali.

It was a fun start to the trip to be in some of the big, worldly cities. However, I'm thankful to not have to be at an airport for two weeks and to be taking things at a slower pace. The plan is to spend one week in Bali and one week in Java giving us two weeks in Indo. Indo is my favorite country that I've visited in my life thus far and I'm excited to be back. However it's a bit late and the start of the chapter is better left for another post. It's time for me to put some aloe on my sunburns and retire to the Bale underneath the mosquito net.

selamat malam (goodnight)

-M

Nothing says 'cultural exchange' like a good fart joke. 

written 8/15/2012

Right now I'm sitting in an open kitchen in a location with no address deep in the rice fields of Bali, Indonesia. Although it's a simple 1hr and 45 min plane ride from the location I'm going to write about, it feels as if it is a whole different planet. However, the adventures of the last two and a half days here are left for another post. 

I'm not quite sure when I will actually be able to post this, but I'll do my best to keep all my catch-up posts organized. After our adventures in Hong Kong came to a close we headed south to Singapore. I came to Singapore for the sole reason of seeing friends, in particular R, my egyptian friend who I've seen over 5 times in the past year and in 4 different countries. The plane landed and another friend, S, who I was also looking forward to seeing did us a kind favor by picking us up at the airport and escorting us around for a Saturday night on the town.

Traveling on a budget is impossible in Singapore, which is the main reason why we spent so little time there. I was actually anticipating spending more per day in Hong Kong, but luckily this turned out not to be the case. 

We arrived late (around 10:30 pm) and got out on the town for some grub. S took us to a place that served up some unbeatable butter chicken (a ghee based curry dish) which we mopped up with some naan. The next stop was an Indian club, but not really a dance club. The best way to describe it is a strip club, except the women dance to Indian music (mostly Bhangra I believe) and wear saris. No badonkadonks, cookies, or boobies, but plenty of gawking men. Apparently in India, the men make it rain on the women (ie brush bills off of there palms into the air) but Singapore's prices don't allow for such things. We had a pint there then headed to Clark Quay, (pronounced 'key' by the way) for a tall can on the bridge. We people watched and exchanged stories, it wasn't nearly as wild as my first time to the bridge, but after a long plane ride and MB's struggle to adjust to the time zone, the fact that we were even alive past arrival time is a small feat. After a beer or two we wandered around the club area and ended up going to a cheap place with a minimal cover charge and live music. Don't get me wrong, I love live music, but in most cases in Asia a live music bar can be a terrifying nightmare. However these guys were REALLY good. Granted they were on their last set and played mostly drunk cover songs (think Journey people!) but it was awesome. We danced, had a drink and watched all the complete waste-os try to get some. Overall it was an entertaining night and we stayed up until past 4am which allowed for us to finally get adjusted to the time zone. S, if you're reading this, I left my phone in the cab (again) on the way back from the airport so sorry if you smsed me and I didn't respond. Speaking of my phone, it was on it's last leg (it fell apart multiple times a day and couldn't hold a charge for more than 2 hours) so I don't miss it. Plus, R gave me an old one to borrow for my trip so no worries there.

We slept in a bit and then woke up at R's place. R was still in Langkawi on holiday so we opened the door to find one of R's roommates, L, cooking up some Roti. She made us some and gave us some teh tehrik (my fav). We hit it off quite well, she was excited that she could talk with us because two of her other roommates were French, and their guests never spoke English. She's from KL and we talked about the food vs the Singapore food. She mentioned a place nearby that had Penang food (argued to be the best in Malaysia, and therefore, some - if not THE- best in the world). I jumped on this opportunity because MB and I didn't have the time to squeeze in Penang. We all hopped on the MRT and headed over to the place. 

It was DANK...AWESOME...HAPPY...pretty much as authentic as Penang food can get without being the real thing. We got Penang Laksa, squid/cuttlefish (I can't tell the difference) curry, char keow tow (sp?), and various juices. This was the commencement meal to our hari makan (eating day). We decided to walk off the meal and headed to a few markets to pick up beer and fresh fruit. We tried these small nut looking things that actually have fruit that tastes a lot like Lychee (the name escapes me right now...I think it starts with an 'L'), and some mangosteens. It was hard not to eat everything in sight. We also learned that R lives near the 'red light' district of Singapore, which was funny because I thought Singapore was too polite to have one. Apparently it's pretty obvious at night, but it isn't dangerous or anything like that. The only thing that happens is a man might ask you 'how much?' if you are a woman out alone at night. In which case, it would probably be more dangerous for the man as my fist or foot would meet his face or happy spot.  

We headed back to wash up, enjoy some fruit, and wait for R and his girlfriend (another M) to arrive. I was so excited to meet M as I hadn't met her yet and R spoke so well of her. After the reunion we went out again for some makan and a little sight seeing. This time we got some bakuteh (again with the spelling), which is essentially a clay pot stew of broth and spare ribs. Delish and one of my favorites of Singapore. Afterwards we went to get MB some more foot pads, as his achilles had some blisters from his new sandals. Then we decided to head to Arab street, as no visit with R is complete without a shisha session. Not to mention, MB had never been to a shisha establishment so it was a must. The shisha was great despite the wind (ash) and heat, which by this point, was starting to get to me. 

After we left it was about time for buka pasar, or the fast-breaking market that happens during ramadan to start. We headed to the big mosque, which I had never seen before, and strolled through the market. It's always great to wander through these types of markets, and even better to eat at them, but I was already stuffed at this point, so I enjoyed it with my nose. However, R insisted that we stop by Singapore's signature place to buy some Murtabak, which we were planning to eat 'Egyptian style' or on the hood of one's car. This plan quickly backfired because the nastiest thing I have ever witnessed in Singapore occurred in the parking garage, a broken sewer pipe. NASTY. So we opted to take the food back to R's place instead.

Once again, we washed up and I checked my email to get some info on meeting up with my Spanish friend, N by the Marina Bay footbridge. We had agreed to meet as she had a layover there, but both of us had no way of communicating to one another. We walked by the waterfront at night, which MB hadn't seen anyways (I also haven't, despite the fact I had already been to Singapore last year). It was quite charming and really pretty. We waited around for N for about an hour then gave up to makan (eat) one last time. We headed to a hawker center near the Esplanade and I had some mee goreng (fried noodles, nothing too special as I was full enough by this point) with veggies and MB had some chicken wings (the whole wing, stretched out, with tasty dipping sauce and a delicious glaze). We bumped into other CSers there (CouchSurfers) V and his surfer. I hadn't seen V in over a year so it was cool to bump into him. The other surfer had just came from KL and stayed with someone I know there. We were laughing about the 'small world' effect. Apparently it's quite common in Singapore. They say there are 6 degrees of separation but I have been told by more than one person that in Singapore there are only three. 

R dropped us off at his place (he was staying with M for the night so we would have a bed) and wished us well. I was sad to leave, as it felt too short, but Singapore isn't a cheap place to be, and without jobs it was about as much as our wallets could handle. However, we'll be back for 12 hours at the end of our trip and we will at least get to see R and M one last time.

We passed out almost immediately after being on the go for so long. The next morning we awoke, packed our clean laundry (thanks again for letting us use your washer L!) and said bye to L. We snacked on some kaya toast at the airport before we boarded the plane to Bali.

It was a fun start to the trip to be in some of the big, worldly cities. However, I'm thankful to not have to be at an airport for two weeks and to be taking things at a slower pace. The plan is to spend one week in Bali and one week in Java giving us two weeks in Indo. Indo is my favorite country that I've visited in my life thus far and I'm excited to be back. However it's a bit late and the start of the chapter is better left for another post. It's time for me to put some aloe on my sunburns and retire to the Bale underneath the mosquito net.

selamat malam (goodnight)

-M

Nothing says 'cultural exchange' like a good fart joke. 

written 8/15/2012

Right now I'm sitting in an open kitchen in a location with no address deep in the rice fields of Bali, Indonesia. Although it's a simple 1hr and 45 min plane ride from the location I'm going to write about, it feels as if it is a whole different planet. However, the adventures of the last two and a half days here are left for another post. 

I'm not quite sure when I will actually be able to post this, but I'll do my best to keep all my catch-up posts organized. After our adventures in Hong Kong came to a close we headed south to Singapore. I came to Singapore for the sole reason of seeing friends, in particular R, my egyptian friend who I've seen over 5 times in the past year and in 4 different countries. The plane landed and another friend, S, who I was also looking forward to seeing did us a kind favor by picking us up at the airport and escorting us around for a Saturday night on the town.

Traveling on a budget is impossible in Singapore, which is the main reason why we spent so little time there. I was actually anticipating spending more per day in Hong Kong, but luckily this turned out not to be the case. 

We arrived late (around 10:30 pm) and got out on the town for some grub. S took us to a place that served up some unbeatable butter chicken (a ghee based curry dish) which we mopped up with some naan. The next stop was an Indian club, but not really a dance club. The best way to describe it is a strip club, except the women dance to Indian music (mostly Bhangra I believe) and wear saris. No badonkadonks, cookies, or boobies, but plenty of gawking men. Apparently in India, the men make it rain on the women (ie brush bills off of there palms into the air) but Singapore's prices don't allow for such things. We had a pint there then headed to Clark Quay, (pronounced 'key' by the way) for a tall can on the bridge. We people watched and exchanged stories, it wasn't nearly as wild as my first time to the bridge, but after a long plane ride and MB's struggle to adjust to the time zone, the fact that we were even alive past arrival time is a small feat. After a beer or two we wandered around the club area and ended up going to a cheap place with a minimal cover charge and live music. Don't get me wrong, I love live music, but in most cases in Asia a live music bar can be a terrifying nightmare. However these guys were REALLY good. Granted they were on their last set and played mostly drunk cover songs (think Journey people!) but it was awesome. We danced, had a drink and watched all the complete waste-os try to get some. Overall it was an entertaining night and we stayed up until past 4am which allowed for us to finally get adjusted to the time zone. S, if you're reading this, I left my phone in the cab (again) on the way back from the airport so sorry if you smsed me and I didn't respond. Speaking of my phone, it was on it's last leg (it fell apart multiple times a day and couldn't hold a charge for more than 2 hours) so I don't miss it. Plus, R gave me an old one to borrow for my trip so no worries there.

We slept in a bit and then woke up at R's place. R was still in Langkawi on holiday so we opened the door to find one of R's roommates, L, cooking up some Roti. She made us some and gave us some teh tehrik (my fav). We hit it off quite well, she was excited that she could talk with us because two of her other roommates were French, and their guests never spoke English. She's from KL and we talked about the food vs the Singapore food. She mentioned a place nearby that had Penang food (argued to be the best in Malaysia, and therefore, some - if not THE- best in the world). I jumped on this opportunity because MB and I didn't have the time to squeeze in Penang. We all hopped on the MRT and headed over to the place. 

It was DANK...AWESOME...HAPPY...pretty much as authentic as Penang food can get without being the real thing. We got Penang Laksa, squid/cuttlefish (I can't tell the difference) curry, char keow tow (sp?), and various juices. This was the commencement meal to our hari makan (eating day). We decided to walk off the meal and headed to a few markets to pick up beer and fresh fruit. We tried these small nut looking things that actually have fruit that tastes a lot like Lychee (the name escapes me right now...I think it starts with an 'L'), and some mangosteens. It was hard not to eat everything in sight. We also learned that R lives near the 'red light' district of Singapore, which was funny because I thought Singapore was too polite to have one. Apparently it's pretty obvious at night, but it isn't dangerous or anything like that. The only thing that happens is a man might ask you 'how much?' if you are a woman out alone at night. In which case, it would probably be more dangerous for the man as my fist or foot would meet his face or happy spot.  

We headed back to wash up, enjoy some fruit, and wait for R and his girlfriend (another M) to arrive. I was so excited to meet M as I hadn't met her yet and R spoke so well of her. After the reunion we went out again for some makan and a little sight seeing. This time we got some bakuteh (again with the spelling), which is essentially a clay pot stew of broth and spare ribs. Delish and one of my favorites of Singapore. Afterwards we went to get MB some more foot pads, as his achilles had some blisters from his new sandals. Then we decided to head to Arab street, as no visit with R is complete without a shisha session. Not to mention, MB had never been to a shisha establishment so it was a must. The shisha was great despite the wind (ash) and heat, which by this point, was starting to get to me. 

After we left it was about time for buka pasar, or the fast-breaking market that happens during ramadan to start. We headed to the big mosque, which I had never seen before, and strolled through the market. It's always great to wander through these types of markets, and even better to eat at them, but I was already stuffed at this point, so I enjoyed it with my nose. However, R insisted that we stop by Singapore's signature place to buy some Murtabak, which we were planning to eat 'Egyptian style' or on the hood of one's car. This plan quickly backfired because the nastiest thing I have ever witnessed in Singapore occurred in the parking garage, a broken sewer pipe. NASTY. So we opted to take the food back to R's place instead.

Once again, we washed up and I checked my email to get some info on meeting up with my Spanish friend, N by the Marina Bay footbridge. We had agreed to meet as she had a layover there, but both of us had no way of communicating to one another. We walked by the waterfront at night, which MB hadn't seen anyways (I also haven't, despite the fact I had already been to Singapore last year). It was quite charming and really pretty. We waited around for N for about an hour then gave up to makan (eat) one last time. We headed to a hawker center near the Esplanade and I had some mee goreng (fried noodles, nothing too special as I was full enough by this point) with veggies and MB had some chicken wings (the whole wing, stretched out, with tasty dipping sauce and a delicious glaze). We bumped into other CSers there (CouchSurfers) V and his surfer. I hadn't seen V in over a year so it was cool to bump into him. The other surfer had just came from KL and stayed with someone I know there. We were laughing about the 'small world' effect. Apparently it's quite common in Singapore. They say there are 6 degrees of separation but I have been told by more than one person that in Singapore there are only three. 

R dropped us off at his place (he was staying with M for the night so we would have a bed) and wished us well. I was sad to leave, as it felt too short, but Singapore isn't a cheap place to be, and without jobs it was about as much as our wallets could handle. However, we'll be back for 12 hours at the end of our trip and we will at least get to see R and M one last time.

We passed out almost immediately after being on the go for so long. The next morning we awoke, packed our clean laundry (thanks again for letting us use your washer L!) and said bye to L. We snacked on some kaya toast at the airport before we boarded the plane to Bali.

It was a fun start to the trip to be in some of the big, worldly cities. However, I'm thankful to not have to be at an airport for two weeks and to be taking things at a slower pace. The plan is to spend one week in Bali and one week in Java giving us two weeks in Indo. Indo is my favorite country that I've visited in my life thus far and I'm excited to be back. However it's a bit late and the start of the chapter is better left for another post. It's time for me to put some aloe on my sunburns and retire to the Bale underneath the mosquito net.

selamat malam (goodnight)

-M

Nothing says 'cultural exchange' like a good fart joke. 

written 8/15/2012

Right now I'm sitting in an open kitchen in a location with no address deep in the rice fields of Bali, Indonesia. Although it's a simple 1hr and 45 min plane ride from the location I'm going to write about, it feels as if it is a whole different planet. However, the adventures of the last two and a half days here are left for another post. 

I'm not quite sure when I will actually be able to post this, but I'll do my best to keep all my catch-up posts organized. After our adventures in Hong Kong came to a close we headed south to Singapore. I came to Singapore for the sole reason of seeing friends, in particular R, my egyptian friend who I've seen over 5 times in the past year and in 4 different countries. The plane landed and another friend, S, who I was also looking forward to seeing did us a kind favor by picking us up at the airport and escorting us around for a Saturday night on the town.

Traveling on a budget is impossible in Singapore, which is the main reason why we spent so little time there. I was actually anticipating spending more per day in Hong Kong, but luckily this turned out not to be the case. 

We arrived late (around 10:30 pm) and got out on the town for some grub. S took us to a place that served up some unbeatable butter chicken (a ghee based curry dish) which we mopped up with some naan. The next stop was an Indian club, but not really a dance club. The best way to describe it is a strip club, except the women dance to Indian music (mostly Bhangra I believe) and wear saris. No badonkadonks, cookies, or boobies, but plenty of gawking men. Apparently in India, the men make it rain on the women (ie brush bills off of there palms into the air) but Singapore's prices don't allow for such things. We had a pint there then headed to Clark Quay, (pronounced 'key' by the way) for a tall can on the bridge. We people watched and exchanged stories, it wasn't nearly as wild as my first time to the bridge, but after a long plane ride and MB's struggle to adjust to the time zone, the fact that we were even alive past arrival time is a small feat. After a beer or two we wandered around the club area and ended up going to a cheap place with a minimal cover charge and live music. Don't get me wrong, I love live music, but in most cases in Asia a live music bar can be a terrifying nightmare. However these guys were REALLY good. Granted they were on their last set and played mostly drunk cover songs (think Journey people!) but it was awesome. We danced, had a drink and watched all the complete waste-os try to get some. Overall it was an entertaining night and we stayed up until past 4am which allowed for us to finally get adjusted to the time zone. S, if you're reading this, I left my phone in the cab (again) on the way back from the airport so sorry if you smsed me and I didn't respond. Speaking of my phone, it was on it's last leg (it fell apart multiple times a day and couldn't hold a charge for more than 2 hours) so I don't miss it. Plus, R gave me an old one to borrow for my trip so no worries there.

We slept in a bit and then woke up at R's place. R was still in Langkawi on holiday so we opened the door to find one of R's roommates, L, cooking up some Roti. She made us some and gave us some teh tehrik (my fav). We hit it off quite well, she was excited that she could talk with us because two of her other roommates were French, and their guests never spoke English. She's from KL and we talked about the food vs the Singapore food. She mentioned a place nearby that had Penang food (argued to be the best in Malaysia, and therefore, some - if not THE- best in the world). I jumped on this opportunity because MB and I didn't have the time to squeeze in Penang. We all hopped on the MRT and headed over to the place. 

It was DANK...AWESOME...HAPPY...pretty much as authentic as Penang food can get without being the real thing. We got Penang Laksa, squid/cuttlefish (I can't tell the difference) curry, char keow tow (sp?), and various juices. This was the commencement meal to our hari makan (eating day). We decided to walk off the meal and headed to a few markets to pick up beer and fresh fruit. We tried these small nut looking things that actually have fruit that tastes a lot like Lychee (the name escapes me right now...I think it starts with an 'L'), and some mangosteens. It was hard not to eat everything in sight. We also learned that R lives near the 'red light' district of Singapore, which was funny because I thought Singapore was too polite to have one. Apparently it's pretty obvious at night, but it isn't dangerous or anything like that. The only thing that happens is a man might ask you 'how much?' if you are a woman out alone at night. In which case, it would probably be more dangerous for the man as my fist or foot would meet his face or happy spot.  

We headed back to wash up, enjoy some fruit, and wait for R and his girlfriend (another M) to arrive. I was so excited to meet M as I hadn't met her yet and R spoke so well of her. After the reunion we went out again for some makan and a little sight seeing. This time we got some bakuteh (again with the spelling), which is essentially a clay pot stew of broth and spare ribs. Delish and one of my favorites of Singapore. Afterwards we went to get MB some more foot pads, as his achilles had some blisters from his new sandals. Then we decided to head to Arab street, as no visit with R is complete without a shisha session. Not to mention, MB had never been to a shisha establishment so it was a must. The shisha was great despite the wind (ash) and heat, which by this point, was starting to get to me. 

After we left it was about time for buka pasar, or the fast-breaking market that happens during ramadan to start. We headed to the big mosque, which I had never seen before, and strolled through the market. It's always great to wander through these types of markets, and even better to eat at them, but I was already stuffed at this point, so I enjoyed it with my nose. However, R insisted that we stop by Singapore's signature place to buy some Murtabak, which we were planning to eat 'Egyptian style' or on the hood of one's car. This plan quickly backfired because the nastiest thing I have ever witnessed in Singapore occurred in the parking garage, a broken sewer pipe. NASTY. So we opted to take the food back to R's place instead.

Once again, we washed up and I checked my email to get some info on meeting up with my Spanish friend, N by the Marina Bay footbridge. We had agreed to meet as she had a layover there, but both of us had no way of communicating to one another. We walked by the waterfront at night, which MB hadn't seen anyways (I also haven't, despite the fact I had already been to Singapore last year). It was quite charming and really pretty. We waited around for N for about an hour then gave up to makan (eat) one last time. We headed to a hawker center near the Esplanade and I had some mee goreng (fried noodles, nothing too special as I was full enough by this point) with veggies and MB had some chicken wings (the whole wing, stretched out, with tasty dipping sauce and a delicious glaze). We bumped into other CSers there (CouchSurfers) V and his surfer. I hadn't seen V in over a year so it was cool to bump into him. The other surfer had just came from KL and stayed with someone I know there. We were laughing about the 'small world' effect. Apparently it's quite common in Singapore. They say there are 6 degrees of separation but I have been told by more than one person that in Singapore there are only three. 

R dropped us off at his place (he was staying with M for the night so we would have a bed) and wished us well. I was sad to leave, as it felt too short, but Singapore isn't a cheap place to be, and without jobs it was about as much as our wallets could handle. However, we'll be back for 12 hours at the end of our trip and we will at least get to see R and M one last time.

We passed out almost immediately after being on the go for so long. The next morning we awoke, packed our clean laundry (thanks again for letting us use your washer L!) and said bye to L. We snacked on some kaya toast at the airport before we boarded the plane to Bali.

It was a fun start to the trip to be in some of the big, worldly cities. However, I'm thankful to not have to be at an airport for two weeks and to be taking things at a slower pace. The plan is to spend one week in Bali and one week in Java giving us two weeks in Indo. Indo is my favorite country that I've visited in my life thus far and I'm excited to be back. However it's a bit late and the start of the chapter is better left for another post. It's time for me to put some aloe on my sunburns and retire to the Bale underneath the mosquito net.

selamat malam (goodnight)

-M

The Best Food in the World

     Why hello hello! It's been so long, I know, but life often gets in the way of writing and there isn't a whole lot of profound stuff to say about finishing up grad school. However, I'm beginning embrace the joys of limbo. The long term un-knowns (in six short weeks I'll be homeless and jobless) can be stressful, but I'm not too busy with work as I'm only taking one class and I've had some time to work on some side projects. Speaking of which, I'll be launching my new blog later this week...yay!

    Enough about my recent shenanigans, in lieu of musing about my next great adventure back to SE Asia I figured this is one overdue post on why Asian food is the best food in the world.

     Why hello hello! It's been so long, I know, but life often gets in the way of writing and there isn't a whole lot of profound stuff to say about finishing up grad school. However, I'm beginning embrace the joys of limbo. The long term un-knowns (in six short weeks I'll be homeless and jobless) can be stressful, but I'm not too busy with work as I'm only taking one class and I've had some time to work on some side projects. Speaking of which, I'll be launching my new blog later this week...yay!

    Enough about my recent shenanigans, in lieu of musing about my next great adventure back to SE Asia I figured this is one overdue post on why Asian food is the best food in the world.

     Why hello hello! It's been so long, I know, but life often gets in the way of writing and there isn't a whole lot of profound stuff to say about finishing up grad school. However, I'm beginning embrace the joys of limbo. The long term un-knowns (in six short weeks I'll be homeless and jobless) can be stressful, but I'm not too busy with work as I'm only taking one class and I've had some time to work on some side projects. Speaking of which, I'll be launching my new blog later this week...yay!

    Enough about my recent shenanigans, in lieu of musing about my next great adventure back to SE Asia I figured this is one overdue post on why Asian food is the best food in the world.

     Why hello hello! It's been so long, I know, but life often gets in the way of writing and there isn't a whole lot of profound stuff to say about finishing up grad school. However, I'm beginning embrace the joys of limbo. The long term un-knowns (in six short weeks I'll be homeless and jobless) can be stressful, but I'm not too busy with work as I'm only taking one class and I've had some time to work on some side projects. Speaking of which, I'll be launching my new blog later this week...yay!

    Enough about my recent shenanigans, in lieu of musing about my next great adventure back to SE Asia I figured this is one overdue post on why Asian food is the best food in the world.

Travel, travel, travel

     Oh my how long it's been. My apologies to anyone who has missed my ramblings and musings over the past year. However, in my defense things have been crazy here as my last full semester of school comes to a close. I've been chasing any and every job that remotely interests me; not to mention the several side projects I have going on. With all of that being said all of my ass-kickingly hard work is slowly starting to pay off. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but it has kept me from updating my personal blog. Although I must admit, it lacks a certain flair without me reporting on my travels.

     Fear not, I will be embarking on a 6 week trip back to my current obsession: South East Asia. Tickets are booked, my passport has been sent out (I ran out of pages plus it's due to expire soon), and I've started getting my research on in my free time. The pre-planned (and likely to change) route after the break.

     Oh my how long it's been. My apologies to anyone who has missed my ramblings and musings over the past year. However, in my defense things have been crazy here as my last full semester of school comes to a close. I've been chasing any and every job that remotely interests me; not to mention the several side projects I have going on. With all of that being said all of my ass-kickingly hard work is slowly starting to pay off. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but it has kept me from updating my personal blog. Although I must admit, it lacks a certain flair without me reporting on my travels.

     Fear not, I will be embarking on a 6 week trip back to my current obsession: South East Asia. Tickets are booked, my passport has been sent out (I ran out of pages plus it's due to expire soon), and I've started getting my research on in my free time. The pre-planned (and likely to change) route after the break.

     Oh my how long it's been. My apologies to anyone who has missed my ramblings and musings over the past year. However, in my defense things have been crazy here as my last full semester of school comes to a close. I've been chasing any and every job that remotely interests me; not to mention the several side projects I have going on. With all of that being said all of my ass-kickingly hard work is slowly starting to pay off. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but it has kept me from updating my personal blog. Although I must admit, it lacks a certain flair without me reporting on my travels.

     Fear not, I will be embarking on a 6 week trip back to my current obsession: South East Asia. Tickets are booked, my passport has been sent out (I ran out of pages plus it's due to expire soon), and I've started getting my research on in my free time. The pre-planned (and likely to change) route after the break.

     Oh my how long it's been. My apologies to anyone who has missed my ramblings and musings over the past year. However, in my defense things have been crazy here as my last full semester of school comes to a close. I've been chasing any and every job that remotely interests me; not to mention the several side projects I have going on. With all of that being said all of my ass-kickingly hard work is slowly starting to pay off. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but it has kept me from updating my personal blog. Although I must admit, it lacks a certain flair without me reporting on my travels.

     Fear not, I will be embarking on a 6 week trip back to my current obsession: South East Asia. Tickets are booked, my passport has been sent out (I ran out of pages plus it's due to expire soon), and I've started getting my research on in my free time. The pre-planned (and likely to change) route after the break.

Singapore and some more

     After a large beer with S and sharing a cab home (the LRT was having one of its freak-outs and not running) I made some pasta and I am currently on the couch relaxing after a tiring Monday. It wasn't stressful or anything, just still tired from the weekend (so my apologies for the lack sense this post will most likely make).

     Singapore was a great time. I met so many awesome people it made my trip. I ended up staying with my host on the first night, R for the whole trip. He was one of those people that you meet in life who you truly feel like you've known for ever (I've only met two other people in my life like this). He hails from Egypt, and if you've known me for an extended period of time, you know that Egypt has been on the top of my places-to-go list for over a decade. Needless to say, we had lots to talk about. I am fascinated by Egyptian culture and now I have an even better reason to make a visit some day. We got along quite well and it was awesome to have him show me around.

     After I arrived and dropped my stuff off at R's car, I headed down to the Esplanade to check out the architecture and meet up with Y from TB. Y is so sweet, we grabbed ice cream at Marina Bay Resort and wandered around. Discussed about life, travel, and what not. I hope she (and, of course, R) come to visit me at some point (if you are reading this, you are always welcome). Either here or back in CO. Y and I were going to meet up on Saturday, but our plans didn't match up in the end.

     For dinner I met up with a bunch of CSers in Little India for some amazing Indian food (MSG free, which is a plus in these parts). There were a bunch of guys from India talking about their country, and they not only convinced me with their comments, but with their fun personalities. I've always been skeptical about going ever since my stomach had its issues in Mongolia, but honestly they've beyond convinced me. I was told multiple times that it is either a place you love or never go back. If I can get over the food/stomach thing I'm pretty positive I'll love it. I enjoy places far removed from what I am used to. Money is, of course, an issue so maybe one of these days.

     After dinner all of us headed over to Chinatown to get some cheap beers at the hawker center there. The lady who served us was like the Chinese mother I never had. You can probably picture her in your head. She gave us some discounts and even offered us free 'peanuts' (aka garbanzo beans). When I got a road soda and a water to go she gave me one of the lowest bows I've ever seen in appreciation. It was, in a nutshell, cute. However, between the huge group of us, we did buy plenty of beers, I would be thankful too.

     The next stop was Clark Quay, where all the bars/clubs are, we chilled out on the bridge, drank some more, hung out, and my camera got passed around. It is a lively place where people essentially just hang out and drink with club music booming in the background. It's the kind of place I like to be, casual and a place for good conversation. Got home late and slept in some.

     The next day R and I had Kaya toast (toast with coconut jam, butter, and soft boiled egg...basically the best thing ever for breakfast) with some dim sum. We played with the dogs (he has three mutts, loved them, as I obviously miss my own doggy at home). Next we putted around Chinatown where I bought some souvenirs. Next we went to Arab Street and had a long lunch with shesha. We had some really good conversations about culture, religion, travel, and enjoying life. We were going to go to Little India, but a relaxing lunch seemed like a better option. Next we stopped by La Salle (at this point it was night). The place made you feel like you were in a rendering.

     That night I went to one of the best parties I've been to. It was one of those things that you wouldn't have known about unless you lived there. It was a beach party at Saratosa Island. Admission was free and you could BYOB (which we did, 2 bottles of FABULOUS vodka for the group, a tube of glow sticks, three squirt guns, and light up bunny ears). There were fire dancers, a pool, kites with LED lights, a kick ass DJ, and a ton of people. Although I'm usually not  fan of this type of clubby party thing, I've been craving a big dance party with a large group of people (CSers all came) and there is nothing better than dancing on the beach in the moonlight. We stayed out quite late, got back, grabbed some food, and passed out.

     The next morning I awoke with no hangover (enhancing the awesomeness of the vodka) and R gave me a ride to the bus station. I slept the whole way home. Singapore was so much different than I expected it to be. Yes it is, at times, too clean. There are a lot of fake people hanging about. It also has a large number of foreigners which shouldn't have surprised me, but did. Furthermore, especially coming from Malaysia, it was expensive. However with all of that being said, the architecture kicks ass, the food is better than the rave reviews give it, and the people I met there were so great. It is a very cosmopolitan city. Similar to KL I can see myself living there for a year or so. I actually found this surprising because the two places are extremely different. I really wish I had a better way to explain it, but I don't. Feelings are feelings, they often don't have explanations. If I wasn't making Malaysian wages I'd try to go back.

     When I got back to KL, it did feel good to be back. There is something about KL that I can relate to. Government and laws aside, I enjoy the sometimes non-sensical way of things here. Although I'm constantly terrified of j-walking across Jalan Ampang I secretly like the thrill. Once again, I don't really know where I'm going with this, which is why this post is quite hard to write. Most people around here seem to like one or the other, but I like them both. They should mix and have a love child city.

    Well it's time to get away from the computer. One last thing, I think I've decided where I'm going to go next month. The CSers are meeting in Bali at the end of July and I hope it works out. Flights seem cheap and Bali is a place I've always wanted to visit. Here are some pics before I sign off...

Mer-lion and spaceship Marina 

Marina Bay

Chinatown

Clark Quay

V doing the coconut tree climb

Da Bridge

Chinese Medicine shop

Render world

Beach party

-M

     After a large beer with S and sharing a cab home (the LRT was having one of its freak-outs and not running) I made some pasta and I am currently on the couch relaxing after a tiring Monday. It wasn't stressful or anything, just still tired from the weekend (so my apologies for the lack sense this post will most likely make).

     Singapore was a great time. I met so many awesome people it made my trip. I ended up staying with my host on the first night, R for the whole trip. He was one of those people that you meet in life who you truly feel like you've known for ever (I've only met two other people in my life like this). He hails from Egypt, and if you've known me for an extended period of time, you know that Egypt has been on the top of my places-to-go list for over a decade. Needless to say, we had lots to talk about. I am fascinated by Egyptian culture and now I have an even better reason to make a visit some day. We got along quite well and it was awesome to have him show me around.

     After I arrived and dropped my stuff off at R's car, I headed down to the Esplanade to check out the architecture and meet up with Y from TB. Y is so sweet, we grabbed ice cream at Marina Bay Resort and wandered around. Discussed about life, travel, and what not. I hope she (and, of course, R) come to visit me at some point (if you are reading this, you are always welcome). Either here or back in CO. Y and I were going to meet up on Saturday, but our plans didn't match up in the end.

     For dinner I met up with a bunch of CSers in Little India for some amazing Indian food (MSG free, which is a plus in these parts). There were a bunch of guys from India talking about their country, and they not only convinced me with their comments, but with their fun personalities. I've always been skeptical about going ever since my stomach had its issues in Mongolia, but honestly they've beyond convinced me. I was told multiple times that it is either a place you love or never go back. If I can get over the food/stomach thing I'm pretty positive I'll love it. I enjoy places far removed from what I am used to. Money is, of course, an issue so maybe one of these days.

     After dinner all of us headed over to Chinatown to get some cheap beers at the hawker center there. The lady who served us was like the Chinese mother I never had. You can probably picture her in your head. She gave us some discounts and even offered us free 'peanuts' (aka garbanzo beans). When I got a road soda and a water to go she gave me one of the lowest bows I've ever seen in appreciation. It was, in a nutshell, cute. However, between the huge group of us, we did buy plenty of beers, I would be thankful too.

     The next stop was Clark Quay, where all the bars/clubs are, we chilled out on the bridge, drank some more, hung out, and my camera got passed around. It is a lively place where people essentially just hang out and drink with club music booming in the background. It's the kind of place I like to be, casual and a place for good conversation. Got home late and slept in some.

     The next day R and I had Kaya toast (toast with coconut jam, butter, and soft boiled egg...basically the best thing ever for breakfast) with some dim sum. We played with the dogs (he has three mutts, loved them, as I obviously miss my own doggy at home). Next we putted around Chinatown where I bought some souvenirs. Next we went to Arab Street and had a long lunch with shesha. We had some really good conversations about culture, religion, travel, and enjoying life. We were going to go to Little India, but a relaxing lunch seemed like a better option. Next we stopped by La Salle (at this point it was night). The place made you feel like you were in a rendering.

     That night I went to one of the best parties I've been to. It was one of those things that you wouldn't have known about unless you lived there. It was a beach party at Saratosa Island. Admission was free and you could BYOB (which we did, 2 bottles of FABULOUS vodka for the group, a tube of glow sticks, three squirt guns, and light up bunny ears). There were fire dancers, a pool, kites with LED lights, a kick ass DJ, and a ton of people. Although I'm usually not  fan of this type of clubby party thing, I've been craving a big dance party with a large group of people (CSers all came) and there is nothing better than dancing on the beach in the moonlight. We stayed out quite late, got back, grabbed some food, and passed out.

     The next morning I awoke with no hangover (enhancing the awesomeness of the vodka) and R gave me a ride to the bus station. I slept the whole way home. Singapore was so much different than I expected it to be. Yes it is, at times, too clean. There are a lot of fake people hanging about. It also has a large number of foreigners which shouldn't have surprised me, but did. Furthermore, especially coming from Malaysia, it was expensive. However with all of that being said, the architecture kicks ass, the food is better than the rave reviews give it, and the people I met there were so great. It is a very cosmopolitan city. Similar to KL I can see myself living there for a year or so. I actually found this surprising because the two places are extremely different. I really wish I had a better way to explain it, but I don't. Feelings are feelings, they often don't have explanations. If I wasn't making Malaysian wages I'd try to go back.

     When I got back to KL, it did feel good to be back. There is something about KL that I can relate to. Government and laws aside, I enjoy the sometimes non-sensical way of things here. Although I'm constantly terrified of j-walking across Jalan Ampang I secretly like the thrill. Once again, I don't really know where I'm going with this, which is why this post is quite hard to write. Most people around here seem to like one or the other, but I like them both. They should mix and have a love child city.

    Well it's time to get away from the computer. One last thing, I think I've decided where I'm going to go next month. The CSers are meeting in Bali at the end of July and I hope it works out. Flights seem cheap and Bali is a place I've always wanted to visit. Here are some pics before I sign off...

Mer-lion and spaceship Marina 

Marina Bay

Chinatown

Clark Quay

V doing the coconut tree climb

Da Bridge

Chinese Medicine shop

Render world

Beach party

-M

     After a large beer with S and sharing a cab home (the LRT was having one of its freak-outs and not running) I made some pasta and I am currently on the couch relaxing after a tiring Monday. It wasn't stressful or anything, just still tired from the weekend (so my apologies for the lack sense this post will most likely make).

     Singapore was a great time. I met so many awesome people it made my trip. I ended up staying with my host on the first night, R for the whole trip. He was one of those people that you meet in life who you truly feel like you've known for ever (I've only met two other people in my life like this). He hails from Egypt, and if you've known me for an extended period of time, you know that Egypt has been on the top of my places-to-go list for over a decade. Needless to say, we had lots to talk about. I am fascinated by Egyptian culture and now I have an even better reason to make a visit some day. We got along quite well and it was awesome to have him show me around.

     After I arrived and dropped my stuff off at R's car, I headed down to the Esplanade to check out the architecture and meet up with Y from TB. Y is so sweet, we grabbed ice cream at Marina Bay Resort and wandered around. Discussed about life, travel, and what not. I hope she (and, of course, R) come to visit me at some point (if you are reading this, you are always welcome). Either here or back in CO. Y and I were going to meet up on Saturday, but our plans didn't match up in the end.

     For dinner I met up with a bunch of CSers in Little India for some amazing Indian food (MSG free, which is a plus in these parts). There were a bunch of guys from India talking about their country, and they not only convinced me with their comments, but with their fun personalities. I've always been skeptical about going ever since my stomach had its issues in Mongolia, but honestly they've beyond convinced me. I was told multiple times that it is either a place you love or never go back. If I can get over the food/stomach thing I'm pretty positive I'll love it. I enjoy places far removed from what I am used to. Money is, of course, an issue so maybe one of these days.

     After dinner all of us headed over to Chinatown to get some cheap beers at the hawker center there. The lady who served us was like the Chinese mother I never had. You can probably picture her in your head. She gave us some discounts and even offered us free 'peanuts' (aka garbanzo beans). When I got a road soda and a water to go she gave me one of the lowest bows I've ever seen in appreciation. It was, in a nutshell, cute. However, between the huge group of us, we did buy plenty of beers, I would be thankful too.

     The next stop was Clark Quay, where all the bars/clubs are, we chilled out on the bridge, drank some more, hung out, and my camera got passed around. It is a lively place where people essentially just hang out and drink with club music booming in the background. It's the kind of place I like to be, casual and a place for good conversation. Got home late and slept in some.

     The next day R and I had Kaya toast (toast with coconut jam, butter, and soft boiled egg...basically the best thing ever for breakfast) with some dim sum. We played with the dogs (he has three mutts, loved them, as I obviously miss my own doggy at home). Next we putted around Chinatown where I bought some souvenirs. Next we went to Arab Street and had a long lunch with shesha. We had some really good conversations about culture, religion, travel, and enjoying life. We were going to go to Little India, but a relaxing lunch seemed like a better option. Next we stopped by La Salle (at this point it was night). The place made you feel like you were in a rendering.

     That night I went to one of the best parties I've been to. It was one of those things that you wouldn't have known about unless you lived there. It was a beach party at Saratosa Island. Admission was free and you could BYOB (which we did, 2 bottles of FABULOUS vodka for the group, a tube of glow sticks, three squirt guns, and light up bunny ears). There were fire dancers, a pool, kites with LED lights, a kick ass DJ, and a ton of people. Although I'm usually not  fan of this type of clubby party thing, I've been craving a big dance party with a large group of people (CSers all came) and there is nothing better than dancing on the beach in the moonlight. We stayed out quite late, got back, grabbed some food, and passed out.

     The next morning I awoke with no hangover (enhancing the awesomeness of the vodka) and R gave me a ride to the bus station. I slept the whole way home. Singapore was so much different than I expected it to be. Yes it is, at times, too clean. There are a lot of fake people hanging about. It also has a large number of foreigners which shouldn't have surprised me, but did. Furthermore, especially coming from Malaysia, it was expensive. However with all of that being said, the architecture kicks ass, the food is better than the rave reviews give it, and the people I met there were so great. It is a very cosmopolitan city. Similar to KL I can see myself living there for a year or so. I actually found this surprising because the two places are extremely different. I really wish I had a better way to explain it, but I don't. Feelings are feelings, they often don't have explanations. If I wasn't making Malaysian wages I'd try to go back.

     When I got back to KL, it did feel good to be back. There is something about KL that I can relate to. Government and laws aside, I enjoy the sometimes non-sensical way of things here. Although I'm constantly terrified of j-walking across Jalan Ampang I secretly like the thrill. Once again, I don't really know where I'm going with this, which is why this post is quite hard to write. Most people around here seem to like one or the other, but I like them both. They should mix and have a love child city.

    Well it's time to get away from the computer. One last thing, I think I've decided where I'm going to go next month. The CSers are meeting in Bali at the end of July and I hope it works out. Flights seem cheap and Bali is a place I've always wanted to visit. Here are some pics before I sign off...

Mer-lion and spaceship Marina 

Marina Bay

Chinatown

Clark Quay

V doing the coconut tree climb

Da Bridge

Chinese Medicine shop

Render world

Beach party

-M

     After a large beer with S and sharing a cab home (the LRT was having one of its freak-outs and not running) I made some pasta and I am currently on the couch relaxing after a tiring Monday. It wasn't stressful or anything, just still tired from the weekend (so my apologies for the lack sense this post will most likely make).

     Singapore was a great time. I met so many awesome people it made my trip. I ended up staying with my host on the first night, R for the whole trip. He was one of those people that you meet in life who you truly feel like you've known for ever (I've only met two other people in my life like this). He hails from Egypt, and if you've known me for an extended period of time, you know that Egypt has been on the top of my places-to-go list for over a decade. Needless to say, we had lots to talk about. I am fascinated by Egyptian culture and now I have an even better reason to make a visit some day. We got along quite well and it was awesome to have him show me around.

     After I arrived and dropped my stuff off at R's car, I headed down to the Esplanade to check out the architecture and meet up with Y from TB. Y is so sweet, we grabbed ice cream at Marina Bay Resort and wandered around. Discussed about life, travel, and what not. I hope she (and, of course, R) come to visit me at some point (if you are reading this, you are always welcome). Either here or back in CO. Y and I were going to meet up on Saturday, but our plans didn't match up in the end.

     For dinner I met up with a bunch of CSers in Little India for some amazing Indian food (MSG free, which is a plus in these parts). There were a bunch of guys from India talking about their country, and they not only convinced me with their comments, but with their fun personalities. I've always been skeptical about going ever since my stomach had its issues in Mongolia, but honestly they've beyond convinced me. I was told multiple times that it is either a place you love or never go back. If I can get over the food/stomach thing I'm pretty positive I'll love it. I enjoy places far removed from what I am used to. Money is, of course, an issue so maybe one of these days.

     After dinner all of us headed over to Chinatown to get some cheap beers at the hawker center there. The lady who served us was like the Chinese mother I never had. You can probably picture her in your head. She gave us some discounts and even offered us free 'peanuts' (aka garbanzo beans). When I got a road soda and a water to go she gave me one of the lowest bows I've ever seen in appreciation. It was, in a nutshell, cute. However, between the huge group of us, we did buy plenty of beers, I would be thankful too.

     The next stop was Clark Quay, where all the bars/clubs are, we chilled out on the bridge, drank some more, hung out, and my camera got passed around. It is a lively place where people essentially just hang out and drink with club music booming in the background. It's the kind of place I like to be, casual and a place for good conversation. Got home late and slept in some.

     The next day R and I had Kaya toast (toast with coconut jam, butter, and soft boiled egg...basically the best thing ever for breakfast) with some dim sum. We played with the dogs (he has three mutts, loved them, as I obviously miss my own doggy at home). Next we putted around Chinatown where I bought some souvenirs. Next we went to Arab Street and had a long lunch with shesha. We had some really good conversations about culture, religion, travel, and enjoying life. We were going to go to Little India, but a relaxing lunch seemed like a better option. Next we stopped by La Salle (at this point it was night). The place made you feel like you were in a rendering.

     That night I went to one of the best parties I've been to. It was one of those things that you wouldn't have known about unless you lived there. It was a beach party at Saratosa Island. Admission was free and you could BYOB (which we did, 2 bottles of FABULOUS vodka for the group, a tube of glow sticks, three squirt guns, and light up bunny ears). There were fire dancers, a pool, kites with LED lights, a kick ass DJ, and a ton of people. Although I'm usually not  fan of this type of clubby party thing, I've been craving a big dance party with a large group of people (CSers all came) and there is nothing better than dancing on the beach in the moonlight. We stayed out quite late, got back, grabbed some food, and passed out.

     The next morning I awoke with no hangover (enhancing the awesomeness of the vodka) and R gave me a ride to the bus station. I slept the whole way home. Singapore was so much different than I expected it to be. Yes it is, at times, too clean. There are a lot of fake people hanging about. It also has a large number of foreigners which shouldn't have surprised me, but did. Furthermore, especially coming from Malaysia, it was expensive. However with all of that being said, the architecture kicks ass, the food is better than the rave reviews give it, and the people I met there were so great. It is a very cosmopolitan city. Similar to KL I can see myself living there for a year or so. I actually found this surprising because the two places are extremely different. I really wish I had a better way to explain it, but I don't. Feelings are feelings, they often don't have explanations. If I wasn't making Malaysian wages I'd try to go back.

     When I got back to KL, it did feel good to be back. There is something about KL that I can relate to. Government and laws aside, I enjoy the sometimes non-sensical way of things here. Although I'm constantly terrified of j-walking across Jalan Ampang I secretly like the thrill. Once again, I don't really know where I'm going with this, which is why this post is quite hard to write. Most people around here seem to like one or the other, but I like them both. They should mix and have a love child city.

    Well it's time to get away from the computer. One last thing, I think I've decided where I'm going to go next month. The CSers are meeting in Bali at the end of July and I hope it works out. Flights seem cheap and Bali is a place I've always wanted to visit. Here are some pics before I sign off...

Mer-lion and spaceship Marina 

Marina Bay

Chinatown

Clark Quay

V doing the coconut tree climb

Da Bridge

Chinese Medicine shop

Render world

Beach party

-M