The past few weeks has been a whirlwind. I almost lost my mind at work, I turned 33, one of my best friends in the world came to visit, we ran around Singapore like true tourists purchasing everything beautiful, and I traveled for the first time to Indonesia and Thailand - all in the course of about 12 days. I'm actually exhausted just by writing that.
But it has been a complete blast. And I needed it. The past few months have been tough - if you've read my previous blogs you know why. If not, let me give you a short and sweet recap - work, lots and lots of work, completely overwhelming volumes of work, and very little down/personal time. Vacation could not have come at a better time.
My bestie CR flew over from the States to play tourist with me - starting in Singapore, then to Bintan, Indonesia, topped off with some time in Phuket, Thailand and one day back in Singapore (just to catch up on spending any money we hadn't already). It was like a drinking, eating, money-spending marathon and I am happy to report that we most certainly came in first place. We pretty much showed our livers what they had been missing out on since I left Boston, and our bank accounts that saving money is for wussies. Thank goodness that the Bhat in Thailand is pretty much worth $0.05 or I'd be panhandling my tourist trap goods on the streets of Singapore to pay my cell phone bill this month.
But, totally worth it. Worth days of little sleep, veins chock-a-block with tequila and vodka and a bank account that may still be weezing. It was by far the best vacation of my life.
In moments of weepy self-pity, I can look at those ten days and ask myself who else is lucky enough to ring in their all-important 33rd birthday by dancing in the Indian Ocean, under shooting stars, drink in hand brought down to the ocean by room service, with three amazing friends? Then I'll remind myself that I had the chance to stay at a 5-star resort in Thailand for PENNIES, spend time with my bestie who just so happens to be the ideal travel partner, and I even got what other people would refer to as a light pink color, but I would call a full-out tan. Lucky, lucky girl, that's what I'll be telling myself for months.
Great pics below of the trip. Without wasting a lot of your time, I figured I'd give the three minute overview of the trip below. See if you can spot the occurring themes:
Day #1 - chilling by the pool enjoying margaritas. Out that night to the local tourist hotspot, Clarke Quay, where we are hit on by 21-year-old Oompha Loomphas. Crying jag at 3am, then off to bed.
Day #2 - Shopping, get told "you SOOOO lucky" by the strangest man to ever work in a store about 100 times. Think I'm on Candid Camera or Ashton Kutcher is going to show up. Drinks at the infamous Long Bar for the real deal Singapore Sling (ehhhh). Highlight of the day is a full-out dance fest at the smokiest club in existence, Attica. Bottle service, dancing until 4am and a make-out or two. Nice.
Day #3 - Best brunch EVER with champagne free pour, then off to the Tanjong Beach club for more drinks and hot boys in bathing suits. Double nice. Don't pack as planned for next day, but finally make my way home around 2am.
Day #4 - WORST HANGOVER EVER (guess that goes without saying, right?). Throw everything that looks like clothing into a suitcase and somehow remember to brush my teeth. Take a ferry to Bintan, Indonesia, take pictures of the most outrageously over-the-top signs, arrive at resort where I procede to try to sleep to no avail. Meet up with friends who have been drinking all day, go for an amazing local dinner where we're serenaded by a live band at our table, eat a delicious crab that we unfortunately had to pick out live and buy a really gross but strangely funny wood carving of huge-headed people in flagrante delicto. Make way to ocean for our own personal dance party, drinks and amazing clove cigarettes. See shooting stars - believe the universe is telling me happy birthday.
Day #5 - Ocean time with friends, then massages by the ocean before heading back to Singapore. Misplace my reentry document and totally freak out thinking I'm going to be stuck in Indonesia as my friends keep going. Look like an ass and almost break down in tears, then find the document. Am allowed in, with a stern "you're a moron" look from the immigration guy.
Day #6 - Fantastic shopping in Chinatown and squares of bbq's pork meat. Wine on the rooftop terrace, under the guise of a low-key night so we can pack for Thailand. Utter fail, as we don't pack.
Day #7 - Throw more stuff in a suitcase, then off to airport for flight to Phuket. Arrive at the resort, double check to see if anyone is trying to throw me out as pretty sure I'm not allowed at a place this nice. Somehow slip through the cracks and check in. After oohing and aahing at the room, head to the amazing infinity pool by the ocean with CR. Promptly order drinks from the cabana boy and take a huge sigh of relief. Foot massage while CR sleeps, where I get to see a man's shorts split open during the very aerobic Thai massage. Giggle. Then off to a dinner that is not only ridiculous and massive, but included in our package at no cost. Almost lose a lung from laughing that the crazy "You SOOOO lucky" guy was actually right.
Day #8 - Pool, then off to do some "local" shopping. Realize that means buying from a 7-11 or getting used tires in what ends up being a very dead area of town. Finally find a taxi that actually looks like a fire truck without the water instruments. Try not to die during ride to Patong Beach while sitting beside a old, unplugged standing fan that is inexplicably laying in my seat. Realize that I am have become too old for Patong but the 40-year old Australians somehow aren't, stare in awe at the "lady boys", try not to get robbed by a 5-year old and bargain for a super cheap Laughing Buddha.
Day #9 - Go snorkling for the first time, almost panic then realize there is so much salt in the ocean you could actually float without trying, see amazing fish and coral and walk the beach from the movie "The Beach". (Good name, quite descriptive). Snorkle in the middle of the ocean, almost break my knee trying to get back in the boat, enjoy a beer with CR at a bar plopped in the middle of the sea and try not to slobber on the hot Spanish guy. Get dressed to go out, hit the resort bar and never make it past there. Amazing dinner and lots of burnt lemon margaritas, which just so happens to be the best drink ever. CR steals the drink menu to make at home.
Day #10 - pool, then 2.5 hours of massages and facials, shopping, dinner then back to Singapore. Revel in the fact that the restrooms are outside, and nice! Bid a bittersweet tear of goodbye to Phuket. Come dragging my ass in around 2am.
Day #11 - Awesome shopping on Arab Street, where we somehow find the best deals from a Chinese man. Hawker center food for dinner, then wine on the terrace in guise of yet another low-key night so CR can go to bed early. Another utter fail. Packing at 1am.
Day #12 - CR leaves at 5am, I cry a little, then sleep for 6 hours. Body hates me, but my soul is light and happy. Best vacay ever.
Hong Kong!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
The good, the bad and the very ugly...
The thing I love about being half-way across the world is the new things you learn - it's definitely not America over here and I get a nice dose of that reality every once in a while. It's easy to forget that in a city/country that is so cosmopolitan and somewhat westernized, but we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
Today is election day here in Singapore, and it's made me think about the new world I live in. So as you know in the States when it's election day, about 30-40% of us will vote (in a good year), you'll be bombarded with signs and campaigners even while you're in the lines queuing to vote and it's a hassle to get there to actually vote because it's always a working day and the lines can be horrendous, right? Hence, many don't vote, then we all complain about the outcome.
Not so in Singapore (oh, that's fun to say out loud. No really, try it). It's actually MANDATORY to vote. Yes, you heard that right. They're so freaking organized over here that you get your little voting card in the mail about a week prior, it tells you exactly where to go and it's always very close to your home so that you can make it, voting is done on a Saturday (which is a national holiday so many places are also closed or will open late), and the day before is an official "cooling off day", which means no campaigning, signage, debates, etc after that day. It's supposed to give people time to think about their choices without pressure, and people here take it pretty damn seriously. I was out last night and asked a few locals what they were planning to do after work and they told me they were going home for the cooling off time. I'm drinking a beer, they're considering the future of their country. Yep, I'm definitely an American. ;)
They've got a lot of things right here - I like the Saturday voting to help people work it in with little issues to their life. In fact, they even give everyone an extra vacation day at all companies to make up for taking a Saturday. So even though I can't vote, I get an extra vacay day - NICE! I love the organization of it - according to my local friends, it only take 10-15 minutes to vote, including queuing in line. And I like the cooling off period - it's overwhelming with all of the info, marketing and signage being thrust in your face literally until the moment you vote in the States.
However, I'm not sure how I feel about mandatory voting. I see the benefits - everyone has a say, it forces you to be involved in your country and the decision-making process - but it just feels so... parental. Like you're not free to make your own decisions 100% and someone else knows better than you. It definitely makes me appreciate the open choice of America, while still recognizing the benefits of the way it's done here. It's an interesting dilemma.
Oh, and for the ugly in the title, you ask? I've got a great one for you. Some traditional men here actually purposely grow HAIR out of moles on their face/neck and will never cut it or trim it. It's recognized as a traditional sign of wealth and fortune, so it's taken pretty seriously for some men (typically for men in the older generations - I've yet to see a 25 year old with a disgustingly long hair growing out of their face). I get that it's a sign of good fortune and all and I appreciate that I'm the outsider here and don't really understand the customs, but it's just so gross. There's really no other word for it. It actually makes me throw up in my mouth a little. Yep, just a little, but it's there.
So, to wrap up - I'm blissfully unaware of being the foreigner here most days, but am still clearly one. That's okay though - expats get the best tax deal ever, so that makes up for it.
Today is election day here in Singapore, and it's made me think about the new world I live in. So as you know in the States when it's election day, about 30-40% of us will vote (in a good year), you'll be bombarded with signs and campaigners even while you're in the lines queuing to vote and it's a hassle to get there to actually vote because it's always a working day and the lines can be horrendous, right? Hence, many don't vote, then we all complain about the outcome.
Not so in Singapore (oh, that's fun to say out loud. No really, try it). It's actually MANDATORY to vote. Yes, you heard that right. They're so freaking organized over here that you get your little voting card in the mail about a week prior, it tells you exactly where to go and it's always very close to your home so that you can make it, voting is done on a Saturday (which is a national holiday so many places are also closed or will open late), and the day before is an official "cooling off day", which means no campaigning, signage, debates, etc after that day. It's supposed to give people time to think about their choices without pressure, and people here take it pretty damn seriously. I was out last night and asked a few locals what they were planning to do after work and they told me they were going home for the cooling off time. I'm drinking a beer, they're considering the future of their country. Yep, I'm definitely an American. ;)
They've got a lot of things right here - I like the Saturday voting to help people work it in with little issues to their life. In fact, they even give everyone an extra vacation day at all companies to make up for taking a Saturday. So even though I can't vote, I get an extra vacay day - NICE! I love the organization of it - according to my local friends, it only take 10-15 minutes to vote, including queuing in line. And I like the cooling off period - it's overwhelming with all of the info, marketing and signage being thrust in your face literally until the moment you vote in the States.
However, I'm not sure how I feel about mandatory voting. I see the benefits - everyone has a say, it forces you to be involved in your country and the decision-making process - but it just feels so... parental. Like you're not free to make your own decisions 100% and someone else knows better than you. It definitely makes me appreciate the open choice of America, while still recognizing the benefits of the way it's done here. It's an interesting dilemma.
Oh, and for the ugly in the title, you ask? I've got a great one for you. Some traditional men here actually purposely grow HAIR out of moles on their face/neck and will never cut it or trim it. It's recognized as a traditional sign of wealth and fortune, so it's taken pretty seriously for some men (typically for men in the older generations - I've yet to see a 25 year old with a disgustingly long hair growing out of their face). I get that it's a sign of good fortune and all and I appreciate that I'm the outsider here and don't really understand the customs, but it's just so gross. There's really no other word for it. It actually makes me throw up in my mouth a little. Yep, just a little, but it's there.
So, to wrap up - I'm blissfully unaware of being the foreigner here most days, but am still clearly one. That's okay though - expats get the best tax deal ever, so that makes up for it.
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