Mine... all mine.
I’ve spent fourteen months scouring the island for Cherry Coke. Chasing shadows. Following whispers. Tracking rumors.
All leading to nowhere. You can’t find it.
How can that be? There are five million people here. Does no one prefer Cherry Coke? Seriously, people!
Because of this, I’ve been relegated to the lesser Coke. Just the plain old secret formula. Yawn.
I’ve officially given up searching. The rollercoaster ride is over. I’ve accepted my fate.
I even talked to one of the main Coke distributors here. There’s a reason why I can’t find it. Apparently, Singaporeans think Cherry Coke tastes too much like cough medicine. And, it sits on the store shelves.
Cough medicine?
So, there I have my answer. Either I import it myself, or go without.
Luckily, fortune happened upon me this morning. My manager, visiting from Hong Kong, bestowed a charitable gift upon me. Never has a six-pack of Cherry Coke been so valuable.*
*Apparently, I will be receiving Cherry Coke in lieu of stock options this year.
Singapore is known for its many laws. No gum chewing. No littering. No spitting. No forgetting to flush a public toilet. And, so on.
The list is long.
In addition to the moderately enforced laws, you’ll find lots of… shall we say, suggestions.
Don’t enter or you may be shot. Don’t swim here or the polluted water will eat your skin away. Don’t feed the monkeys or they’ll rip your face off.
Okay, two of those were (mostly) fake.
Today we saw a funny suggestion at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. A sign at the top of a not-so-steep hill cautioned visitors not to run.
Umm… okay.
We decided the person who posted the sign must’ve imagined Singaporeans running, slipping and rolling all the way to the bottom. Knocking over people along the way. A trail of bodies strewn everywhere. Bloody noses, bruised limbs, stubbed toes, torn hangnails.
Maybe not the exact image, but that’s how we imagined and laughed about it.
Oh. And, yes, I ran down. Just because they told me not to!
Almost bit it.
I’ve been staying in my apartment for over a year now and every time I leave the building I pass by a variety of beautiful, tropical flowers. For some reason, they always seem to be in bloom. I guess that’s just how it works when you live on the equator.
I’m not complaining. It’s nice.
I’ve often wondered what the flowers are called. Clearly it hasn’t been eating away at me or anything… but, it would be nice to know. So, I finally did something about it today.
A few snapshots and about thirty minutes on the Internet answered my question.
Plumeria
Heliconia
Spider Lily
I don’t normally enjoy zoos all that much because I end up feeling sorry for the caged-up animals. But, before visiting the Singapore Zoo several people informed me that it was different. Well, not so much the case. All I have to say is polar bears on the equator. No need to say more.
But, feeding the kangaroos provided a fun interlude. I really enjoyed having them eat from my hand! The kangaroos were so gentile and happy to get some treats.
Yum, yum.
Gimme more food!
On my way home I stopped by the Singapore Blogathon, sponsored by Intel & Lenovo .
A few of my colleagues coordinated the event at TANGS, a popular department store on busy Orchard Road. They arranged for 10 bloggers to do their thing for 24 hours… all while parking themselves in the store display windows for the passers-by to watch. And, the top two bloggers will win a new IdeaPad.
While I watched everyone typing away through the window, a familiar jingle (set to different lyrics) jumped into my head:
How much is that blogger in the window? Click. Click.
The one with the ultra-thin PC.
How much is that blogger in the window? Click. Click.
I do hope that they tweet me.
I must take a visit to their website,
And leave my favorite blogger a note.
If their reply’s really entertaining,
I think they’ll win a new Netbook.
How much is that blogger in the window? Click. Click.
The one with the really tired face.
How much is that blogger in the window? Click. Click.
I do hope they stay awake.
Anyway, it was a fun time. What an innovative idea that generated a bunch of interest!
APAC PC events always seem to include "extra staff"
The Loft - One of five window displays
Sheryo - One of the bloggers (my favorite)
Elvin Ong, Intel PR - Blogathon brainchild
Many Singapore locals end their sentences with the word ‘lah’ and it completely threw me the first time I heard someone say it. What does ‘lah’ mean?
Since then, I’ve learned that ‘lah’ is part of a local dialect affectionately known as Singlish. It’s a mix of English, Malay, Cantonese and several other languages and it also includes American slang commonly found in TV and movies. Essentially, ‘lah’ is used to soften the force of a statement while also encouraging solidarity. It’s commonly used to modify a verb into a command, especially when the verb may seem impolite. But, conversely, ‘lah’ can also be used to emphasize power and express annoyance, when stressed.
A few examples:
- Okay, lah
- I dun have, lah
- No can do, lah
- Not my fault, lah
Recently I saw an advertisement posted near a bus stop shelter including the word. Funny, lah?
Singapore Advertisement
A while back I attempted my best Tarzan impression and it didn’t end well. That is, unless you consider a bonk on my head from the falling vine success.
It’s so much fun living somewhere with hanging vines… even though it’s clearly making me regress into childhood mode. Anyway, take two went much better.
Urban Tarzan
Reverse angle!
Who knew you could get away from it all and enjoy nature and the great outdoors right in Singapore’s backyard? There’s a little bit of everything for everyone. Camping? Waterskiing, swimming and fishing? No problem.
You’d be hard pressed to find a more serene, tranquil backdrop to enjoy a afternoon with your honey. Sit back, relax, and watch the occasional boat drift by the costal shoreline. It really doesn’t get better than this.
Singapore East Coast Camping
If camping isn’t your thing, give fishing a try. Pack a light lunch, and spread out on the soft bank and enjoy the afternoon trying to catch the one that almost got away. This is what fishing stories are made of.
Singapore East Coast Fishing
If you’re into active sports, check-out the great water skiing. What? You say you don’t have a ski boat? No big deal. Just get in line and wait for your turn on the rope-tow. You can almost smell the outboard motor blue smoke in front of you.
Singapore East Coast Water Skiing
And, if you need to cool off at the end of the day, take a refreshing swim in the ocean. Just watch-out for the fishing lines. Because if the water is clean enough to eat fish from, it’s certainly clean enough to swim in. Right?
Singapore East Coast Swimming
We’ve all taken one of those urinal etiquette tests. You know the typical questions, “which urinal would you choose in a line-up of six, if the third and sixth positions are occupied?”. Easy, easy… the answers are inherently ingrained in guys’ minds. It’s almost instinct.
Question: Which urinal should be used in this situation?
Singapore Airport, Terminal 2
Answer: There is no right answer. Proceed to a stall with a door.
What happens to the guy occupying urinal #2 if a weary traveler breaks rank and decides to use urinal #1? An awkward exit situation awaits, that’s for sure. Luckily, today, everyone knew the correct answer and proceeded directly to the stalls.
P.S. I’m sure I broke like 15 Singapore laws by taking this photo and I’m expecting to be either deported or heavily fined in the near future.
Sometimes you just know something is bound to go wrong. I got that feeling today as I passed by a window display near my office. A tandem of guys were attempting to clean a narrow space between the display and the glass. One of them managed to squeeze himself in-between the space while using a vacuum hose to tidy up the area.
Well, once he finished he couldn’t find a surface to leverage himself back into a standing position. He was stuck and knew it. And, there wasn’t much room to maneuver out of the situation. So he had to inch is way out, backwards… in front of a growing crowd. Slowly. Very slowly.
I’m sure he appreciated the photos. But, a moment like this needs to be captured.
Before
After
