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!
Arrgh! Two heels.
That’s all I found in the bread bag when I decided to make a peanut butter sandwich this afternoon. Not really for me.
But, luckily, I’ve got a convenient solution to this problem… a bread vending machine downstairs near the pool, right next to the soda machine.
That’s right. How easy is that?
Gardenia Bread Vending Machine
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
Sometimes at night I look out my apartment window and have a moment. A moment like, “I can’t believe I’m living in Singapore. And I can’t believe this is my view.” The whole thing can be somewhat surreal. What a big change from the sprawling suburbia landscape seen from my front porch in Oregon.
Looking South
Looking North East
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
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
Talk about feeling like a complete sweatbox. I can’t imagine how these guys deal with the 88° temperature, 90 percent humidity and the equator sun beating down on them. These landscape workers tolerate the weather with their work outfits made from heavy materials, tall rubber boots, a full head scarf. And to top it all off, a big weed-eater engine strapped to their backs. Uggh… not the best job to be found on Orchard Road.
Workers @ Orchard Road
After a quick walk to the Whampoa market near Balestier, we decided to try eating some fresh durian. Why? Because the fruit represents such a local favorite and it’s been described to me as being “delicious”, “most wonderful” and even “heavenly”. It’s crowned as the “King of Fruits” in SE Asia. How could I resist? But, I did find it difficult to believe once I actually saw, and more importantly, smelled the fruit. Think of the smelly gym socks mixed with an additional non-descript, potent scent. Not so inviting.
But, on to the taste… imagine a mixture similar to garlic, onions and sugar syrup. And all the flavors are very strong. It’s almost bearable trying to eat the fruit with your nose plugged, but I still couldn’t get it down. Too much.
There’s a reason Singapore law bans durian on public transportation, taxis, shopping malls and even hotels.
At least I can say I tried it.
Durian
Durian Fruit Stand
Yuck!
Before moving to Singapore, several people warned me that the government was oppressive and somewhat controlling. During my first six months staying here I haven’t encountered this. Not once. But, perhaps, it’s probably due to the fact I haven’t intentionally sought out content the government deems out-of-bounds.
Tonight, while searching the Internet for an obscure software driver for my old TV tuner card, I ended up visiting one of those websites that serves way too many annoying pop-up windows. As I closed them, I noticed something that surprised me. StarHub, my ISP in Singapore, replaced the pop-up content with a message indicating the original material was restricted. What? Why?
I think this represents the first time I’ve ever been censored. Apparently the MDA (Media Development Authority) believes they know what is appropriate and not appropriate for me to see. While there’s a potential I may find the content objectionable, I still don’t find the need for that decision to be made for me. After reading-up on their organization I learned they tend to censor both violence and sexual themes with the justification that Singaporean citizens are very conservative and censorship of political, racial, violent, sexual and religious is necessary to avoid upsetting the balance of the nation’s delicate, multi-racial society.
Okay.
Why is this upsetting me so much? I’m actually surprised that I haven’t just let it go. It’s not that I need, or even want, to see the intended content in that pop-up window. It’s just that I want to be the one making that determination. Not someone else.
Screenshot of what I saw (below). Notice the recommended browser. What humorous irony that they suggest software that’s over ten years old.
StarHub Censorship
