Well, we've now been here for about 4 days and after the initial shock of jet lag and just being in a different country, I think that we are really getting to see parts of the "real" Singapore. It just as tropical as I imagined. As we were at the pool yesterday, there were armed forces maneuvers going on. There was a helicopter flanked by 2 blackhawks that was repeatedly flying over the island as well as a fighter jet. I took pictures of the helicopters flying through the palm trees. It looked exactly like something out of "China Beach" - for those of you old enough to remember that show...
A lot of the locals here do not have air conditioning as it is very expensive to run. So they dry their clothes on clotheslines on the nth floor of their highrise. I tried drying my clothes like that also until our dryer in our apartment was fixed - 2 days later, they still were not dry due to the humidity here. There are highrises everywhere to accomodate all the people that live here - and today B told me that they want to increase the population by 2 million people! You see construction of highrise after highrise on every street corner.
I drove today for the first time here - I was not as nervous as I thought. Since they drive on the other side of the road here - lefts are rights and rights are lefts. We picked out a car - but you cannot drive them off the lot here - you have to wait roughly 3-5 weeks for all the paperwork to clear. The motorcycles take their own right-of-ways and you really have to watch out for them.
I did get a local Singapore "hand phone" (cell phone) so at least I can call B if I need him.
The smell of Singapore to me is sea water mixed with fish and bus fuel - very Asian. In the public places where they do have A/C - I think they have it turned down to 60 degrees. I constantly feel like a popsicle.
I am excited to get possession of our new place tomorrow - to have a place to call "home". This interim living thing gets really old, really fast. Hopefully in a week or so, we will be up and running fully. That is, until I get my car and until our things arive from the US.
Until next time...
S
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2 comments:
Hey Shital and the family.. I already miss u a lot.. but I am very happy to hear u are adjusting well.. Please send us lots of pictures.. and cannot wait to talk to u once u settle in.. Love u and miss u a lot...
It's so good to read your posts - you're taking me there with your descriptions because I'm picturing everything. And the potpourri of smells you mentioned? Perfect description of what I recall in the Philippines ;o)
How exciting! I can't wait to see pictures of your new place.
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