No serviettes

They don't give you napkins at restaurants. Sometimes there is a wet nap at the end. Reason #522 that Singapore and Gwen don't mix.

3 more hours of work

and then a team dinner. They are taking me out for chili crab and all kinds of crab and I get to wear a bib and eat lots and lots!! Dinner is not until 7, so am going to try to leave at 5, go to the hotel and pack and then meet them at dinner. Have a meeting from 4-5 with the big big boss.

And then after dinner, I will go back to my room, finish packing and try to go to sleep, because when I wake up, I WILL BE GOING HOME. HOME GLORIOUS HOME. I LOVE NEW JERSEY.

I don't know if I am excited about the 19 hour plane journey or landing at 6pm in Newark. Now that I think of it like that, I'm sure Brian will beat me back to the house. I'm thinking I'll be home at 7:15.

Send positive vibes that no majore flight delays occur in the morning! Must get out of here.

Trying to not be homesick

Stuck watching CSI miami on my only channel.

Horacio just said, "Reality just became real"

3 days left and counting

Today was not a good work day. My boss says it's lonely at the top, and I've found that it's even lonelier when the others at the top with you are jerks.

I feel like I'm in a thankless job right now and that it's not worth it. I did not beg to come here and now I am being treated like I did.

Densapar Airport is not a favorite of mine

You have to have your tickets printed and with you before you arrive. If you don't, you are at the mercy of the first guard station. When they finally let you through, there are duty free shops and a lot of tourist shops. There is a huge sign that says, "If you buy beverages you can take them on most flights." I think that means that you can take them on maybe 1 flight. This was the first time you have seen gatorade, in weeks, so you buy 2 bottles.

Then, you have to go through customs and another security bag scan - no big deal.

As you continue towards your gate, there is another stop where you have to pay a fee for being in the airport!! $150,000 rupaihs just to pass GO! (It also turns out that the person you are with does not understand how to add and thinks that he has enough money when in fact he only had $30,000 rupaihs).

Once you get to your gate, you learn that, in fact, you cannot bring beverages with you through the gate (even though you have been through 2 securities and BOUGHT YOUR BEVERAGE IN THE AIRPORT). At that time, you chug both gatorades, because you're not about to throw them away.

You go through another security post and then you are there! But, wait, no! You have to give some form to some lady before you can get to your gate.

And then, finally, you are on the plane out of Bali.

Bali

Bali was fantastic. I stayed in a rustic island type tropical (resort) locale and I could not have wished for more. The weather was 80 degrees with a cool ocean breeze pouring over me. I spent all day Saturday lounging by the pool reading. The pool was cool, it felt like descending into a lake and there was a cave and a waterfall.

I also went swimming in the ocean. The water was clear and shallow. I was in it for about 10 minutes and then thought that I might be sick, so I went back to the pool.

Saturday night, I went to dinner at a interesting restaurant called "The Living Room." It wasn't anything like a living room and I thought the food was terrible. After that, I returned to the hotel where the Germany/Argentina game was being shown on the big screen on the beach. It doesn't get much better than sitting under the stars watching German football.

Sunday was more pool time followed by a spa afternoon. I got a milk bath, massage, and mani pedi before leaving.

On my way to Bali!

Security in Singapore is first rate! We had our bags scanned, did not remove our shoes, no metal detector, laptop stayed in bag and that was it. Then the customs guy gave me candy!!! He said I could take as much as I wanted.

Adam (my travel mate) is a little anxious to get on the plane, but I'm relaxed. No need to stand in que when you can sit and board later.

Small mistake was carrying a backpack instead of a rolling suitcase.

Almost time to add another airport to my expanding list!

AND - a week from now I'll be packing to go home! Yay!!!!!!

Marcus would love this

We have a Machine here that gives out free beverages. You can get coke, sprite, chocolate milk or coffee. You press a button and it makes a drink for you. You get it in a little cup just like a concession stand at little league.

I just had the chocolate milk. It is kind of weird tasting.

Singapore Pukefest continues and now you can comment

I've enabled this blog to receive your comments! It should be easy now for my 2 readers to make comments on my posts. Also, I've enabled AdWords, so if you click on the ads like a million times, then Google pays me $10 or something like that.

I was cajoled into going to lunch today. (Is cajole the right word)? As soon as I finished, I felt not so great. I made it back to my office, back to my desk and then paused for10 minutes and then I made it to the bathroom and tossed my cookies. Or in this case seafood aribita.

I feel fine now. So what is the deal with the food here? Do I stick to my diet of sprite, corn flakes and mentos? I sort of think that I am going to have to, I clearly cannot eat the food here.

The big big big boss is back in town. I hope that I can escape from here without having to make a lame excuse of why I can't do happy hour (but i really can't).

I'm very sad to report that I will have read every book on my Kindle before I leave this place which means, I might have to (gasp) read one of the old timey books with pages and stuff.

Mr. Bean

Currently, channel 5 is showing Mr. Bean. He's a funny man and has really long thumbs. I made it all weekend without charging my phone which is good because I left my charger at the office. I am already thinking about what tomorrow and this next week will be like. I am anticipating a lot of work, which will hopefully make the days pass quickly. I'm reading a lot, have finished all of my kindle books and are on to those of the rest of the family. Unfortunately none of them are about vampires.

Casinos Here

There are 2 casinos here in Singapore. They are both really nice and fancy. The cheapest table game buy in is $25. There are no poker rooms. They have games like 3 pictures and pontoon and I have no idea how to play them. Pai Gow is with dominos instead of cards, which is too bad. There are slot machines, I lost on the wheel.

When I was playing Singapore Stud Poker at the casino at Sentosa, it was crowded with the comfy chairs, but crowded and then they let another woman pull up another chair and it was SO crowded. Then it got loud and the woman next to me was betting on my gambling 2-pair plus jackpot and I don't like people to bet on my hands. It went down from there. I finally got out of that. I did not like have people shoved around me talking in another language bad because i was not playing the stupid bets.

I decided that if I did not eat that my stomach would not hurt. But then around 2 I thought that I needed to eat, I had a chicken sandwhich and I feel okay after that. Still not great.

Shaolin Soccer

Is the movie that I watched on channel 5. I didn't notice until half way through that it wasn't originally recorded in English. It was about a kung fu soccer team.

Now watching the 9:30 news. A Swiss guy broke into the public transport and spray painted a train. I don't understand why someone would be dumb enough to feel the need to do that in Singapore. He is on 100k bond and I am sure will get a caining. He is up for 3 whacks. Do it I say.

At a bar called Chevys

Listening to Bon Jovi being sung by malasian chinese man. it's my life. And Karen just said it is good.

My channel - 5

In my hotel, I only have one channel that has English shows. While I do occasionally enjoy a Chinese soap opera or Malasian MTV, I've grown accustomed to my Channel. It is Channel 5 and it airs on channel 8. It has a lot of Americas Funniest Home Videos (unfortunately post sagat). I also like this show called "Being Served" that has hidden cameras watching butlers in hotels to the rich and rude. Someone gets voted off each week.

All of the "new" shows here are a few months behind the states. On Ellen, we just celebrated St. Patricks day and we are only just getting into Deperate Housewives. I would like to add that Thursday is called "Ladies Night" when they turn the channel into their version of Oxygen or Lifetime and only show shows that they deem "for women only."

I also got to see that show where the masked magician revealed tricks. remember that?

It is my weekend

There is a machine here that gives out free coke and sprit and chocolate milk all day long. I will be leaving work soon and am going to a VIP dinner. Apparently there is a restaurant that has not opened yet, but we are being allowed to eat there with a private tasting and menu. It is allegedy called temptations. Let's hope that I am not tempted to throw up!

I'm going with some gals from Dubai and London which makes me the most West of all. West is Best!!

this is a test

Will it post to my blog?

My lunch today

As you can imagine, there are many interesting cuisines here in Singers. What I find is that most people don't even know what they are eating. I've learned to stay away from any kind of beef if it doesn't come in steak form. The fish (unless it is sushi) is just fish. I had some yesterday and no one knew or seemed to care what kind of fish it was. From the taste, I would guess catfish, but I don't even know if they have catfish out here.

Today, I went to the Irish Pub under my office and ordered their "Fat Chips." It turns out they were out of Chips. WHAT KIND OF IRISH PUB RUNS OUT OF CHIPS AT NOON ON A FRIDAY I ASK YOU?! One in Singapore is the answer.

I then read the description of the club sandwich: Fried fish served on white bread with tartar sauce and chicken served with FAT CHIPS. I ordered it. What I received was whole wheat bread covered in a thousand island type mixture with fried egg, bacon, lettuce and chicken shoved inside, it was served with a salad and mash.

Still in Recovery

On Sunday of this week, I came down with what some call Expat flu. I prefer to think of it as a touch of plague. I was near my end on Monday, had a massive headache on Tuesday and felt like a million dollars on Wednesday only to not feel great again on Thursday and then even worse today. Friday.

Hi Hoooo Singapore

Since arriving in Singapore 2 weeks ago, I've felt the need to blog. Mostly because I don't have a lot of people to talk to and I keep having poignant thoughts with no one to share them with.

So. Here. We. Are.