Team Taylor Deportation/Repatriation Countdown
Days left in Singapore: 9
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 16
Family,
And a good evening to you all from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. After his second disastrous night's sleep (5 hours combined across the last 2 nights), the Bull rallied for 4.75 miles this morning. I ran outside, and I must say - winter is CLEARLY over. After the brief 2 month respite, the weather's already back up to a scorching 14 TRILLION degrees, and there's no break in the humidity in sight. However, as Hong Kong is going to be colder than I'd originally expected, packing for the flight home should at least be somewhat easier.
Today was another great one at work, and a big milestone: today I presented the "handover documentation" to the lucky souls who a) get to finish all the tasks I was too lazy to get to and b) get to clean up the mess I've made across 2 continents over the last 12 months. There is definitely a sense of finality, as most folks will be on leave after Friday, meaning that, after the next two working days, it could be a long while before I see a lot of these folks again. It's the exact same feeling I got when I left London (both in 2007 and 2010) - you've got so many incredible memories and experiences wrapped into a place, and suddenly everyone is gone and the city is 37,000 feet below you, almost a memory, leaving you scrambling to find your place again in a new world order. Time is just FLYING right now (case in point - it feels like just yesterday that we started the deportation countdown at 30 days - now we're in single digits!), and I can't help but think of a quote from my favorite song by my Uncle Benny (GREEN LIGHT, BENNY!!!!): "Life goes zero to sixty in the blink of an eye."
As for the evening's festivities, the Bull went to Marina Bay for his 4th viewing of Wicked. This means that Wicked is now tied with Phantom for the show I've seen the most, but Wicked remains far and away the best musical I've ever seen. Jenny and I were lucky enough to see it 3 times in London, and we always managed to secure great seats. Given my track record with Singapore audiences, however, I wasn't about to pay $250 SGD for tickets in the stalls. Instead, I forked over $58 for the cheapest seat in the house (LITERALLY - I was on the very back row). I am happy to report that, for act 1, the audience was silent like the grave (but there were STILL 50% of the audience texting NON-STOP throughout the show). During the second act, however, the Americans sitting beside me originally moved down, meaning that a local couple slid over toward me. They were chatty chattersons for a bit, but ultimately they calmed down as well. So all in all - cheap ticket (with GREAT visibility), virtual silence, and an amazing show = terrific night.
As for the show itself - AMAZING. Definitely on par with London. Elphaba and Galinda were simply SPECTACULAR - the voices a perfect match and both SUPER strong. I really enjoyed sitting up higher, as I noticed a lot of lighting and choreography that I hadn't noticed before. The Grand Theater at Marina Bay is truly state of the art, and I think that really helped the staging, as I'm sure they had more flexibility her than at the Apollo in London. But I also think the dancing, blocking, and general feel of the show was (dare I say) better than London. Again, I think a bigger stage helps, but regardless - this cast made it count.
The chorus was phenomenal vocally, and the only weak link in the show was the Wizard. Traditionally he doesn't have a super strong voice (especially compared to the witches), but I did find some of his musicality a bit painful in places). But hey, no complaints, as it was just great. One thing I did find interesting - in London, people caught every reference to the book/movie and laughed. Here, I don't think the audience really caught a single joke in that regard. When there were jokes about looks or vanity, they cackled (consequently, Galinda was a HUGE hit). It was just odd, because some of the segments that hte London crowd took very in a solemn fashion was considered hilarious here.
And at the end of it all, I will say that, just like every other time, the end of Act 1 left me with chills, and the end of Act 2 left me with tears. I mean, I KNOW HOW IT ENDS AND IT'S A COMEDY. WHY DO I GET TEARY-EYED AT THE MUSIC? Matt, Ray - don't answer that.
And in case anyone thinks I've abandoned my old ways, FRET NOT - I did visit the casino before the show. I wouldn't want you guys thinking I'm slipping!
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow! Two more sleeps until the return of MUFFIN PUFFIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Sam and (most likely back from her slum tour and heading toward Leopold's for dinner before her LAST SLEEP in India - make your last day on the subcontinent count, Pumpkin! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!) Jenny (and Cath)
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
In the footsteps of Leo - exploring Ko Phi Phi (Railay Part II)...
Team Taylor Deportation/Repatriation Countdown
Days left in Singapore: 10
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 17
Family,
And a good evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. So first off - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAPPA!!!!!!! Today, ladies and gentlemen, my dad hits the big 6-4. He is celebrating not only this morning not only because of his birthday but also because of the big win vs. the Manley Eagles last night. Full marks, dad! The Mighty Hornets strike again. :-) And Pattie - go get 'em tonight against my alma mater.
In workout news, the Bull contemplated the bike today but instead passed in favor of getting home to get stuff knocked out. I felt fine with that, as a) I was tired and got ZERO sleep last night, b) really wanted sushi and was starving (I had Japanese for lunch as well, but it was smoked salmon teryaki and some folks in the office took me out and paid for it - thanks, ladies!), c) wanted to make sure I could call dad in time to catch him and wish him Happy Birthday, d) wanted to get in bed early, and e) have been packing NON-STOP. However, I'm going to get up early tomorrow and try to pound the pavement outside again. The goal is 5 miles, but depending on the weather, I could very well be happy with four.
But enough of that, as you're ready for the return to Railay. Tonight we'll follow in the footsteps of the one, the only, the king of the world - Leonardo DiCaprio, as we head to Ko Phi Phi Leh - better known simply as "the beach."
Made famous by the movie, this pair of islands (Ko Phi Phi Leh and Ko Phi Phi Don, with Don being the bigger one) was once pristine and completely undiscovered. Now, however, it is INSANITY with all the tourist boats. Jenny and I had originally planned to spend 2 nights on Phi Phi Don and then day trip over to Phi Phi Leh, but after her evaluation of Railay with a day trip vs. staying on Phi Phi Don, we decided that an out-and-back was plenty. And so, with that in mind, we had a quick brekkie at our place and then headed over to West Railay to catch our boat.
Now if you'll remember Jenny's posts back in October, you'll remember that all 3 of the girls came back BLACK AND BLUE like they'd been on the front line of an Alexander the Great campaign. Granted, this was a mixture of rock climbing, REDONKULOUS hiking, and various other things, but the chief source of the bruising came from the day trip boat ride. As we walked up, Jenny said, "Don't worry - we should be fine this time because they'll pick us up first. As long as we don't sit in the front of the boat, we'll be okay. That's where it's rough." Well, as fate would have it, we were THE ABSOLUTE LAST PEOPLE PICKED UP, and it was a FULL HOUSE. We stepped on and everyone started cackling, as there was NO WAY we could sit below deck in the shade. The guide leads us to the front, but we notice that it is RAMMED as well. When I say, "Um, where the hell are we supposed to sit?" (I wasn't overly friendly about it, as the tour was clearly oversold), she just starts throwing girls on laps and makes about 4 millimeters of space for Jenny and I. I'm in the DEAD CENTER front of the boat facing backwards, with my back at an angle that I imagine space monkeys must have sat at during rocket launches. Throw in the fact that Jenny had to throw her legs over mine, if I wanted to see anything I had to break 3 vertebrae, and the sun was already beating down, and you don't have a happy Bull and Striker. However, we were sitting up front with 7 of our closest German and Slovenian friends, and they were pretty hilarious, so that was worth something. My favorite discussion en route to the islands:
Slovenian Dude (SD): (to German Girl) "So you are German, you must love sausage."
German Chick (GC): "Oh, yes, all German woman LOVE sausage. I get big fat ones all the time." (The Bull suppresses snicker)
SD: "Ah yes, Slovenians LOVE sausage. We can't get enough of them. My girlfriend eats them all the time. Especially the German ones."
GC: "Yes, there is nothing like a German sausage." (PLEASE STOP. Please start using pronouns or something)
SD: "Have you had Polish sausage? It's good, too. As I said - you can never have enough sausage."
It must have continued this way for a solid 5 minutes. I was thankful for it - it was the only thing that took my mind off the pain.
Stop one was probably the highlight of the day - Bamboo Island. This place was JUST INCREDIBLE, as it was water even more pristine than Honda Bay (and WAAAAAAAY better than Phi Phi Leh). The water was seriously something out of a movie, with various shades of baby blue, turquoise, cobalt, and aqua marine - and we could DEFINITELY have spent more time there. However, after 45 minutes, it was time to shuffle off again to the next destination.
The next 2 stops were less than impressive, as we hit the Viking Cave and the lagoon. The Viking Cave wasn't even a cave, and the tides were so low (lowest in 3 days) that we couldn't really even get that close to it. I wasn't even sure what the hell it was or why it related to vikings (cause I'm pretty sure Erik the Red never made it out here), but I was definitely less than impressed. Jenny had warned me that it was utter rubbish - I can confirm that's the case. As for the lagoon, the entrance was REALLY dramatic and cool, but then we just stopped short and turned around. When I asked why, I was told that our boat was too heavy and couldn't navigate the low tides. I was, of course, disappointed, but I don't think it was because the boat was oversold. Instead, I think it was because you really can only get in there with a long tail (which is how Jenny got in there last time and got to swim). However, she again confirmed that, whilst cool, all you did was putter around for 10 minutes, take a few photos, and head back out. Consequently, I wasn't too upset.
It was then over to the most famous of the destinations - Maya Bay. This is THE BEACH used in the filming of the movie, and just like DOOK basketball, all I can say is "O-VER-RA-TED." Seriously - picture about 3,000 people on a scrap of beach that can really only hold about 100. Throw in a tide so low that you go all the way out to the swimming line (which you have to adhere to due to all of the boats in the bay) and you're still at your waist, and then tack on tons of boats starting up, spewing diesel, and ruining the ambiance, and all I could think was "take me back to Bamboo Island!" Jenny had warned me that this would happen, and she wasn't wrong. True, the entry way was AMAZING, the water gorgeous, and it was a life's to-do to cross off. However, I was definitely underwhelmed. There was a little walk that we did and another view point along the way, but arguably the coolest thing to see were the urinals carved out of the side of the cliff! Talk about answering the call of nature!
After that it was over to Phi Phi Don for lunch and a wander, followed by 2 snorkeling spots. These 2 spots were every bit as much a highlight as Bamboo Island, as the snorkeling was INCREDIBLE. Of course, crazy ass Slovenian dude brought bread into the water, which meant that we were SWAMPED by a basquillion fish. He was throwing crumbs on people (like me), and the fish would just attack you like pirahnas - CRAZINESS!!! It seriously was some of the best snorkeling that I've ever done, and Jenny was impressed as well (which is saying a lot considering that she's rocked the Great Barrier Reef on multiple occasions).
It was then back to Railay, where we capped off the excursion with a truly delectable treat - FRIED ICE CREAM, BABY!!!!! Throw in some iced coffee (Cuz - we were at the Flametree!), and all was right with the world. We then walked back to the palace, where Jenny and I hit the pool for a bit before watching a MASSIVE storm sweep over the island. We watched the cliffs just vanish in the distance and then reappear about an hour later - it was truly impressive (the electrical show was off the chain). We then hit one of the bars on the beach for a few before wandering over to (where else?) Last Bar for dinner (in our defense, it was THE CHEAPEST by far, still delicious, and well, there aren't that many options over there). Whilst there we listened to the musician (who was really good) and then, oddly enough, watched the Beach! They've got it on a loop by the bar, and so we got sucked in. I can confirm that it's still as shitty as I remembered, but at least now I have a frame of reference for the location.
We then ended the night at "Bamboo Bar" (all the bars have just 1 name - at least it makes it easy to remember), where we had a Chang, watched a fire show (as you do EVERYWHERE EVERY NIGHT in Thailand), and then crossed off another to-do: MUAY THAI BOXING, BABY!!! They host local competitions every other night, and we watched a 3 round match between a cat from Phuket and a joker from Railay. It was interesting to watch, but let's just say that I'm really glad I didn't pay 400 baht to see it in Chiang Mai.
We then rolled back to the casa, where it was lights out around 11:15. We wanted to get some rest, as the next 2 days promised to be BALLS OUT. And as you'll see - they did NOT disappoint. That, however, is another blog for another time (most likely Thursday).
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (back from Elephanta Island and most likely her second dinner at Leopold's chillin' with Linbaba before her slum tour tomorrow) Jenny (and Cath)
Days left in Singapore: 10
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 17
Family,
 |
| Team Taylor at Maya Bay - the spot where "The Beach" was filmed. |
In workout news, the Bull contemplated the bike today but instead passed in favor of getting home to get stuff knocked out. I felt fine with that, as a) I was tired and got ZERO sleep last night, b) really wanted sushi and was starving (I had Japanese for lunch as well, but it was smoked salmon teryaki and some folks in the office took me out and paid for it - thanks, ladies!), c) wanted to make sure I could call dad in time to catch him and wish him Happy Birthday, d) wanted to get in bed early, and e) have been packing NON-STOP. However, I'm going to get up early tomorrow and try to pound the pavement outside again. The goal is 5 miles, but depending on the weather, I could very well be happy with four.
But enough of that, as you're ready for the return to Railay. Tonight we'll follow in the footsteps of the one, the only, the king of the world - Leonardo DiCaprio, as we head to Ko Phi Phi Leh - better known simply as "the beach."
Made famous by the movie, this pair of islands (Ko Phi Phi Leh and Ko Phi Phi Don, with Don being the bigger one) was once pristine and completely undiscovered. Now, however, it is INSANITY with all the tourist boats. Jenny and I had originally planned to spend 2 nights on Phi Phi Don and then day trip over to Phi Phi Leh, but after her evaluation of Railay with a day trip vs. staying on Phi Phi Don, we decided that an out-and-back was plenty. And so, with that in mind, we had a quick brekkie at our place and then headed over to West Railay to catch our boat.
Now if you'll remember Jenny's posts back in October, you'll remember that all 3 of the girls came back BLACK AND BLUE like they'd been on the front line of an Alexander the Great campaign. Granted, this was a mixture of rock climbing, REDONKULOUS hiking, and various other things, but the chief source of the bruising came from the day trip boat ride. As we walked up, Jenny said, "Don't worry - we should be fine this time because they'll pick us up first. As long as we don't sit in the front of the boat, we'll be okay. That's where it's rough." Well, as fate would have it, we were THE ABSOLUTE LAST PEOPLE PICKED UP, and it was a FULL HOUSE. We stepped on and everyone started cackling, as there was NO WAY we could sit below deck in the shade. The guide leads us to the front, but we notice that it is RAMMED as well. When I say, "Um, where the hell are we supposed to sit?" (I wasn't overly friendly about it, as the tour was clearly oversold), she just starts throwing girls on laps and makes about 4 millimeters of space for Jenny and I. I'm in the DEAD CENTER front of the boat facing backwards, with my back at an angle that I imagine space monkeys must have sat at during rocket launches. Throw in the fact that Jenny had to throw her legs over mine, if I wanted to see anything I had to break 3 vertebrae, and the sun was already beating down, and you don't have a happy Bull and Striker. However, we were sitting up front with 7 of our closest German and Slovenian friends, and they were pretty hilarious, so that was worth something. My favorite discussion en route to the islands:
Slovenian Dude (SD): (to German Girl) "So you are German, you must love sausage."
German Chick (GC): "Oh, yes, all German woman LOVE sausage. I get big fat ones all the time." (The Bull suppresses snicker)
 |
| Gorilla in action, baby!!! Look at that water. Everywhere you looked was a postcard. |
GC: "Yes, there is nothing like a German sausage." (PLEASE STOP. Please start using pronouns or something)
SD: "Have you had Polish sausage? It's good, too. As I said - you can never have enough sausage."
It must have continued this way for a solid 5 minutes. I was thankful for it - it was the only thing that took my mind off the pain.
Stop one was probably the highlight of the day - Bamboo Island. This place was JUST INCREDIBLE, as it was water even more pristine than Honda Bay (and WAAAAAAAY better than Phi Phi Leh). The water was seriously something out of a movie, with various shades of baby blue, turquoise, cobalt, and aqua marine - and we could DEFINITELY have spent more time there. However, after 45 minutes, it was time to shuffle off again to the next destination. |
| At "The Lagoon" - which we didn't really get to visit. The boat in the picture is identical to ours - they had to turn back as well. |
 |
| Jenny Taylor's entry for the SI Swimsuit edition. |
 |
| Snorkeling on the back side of Phi Phi Leh. |
 |
| What's healthier than a donut or ice cream? Combining both and then putting them in a DEEP FRYER FOR 5 MINUTES. |
 |
| Check out that water. the by-product of AMAZING electrical storms on an island that lives via runoff and rivers? BROWN WATER for bathing. Good times... |
 |
| Enjoying a brewski at Bamboo Bar. Those little chairs were everywhere along the water. And no, they weren't that comfortable. |
We then ended the night at "Bamboo Bar" (all the bars have just 1 name - at least it makes it easy to remember), where we had a Chang, watched a fire show (as you do EVERYWHERE EVERY NIGHT in Thailand), and then crossed off another to-do: MUAY THAI BOXING, BABY!!! They host local competitions every other night, and we watched a 3 round match between a cat from Phuket and a joker from Railay. It was interesting to watch, but let's just say that I'm really glad I didn't pay 400 baht to see it in Chiang Mai.We then rolled back to the casa, where it was lights out around 11:15. We wanted to get some rest, as the next 2 days promised to be BALLS OUT. And as you'll see - they did NOT disappoint. That, however, is another blog for another time (most likely Thursday).
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (back from Elephanta Island and most likely her second dinner at Leopold's chillin' with Linbaba before her slum tour tomorrow) Jenny (and Cath)
Monday, 12 December 2011
Vacationing in the fittest place on earth - Railay (Part I)...
Team Taylor Deportation/Repatriation Countdown
Days left in Singapore: 11
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 18
Family,
And a good evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. The Bull logged a slow 4+ outside tonight, but I quite enjoyed the run, as there was a light rain throughout, provided some much needed coolness throughout the jog. I think I'll hit Fitness First tomorrow, if for no other reason than tomorrow might be the last time I go (especially since I'm enjoying running outside so much more now). But enough of that, let's get back to Thailand and FINALLY draw the backlog to a close. Let's talk Railay.
So you've heard of this place before, as it's where Cuz and Elizabeth went with Muffin in October. They were very much on the "adventurer's tour," and as I was in Jenny's keeping for this one (considering that I'd done ZERO planning), the plan was to pretty much rinse-repeat their escapades, as well as at a few other outdoorsy activities. We were traveling on my birthday, and I received two AMAZING presents: 1) aisle seats on Tiger, and 2) I FINISHED NOBLE HOUSE, BABY!!!!!! Seriously, that book (all 1284 HUGE pages of it in about .4 font) was absolutely SPECTACULAR, but it took me over a month to read. Needless to say that I can't wait to jump into Whirlwind (Book 5 of the Asia saga), but I'm taking some time off between Clavell novels, as the next one is even LONGER than Noble House. But hey - it is fiction that you can get lost in, which is excellent for a guy with a 14 hour flight coming up.
Upon arrival at the airport we took a 45 minute van ride (the vehicle looked TOTALLY like one of the "karaoke-lady boy" mobiles, except, well, minus the lady boys. Hitman - I didn't see shim anywhere, probably because he was off somewhere pining for you...) down to the pier, where we then hopped a long tail boat (the traditional water taxi of Thailand, so named because of the reDONKulously long steering pole for the outboard motor) and began the trek around the head and over to Railay Beach. The journey was short (about 20 minutes), but it was BREATHTAKING.
As Jenny's said before, Railay is just INCREDIBLE - the scenery might be the best I saw in my six trips to Thailand. And the best part is that, because you have to work just that little bit harder to get there, it's virtually untouched. Plus, throw in the fact that you've got no temples, limited civilization, and no big resorts, and you scare away a lot of folks. Two people this did NOT scare away, however, were 2 loud Americans (not us, for the record) who rocked up with these ENORMOUS bags (rollerboards ON SAND, no less) and needed help getting both their stuff and themselves into the boat. It was classic when they looked at everyone else's gear (single backpacks only) and said, "Wow - I thought we packed really light." Oh dear.
The ride over was just amazing - dramatic cliffs, rugged islands, pristine water - exactly what you see on travel shows about Thailand. And in a short 20 minutes, we were on West Railay (the "ritzy" half of the beach). The 2 Americans hadn't prebooked, and so they decided to follow us. After about 5 minutes walking, one of them said, "I think we should either go back to the mainland or stay on West Railay - this is a REALLY long walk." They both looked winded as hell, and when I found out their previous 12 days had been spent on Ko Samui, it all made sense. And so we bid farewell to them and rocked up to the Railay Princess, which was AWESOME.
So Muffin had found this place during recon on her first trip, and it was just spectacular. It reminded me a lot of the Tabacon in Costa Rica, and the best part? THE POOL HAD A DIVING BOARD, BABY!!!! Now granted, you were jumping into 4 feet of water, but still (don't worry, mum - I never dove). The view from our second floor balcony of the peaks on both sides was just stellar, and I was already having a blast. We cleaned up a bit and then wandered down through the TINY little strip of restaurants and bars, stopping at the place Jenny had frequented night on night in October - Last Bar. We decided to have dinner here, and we FINALLY got to try Barracuda!!!! That fish was so guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud...peppy cheekies. However, we also had 8 big bottle Changs each, which in retrospect was just not a good idea. However, at the time, it was open mike night, people were ROCKIN' it out, and we were sitting in an open air patio, listening to the sea in the background and good music in front of us. Plus, I honestly didn't have a concept of how active this trip was going to be. Had I known then what I know now, it would have been a 3 Chang night - full stop. But since I didn't, let's skip ahead to the next day.
We popped up about 9:30 (had to make free brekkie!) and were out about 10. We first wandered to the place JT stayed last time (yes - 5 nights for $27 TOTAL per person!) and checked out the view of East Railay before wandering over to West Railay to book a tour and then rent kayaks. Now I will confess that I was THRILLED about the prospect of kayaks, but 2 things became apparent quickly in the FIVE THOUSAND DEGREE HEAT UNDER A CLOUDLESS SKY - 1) I am a weakling who does NOT have the arm strength to lift a gnat, and 2) kayaking with a hangover is NEVER a good idea.
That being said, the scenery was just INCREDIBLE, and we had a simply wicked 2 hours paddling through coves, around rocky outcroppings, past islands, and even onto our own private beach, where we swam for about 20 minutes (in the shade, mercifully). It was a really incredible experience - probably the best kayaking we've done outside of Norway. But after 2 hours, our arms were falling off (actually, my wife is about 40 times stronger than me, and she was TOTALLY fine - I'm pretty sure she's the only reason we actually made it to shore). We arrived at the shore 5 minutes past the 2 hour mark, and the rental guy kept staring at the paper as if he was stunned that we'd missed the window and should pay for the next hour. However, his infinite compassion allowed us the grace period, and 5 minutes later we were on our way back to West Railay, where we caught the island connector path and wandered over to Pernang Beach through Pernang Cave (which isn't really a cave - it's just a carved out path on the side of a cliff - let's call it an "indentation"). Pernang Cave was less than impressive, but what was impressive was ALL THE MONKEYS running around EVERYWHERE.
It was CRAZY! I mean, they weren't "Monkey Forest rabid" like in Ubud, but it was still pretty out of control - especially for any donkey stupid enough to feed them. We did make the obligatory stop at the PENIS SHRINE (Seriously - we are talking about a BILLION wooden and ceramic penises just piled on top of each other...and lots of women praying...no comment), but it was tough to take pictures will all the women on their knees (I mean...I CAN'T STOP TRYING TO MAKE JOKES HERE - PLEASE SOMEONE CALL THE CENSORSHIP AUTHORITIES). It was really hard (that's what she said) not to laugh.
We then hopped in the water for a swim out to one of the nearby islands (which was incredible) before heading back to the palace and showering. It was then back to Railay quickly for what turned out to be one of THE BEST sunsets we saw in Thailand before making a second appearance at (where else? You'll notice a theme) Last Bar, where we AGAIN had the Barracuda (as well as about 3 other dishes). It should be notied that this was an AFD, and Team Taylor was PASSED OUT by 8:30 back in the room.
We'll pick up with more Railay action tomorrow, but the Bull's got some more packing to do, and so duty calls.
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (safely down in Mumbai, most likely sipping a drink at Leopold's with Linbaba and Didier as we speak, and apparently in a PALACE in Colaba) Jenny (and Cath)
Days left in Singapore: 11
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 18
Family,
So you've heard of this place before, as it's where Cuz and Elizabeth went with Muffin in October. They were very much on the "adventurer's tour," and as I was in Jenny's keeping for this one (considering that I'd done ZERO planning), the plan was to pretty much rinse-repeat their escapades, as well as at a few other outdoorsy activities. We were traveling on my birthday, and I received two AMAZING presents: 1) aisle seats on Tiger, and 2) I FINISHED NOBLE HOUSE, BABY!!!!!! Seriously, that book (all 1284 HUGE pages of it in about .4 font) was absolutely SPECTACULAR, but it took me over a month to read. Needless to say that I can't wait to jump into Whirlwind (Book 5 of the Asia saga), but I'm taking some time off between Clavell novels, as the next one is even LONGER than Noble House. But hey - it is fiction that you can get lost in, which is excellent for a guy with a 14 hour flight coming up.
 |
| The arrival in Krabi - and I just realized there's a Norwegian kid about to strip naked and pee in the water. AWESOME. |
Upon arrival at the airport we took a 45 minute van ride (the vehicle looked TOTALLY like one of the "karaoke-lady boy" mobiles, except, well, minus the lady boys. Hitman - I didn't see shim anywhere, probably because he was off somewhere pining for you...) down to the pier, where we then hopped a long tail boat (the traditional water taxi of Thailand, so named because of the reDONKulously long steering pole for the outboard motor) and began the trek around the head and over to Railay Beach. The journey was short (about 20 minutes), but it was BREATHTAKING.
 |
| Check out my tan, buff Muffin Puffin saying "Welcome to the gun show...and to Last Bar." |
 |
| And whilst I might not be as buff as my better half, I can sure eat like Arnold Schwarzenegger. |
 |
| Muffin Puffin suited up and ready for the kayak ride! |
 |
| If you didn't know better, you'd think I was just chillin' in this photo. The truth? I was just smiling because I didn't have to paddle for the next 30 seconds. Although, I must confess - splitting these 2 islands in a kayak was AWESOME. |
 |
| Team Taylor - the new faces of REI. |
 |
| What do you mean we have to paddle back? |
 |
| I mean...I just...can I say...no, sorry. Can't do it without making a wise crack. Move on. |
We then hopped in the water for a swim out to one of the nearby islands (which was incredible) before heading back to the palace and showering. It was then back to Railay quickly for what turned out to be one of THE BEST sunsets we saw in Thailand before making a second appearance at (where else? You'll notice a theme) Last Bar, where we AGAIN had the Barracuda (as well as about 3 other dishes). It should be notied that this was an AFD, and Team Taylor was PASSED OUT by 8:30 back in the room. We'll pick up with more Railay action tomorrow, but the Bull's got some more packing to do, and so duty calls.
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (safely down in Mumbai, most likely sipping a drink at Leopold's with Linbaba and Didier as we speak, and apparently in a PALACE in Colaba) Jenny (and Cath)
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Your accent is absolutely BRILLIANT...
Team Taylor Deportation/Repatriation Countdown
Days left in Singapore: 12
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 19
Family,
And a good Sunday afternoon to you all from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. The last 24 hours have been simply fantastic, starting with a trek over to Novena about 6:30 PM for some drinks and nibbles at Money and Dan's place. There were nine of us in total present, with the Bull playing the dual roles of "token American" and "token Southerner." A lot of the folks were either former Uni mates of Dan's (he went to Oxford, so I was surrounded by a host of fairly intelligent people :-)) or former colleagues of his from London, and they were a GREAT crew. A lot of them were new to the region (ranging from 7 months to 6 weeks in-country), and I must say that I really hate I didn't meet this crowd sooner, as they were just fantastic to hang with and chat to. But at least I take solace in the fact that Lisa and Dan have a GREAT cast of friends already in place in Singapore, which I think will make their experience even more fantastic.
We chilled at casa de Placks-Waldek for about an hour before (luckily!) managing to hail 3 cabs in short order. We then rolled over to Little India and had a FANTASTIC tapas dinner at this really cute little Spanish place with an open air 2nd floor patio. Muffin - I can't believe I'm saying this about Spanish food, but I think we HAVE to go here during our final week in Singapore. It was THAT good! Plus the company was terrific, as the folks sitting around me were hilarious, easy to talk to, and in general just great value (Deano - that was for you).
After that, it was over to the Prince of Wales, which is a proper "backpacker hostel" in Little India. The place definitely has the "backpacker" feel to it: advertising its rates out front, little bar attached to the side, common area that you can tell has seen the wars, and all that jazz. What I found interesting (one of the fellas, Matt, pointed it out) was the reminder of just HOW MUCH more expensive Singapore is than the other destinations in Southeast Asia. Case in point - a dorm bed in Thailand will cost you about $4 USD. In Laos or Vietnam, you can get it for as little as $2. In Singapore, the CHEAPEST offer this place had was a dorm bed (meaning you're in a room with 15 other strangers) was $18 USD - more than quadruple the price. And then throw in $15 beers (vs. 50 cents in Cambodia), and you can see why Sing Sing is not top of the charts as a backpacker destination.
The place was really chill, and some of the guys played pool (which was hilarious because there was no cue ball and two 8 balls) whilst the rest of us just took it easy with pints (the mysterious "Bitter Draft") and watched some hockey on ASN (the American Sports Network). And it was at this point that the post title was overheard.
I was talking about something (I'm sure Emma would have said I was blathering about some naff, nonsensical Taylorism) or another, and suddenly one of the gals, Cath, interrupts me and says: "I'm sorry, Sam, but I just can't believe that's your real accent. Are you sure you're not putting that on?" I chuckled and began to assure her that this is how folks in the Russellville-Bulls Gap-Whitesburg Research Triangle talk, when Anna cuts in and says, "Can I just say that your accent is absolutely BRILLIANT. I think it might just be the best thing I've ever heard." At which point Ben (sipping on his mysterious Bitter) asks, "Darling, are you flirting with Sam? Are you smitten with his velvet tongue?" And it was at that point that I about pissed myself laughing. There are plenty of things I won't miss about life abroad, but there is one thing I definitely will miss - the novelty of the Southern accent.
I got home about 2:30 and was out by 3, waking up at noon today amidst plenty of rain and overcast skies. That wasn't a bad thing, however, as it gave me a chance to knock out some to-dos, continue packing, and get some emails and other general foolishness finished. I went to the grocery store as well, only to find that, for the second straight week, THEY HAD NO COLD CUTS. Now seriously - we are talking about a grocery store that services 5 or 6 different apartment complexes, and they have NO MEAT. You can buy fourteen BILLION kinds of sausages, but if you want a turkey sandwich, well, you are 100% S.O.L. Last week I at least managed to find some nasty boiled ham that was about 90% fat and 10% intestines, but this week it was just a strikeout. I could feel jaded Sammy rising up in the store, so I bought myself another bag of chips to compensate and ran out the door.
As for the afternoon, I spent it crossing off my final to-do in Singapore - the HSBC Treetop Walk at McRitchie Park. The canopy walk, set 4.4 KM back in the park, was closed for the first 5 months of mine and Jenny's time here. It's something that I'd been wanting to do for awhile, and with the skies overcast and me desperately neednig exercise, it felt like the perfect time to go.
The walk was terrific (I even ran into a work colleague on the trail), and the treetop walk (whilst short - only 250 meters) was actually really neat. I saw loads of monkeys (Paula - you would have LOVED it), and it was really neat to observe them that high in the canopy, grooming each other, bouncing from branch to branch, and looking much more in their element than when they are stealing food from tourists. I spent about 20 minutes taking it all in, and then I ran the 4 miles back to complete the loop. It was my farewell run at McRitchie, and I felt like it ended on a good note. And of course, finishing just as a taxi pulled up certainly didn't hurt anything...
I'm now back at the palace and showered, and it's time to order a Boomerang pizza before settling in for the night. The Bourne Identity is on in 57 minutes, and since I had "Watch the Bourne Trilogy" on my list of things to do at home, I reckon I can kickstart it tonight.
Lisa and Dan - I feel very blessed to know you guys, and I really do appreciate you introducing me to so many of your wonderful pals out here. Tell them I'll record some of my best phrases and place them on Youtube so they can listen to them from time to time and practice. :-)
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (most likely at the airport awaiting her IndiGO! flight to Mumbai after surviving a bike tour of Delhi - seriously, WHO DOES A BIKE TOUR OF DELHI?) Jenny (and Cath)
Days left in Singapore: 12
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 19
Family,
And a good Sunday afternoon to you all from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. The last 24 hours have been simply fantastic, starting with a trek over to Novena about 6:30 PM for some drinks and nibbles at Money and Dan's place. There were nine of us in total present, with the Bull playing the dual roles of "token American" and "token Southerner." A lot of the folks were either former Uni mates of Dan's (he went to Oxford, so I was surrounded by a host of fairly intelligent people :-)) or former colleagues of his from London, and they were a GREAT crew. A lot of them were new to the region (ranging from 7 months to 6 weeks in-country), and I must say that I really hate I didn't meet this crowd sooner, as they were just fantastic to hang with and chat to. But at least I take solace in the fact that Lisa and Dan have a GREAT cast of friends already in place in Singapore, which I think will make their experience even more fantastic.
We chilled at casa de Placks-Waldek for about an hour before (luckily!) managing to hail 3 cabs in short order. We then rolled over to Little India and had a FANTASTIC tapas dinner at this really cute little Spanish place with an open air 2nd floor patio. Muffin - I can't believe I'm saying this about Spanish food, but I think we HAVE to go here during our final week in Singapore. It was THAT good! Plus the company was terrific, as the folks sitting around me were hilarious, easy to talk to, and in general just great value (Deano - that was for you).
After that, it was over to the Prince of Wales, which is a proper "backpacker hostel" in Little India. The place definitely has the "backpacker" feel to it: advertising its rates out front, little bar attached to the side, common area that you can tell has seen the wars, and all that jazz. What I found interesting (one of the fellas, Matt, pointed it out) was the reminder of just HOW MUCH more expensive Singapore is than the other destinations in Southeast Asia. Case in point - a dorm bed in Thailand will cost you about $4 USD. In Laos or Vietnam, you can get it for as little as $2. In Singapore, the CHEAPEST offer this place had was a dorm bed (meaning you're in a room with 15 other strangers) was $18 USD - more than quadruple the price. And then throw in $15 beers (vs. 50 cents in Cambodia), and you can see why Sing Sing is not top of the charts as a backpacker destination.
The place was really chill, and some of the guys played pool (which was hilarious because there was no cue ball and two 8 balls) whilst the rest of us just took it easy with pints (the mysterious "Bitter Draft") and watched some hockey on ASN (the American Sports Network). And it was at this point that the post title was overheard.
I was talking about something (I'm sure Emma would have said I was blathering about some naff, nonsensical Taylorism) or another, and suddenly one of the gals, Cath, interrupts me and says: "I'm sorry, Sam, but I just can't believe that's your real accent. Are you sure you're not putting that on?" I chuckled and began to assure her that this is how folks in the Russellville-Bulls Gap-Whitesburg Research Triangle talk, when Anna cuts in and says, "Can I just say that your accent is absolutely BRILLIANT. I think it might just be the best thing I've ever heard." At which point Ben (sipping on his mysterious Bitter) asks, "Darling, are you flirting with Sam? Are you smitten with his velvet tongue?" And it was at that point that I about pissed myself laughing. There are plenty of things I won't miss about life abroad, but there is one thing I definitely will miss - the novelty of the Southern accent.
I got home about 2:30 and was out by 3, waking up at noon today amidst plenty of rain and overcast skies. That wasn't a bad thing, however, as it gave me a chance to knock out some to-dos, continue packing, and get some emails and other general foolishness finished. I went to the grocery store as well, only to find that, for the second straight week, THEY HAD NO COLD CUTS. Now seriously - we are talking about a grocery store that services 5 or 6 different apartment complexes, and they have NO MEAT. You can buy fourteen BILLION kinds of sausages, but if you want a turkey sandwich, well, you are 100% S.O.L. Last week I at least managed to find some nasty boiled ham that was about 90% fat and 10% intestines, but this week it was just a strikeout. I could feel jaded Sammy rising up in the store, so I bought myself another bag of chips to compensate and ran out the door.
As for the afternoon, I spent it crossing off my final to-do in Singapore - the HSBC Treetop Walk at McRitchie Park. The canopy walk, set 4.4 KM back in the park, was closed for the first 5 months of mine and Jenny's time here. It's something that I'd been wanting to do for awhile, and with the skies overcast and me desperately neednig exercise, it felt like the perfect time to go.
The walk was terrific (I even ran into a work colleague on the trail), and the treetop walk (whilst short - only 250 meters) was actually really neat. I saw loads of monkeys (Paula - you would have LOVED it), and it was really neat to observe them that high in the canopy, grooming each other, bouncing from branch to branch, and looking much more in their element than when they are stealing food from tourists. I spent about 20 minutes taking it all in, and then I ran the 4 miles back to complete the loop. It was my farewell run at McRitchie, and I felt like it ended on a good note. And of course, finishing just as a taxi pulled up certainly didn't hurt anything...
I'm now back at the palace and showered, and it's time to order a Boomerang pizza before settling in for the night. The Bourne Identity is on in 57 minutes, and since I had "Watch the Bourne Trilogy" on my list of things to do at home, I reckon I can kickstart it tonight.
Lisa and Dan - I feel very blessed to know you guys, and I really do appreciate you introducing me to so many of your wonderful pals out here. Tell them I'll record some of my best phrases and place them on Youtube so they can listen to them from time to time and practice. :-)
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (most likely at the airport awaiting her IndiGO! flight to Mumbai after surviving a bike tour of Delhi - seriously, WHO DOES A BIKE TOUR OF DELHI?) Jenny (and Cath)
Friday, 9 December 2011
A post title that you NEVER thought you'd see: Sammy the Bull goes clubbing in Singapore...
Team Taylor Deportation/Repatriation Countdown
Days left in Singapore: 13
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 20
Family,
And a good Saturday afternoon to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. IT'S THE WEEKEND!!!!!! The Bull ran 5K outside today between 11:30-12, and dare I say it almost felt pleasant. Yes, it was hot - but NOTHING like the first 6 months here when running at 9 PM at night was just torture. It's funny, but when we first arrived, our track coach from the Shufflers said that you really shouldn't try to do any long distance running (like a marthon) for the first year, because your body takes that long to adjust to the heat. I dismissed this as rubbish, as I didn't think I would EVER adjust to the heat. However, 11+ months on, I've actually found that 78-83 degrees with 100% humidity really can be quite nice. And that figures, as now that I'm used to insane heat and flat running, it's time to move back to Charlotte, where it will be freezing and there isn't a level step of pavement for miles around my house. AWESOME.
So yesterday was a great one for the Bull. I woke up about 6:15 and hit the treadmill, logging a 5K in 22:50 (7:25 pace). It felt good, but I was definitely a slow starter (I have slept like a ROCK these last few days, and Thursday night was no exception. However, I did burn some calories and rolled into the office earlier than normal (read: 8:37), as Friday was our departments all-day service event.
We'd been planning this since August, and I really do feel that it went great. We spent about 5 hours working with some disadvantaged youths in the local Singapore community, explaining to them about the importance of one's resume, how to behave in an interview, and typical office behavior and protocols. We also hosted some role playing sessions, played a few few games, and took them on a tour of the office, all of which they seemed to really enjoy. The day flew by, and I was running around like the days of Integration Session (X - I had one of those crazy color-coded schedules and everything:-)). So much so that I didn't manage lunch until about 3:30. But no complaints, as that session was a fantastic reminder of how truly blessed I am. Suddenly all my griping and complaining about people stopping short in front of the escalator or talking constantly in a theater seemed rather childish and silly. It was definitely a good cleansing experience for the mind and soul.
After work, I rolled over to Brotzeit for a few pints with Obi-wan before heading to a placed called the J-Pot to kick off the evening's festivities. You see, 2 weeks ago, Tiffanie asked me if I was free on 9 December. When I said yes and asked why, she just smiled. About 5 minutes later I got a calendar invite for "Clubbing," which sent a shockwave of terror down my spine. I mean, let's face it, the words "Sammy" and "clubbing" are NEVER used in the same sentence (not even in the same novel), and so I had visions of me being 4 heads taller than the rest of the dance floor trying to protect my beer from people grinding to Golddigger. And so it is with this image in my head that I made my way to dinner.
So first off, J-Pot was AMAZING. I didn't even know this place existed, but it's a local joint at the tail end of Vivo City which specializes in soup (what we think of as broth). Basically, you get a pot and pick two soups, and then you go to the table and mix up your sauce (and I'll apologize in advance that I don't have photos of this - Muffin's got both cameras in India. But fret not, as the girls took about 14,000 pics, so this particular post will get updated soon). Lastly, you pick your meats, which you then cook in the broth - prawns, fish balls, chicken, fish, various cuts of beef - you name it. It's all super tasty, and I was SHOVELING down grub to make up for the lack of a proper lunch. All in all, I was feeling good and ready to be "bouncin' in da club."
As it turns out, the club was literally RIGHT across the street at an abandoned Power Plant. We crossed the highway on a bridge that I've driven under for the last 12 months but never really noticed, and we then arrived at a building that is literally a TENTH OF A MILE from the office but hidden from this Ang Mo until last night. It is a HUGE complex, filled with something like 9 different clubs inside. The setup is actually AWESOME, as you've got 3 or 4 HUGE dance floors, some with live music, others with techno (they call it trance here), and still others just droppin' some old school rap on you (J-Wade - I was prepped for PLENTY of palm droppin').
A highlight for me was the signs on the way in that said what was not permitted. Obviously theft and weapons were no-no's (as was underage drinking), but the best two:
1. NO MOLESTING. It's a pink sign with a stick figure girl in a skirt bending over and a bigger, thicker stick figure SLAPPING HER ASS. It even has the little "POW" symbol on her butt. CLASSIC.
2. NO OUTRAGE OF MODESTY. So, first off, WTF is an "outrage of modesty," anyway? I asked Nancy and 2 Singaporeans, and none of them really had an answer. I think it's one of those "if you're really ugly and making out with someone else who's really ugly, this allows us to throw your ass out on the street" kind of regulations. I'm happy to report that I witnessed ZERO "outrages of modesty during my 4 hours inside.
As to the club and the evening itself, it was FANTASTIC. Tiff had booked a table for us, and so we were situated on the second floor with a view of the dancefloor and DJ below. The music (which really was great) was not too loud, and you could actually continue to have a conversation. Plus we were chillin' in these SWEET seats and sippin' booze, so on the whole I felt like an absolute king holding court. Throw in some black lights, glow sticks on the dance floor, and a really good DJ (Puma - this guy could be the next "Pop Is Life" album we become fans of), and you've got a recipe for a stellar time.
We spent the evening dancing the night away, and I busted out all my best moves except the Sprinkler and the Worm. I really wish that Mike Lake had been there, as he would have MESMERIZED the locals. Also, we discoved that our buddy JQ is the next David Copperfield. Seriously - this guy was doing some CRAZY David Blaine street magic with cards! I was absolutely blown away, as it was JUST LIKE watching some of the crazy stuff that guy does on TV.
Lastly, I must confess that I am now a HUGE fan of Grey Goose and lime juice. That was one of our 2 mixers, and when you add in "heavy hand" Jasmine doing the pouring, you get some EXCELLENT drinks. Much better, I must say, than Adeline's proposal of: Green Tea and Whiskey. Seriously? Ad, we gotta chat about this. And I realize that I'm a day late in posting these, but somehow I just don't feel you can tell the story of the evening without the photo progession...
I left the place about 2, cabbing it home and PASSING OUT just before 3 this morning. I was up today about 11, milling about in the condo before running and then continuing to work through our food store. After that, it was over to Fort Canning Park, where I crossed off one of my last to-do's - a walk through the Battle Box.
The Battle Box was the only British Military HQ during WWII, and it's here that the British authorized the surrender to the Japanese on 15 February, 1942. I am really glad that Jason talked me into it, as it was a terrific tour. They sealed the bunkers just after the war ended and completely forgot about them until 1992 when someone noticed an entryway on Fort Canning Hill. They opened the doors to find the place flooded, but 5 years and $3 million SGD later, it was a museum (and a very good one at that). We got to see the conference room where the decision was taken, as well as an original Japanese surrender flag from 9 December, 1945 (when the Brits came back through and liberated the island). I spent a good hour in there, and it was definitely $5 well spent.
Now it's off to buy groceries (FOR THE LAST TIME IN SINGAPORE!), take the clothes out of the washer/dryer before they shrink to elf size, and then change out of my Arizona State shirt (SPARKY! SPARKY! SPARKY!) before rolling over to Noveena for an evening with Money, Dan, and some of their mates. I can already taste the Kiwi martinee...
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (now safely back in Delhi after a tremendous trip around the Triangle and probably en route to the Red Fort) Jenny (and Cath)
Days left in Singapore: 13
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 20
Family,
And a good Saturday afternoon to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. IT'S THE WEEKEND!!!!!! The Bull ran 5K outside today between 11:30-12, and dare I say it almost felt pleasant. Yes, it was hot - but NOTHING like the first 6 months here when running at 9 PM at night was just torture. It's funny, but when we first arrived, our track coach from the Shufflers said that you really shouldn't try to do any long distance running (like a marthon) for the first year, because your body takes that long to adjust to the heat. I dismissed this as rubbish, as I didn't think I would EVER adjust to the heat. However, 11+ months on, I've actually found that 78-83 degrees with 100% humidity really can be quite nice. And that figures, as now that I'm used to insane heat and flat running, it's time to move back to Charlotte, where it will be freezing and there isn't a level step of pavement for miles around my house. AWESOME.
So yesterday was a great one for the Bull. I woke up about 6:15 and hit the treadmill, logging a 5K in 22:50 (7:25 pace). It felt good, but I was definitely a slow starter (I have slept like a ROCK these last few days, and Thursday night was no exception. However, I did burn some calories and rolled into the office earlier than normal (read: 8:37), as Friday was our departments all-day service event.
We'd been planning this since August, and I really do feel that it went great. We spent about 5 hours working with some disadvantaged youths in the local Singapore community, explaining to them about the importance of one's resume, how to behave in an interview, and typical office behavior and protocols. We also hosted some role playing sessions, played a few few games, and took them on a tour of the office, all of which they seemed to really enjoy. The day flew by, and I was running around like the days of Integration Session (X - I had one of those crazy color-coded schedules and everything:-)). So much so that I didn't manage lunch until about 3:30. But no complaints, as that session was a fantastic reminder of how truly blessed I am. Suddenly all my griping and complaining about people stopping short in front of the escalator or talking constantly in a theater seemed rather childish and silly. It was definitely a good cleansing experience for the mind and soul.
After work, I rolled over to Brotzeit for a few pints with Obi-wan before heading to a placed called the J-Pot to kick off the evening's festivities. You see, 2 weeks ago, Tiffanie asked me if I was free on 9 December. When I said yes and asked why, she just smiled. About 5 minutes later I got a calendar invite for "Clubbing," which sent a shockwave of terror down my spine. I mean, let's face it, the words "Sammy" and "clubbing" are NEVER used in the same sentence (not even in the same novel), and so I had visions of me being 4 heads taller than the rest of the dance floor trying to protect my beer from people grinding to Golddigger. And so it is with this image in my head that I made my way to dinner.
 |
| The pre-game meal - I'm still pretty scared at this point. |
 |
| You know what makes food REALLY good? Squeeze VATS OF ANIMAL FAT into it just before it boils. Let's face it - I'll be lucky to see 40. |
A highlight for me was the signs on the way in that said what was not permitted. Obviously theft and weapons were no-no's (as was underage drinking), but the best two:
1. NO MOLESTING. It's a pink sign with a stick figure girl in a skirt bending over and a bigger, thicker stick figure SLAPPING HER ASS. It even has the little "POW" symbol on her butt. CLASSIC.
2. NO OUTRAGE OF MODESTY. So, first off, WTF is an "outrage of modesty," anyway? I asked Nancy and 2 Singaporeans, and none of them really had an answer. I think it's one of those "if you're really ugly and making out with someone else who's really ugly, this allows us to throw your ass out on the street" kind of regulations. I'm happy to report that I witnessed ZERO "outrages of modesty during my 4 hours inside.
As to the club and the evening itself, it was FANTASTIC. Tiff had booked a table for us, and so we were situated on the second floor with a view of the dancefloor and DJ below. The music (which really was great) was not too loud, and you could actually continue to have a conversation. Plus we were chillin' in these SWEET seats and sippin' booze, so on the whole I felt like an absolute king holding court. Throw in some black lights, glow sticks on the dance floor, and a really good DJ (Puma - this guy could be the next "Pop Is Life" album we become fans of), and you've got a recipe for a stellar time.
We spent the evening dancing the night away, and I busted out all my best moves except the Sprinkler and the Worm. I really wish that Mike Lake had been there, as he would have MESMERIZED the locals. Also, we discoved that our buddy JQ is the next David Copperfield. Seriously - this guy was doing some CRAZY David Blaine street magic with cards! I was absolutely blown away, as it was JUST LIKE watching some of the crazy stuff that guy does on TV.
Lastly, I must confess that I am now a HUGE fan of Grey Goose and lime juice. That was one of our 2 mixers, and when you add in "heavy hand" Jasmine doing the pouring, you get some EXCELLENT drinks. Much better, I must say, than Adeline's proposal of: Green Tea and Whiskey. Seriously? Ad, we gotta chat about this. And I realize that I'm a day late in posting these, but somehow I just don't feel you can tell the story of the evening without the photo progession...
 |
| 10:30 PM - with a crew this innocent looking, what can POSSIBLY go wrong, right? |
 |
| 11:15 - the first rap song that Sammy the Bull knows the words to kicks off. Girls are amazing that I know more than just John Denver songs. |
 |
| Midnight: The first bottle of Grey Goose is gone, which means that, naturally, you should throw up gang signs. |
 |
| 12:30 - Someone finds a pair of Santa hats, which naturally means that JQ and the Bull need to act like Run DMC performing their Christmas album. |
 |
| 1 AM - Satan arrives. Tiffanie uses her black voodoo witch magic to cast out the demon. Authorities get concerned. |
 |
| 1:45 - Begin re-enacting scenes from the Matrix. Decide you are Agent Smith, destined to lose, and say goodnight. Author's note: The only thing that I tried to upload but couldn't was me dancing to "All the Single Ladies" - Muffin - you would have been so proud. |
The Battle Box was the only British Military HQ during WWII, and it's here that the British authorized the surrender to the Japanese on 15 February, 1942. I am really glad that Jason talked me into it, as it was a terrific tour. They sealed the bunkers just after the war ended and completely forgot about them until 1992 when someone noticed an entryway on Fort Canning Hill. They opened the doors to find the place flooded, but 5 years and $3 million SGD later, it was a museum (and a very good one at that). We got to see the conference room where the decision was taken, as well as an original Japanese surrender flag from 9 December, 1945 (when the Brits came back through and liberated the island). I spent a good hour in there, and it was definitely $5 well spent.
Now it's off to buy groceries (FOR THE LAST TIME IN SINGAPORE!), take the clothes out of the washer/dryer before they shrink to elf size, and then change out of my Arizona State shirt (SPARKY! SPARKY! SPARKY!) before rolling over to Noveena for an evening with Money, Dan, and some of their mates. I can already taste the Kiwi martinee...
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (now safely back in Delhi after a tremendous trip around the Triangle and probably en route to the Red Fort) Jenny (and Cath)
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Dancing with Sugar Plum Fairies to get into the Christmas spirit...
Team Taylor Deportation/Repatriation Countdown
Days left in Singapore: 15
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 22
Family,
And a good evening to you all from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. The Bull actually took the day off today, as he as EXHAUSTED when his head hit the pillow last night. I do think it was the right call, however, as last night's sleep was one for the books - arguably THE DEEPEST SLEEP I've had this year in Singapore. Yes, Jenny and I have slept better in places like Bali where the mattress isn't made of corrugated steel, but to actually be woken up from a dream by the alarm is a rare, rare pleasure for this guy. Throw in my fifth consecutive AFD (but the streak will die a violent death tomorrow), and you've got a guy who's feeling good. That being said, I'm getting up for a 3-4 miler tomorrow morning, so talk to me then...
Today was good day at work, but the featured activity of the day came at 8 PM, when the Bull wandered into the Esplanade Theater on the Bay to watch the Singapore Dance Company's rendition of "The Nutcracker." Now anyone who knows me knows that I much prefer death metal to ballet, but given that tickets were only $30, I a bachelor digging for activities to keep me occupied, and the fact that this heat has driven me to got to ANY LENGTH to get in the Christmas spirit, I felt it was a worthwhile investment in Sing dollars and time. If nothing else, it was 2.5 hours in the air conditioning, which automatically makes things feel a bit more festive.
I told the girls at work that I was going to the ballet, and, well, you could have heard a pin drop. I then proceeded to mimick the "dance of the sugar plum fairies," and all was going well in my comedy routine until Tiffanie gave me the "go to Hell" stare and said, "You better stop making fun of that if you don't want to get hurt, man." I instantly smoothed out my fake tutu and got off the balls of my feet. Apparently Tiffanie is in LOVE with this show, and my dancing (as well as my horrible "dun-dun-dun, dun, dun-dun-dun, dun-dun-dun") was not endearing me to her. In fact, they even took bets on when I'd first nod off. The over-under was 18 minutes (it was 16 before my eyes started REALLY burning, for the record).
For the show, I had "restricted view", which was $45 cheaper than the next available seat and was actually still REALLY good. Truth be told, I should have looked into these for Richard III! The first act was a bit slow, and I must confess that I did contemplate bolting out of there halfway through. But then I thought, "what the hell else do I have to do?" and promptly wandered back in for the second act. I'm really glad I did, because it was MUCH better. Act 1 was a bit choppy, and there wasn't really much dancing (and what dancing they did wasn't timed very well). Act 2, however, was WAY more entertaining and featured more of what I think of as "proper ballet" (and I think we can all agree that I spend TONS of time thinking about the mechanics of "proper ballet"). Plus it had lots of songs that I recognized, so I was instantly more alert.
I must, of course, make the comment that the theater was SO LOUD with people talking non-stop. There was a kid, his mum, and I guess his grandmother in front of me, and you'd think they were sitting around the Thanksgiving table. In act II, the poor guy had seen enough dudes in tights and just started looking into the crowd, making a gun out of his thumb and finger, and capping people. In his defense - at 8 years old this stuff wasn't too thrilling for me either.
The walk out and back was nice as well. Clarke Quay is really starting to heave with Christmas parties - I was really surprised to see the bars overflowing with people. I will confess that I was very tempted to go to Barossa (right outside the theater) and have a pint of Archipelago Brewing (pronounced in American vs. Queen's English, so we're clear), but the desire to make it halfway to digits (and the knowledge that I didn't run) kept me in check.
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (enjoying her last night in Jaipur after what I'm sure was a FANTASTIC visit to the Amber Palace and a brilliant dinner involving some veg curry) Jenny (and Cath)
Days left in Singapore: 15
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 22
Family,
And a good evening to you all from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. The Bull actually took the day off today, as he as EXHAUSTED when his head hit the pillow last night. I do think it was the right call, however, as last night's sleep was one for the books - arguably THE DEEPEST SLEEP I've had this year in Singapore. Yes, Jenny and I have slept better in places like Bali where the mattress isn't made of corrugated steel, but to actually be woken up from a dream by the alarm is a rare, rare pleasure for this guy. Throw in my fifth consecutive AFD (but the streak will die a violent death tomorrow), and you've got a guy who's feeling good. That being said, I'm getting up for a 3-4 miler tomorrow morning, so talk to me then...
Today was good day at work, but the featured activity of the day came at 8 PM, when the Bull wandered into the Esplanade Theater on the Bay to watch the Singapore Dance Company's rendition of "The Nutcracker." Now anyone who knows me knows that I much prefer death metal to ballet, but given that tickets were only $30, I a bachelor digging for activities to keep me occupied, and the fact that this heat has driven me to got to ANY LENGTH to get in the Christmas spirit, I felt it was a worthwhile investment in Sing dollars and time. If nothing else, it was 2.5 hours in the air conditioning, which automatically makes things feel a bit more festive.
I told the girls at work that I was going to the ballet, and, well, you could have heard a pin drop. I then proceeded to mimick the "dance of the sugar plum fairies," and all was going well in my comedy routine until Tiffanie gave me the "go to Hell" stare and said, "You better stop making fun of that if you don't want to get hurt, man." I instantly smoothed out my fake tutu and got off the balls of my feet. Apparently Tiffanie is in LOVE with this show, and my dancing (as well as my horrible "dun-dun-dun, dun, dun-dun-dun, dun-dun-dun") was not endearing me to her. In fact, they even took bets on when I'd first nod off. The over-under was 18 minutes (it was 16 before my eyes started REALLY burning, for the record).
For the show, I had "restricted view", which was $45 cheaper than the next available seat and was actually still REALLY good. Truth be told, I should have looked into these for Richard III! The first act was a bit slow, and I must confess that I did contemplate bolting out of there halfway through. But then I thought, "what the hell else do I have to do?" and promptly wandered back in for the second act. I'm really glad I did, because it was MUCH better. Act 1 was a bit choppy, and there wasn't really much dancing (and what dancing they did wasn't timed very well). Act 2, however, was WAY more entertaining and featured more of what I think of as "proper ballet" (and I think we can all agree that I spend TONS of time thinking about the mechanics of "proper ballet"). Plus it had lots of songs that I recognized, so I was instantly more alert.
I must, of course, make the comment that the theater was SO LOUD with people talking non-stop. There was a kid, his mum, and I guess his grandmother in front of me, and you'd think they were sitting around the Thanksgiving table. In act II, the poor guy had seen enough dudes in tights and just started looking into the crowd, making a gun out of his thumb and finger, and capping people. In his defense - at 8 years old this stuff wasn't too thrilling for me either.
The walk out and back was nice as well. Clarke Quay is really starting to heave with Christmas parties - I was really surprised to see the bars overflowing with people. I will confess that I was very tempted to go to Barossa (right outside the theater) and have a pint of Archipelago Brewing (pronounced in American vs. Queen's English, so we're clear), but the desire to make it halfway to digits (and the knowledge that I didn't run) kept me in check.
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (enjoying her last night in Jaipur after what I'm sure was a FANTASTIC visit to the Amber Palace and a brilliant dinner involving some veg curry) Jenny (and Cath)
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
No lie to tell, I need an interval between Thailand recaps...
Team Taylor Deportation/Repatriation Countdown
Days left in Singapore: 16
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 23
Family,
And a good evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. Now I know that the Bull still owes you a recap of Railay (which will probably by an act in 3 to 4 parts), but simply put - it's 11:30, and I just don't have the energy tonight. I promise you that I will get caught up before we shuffle off (in SIXTEEN DAYS!!!), and my goal is to be back to even by the time Muffin Puffin returns. However, for now, I'll just ask your your patience. And besides, the Bull needs this evening to sound off a bit.
I hit the bike for 30KM today, spending about 50 minutes going hard and then another 10 on the cool down. I started Michael Palin's "Pole to Pole" (his sequel to "80 days"), and so far I'm quite enjoying it. It's a journal of his travel down 30 degrees east longitude from North to South, and there have been more than one hilarious moments.
But speaking of biking, the gym, and HILARIOUS - here's my newest observation of working out in Singapore. I was on the bike today for an hour - not an ocean of time, but a good clip. People came and went throughout that hour, but the longest anyone rode whilst I was there? FIFTEEN MINUTES. And we're not talking about a Lance Armstrong time trial for 15 minutes, we are taking about people doing the following:
1. Texting - CONSTANTLY. Seriously, I looked around at one point and realized that I was the ONLY PERSON on the 10 bikes who was NOT texting. And the best part? They can all type and pedal at the same time, but they can't READ AND PEDAL at the same time. No, no - when the message comes back. They stop, contemplate life, stretch, breathe a bit, and then slowly start back up.
2. DRUMMING THEMSELVES AS IF THEIR BODIES WERE XYLOPHONES. Multiple folks did this, but one cat was giving his quads hell as if he were the one-armed drummer from Def Leppard. He also had a good 3 minutes (about 4 minutes into the workout) where he stopped pedaling entirely, put his head on the headrest, closed his eyes, and went comatose.
3. 30 second slow spin, 3 minute rest. Rinse, repeat.
I was so fascinated that I could barely focus on the book. Throw in ten minutes stretching outside by the pool (and all the sleeping people, of course), during which time the eight people in the pool did a collective FOUR LENGTHS. Seriously, one guy was all gussied up in his pink cap and Speedo goggles, but that 17 meter (yes, 1/2 Olympic) sojourn to the other end almost killed him every single time. But at least he made it, some of the others went halfway and then just walked to the side to sip their green tea.
Now I know that I should quit griping about all this, but I think that, as the countdown nears its conclusion and thoughts of family, Fat Tire, and Bravehearts invade my consciousness, I'm having a hard time dealing with things I find even mildly annoying. Case in point #2 - LACK OF SPACIAL AWARENESS.
Now look, we've all been there. You're walking along, moving with the flow of traffic, and then suddenly you remember something or get a phone call and you just stop. Maybe somebody crashes into you, maybe you just disrupt the flow of traffic. I get that. I am FINE with that. BUT DO NOT WALK TO THE ESCALATOR WHILST TEXTING AND THEN JUST STOP RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET ON TO READ THE TEXT. Seriously - it's an ESCALATOR. You won't even notice you're moving toward outer space. You'll be able to read the message as though you're still standing, only you won't get run over by a crazy Ang Mo.
My last observation (see, normally Jenny gets to listen to all these rants and they get filtered before they ever hit cyberspace. However, with Muffin Puffin on the subcontinent, inconsistencies in the latest iteration of the fractal curve have begin to appear...name the book) happened on the metro today. So here's the deal, I work at the end of a metro line. There are two platforms, but they both terminate in our station, meaning that whichever one you get on, you can only go one way. Well, normally you board the train at Platform A. Today, however, the lady got on the PA and said, "Please go to Platform B." So we all move over in an orderly fashion, get into the train carriage as it arrives, and all is well. But then this one dude gets one, CLEARLY thrown off by this late breaking adjustment. He hits a stranger on the shoulder about 6 times, and the guy looks at him as though he's from Mars (no touchy, touchy under ANY circumstances on the MRT). I pause my i-Pod, because I definitely want to hear this.
Confused Dude (CD): "Does this train go to Punggol?"
Not Happy Being Hit Dude (NHBHD): "Yes."
CD: "But the train at platform A goes to Punggol. This can't go there."
NHBHD: "We're at the end of the line. They go to the same place. There is nowhere else to go."
CD: "How do I know you're right?" (this question seems perfectly reasonable to him)
NHBHD: "Do you see that map on the wall? That shows you where we are and where we are going."
CD: "That map shows the train from platform A."
NHBHD: (now determined to prove a point) "That maps shows STATIONS. We are at this station (pointing), and there is nowhere to go but THAT station (points to the other end of the line. I mean, let's face it - this isn't rocket science).
CD waits for about 30 seconds, then picks up his bag.
CD: "I think you're wrong. I'm going to wait over there on Platform A."
But then it gets interesting, as NHBHD won't let him leave the carriage.
NHBHD: "This train is going to Punggol. You. Stay. HERE."
CD looks distraught. Doors close. Train says, "Next station, Outram Park."
CD: "Ah, good. This train is going toward Punggol."
AMAZING.
The only other shocking bit of news is that I ATE A SALAD FOR LUNCH TODAY (one without meat, no less). That makes 4 straight days of exercise, 4 straight AFD's, and even a day without meat (for lunch at least - don't get any ideas, Tullett). I'm trying to lose 75 more pounds between now and Hong Kong, as I fully expect to eat 58 times my body weight whilst there.
Lastly (and more important) - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR GOD-DAUGHTER SAM RICE!!!!!! We love you and can't wait to see you and meet your little brother!!! Make sure mommy and daddy spoil you rotten on your special day. :-)
So I know that was a bit random, but it was damn near the most cathartic experience I've had in WEEKS, so thank you for being such patient and attentive listeners. :-) There are some final Singapore to-do's planned for the next few days, and we'll try and mix some Railay in there as well to get that off the docket (and off my worry list).
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (now in Jaipur, checking out the Palace of the Wind and the 58,000 monkeys that roam the electric and telephone wires of that city) Jenny (and Cath)
Days left in Singapore: 16
Days left until arrival in the Queen City: 23
Family,
And a good evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City. Now I know that the Bull still owes you a recap of Railay (which will probably by an act in 3 to 4 parts), but simply put - it's 11:30, and I just don't have the energy tonight. I promise you that I will get caught up before we shuffle off (in SIXTEEN DAYS!!!), and my goal is to be back to even by the time Muffin Puffin returns. However, for now, I'll just ask your your patience. And besides, the Bull needs this evening to sound off a bit.
I hit the bike for 30KM today, spending about 50 minutes going hard and then another 10 on the cool down. I started Michael Palin's "Pole to Pole" (his sequel to "80 days"), and so far I'm quite enjoying it. It's a journal of his travel down 30 degrees east longitude from North to South, and there have been more than one hilarious moments.
But speaking of biking, the gym, and HILARIOUS - here's my newest observation of working out in Singapore. I was on the bike today for an hour - not an ocean of time, but a good clip. People came and went throughout that hour, but the longest anyone rode whilst I was there? FIFTEEN MINUTES. And we're not talking about a Lance Armstrong time trial for 15 minutes, we are taking about people doing the following:
1. Texting - CONSTANTLY. Seriously, I looked around at one point and realized that I was the ONLY PERSON on the 10 bikes who was NOT texting. And the best part? They can all type and pedal at the same time, but they can't READ AND PEDAL at the same time. No, no - when the message comes back. They stop, contemplate life, stretch, breathe a bit, and then slowly start back up.
2. DRUMMING THEMSELVES AS IF THEIR BODIES WERE XYLOPHONES. Multiple folks did this, but one cat was giving his quads hell as if he were the one-armed drummer from Def Leppard. He also had a good 3 minutes (about 4 minutes into the workout) where he stopped pedaling entirely, put his head on the headrest, closed his eyes, and went comatose.
3. 30 second slow spin, 3 minute rest. Rinse, repeat.
I was so fascinated that I could barely focus on the book. Throw in ten minutes stretching outside by the pool (and all the sleeping people, of course), during which time the eight people in the pool did a collective FOUR LENGTHS. Seriously, one guy was all gussied up in his pink cap and Speedo goggles, but that 17 meter (yes, 1/2 Olympic) sojourn to the other end almost killed him every single time. But at least he made it, some of the others went halfway and then just walked to the side to sip their green tea.
Now I know that I should quit griping about all this, but I think that, as the countdown nears its conclusion and thoughts of family, Fat Tire, and Bravehearts invade my consciousness, I'm having a hard time dealing with things I find even mildly annoying. Case in point #2 - LACK OF SPACIAL AWARENESS.
Now look, we've all been there. You're walking along, moving with the flow of traffic, and then suddenly you remember something or get a phone call and you just stop. Maybe somebody crashes into you, maybe you just disrupt the flow of traffic. I get that. I am FINE with that. BUT DO NOT WALK TO THE ESCALATOR WHILST TEXTING AND THEN JUST STOP RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET ON TO READ THE TEXT. Seriously - it's an ESCALATOR. You won't even notice you're moving toward outer space. You'll be able to read the message as though you're still standing, only you won't get run over by a crazy Ang Mo.
My last observation (see, normally Jenny gets to listen to all these rants and they get filtered before they ever hit cyberspace. However, with Muffin Puffin on the subcontinent, inconsistencies in the latest iteration of the fractal curve have begin to appear...name the book) happened on the metro today. So here's the deal, I work at the end of a metro line. There are two platforms, but they both terminate in our station, meaning that whichever one you get on, you can only go one way. Well, normally you board the train at Platform A. Today, however, the lady got on the PA and said, "Please go to Platform B." So we all move over in an orderly fashion, get into the train carriage as it arrives, and all is well. But then this one dude gets one, CLEARLY thrown off by this late breaking adjustment. He hits a stranger on the shoulder about 6 times, and the guy looks at him as though he's from Mars (no touchy, touchy under ANY circumstances on the MRT). I pause my i-Pod, because I definitely want to hear this.
Confused Dude (CD): "Does this train go to Punggol?"
Not Happy Being Hit Dude (NHBHD): "Yes."
CD: "But the train at platform A goes to Punggol. This can't go there."
NHBHD: "We're at the end of the line. They go to the same place. There is nowhere else to go."
CD: "How do I know you're right?" (this question seems perfectly reasonable to him)
NHBHD: "Do you see that map on the wall? That shows you where we are and where we are going."
CD: "That map shows the train from platform A."
NHBHD: (now determined to prove a point) "That maps shows STATIONS. We are at this station (pointing), and there is nowhere to go but THAT station (points to the other end of the line. I mean, let's face it - this isn't rocket science).
CD waits for about 30 seconds, then picks up his bag.
CD: "I think you're wrong. I'm going to wait over there on Platform A."
But then it gets interesting, as NHBHD won't let him leave the carriage.
NHBHD: "This train is going to Punggol. You. Stay. HERE."
CD looks distraught. Doors close. Train says, "Next station, Outram Park."
CD: "Ah, good. This train is going toward Punggol."
AMAZING.
The only other shocking bit of news is that I ATE A SALAD FOR LUNCH TODAY (one without meat, no less). That makes 4 straight days of exercise, 4 straight AFD's, and even a day without meat (for lunch at least - don't get any ideas, Tullett). I'm trying to lose 75 more pounds between now and Hong Kong, as I fully expect to eat 58 times my body weight whilst there.
Lastly (and more important) - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR GOD-DAUGHTER SAM RICE!!!!!! We love you and can't wait to see you and meet your little brother!!! Make sure mommy and daddy spoil you rotten on your special day. :-)
So I know that was a bit random, but it was damn near the most cathartic experience I've had in WEEKS, so thank you for being such patient and attentive listeners. :-) There are some final Singapore to-do's planned for the next few days, and we'll try and mix some Railay in there as well to get that off the docket (and off my worry list).
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and (now in Jaipur, checking out the Palace of the Wind and the 58,000 monkeys that roam the electric and telephone wires of that city) Jenny (and Cath)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
