All of Asia seems to invoke some sort of mysticism and exotic flavour, especially for westerners. Each country, region and city or town has its own unique taste, and to explore around the continent provides an endless palate of possibilities. While Taiwan's rough-shod homey style is offset by high end technology and urban chic in the big cities, other countries have an entirely different ambiance. Japan's aesthetic is soothing, spare and stylish with a deep, well-tapped vein of sophistication. Indonesia bustles and shuffles from dirt to pizazz, vacillating between their pristine surf and zen hinterland with edgy and dangerous cities, while Vietnam's industrious farmers who've moved to the city can't seem to shake their war wounds and make the big leap to first world status. Sri Lanka's penchant for slow moving service and siestas is more akin to a South Pacific idyll yet India's crash of cultures, beliefs and castes in a seething mass of humanity belies its aching beauty. Thailand is a land of smiles and political chaos, curfews and lush countryside, and our nearest neighbour Hong Kong, just keeps on adding glitz to its culture and skyline in stubborn defiance of its reverted Chinese rule. The differences are magnified yet again in Singapore, the sometimes maligned Asian financial hub nestled in the fingernail of Malaysia, as clean as a freshly licked pavlova beater!
Cass went down to said, slick, sanitized spot last long weekend to meet up with her parents before they departed on a cruise through Asia all the way back to Sydney. She travelled on Jetstar there and caught Tiger Air Asia on the way back, taking advantage of the cut-throat Asian budget airlines timetables which suited her travel needs perfectly if she cherry-picked from both of them. Arriving in the early morning Friday, she crashed into her palatial room in the Peninsula and looked forward to their pre-arranged meeting at breakfast later in the morning.
They were stoked to see her of course, and they met up without a hitch before embarking on various touristy highlights for the next couple of days. To highlight the food metaphor, their actual meals and food adventures were as varied as Singapore itself, eating alternatively in hotel high end luxury then basement department store's food-courts and hawker stalls with the same verdict each time: delicious!
During their time together they managed lots of chats and catch-ups while drinking in some of Singapore's latest vistas including the staggering Marina Bay Sands resort which was in their face from the Peninsula's upper floor bars and rooms. On Saturday night, the bay lit up with Singapore's version of Hong Kong's laser light show, while the three sipped their mandatory "Slings".
In the daytime they had the chance to cruise the rivers and canals and bay to check the city from a different perspective. Despite the cloying heat and sapping temperatures, they still managed to get out and about by boat, taxi, lots of walking and even the mass rapid trains to visit places like the Singapore Flyer giant ferris wheel and the amazing Botanic Gardens. When they ventured over to the resort island of Sentosa (where I regularly visited with Wal for the Singapore Open Golf tournament), they shipped Chris off to a relaxing spot while the two girls headed over to the giant and famous Singapore symbol, the "Merlion". They managed to climb all the way up to get yet another perspective of the city from its gaping mouth before collecting Chris and traveling back by cable car to the main island.
Admirable works of world famous art by David Hockney and others beckoned them to the Ritz Carlton, and in the shadows of the Marina Bay were giant structures dedicated to different gardens of the world. Despite the fact that Cass even brought her swimmers for that rarest of events, the swim in the see through hotel pool, it never eventuated as they found themselves totally amused by Singa's charms and attractions, too busy even to take a cooling dip. I'm excited and I only heard all this second hand! Cassy was very impressed by the city and thought we could make a return trip there one day....I'd say that is certainly on the menu!
Our weekend was notably less glamorous and jet-setting, although we did have a dinner out on Saturday night down at Wendel's and wandered across to the Wovie Cinema to see "John Wick" on Sunday afternoon. Cassy was less impressed than me: despite the fact it was an undeniable spaltter-fest, gratuitously violent and quite pointless, I nevertheless felt that it was beautifully filmed and styled...very pleasing to the eye. We're set for a very busy first week of the second quarter here at school this week, so we'll buckle up, duck our heads and see you next week!
Photos: Singas. This is the link to the Singapore slideshow.