Singapore

August 4th, 2010 – Sentosa Island

Sentosa Island is an island just off the south side of Singapore.  Although it is advertised as Asia’s favorite resort getaway, I wasn’t too impressed.  It isn’t a single park, it is a collection of parks and attractions – each with its own entry fee.  A significant amount of the park was under renovation or still being built.  There is a Universal Studios Park, which of course, I wasn’t interested in so there were only a few things to see and to. I saw the butterfly park and insect kingdom, Fort Siloso and the Sky Tower.   I then headed over to the area where they had pink dolphins and an underwater adventure.

I was going to feed the birds until this one boy who had about five birds on him announced he needed a tissue – he got pooped on.  I was wearing a white shirt and thought I would simply admire the birds without touching them. Continue reading →

August 3rd, 2010

After work, I went walking around the city.  I lucked out, it was sunny.

To the left is a statue of Raffles which marks the landing spot of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles who founded Singapore in 1819 as a British settlement.  He is considered the father of Singapore and his name is everywhere, Raffles hotel, Raffles Place, Raffles Quay, and on and on.

I am not sure how far I walked but it feels like I covered quite a bit of ground.  I walked along the river quay and throughout the business district.

Continue reading →

August 2, 2010

The weather today was sunny and clear – of course, I had to work.

After work, I went to dinner with Foo-Leong who took me to Jumbo Seafood on the East Coast to try more Singaporean favorites.  I have done well with my list of foods to try but there were still more new things to try that sounded delicious.

I was also going to try the Durian fruit – also known as the stinky fruit.  I have heard a lot about this fruit and on the Internet, I found some interesting but funny stories about it.  I wanted to see and try this myself.  It might be an acquired tasted but they really enjoy it in Singapore.

At the Jumbo Seafood restaurant, my co-worker and I ordered a variety of food that was delivered to the table one by one.  It was all very good. I have to say my favorites were the Fried Prawns with Cereal along with the Chili Crab (and the buns to dip in the sauce).  I have never been a large fan of Crab – it is a lot of work and it is messy. Despite the work and mess, I wouldn’t think twice about ordering it again. It was a little spicier than the Chili Crab I had the day before which made it even better. Continue reading →

August 1st, 2010

Finally, a day off!  I was up early and touring Singapore, unfortunately, it rained the entire day.  It didn’t slow me down at all.  I was going to be able to finally take pictures of other things besides building and the Marina Sands Skypark.

Fist stop – the Singapore Botanical Gardens which reminded me of a tropical version of the Huntington Gardens.  I could have spent the entire day there hiking through while enjoying the tropical rainforest.

One of Singapore’s exports is orchids, generating over 13 million US dollars per year.  Or course the Botanical Gardens has a National Orchid Garden.

Continue reading →

July 30, 2010

After getting done with work, I went over to the Marina Sands Skypark Hotel and Casino.  Along the way I took some pictures of the skyline.  Singapore is a beautiful city.

Continue reading →

July 29, 2010

Another day of work, but I had a good nights sleep so I didn’t feel like I was struggling through the day.  It is really great to meet face to face the people you have been listening to on conference calls.  There is also something to be said for walking down the hall and asking a question instead of sending an email. Continue reading →

July 28th, 2010

My first day in the Singapore Office – the views from the office were stunning.  My visitor office as well as the main lobby entrance looks over the Skypark buildings and convention centers.  Further out you can see the ships coming in and out of the port.

Continue reading →

July 27th, 2010

After calling into a few meetings and catching up on email, I headed out for a late afternoon walk to help keep me awake.   I didn’t want to fall asleep only to wake up at 1:00 AM with nowhere to go.

Singapore is close to the equator, there isn’t a lot of temperature variation.  July is supposed to be one of the driest months but when I looked at the forecast, it was supposed to rain everyday.  At least it wasn’t supposed to rain the entire day and by the time I made it out for a walk, the sun shone bright.

My first impression of Singapore was “What a skyline!”  Each building seems to have character.  Everything looks pretty new and construction seems to be going on everywhere.  I wonder what Singapore will look like in 20 years?

Continue reading →