10 Months in Equatorial Singapore

[Ottime]

So, in mid July our family pulled up some roots in beautiful coastal Santa Cruz, California to go explore and live our life for the better part of the year in hot and humid Singapore. To be clear, we love the climate in Santa Cruz and none of us crave the heat or the humidity. But we did crave a little adventure and the opportunity to have our child live outside the American bubble for a year while growing up. We've only been here two months, and while we are enjoying our bit travels, we already look forward to our return. There are plenty of things done better here then at home. Pubic transportation for one. Public safety is another. But without a doubt, this place is way more transactional than any pace I've ever been. And while there are plenty of rules, well enforced, and everything is on camera, where ever there is a great zone, it is an utter rat race, and every person for themselves. But for now, I want to start with a photo blog of sorts, and will maybe dive into some of my observation in greater depths as I work through the many uploads. I do miss my MTB, and will be out of skiing for a winter, but have also been to Bali to surf once already, and plan to travel the region as much as possible in the next 8 months, and take an indirect way home. So, here we go, and without a doubt, this place is utterly amazing on so many levels and if every you have a chance to stop through, nonbusiness or otherwise, it is certainly worth a few days of your time.


This is a fitting start. On its side, like much of life here feels like. Everything is done through an app, and the TGR interface works as about as well as any app here. We eat a lot in Hawker or Food Centres. (Mostly) outdoor food courts with amazing and exotic foods, at very reasonable prices. I spent between $2.10 to $7.50 usd for amazing meals. I eat out a lot, as you will see



We started off with plenty of tourist like things. A guided bike tour around Marina Bay. It was after the rain on a Sunday evening. Perfect time for some exercise, especially when adjusting to our new climate. The entire country is full of amazing, or at least, interesting architecture. The Marina Bay and Financial Districts are just one amazing structure after another. The Marina Bay Sands for sure dominates the skycap, being both tall, and unique. The Singapore Flyer also dominates. For days we thought it was not running, until we realized one rotation takes 38 minutes.


The MBS and the Cloud Forest Dome of the Gardens By The Bay. BBTB is a series of botanic gardens, two of which are inside climate controlled domes. The Cloud Forest is taller, full of air plants and other moisture loving plants. The Flower Dome is dry, and full of such exotic plants as marigolds and rhododendron.


The Singapore Zoo is simply the best zoo I have ever visited. We bought a season pass. On da one we were up close to a white tiger couple. As well as 5m long crocks, loads of monkeys, pygmie hippos and plenty of exotic asian large mammals. Not only is the selection quite cool, the enclosures are large (as compared to other zoos I've visited) and the surround environs lush tropical forest. There are as many cool animals running around freely as in enclosures.


We started our stay here in a serviced residence near Orchard and the Botanic Gardens. So we spent quite a bit of time at the Gardens walking around, especially in the evening when my wife returned from work. These gardens were initially commercial farms for the British Empire, where locals raised and harvested rubber, cinnamon, and other tropical commodities for the Empire.



Again, on its side. I love this street that comes directly into Orchard. Orchard is the shopping district on the island. High end and low end, mall after mall after mall. Most of the buildings are newer and dramatic high rises. But this little side street boast aged Chinese shop houses. It capture a bit of the many juxtaposed spaces intros small country.


Coming across the Helix Bridge toward the Arts and Science museum. A few days later I will get back to this area with my kid. They just love all these bits of functional art


Back at the zoo for the Night Safari, that opens after dark, so you can see the active life of nocturnal (as in most) animals. Super cool exhibit that has both tram tours and walking paths. The fruit bats were some of our favorite.


Back on the Helix, SG has started to set up for their annual F1 which takes place next week. This is a huge event here, with concerts (Green Day, for example), food and, yeah, car racing. The entire country seems stoked on this event. Hard to tell, if it is the event itself, or just the fact that this kind of activity was closed down for two years here.


Finally in the Arts and Science museum. It might be called the "Tech and Toys" or just "How Algorithms Work" museum. My kid absolutely loved it. It was cool, but after a few hours all the lights and sounds were a bit much for me.


So we hit up Newton Food Centre on our way home. Near our housing, this place was featured in Crazy Rich Asians. They wanted to use Maxell, in Chinatown, but that place is just too busy to shut down for filming. Well, with the new exposure, so is Newton recently. A lunch of Sliced Fish Porridge, Fishball Noodle Soup and a Lime Juice for about $6 usd


This stall recently raised its prices, but the fish is super fresh and food super delicious. Two thumbs up.

[Ottime]

My kid an I headed down to the Southern Ridges. This place is rife with green spaces. They aspire to be a true garden city. The views from the ridge walk is from being in a green space looking out onto the endless tower city


The peak we are on here is the second highest point in Singapore. After the warm climb of 250 feet from street level (add an additional 90 from train level) you are treated with city views to the north and ocean views to the south. Many years ago, Nila Utama was a Malay Prince who discovered modern Singapore, and landed here with his army and large amounts of gold and jewels. Utama used these ridges as a lookout for marauders who wanted to steal hill wealth. He claimed to have seen a lion in these hills, hence naming the place Singa Pura (Lion City). Interestingly, there were no lions here, and some think perhaps he saw a tiger. But in those times, modern religions had not reached this far and spiritual folks would head into the jungle to meditate for weeks on end, some of who would then be able to turn into animals. Many believe it was actually a shape shifter he saw, instead of a lion - because to believe he saw a lion is simply too ridiculous.


The Henderson Waves Bridge. Another architectural feat, where a simple bridge would do this place builds some art.


Across the canyon and down a ways begins the Forest Walk. A several kilometers long canopy walk through jungle.


The Interlace - or Building Blocks Building. Another example, where a simple tower would work for apartments, art is better. This place is designed, in part, so you never look into your neighbors window.


During early August is the Orchid Competition. Free entry for residents to the Orchid Garden inside the Botanical Gardens. Tons of orchids. If you like flowers at all, a place worth visiting.


And many of them are simply really cool.


More orchids.The climate here is great for these flowers. Very different from Santa Cruz, where I kill these as soon as someone gives me one.


Inside the garden are plenty of cool places to take pictures. This was one of many designated" Insta Spots", which is a weird concept for me. Yes, it is an intriguing spot with the moss covered stone seats, and backdrops of flowers, but can one not discern that on their own?



And the next day my kid and I went down to Sentosa. Sentosa is basically the "adventure and fun" vacation spot for folks not leaving SG. It was super busy during theca down years. Universal Studios is housed there, along with indoor skydiving, water sports, land luge and other attractions. We spent the morning checking out the luge. We were there at opening. You take a slow chair lift up about 35m vertical and it is a short run down to the bottom. The first run was pretty fun with no one else on the course yet. The second run we learned that not everyone considers luge to be a fast sport. It was a bit congested, but by the third run they began staggering rides up on the chair lift and rides down on the course. It was decently enjoyable, but it would be a lot more fun with some decent vertical drop to the runs. No pictures, as that was forbidden. Our next adventure was Hydrodash, but we had some time to kill as we waited for our start time.




I'm not sure how this manmade island is the southern most point fo the continent, but we got here. The Hydrodash is pretty cool, as it is a series of floating rafts and obstacles floating out just off the beach. Other than the water being a disgustingly polluted major shipping lane, running around and balancing was much appreciated exercise. Again, no pictures that are forbidden.

[Ottime]

I bike a lot here. I probably average about 100km per week, almost all of that on pavement. SG has built a series of paved trails called Park Connector Network. They are not really ideal for commutes, as utilizing PCN adds 20-60% more mileage to your day. They are much more pleasant to ride than the city streets which lack any shoulder. And way better than riding sidewalks with regular right angles and full of pedestrians staring at their phones. This particular spot captures some of the crazy juxtaposition here - in this case an old Chinese Temple backed up against modern high rise public housing.


Marina Bay and the Financial District are really quite stunning. Every time I approach this area, from many different angles, it is a reminder that modern buildings can be thought of as art.



Back at the zoo, visiting the River Wonders section. This is the only fresh water zoo or aquarium that I've ever visited. It focuses on life in and around some of the largest rivers in the world.


It is crazy to think there are fish this size in the rivers of the world.


Of curse, the life near the rivers edge can be just as captivating. SG houses their pandas in this section of the zoo.


There is a pretty cool money enclosure. A good variety of species, with a path circling through, for up close viewing.


These guys are pretty common island wide. I'll need to get some pictures of the wild one, as they really are prolific at the jungle and its edge.


My kid really enjoys wildlife shows. These capybara were featured in one such show, I had no idea how intelligent some rodents were. Almost scary intelligent.


The manatee were in the Amazon section of the park. Incredible that the amazon floods up to 30m deep each rainy season and goes from 50m to 200m wide in some parts. They did a good job of showing the flooded forest biome.

[Ottime]

[Ottime]

We found a place to live in Tagore, which is barely on the map. North of Upper Thomson, West of Any Mo Kid, Southwest of Yio Chu Kang and South of Mayflower, it barely is noted. We love it, and to our west is the Central Catchment. This park is Bishan - Ang Mo Kio Park, and while barely mentioned in guidebooks, it is one of my favorites. And in typical SG fashion, in the midst of the this green oasis, there is a McDonalds, of all places. The SG community does love their western fast food - which is kind of nuts, considering all the options they have here.


Further along my first day taking the PCN through this park to get to our new apartment to set up internet, I came across this Foot Reflexology pavilion. Foot Reflexology is taken pretty seriously here, and there are numerous small stone walks. This one was pretty big and had at least three different textures to choose from.


Early September and much of the island is preparing for the Autumn Full Moon festival. These pigs were roasted and ready to go


We had a friend passing through town, so we headed downtown to meet up for dinner. Walking along the water front we made pans to come back down here one evening and bike around. It is well lit, and the temps are way cooler than mid day.


Looking back across the Singapore River from the Marina Bay Sands


The Super Trees are an attraction for sure. They are actually bits if infrastructure (exhaust vents for the two domes at Gardens By the Bay) but are used to hang air plants and provide an entertainment venue. Hordes show up for the night shows on weekend evenings.



More lions than you can feed your hands to


The Arts and Science Museum - almost all of the galleries are in the lower floors and underground. But that did not stop the designers from building an interesting structure. Again, SG puts a lot of effort and money it making their structures memorable.

[Ottime]

Dragonfruit has become a staple for us. Cheap for sure. Mostly we end up with the red variety, that bleeds like a beet. This here is of the white variety and it seems to cost a bit more. We taste little difference.


Again, the buildings here are fun to look at. I bike around mostly, in part for exercise and in part to get to know the island. The public transit is very very good, but I enjoy my rides. Basically any private development here will have some architectural flare. Not all of it elevates to the level of art, and sometimes can look quite silly, but nearly every structure has had some though put into how it appears. The foreground here is an MRT (mass rapid transit) station, and the building behind it to the right is a performing arts center. You will notice, even the apartment tower to the left is not your basic box.


Nothing special about this spot other than I am 12 stories underground. SG has been growing in size as they landfill the nearby ocean to create a larger island and nearby offshore islands. But they can only go so far before reaching international waters. They can only build so high before invading airspace. The next frontier is underground and utilizing as much of that as possible. Besides malls and train stations, much of the infrastructure and roadways are now being moved underground. The other notable thing about this photo is I just arrived at the platform as a train was colliding its doors and pulling out. The next train arrives in 5 minutes. Oh, one more cool thing - the energy created in braking as the Downtown (and all the newer trains) Lines come into the station is used for powering the lights, ventilation and escalators in the station.


Back at Gardens By The Bay for a visit to the domes. The outdoor botanical gardens is a huge expanse.


Much of the visual appeal of this place is the natural (often curated, but still nature) world up against the dramatically manmade.


Approaching the Flower Dome.

[teledad]

The food in Singapore is amazing and it's a pretty interesting place in general. Enjoy.

[Ottime]

Lions are pretty common sculptures here. There are five sanctioned Merlions on the island. This is just your basic lion. Carved from a single truck of Namu, silk like threads on its surface will reflect when light is shone on it. You can kind fo seen it reflecting in this picture. The Forbidden City in China was thought to have been built from Namu, and you can imagine it glowing when torches we lit after night fall.


Inside the Flower Dome. Currently there is a Mexican installation there, and you can see such exotics as marigolds displayed.


The domes are chilled and really quite pleasant to be inside. They use cold water pipes under the concrete floors to cool the place. Besides the many plants in the Flower Dome, it is loaded with cool wood sculptures.


They are pretty amazing structures and quite expansive. The Super Trees, which are part of the outdoor part of the part, hide the exhaust vents for the domes. They also act as water catchment devices, and are topped with color panels to generate the power for the water and air pumps. Kind of cool infrastructure hidden as entertainment or art.



The Cloud Forest Dome houses the largest waterfall in Singapore. Taller than even the one on the Changi Airport. I've yet to come across a natural waterfall. A few minor cascading creeks, for sure, but not a vertical drop fall.


Plants hang from a central pillar in the dome. The upper parts of the dome are mostly air plants. Down in its base they have displays of ancient plants, many of which no longer have a naturally occurring habitat. Botaist here are stunning these prehistoric plants, trying to learn their secrets before they become extinct.


The skywalk wraps its way down from the heights.

[Ottime]

I had to drop family and friends off at the MRT. The train station is connected to the mall - so very Singapore. And inside this mall (MBS) are a bunch attractions, including a Venetian gondola, actually powered with a traditional oar. Of course.


I love this little stretch, coming out of the MBS onto the waterfront. The arching awnings, the vertical palms, with bits of the Arts and Science Museum and Helix Bridge offering some many different shops and angles.


Bishan - And Mo Kim Park is very much an urban park. Ranging from a block wide to nearly a kilometer wide and stretching for 3km, it is a green oasis in and otherwise concrete urban landscape. I think what I enjoy most about it is, it is well off the tourist track and mostly used by residents.


The PCN cuts through it, and it is one of my main routes when headed south or southeast from our home. Beside the PCN, ton of of paths wind through it.



The parks are a respite from the heat and humidity. Sure, it is still hot and muggy as hell, but way better than the typical street corner (although the sidewalks downtown and along Orchid are quite a bit cooler with all the AirCon pouring out of the buildings)


Wider angle on the Foot Reflexology zone.



The Buddhist University is along the southern edge of the park.


And back down near our Serviced Residence. With just a few days left in our 419sqft studio, I find myself feeling I will miss this area. Orchard is not really my thing. So many malls. So many shoppers. But I had gotten to know the zone, and really liked several hawkers centres within a short bike ride. I took this shot from our usual bus stop - it is a good example of how each building is different and each designer has found something to make their own. We always liked what we called the Star Wars Building, peaking out from the left side behind the black garden tower.

[Ottime]

Bananas are delicious here. I love these small ones. Generally bananas turn from green to yellow to brown is 36 hours. So but small bunches. We’ve also taken to hanging them from a hook, and the air flow around them tends to slow the process and allow them to last 4 or 5 days. Learn to live like a local. All the market sellers have their bananas bunches hanging from (plastic) strings. Did I mention the love of plastic yet?


We had Durian one of our first weeks. It smells like rotting fruit. My kid made us do it. He had a gag reflex with each bite, but kept taking more bites. IKEA is known for selling all sorts of treats, so why not Durian Soft Serve.


IKEA is across from Alexandra Food Centre. About 80 stalls. I spent a good number of days at IKEA prepping and shopping for our move. And I ate at Alexandra a bunch - whilst going through a soup phase. Pork Noodle Soup. Actually headed to this IKEA presently and planning on lunch at Alexandra. Very much looking forward to it.


I also spent a lot of time picking of items from the Free Items list on Carousell (SG version of Craigslist). I research food center locations before I head out on my bike. Found this Food Centre in the Bukit Batok area. Also a wet market and shopping plaza (think dollar stores and Chinatown style hardware and herb shops) Duck Noodle Set set me back $3.48 usd.



The Chinese Temples and HDB are paired all over the country. Housing Development Board buildings are public housing. There are no homeless here; it is actually illegal. But the government spends a lot of money creating affordable housing. It is nothing like the stuff put up in the states. They lack facilities like pools and AirCon gyms, but they often have outdoor exercise facilities, grounds, parks and Food Centres, wet markets and shops. The units are not fancy, but more than adequate. And they are cheap. They are all publicly developed, but then become privately owned. But rarely are they an investment property, but rather just a modest home.

I’m front of this temple you can see a drum barrel with smoke emitting. It was Angry Ghost Month and many SE Asian of Chinese descent believe the gates of hell are open during the month of August. They burn offerings (mostly fake money) to appease the ghost to keep from being terrorized. While many stay inside after nightfall, these offerings are pretty cool at night whe. You bike past the glowing embers.



With National Day just passed, the propaganda was still out in full force. There is a one party system here. That is very different than the US, for better and for worse, from what I see. They do get shit done, in ways we just don't at home. There is not squabbling in congress for decades before actually taking action. But there is also this odd uniformity to everything here. I will get into the soft authoritarianism later, as that is different. But the idea that we are all into together seems to work for them. But there are some significant class differences here. That car you see in the pic requires a stamp before you can buy. Stamps are good for 10 years and bidding starts at $100K. The tax on a new car is 175% of msrp. A road tax is collected twice annually in the amount of $700. Add in the cost of the car, registration fee, fuel, inspections.... cars are for the rich. And hence the awesome, super efficient and reasonably priced (but not cheap) public transit system.


Zoom in and you'll notice nearly every home is hanging a national flag.

[Ottime]

Attachment 427503
Our stuff arrived and we finally moved in. I do not think going halfway around the word is a very green thing to do. Packing materials alone are immense.


Evening view form our balcony. One of the best features is the super long lap pool. At least 70 meters. Need to measure.


Dosai or Thosai - is one of my favorite breakfast foods. Prata like bread with an egg inside and curry dipping sauce. $1.40



On my way to the Tampines IKEA for more house gear, I pass through HDB landia. Zoom in and see towers stretching across the horizon from end to end


More HDB - these along the river were pretty nice. I was in this area a few nights later picking up a bench, and they were hopping. Playgrounds fun, basketball games, old folks sitting outside sipping tea and chatting. They were vibrant.


While I visit as many hawkers centres that I can, trying as many different southeast asian and Chinese treats the I can, the IKEA dining room is packed to the gills on a Friday evening, with people showing up on dates to east Swedish Meatballs at $8...


The next Monday I was enjoying Abalone Noodles for $3, and freshly blended pulpy pineapple juice for $1.50 at Mayflower Food Centre a 7 minute bike from our home.

[Ottime]

Bishan - Ang Mo Nio Park - Art or Climbing Structure?


My dude interrupts this women's Insta photo shot - but just for a moment. She was one of two women in ornate gowns. Her’s looked of Indian origin and the other’s of Chinese. But more like turn of the 20th century, and super expensive. They were kind of stunning, but it was fun watching their pro photo shots. Daily I see ladies posing for Instagram, pro shots, selfies and friends with phones.


Rain comes any time, all the time. Halfway home form our wonderful dumpling lunch - the sky opened up. I’ve just learned to ride thorough the light rain. It’s the coolest time of the day. And find shelter during downpours. Most only last 30 minutes or less. Tho recently we’ve had hours long torrents.


Across the street from our home is Thompson Nature Park and the Central Catchment. Jungle, hikes and monkeys are right out our door. We are stoked with our neighborhood.


That price on the left is per can. Beer is not cheap here. Imported beer is even less cheap. I’ve been drinking mostly Tiger. It goes on sale for $39 a case. That or Scotch I buy at duty free. We shipped three bottles with us believe we were allowed two per person duty free. My wife filled out the paper work and over valued what we paid for them. We ended up with a S$70 duty bill for a bottle of Slane Irish Whiskey, Venus Gin and Aperol. The funny thing is, Aperol is the only cheap (S$30) booze here.


This building, Sky Habitat is an eye catcher. I've seen it from many different angles, and with each, it is hard to ignore.


It is just a private development apartment building. Or is it a temple.

[
I like this shot as it really catching SG today. A more than basic structure to hide under from the hot sun or drenching rain in the foreground. In the background, a tower that is much more. than just a place to live, but rather a building to be notices and appreciated. And in-between construction cranes. There is so much construction going on here. A lot is going on, because they are trying to catch up after suspending construction for two years during the pandemic. But even without that halt, they are constantly upgrading and improving. The bust stop across the street from my house is perfectly functioning. The seats are good the structure is good, and in NYC it would be considered quite new. But here, they are ready to pull that one as they finish up work on the new, fresh and improved version opening up 10 meters away. It not just that the tropics corrodes everything so quickly, but also that SG is always interested in being ahead of the curve.

[Ottime]

Popiah are one of my favorite snacks. They charge between $1.20 to $1.80 SGD. this place cooks the crepe to order. They are basically a southern Chinese spring roll. Wheat flour wrapper, pickled white and orange carrot, steamed turnip, crushed peanuts, Chinese parsley (cilantro), and what ever goodies they desire. Usually veggie but sometimes will have Chinese sausage or dried shrimp. But I think those have a different name. Super tasty snack or add on to a meal. This particular spot is Ava out halfway from my house to downtown/ Marina Bay or 2/3 of the way to Orchard. I’ll often stop in for a water break, read my book for a bit and a Popiah. Then on my way.


And if I need more than a snack, Sliced Fish Noodle Soup and Avocado Juice will fill me up nicely.


To get a sense of SG imagine a shit ton of malls, everywhere. Than double that. Maybe double that again. Now put inside a good third of the malls some sort of attraction. In Novena, they have a climbing wall. Never seen anyone in it, but you can climb (in the mall) if you want to. Oh, and a subway station. I would venture to guess at least 1/2 of the stations on the island have some sort of mall connected to them. Orchard is insane (this was where we started out). You get off the MRT and you are smack dab in the middle of a mall. Three stories underground. It tools us a week to figure out way out of there.


This one also catches the inner spirit of this pace. HDB in the distance. Controlled waterway in the foreground. The Kallang river runs from the the Central Catchment (Lower Pierce Reservoir) and empties, eventually, into Marina Bay. It is controlled the entire way, and it would require insane amounts of rain to flood. But they built little islands in it, rapid and a central channel, , all to enhance its flow and beauty in an otherwise stark water conduit. And in between these you can see the North-South Line train, running on time and regularly


I finally got out on a MTB ride. I cal it 40 for 4. 40km for 4 miles of trail. Sort of. Bukit Timah is a 4 mile loop that had me wishing I was on my FS trail bike. No long descents, but plent of up and down and ole Ty of challenge on both. At least one 1m drop into a rock garden filled by another half meter drop, into a rock garden and then into mud. I skipped that. Riding a $400 Costco XC “mtb”, it was bit more than I wanted to tackle. It was fun tho. Lots of wet rocks and wet roots. Riding in the rain here is common. It rained on me, and I’m just happy to have not come off my bike. Keep meaning to get back, but we live far from you. We are actually only a few miles away, but there are no legal bike trails through the Central Catchment, so I need to go over or under. We almost chose a place right outside the park, but issue arose when signing the lease. Ultimately, I like our neighborhood much better, and the riding in Santa Cruz is way way more fun.


Fried Fish Noodle Soup and Avocado Juice at Beauty World (a mall and an MRT station and a hawkers centre) made a good post ride lunch. I would have enjoyed a beer but I was still 20km from home.



Considering how wet it was and my ride along with 2.2 Maxxis Ikon (w tubes), this section of trail was a lot more fun. Fast, flowy, and through the jungle.


The sky opened up on my ride home just as I was passing this little rest stop. Pulled over, grab a shelter, hydrate and read my book for half an hour. Rain backed off to a drizzle and finished the last 3-4 km home. As soon as I pulled into the underground parking, it started to pour again.

[boltonoutlaw]

Not sure there is a better foodie city on this planet. Nice reminder of my days in the Lion City

[up an down]

Thanks for posting!

[Danno]

Thanks for all the awesome pics!

And thanks for doing your part to ensure we have a monster winter here.

[Ottime]

Not sure there is a better foodie city on this planet. Nice reminder of my days in the Lion City

If you are into Southeast Asian foods, there really is no place better. Not only is there such a huge variety of options available, the Food Centres are crazy affordable. From super cheap, to super reasonable. Of course, I say that with a caveat, as I did get (I assume) food poisoning last night. It was crazy bad, and I assume from an oyster for some prawns. But I referred this morning and was back out there enjoying an Egg Thosai breakfast at one of my favorite centres near Woodlands North. Some of the Food Centres cater tot tourist, some to business class folks and some to middle class folks. But I really enjoy the out of the way spots smack dab in the middle of HDB districts. You can get some really good food for super cheap, and when you hit up the produce or grocer markets, the prices there are also super good. My kid is into Pringles and it is the one western item they crave. We usually pay $2.70 a can, and even when we buy them on sale in 2 or 3 bundles, it rarely goes under $2. I bought some for $1.65 a can in this area. Better yet were the 5 Thai mangos I bought for $3. I'm still unemployed, so biking 30km to buy some cheap fruit is just my jam. Full disclosure, I was up there buying a chili plant for the balcony from a garden connected to a school for autistic children. Met a really cool lady, and now I'm growing my own chilis.

But, yeah, food options are insane here. We've also had incredible sushi and the few times we went to a proper restaurant to eat, had some crazy good food as well.

What is not so cool is I met some friends for lunch on Friday. Had an decent burger and 2 pints of decent (but nothing like from home) beer and spent $70. Western foods are crazy expensive. I'm relearning how to make Italian sausage, cause ground pork is super cheap, but 400g of sausages is like $12 at the grocer. And it is fine, but nothing exciting.

[ex-powderbroker]

Subscribed, what an amazing experience for you and the fam.

[billyk]

I do love dragonfruit. Just the right amount of sweetness, without causing guilty regrets. But they cost around $7 each where I live. Assume they are cheaper over there?

[climberevan]

Wow! Thanks for sharing with us. Not all stoke has to be on skis.

[Ottime]

^^^ none of this will be on skis, unless I take up water skiing - tho have not seen that nearby.

I did see some folks in a pond being pulled by ropes on what looked like wake boards. Some chic was ripping it up. They had rails and jumps set up. If I get down that way again, I'll take some pics, cause again, so SG.

Dragonfruit is about $2-3 SGD in the stores. I buy them at the markets and usually get 3 for $5. If you poke around the local markets, there are some crazy good deal on tropical fruits.

The grocery stores are interesting. Some are catered toward expats (Cold Storage), carry mostly Aussie goods and are super pricey, even the regional produce. Others focus on the average Singapore middle class resident (Fairprice/ Giant), and prices vary depending on what part of the island you are shopping in. And my favorite is where the typical HDB dweller goes - Sheng Siong - which generally has lower prices, but you need to pick and choose your produce carefully. I mostly by my produce near the wet markets. It is a bit fresher, and for the most part cheaper. Although, it is good to get to know your seller, as an obvious westerner, some sellers will charge you quite a bit more. I have a few places I go and a developed a rapport with the seller, and now one lady is cutting my prices. Sh e is just stoked on the white guy/ private development resident/ dude commuting on a bike buying from the Chinese market - told me as much, Most of her customers are just locals living in the HDB above.

Working on fixing some pics issues today and loading up more. I so this in two steps. Load pics from the phone when riding bus/trains. Type up commentary on the lap tap when I am at home.

This place is super interesting to be living in. I've gone from - this is the best place ever - to - this is the most frustrating place ever - to - I'm finally figuring this out - to - Ugh, I want to leave - to - lets stay an extra year - to - man, one year will be plenty - to - lets take this one day at a time and enjoy the experience.

I've already been to Bali once, returning in October and now planning Thanksgiving in Malaysia nd Christmas in Vietnam. Even if SG we not my jam (and it has plenty of really good jam) the ability to travel here is insane. Upon returning from Bali, I landed in Changi at 4:28, I was in a taxi by 5:05 and home in my apartment before 5:30. I do love that kind of efficiency.

[evdog]

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

[boltonoutlaw]

I've already been to Bali once, returning in October and now planning Thanksgiving in Malaysia nd Christmas in Vietnam. Even if SG we not my jam (and it has plenty of really good jam) the ability to travel here is insane. Upon returning from Bali, I landed in Changi at 4:28, I was in a taxi by 5:05 and home in my apartment before 5:30. I do love that kind of efficiency.

Check out Banda Neira, if you have time

[altasnob]

Where in Malaysia are you going? Haven't been to Singapore but Penang gets my vote for best foodie city I've ever been to.

[Ottime]

We are thinking Penang. Booking this week. Would you just stay in Georgetown the entire time of a few nights in town and a few nights at a beach resort? Plan would be to fly Wednesday evening and fly home early
On Sunday. So three full days. Either that is Kuala Lumpur. This I’m thinking that
Is kind of like visiting downtown SG.

Banda Neira - holy shit Indo is huge. Why there? We were co side ring Borneo as a stop on our way home next summer to get into some deep nature. Either there or the north side of Sumatra. And then likely Japan from there back to SFO. Or visiting family in Oz. Tho I vote for Japan, as they live in Canberra. Tho it will me ski season, so there is that. So many decisions.

The way I figure, we are only here once and for a year. I’m unemployed. Travel as much as we can and figure out recovering our finances once we return. Trying to be smart and frugal (I stayed at a $24/night place for my
Solo trip to Bali - clean(ish) and close to the surf), but trying to to worry too much about the books balancing. We have a good savings and sort of a retirement plan. You only live once and my maybe my kid doesn’t get to go to college (jk on that last part, sort of).