Tracy, Fritz, Dan, June - this is another small world story.
I was on a short hiatus to find food (lunch) and I ended up across the street from a medium sized semi-outdoor mall that has a bunch of restaurants. I was looking at the mall directory and saw a retail shop named Olathe.
Now I've travelled a bit and I kind of like exploring. But I can't remember another city/town/village/shop named Olathe. So "tucked my hair up under my hat and went in to ask him why" they came up with that name.
The owner/partner said they were surfing the net and found this small city in a state in America whose name meant beautiful and picked that as the name of their shop.
They have very nice far east merchandise; statues, paper, dustables etc. So it's a very class act.
I told the owner that I actually lived in Olathe for several years and he said I was his first guest who actually knew where it was and had actually been there. I will go back next week given time. So you folks that have lived there like me (462 South Chestnut, St Pauls School, Sister Anita), we are now internationally known.
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Japanese Restaurant gardens - 4th floor
Tnheses are the gardens I can see out my balcony. They are very serene and soothing, especially in the early morning.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Real Sunday - 02/13/2011
So Friday the 13th came on Sunday this Month.
We found out (or as my Indian Friends say - "We came to know") that we finished early, had no more work and essentially were on stand-by for today.
At a complete loss as to what to do since I had planned NOTHING and was expected to go to the office at a moments notice, I decided breakfast was in order. Scrambled eggs, Lobster Dumplings, Chicken soup and other stuff.
At Breakfast, Dominik came in with his wife and introduced us. We all sat together at breakfast along with another German Colleague. Very pleasant. Verina (I'll correct the name later if I spelled it wrong) clued me in on several shops that I would never have found for things I wanted to get.
She and Dominic were headed for an Island (Not Sentosa). But she pointed at Bugis Street. It worked out great.
As a bonus I ran into the Sound Guy for the Lion King production here in Singapore ( we had met before ) and he had had a REAL BAD NIGHT. He had a Bloody Mary and went back to his room. I'm betting he won't be bck til Tuesday.
More Later.
TTFN
We found out (or as my Indian Friends say - "We came to know") that we finished early, had no more work and essentially were on stand-by for today.
At a complete loss as to what to do since I had planned NOTHING and was expected to go to the office at a moments notice, I decided breakfast was in order. Scrambled eggs, Lobster Dumplings, Chicken soup and other stuff.
At Breakfast, Dominik came in with his wife and introduced us. We all sat together at breakfast along with another German Colleague. Very pleasant. Verina (I'll correct the name later if I spelled it wrong) clued me in on several shops that I would never have found for things I wanted to get.
She and Dominic were headed for an Island (Not Sentosa). But she pointed at Bugis Street. It worked out great.
As a bonus I ran into the Sound Guy for the Lion King production here in Singapore ( we had met before ) and he had had a REAL BAD NIGHT. He had a Bloody Mary and went back to his room. I'm betting he won't be bck til Tuesday.
More Later.
TTFN
Sunday Pics
This is the Veterans Memorial - It's really like a 4 prong tuning fork.
These are the plaques regarding the times of the city center - I can't make 'em bigger - maybe you can
I hear tell that this place really sucks.
Home of the Singapore Sling. Now Gouging every tourist that comes along (including me) by creating a drink that is nearly undrinkable, using perhaps S$5 of ingredients and charging S$29 for it. BTW Raffles is still in business.
This is Wilson and it's all his fault I did the Durien Fruit Chapter.
This may become my new favorite Sunday breakfast. Oyster Omelette. Quite simple - 8 oysters, 2 eggs, salt, pepper, chives, butter and chopsticks. (Hold those stupid red things shown in the pic. They cause nothing but grief)
The Durien Fruit Chapter
Our crack ABAP team blasted through 407 objects, identified the 111 needing further analysis, studied each one to the extent it deserved, performed any requisite corrections or adjustments and delivered it to the Cutover Manager well ahead of time. So we got Sunday off.
There are a couple threads to my Sunday story and I'll hit the general stuff in a bit; this is about Durian Fruit.
You have heard about it, you may have watched Andrew Zimmermn try to eat it or Tony Bourdain actually eating it here in Singapore. But now you can get the whole story from a Michigan guy who is on the ground here.
I mentioned somewhere in this blog that I wouldn't try Durien Fruit......In Ronald Reagan's words, the sound you hear is the sound of concrete cracking.
You See, I went up to Bugis Street this morning (noon?) looking for souvenirs etc and I passed a food shop/fruit market selling Durien Fruit. I asked the man if it was good and he said it was delicious.I sorta chuckled.
On my way back to the hotel to rest a bit, I stopped by my favorite hangout in Singapore and asked Wilson (the bartender/manager) about Durien Fruit. He surprised me by saying his whole family LOVED it and that his Grandmother was especially talented in find the best available.
He went on to explain that it did have an unpleasant aroma. It does. I smelled it - I think. It's pungent kind of.. it makes you want to take your kitchen garbage out to the garage - sort of, but it's not a nauseating odor. Any back street behind a resturant in New York City smells a lot worse.
He also told me that a ripe Durien Fruit is very creamy and that there are two kinds - sweet and slightly bitter and that there are bakeries that make Durien Crepes etc.
Then he showed me on the map the best place to find them and it's only a short subway ride away.
Did I have any excuses? How many times have I made something for the grandkids and said just try a little - if you don't like it you don't have to finish it - Time to walk the walk.
So I did. I show a picture below of the three lobes I got.
They were maybe the messiest fruit I have ever eaten but OMG they were GOOD no - GREAT!!!!. It was creamy and sweet and mild and had no obnoxious odor or anything bad except they were slippery as all get out. If I had a fork I would have gone thru a bunch more.
Andrew, you will be hearing from me. Bert - they are lactose and gluten free.
By the folks here that like them, they are considered the king of fruit and now I understand why.
To be honest -
There are a couple threads to my Sunday story and I'll hit the general stuff in a bit; this is about Durian Fruit.
You have heard about it, you may have watched Andrew Zimmermn try to eat it or Tony Bourdain actually eating it here in Singapore. But now you can get the whole story from a Michigan guy who is on the ground here.
I mentioned somewhere in this blog that I wouldn't try Durien Fruit......In Ronald Reagan's words, the sound you hear is the sound of concrete cracking.
You See, I went up to Bugis Street this morning (noon?) looking for souvenirs etc and I passed a food shop/fruit market selling Durien Fruit. I asked the man if it was good and he said it was delicious.I sorta chuckled.
On my way back to the hotel to rest a bit, I stopped by my favorite hangout in Singapore and asked Wilson (the bartender/manager) about Durien Fruit. He surprised me by saying his whole family LOVED it and that his Grandmother was especially talented in find the best available.
He went on to explain that it did have an unpleasant aroma. It does. I smelled it - I think. It's pungent kind of.. it makes you want to take your kitchen garbage out to the garage - sort of, but it's not a nauseating odor. Any back street behind a resturant in New York City smells a lot worse.
He also told me that a ripe Durien Fruit is very creamy and that there are two kinds - sweet and slightly bitter and that there are bakeries that make Durien Crepes etc.
Then he showed me on the map the best place to find them and it's only a short subway ride away.
Did I have any excuses? How many times have I made something for the grandkids and said just try a little - if you don't like it you don't have to finish it - Time to walk the walk.
So I did. I show a picture below of the three lobes I got.
They were maybe the messiest fruit I have ever eaten but OMG they were GOOD no - GREAT!!!!. It was creamy and sweet and mild and had no obnoxious odor or anything bad except they were slippery as all get out. If I had a fork I would have gone thru a bunch more.
Andrew, you will be hearing from me. Bert - they are lactose and gluten free.
By the folks here that like them, they are considered the king of fruit and now I understand why.
To be honest -
Durien Fruit - The TRUTH!!!
These are Giant Durien Fruits. Basicly they are no longer fit for eating.
Yes!!! I DID try Durien Fruit. The story is above
About the Harbor.
Until 1986, Singapore was the busiest port in the world based on tonnage. That year, a large shipping company (I think it was MAERSK) pulled out of Singapore and moved a few miles north to Malaysia because the prices were cheaper. One local said that reduced Singapore's tonnage by 40% or so and allowed Shanghai to move into the #1 spot.
The following pictures I've posted are the view from my normal "non-cubicle" and I have to fight tooth and nail to keep others from closing "my" blinds and shutting off "my" view.
Something to note about these pictures; this view will be altered dramatically in the next few years.
If you look at one of the pics (I'll note it if I remember), you can see an island on the right side of the pic. That's Sentosa Island and it's a Resort Island. I don't think there are any private residences there but there are beaches, a golf course, restaurants, an aquarium, an amusement park and BTW did I mention a CASINO.
All these things in sight of this Shipyard has rendered the property that now holds mere containers, worth BILLIONS more if they instead held Condominiums and Hotels. The docks are doomed - they will be relocated to a less desirable area within 3 years.
So save the pics.
The following pictures I've posted are the view from my normal "non-cubicle" and I have to fight tooth and nail to keep others from closing "my" blinds and shutting off "my" view.
Something to note about these pictures; this view will be altered dramatically in the next few years.
If you look at one of the pics (I'll note it if I remember), you can see an island on the right side of the pic. That's Sentosa Island and it's a Resort Island. I don't think there are any private residences there but there are beaches, a golf course, restaurants, an aquarium, an amusement park and BTW did I mention a CASINO.
All these things in sight of this Shipyard has rendered the property that now holds mere containers, worth BILLIONS more if they instead held Condominiums and Hotels. The docks are doomed - they will be relocated to a less desirable area within 3 years.
So save the pics.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Working Mode still
I think it's going to be a couple days before I get more pics. We are doing 12 hour days until Monday and then we go back to regular hours which, incidentally, are 12 per day.
Friday we go 24 hours per day thru Monday morning. Management said "all hands on deck".
I have a problem with that and I think my sailor friends would agree. If you are going into a situation where every one has to be at peak and do their job, wouldn't you want everyone at Battle Stations? instead of doing nothing meaningful on deck? Just a question.
We have actually recovered from the problems that occured the weekend of 01/15. A big part was being able to say "We told you not to do that; you did it anyway. If you do that again, kiss the upgrade good-bye for this quarter."
With a little luck, I'll get back early enough to visit Hang Bao River Festival tomorrow night. I'll correct any spelling then.
BTW, Did I mention that I took time to go wading in the South China Sea? Edna, I can't bring it back with me.
Cheers!
Friday we go 24 hours per day thru Monday morning. Management said "all hands on deck".
I have a problem with that and I think my sailor friends would agree. If you are going into a situation where every one has to be at peak and do their job, wouldn't you want everyone at Battle Stations? instead of doing nothing meaningful on deck? Just a question.
We have actually recovered from the problems that occured the weekend of 01/15. A big part was being able to say "We told you not to do that; you did it anyway. If you do that again, kiss the upgrade good-bye for this quarter."
With a little luck, I'll get back early enough to visit Hang Bao River Festival tomorrow night. I'll correct any spelling then.
BTW, Did I mention that I took time to go wading in the South China Sea? Edna, I can't bring it back with me.
Cheers!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Working Times
No pics this time. We are in our second crunch time and have reconcile a boatload of changes.
Monday and Tuesday, a fair amount of progress.
Tuesday night I acquired a nice little bout of food poisening and only lasted a few hours of work at the office. So I returned to the hotel to recover and just in time; we are going flat out for the next 4 days. We have to be DONE by Sunday night.
More later.
Monday and Tuesday, a fair amount of progress.
Tuesday night I acquired a nice little bout of food poisening and only lasted a few hours of work at the office. So I returned to the hotel to recover and just in time; we are going flat out for the next 4 days. We have to be DONE by Sunday night.
More later.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
A Giant Spider Crab
 |
| Don't fret! This is not a dead crab. This is the Exoskeleton of a living crab in the Singapore Underwaterworld. The crab is still alive. What's amazing about this and probably can't be seen in this pic, is that the crab spreads 1.8 meters. |
Scubabroom
 |
| This should be a feature on the Dirtiest Jobs Show. Vacuuming out an aquarium. As a friend once said: "I wouldn't swim there - that's where fish s@@t! |
Oriental Dude
 |
| Not sure who this guy was but he whirrled and twirrled and generally provided great entertainment. |
Sunday (SUNDAY!!!) to paraphrase Al Roker
Slight insomnia contributed to me sleeping until almost noon. So I didn't make it to Sentosa Island until 2:30 pm. The UnderWaterWorld was incredible. The Dolphin show a bit short and not near as good as Schedd or SeaWorld. But it did not require an additional fee and it was cute.
Breakfast/Lunch started as one dish Kway Teow (please note, there are MULTIPLE Spellings) I took the one they used.
In any case this particular version was not a keeper. Because it was only Sg$4.50 I just walked away from it and got a Japanese Shrimp Noodle Bowl instead. Wonderful.
I am starting to get used to the Food court or Hawker type stalls and of course I am getting better and better at chopsticks.
I had time after the Aquarium to go to the beach. Being 55 miles north of the equator and as far south as I've ever been, it would have been a crime to not go into the Souh China Sea/Singapore Straits. Just so you know, I may be contaminated for life....but I remain Crime-Free. And Also FYI, it doesn't feel anything like Lake Superior.
If I get anymore time off in the next three weeks I will definitly return to Sentosa and it will be at 7:00 AM.
Dinner tonite was partly to eat familiar food (Irish Fish and Chips) but also to talk with new friends, bartenders Vishnu and Aisha.
I also met a 2 new folks (did I mention that I am shy and demure and have trouble opening up?) Nicolle and Alvin. Nicolle is a student who is working on a Music Website with Vishnu. I'm not sure what Alvin does.
Nicolle was surprised that I bthought Singapore had a lot of variety. I said that they had a lot of food variety but that the division between good and bad food held about the same ratio as other places. I also commented that they are more consumer-centric than most places I've been. Try Sim-Lin for example.
Anyway, work resumes tomorrow and it's anything goes. I'll comment as appropriate. Rhea and Tony, I'll get with you privately.
Breakfast/Lunch started as one dish Kway Teow (please note, there are MULTIPLE Spellings) I took the one they used.
In any case this particular version was not a keeper. Because it was only Sg$4.50 I just walked away from it and got a Japanese Shrimp Noodle Bowl instead. Wonderful.
I am starting to get used to the Food court or Hawker type stalls and of course I am getting better and better at chopsticks.
I had time after the Aquarium to go to the beach. Being 55 miles north of the equator and as far south as I've ever been, it would have been a crime to not go into the Souh China Sea/Singapore Straits. Just so you know, I may be contaminated for life....but I remain Crime-Free. And Also FYI, it doesn't feel anything like Lake Superior.
If I get anymore time off in the next three weeks I will definitly return to Sentosa and it will be at 7:00 AM.
Dinner tonite was partly to eat familiar food (Irish Fish and Chips) but also to talk with new friends, bartenders Vishnu and Aisha.
I also met a 2 new folks (did I mention that I am shy and demure and have trouble opening up?) Nicolle and Alvin. Nicolle is a student who is working on a Music Website with Vishnu. I'm not sure what Alvin does.
Nicolle was surprised that I bthought Singapore had a lot of variety. I said that they had a lot of food variety but that the division between good and bad food held about the same ratio as other places. I also commented that they are more consumer-centric than most places I've been. Try Sim-Lin for example.
Anyway, work resumes tomorrow and it's anything goes. I'll comment as appropriate. Rhea and Tony, I'll get with you privately.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Durian Fruit
 |
| This is a theatre I believe, but it's called the Durian Building in respect to its looks Durian Fruit may be the most obnoxious edible plant on Earth I'm tryin to find one. |
The Ghost Fleet
 |
| In the background you can see the ships in the area where the Singapore Straits join the South China Sea. There are over a thousand ships anchored here doing absolutely nothing. After the financial debacle of 2008, many owners chose to just anchor their boats. The good news is that you can lease/charter one of these puppies really really cheap |
February 5. The food and touring blended today. So I'm not going to try to separate them this time.
We got an unexpected couple days off and I'm trying to make the most of it. I know Florian just wanted to pool it. Dominic probably just wants to sleep and kill his flu.
I decided that it's my best chance to see stuff. I feel a bit guilty about it because I know Eileen is living thru a blizzard right now. I can only try to collect the experience and share it.
So this AM (Sat Feb 5) I bought a Singapore Ticket: Hop On Hop Off, Duck tour, Sentosa Island, River tour, Singapore Flyer and about 10 other things.
So naturally the next stop was for food. I found a whole new aisle at Carrefour (my local grocer) that had a Nice salad, Sardines and Baked Beans. I also stocked up on the Top Shell Snails.
Having made sure I wouldn't starve on any given evening I proceeded to the Duck Tour. It was a bit dry..They need to take some lessons from the Ducks in the Wisconsin Dells.
Then I took my "Free" bus to the flyer because it was included in the ticket price. On the way I decided to have lunch at O'Leary's. Let's just say that it was a "Dining Malfunction". Could be the worst attempt at a Philly Steak Sandwich (please note that I did not mention cheese). I'm surprised Philadelphia hasn't sued the restaurant for Defamation.
I have been told that I have to try the Pepper Crab, so this evening I took a cab to the East Coast Seafood Center, a collection of maybe 12 - 16 Seafood restaurants out on the East Coast Parkway. I couldn't get into Jumbo or Long Beach so I tried a place called Nosignboard Here. The Crab was outstanding once I got it. But they brought NO utinsels and no napkins. Have you every tried crackng crab with chopsticks. Then it took an act of god to get a bill and pay it. In the end I told them they had 3 minutes to take my credit card or I was walking.
I decided to finish the night with the Night Safari at the zoo. It was FANTASTIC and dark. Indian Wolves, Tapirs, Elephants, Rhino's, Hippo's, Swamp Buffalo, many kinds of deer and wild pigs and even some wild cattle. Unfortunately, I was unable to get any pics because (after we started) they told us we couldn't use flash. I couldn't see well enought to disable the flash on my camera.
When I went to leave I found the taxi line to be about 80 deep and almost no Taxis. I chose bus 138 which connects with the MRT (Subway) at Ang Mo Kio. The bus ride was a half hour, the train ride another half hour and the walk from te station to the hotel another 20 minutes.
Busy day.
I decided that it's my best chance to see stuff. I feel a bit guilty about it because I know Eileen is living thru a blizzard right now. I can only try to collect the experience and share it.
So this AM (Sat Feb 5) I bought a Singapore Ticket: Hop On Hop Off, Duck tour, Sentosa Island, River tour, Singapore Flyer and about 10 other things.
So naturally the next stop was for food. I found a whole new aisle at Carrefour (my local grocer) that had a Nice salad, Sardines and Baked Beans. I also stocked up on the Top Shell Snails.
Having made sure I wouldn't starve on any given evening I proceeded to the Duck Tour. It was a bit dry..They need to take some lessons from the Ducks in the Wisconsin Dells.
Then I took my "Free" bus to the flyer because it was included in the ticket price. On the way I decided to have lunch at O'Leary's. Let's just say that it was a "Dining Malfunction". Could be the worst attempt at a Philly Steak Sandwich (please note that I did not mention cheese). I'm surprised Philadelphia hasn't sued the restaurant for Defamation.
I have been told that I have to try the Pepper Crab, so this evening I took a cab to the East Coast Seafood Center, a collection of maybe 12 - 16 Seafood restaurants out on the East Coast Parkway. I couldn't get into Jumbo or Long Beach so I tried a place called Nosignboard Here. The Crab was outstanding once I got it. But they brought NO utinsels and no napkins. Have you every tried crackng crab with chopsticks. Then it took an act of god to get a bill and pay it. In the end I told them they had 3 minutes to take my credit card or I was walking.
I decided to finish the night with the Night Safari at the zoo. It was FANTASTIC and dark. Indian Wolves, Tapirs, Elephants, Rhino's, Hippo's, Swamp Buffalo, many kinds of deer and wild pigs and even some wild cattle. Unfortunately, I was unable to get any pics because (after we started) they told us we couldn't use flash. I couldn't see well enought to disable the flash on my camera.
When I went to leave I found the taxi line to be about 80 deep and almost no Taxis. I chose bus 138 which connects with the MRT (Subway) at Ang Mo Kio. The bus ride was a half hour, the train ride another half hour and the walk from te station to the hotel another 20 minutes.
Busy day.
Friday, February 4, 2011
OMG - I FORGOT TO TALK ABOUT FOOD
I'd write a song about food in Singapore but I suspect the lyrics would be a little unclear with a full mouth,.
Wednesday, they call them Tapas - I call them Magnifico. Rice, Tomato Broth soup, Beef medalions (size of a quarter and you can cut them with chopsticks) and veggies (no broccoli). Believe me when I say that Broccoli will NOT show up an my plate here.
Dinner. My Project Manager's Chinese wife (Tracy) arranged a great dinner at a place in China Town on Chinese New Years Eve. For folks in the states, Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is more important to the folks here than Christmas is to us. Seriously!!! And the symbolism is pervasive. Mandarin oranges given in pairs because odd numbers are unlucky. Red envelopes with money symbolizes generosity and it's almost equvalent to the Potlatches in the Pacific Northwest .
We stayed out until Midnite to ring in the new year and then returned to the hotel.
Today. No Work????? And Friday? and Saturday? and Sunday?
Had the pastrami at Durty Nellies - what a shock, Skipped Dinner.
Friday, Hokkien Mee at the Marriott in Orchard Road with a HUGE (Eileen please note) CEASAR SALAD.
Evening meal at Pizzaria Giardano's up in Chijmes. Pronounced Chimes.
Tomorrow, HOPONHOPOFF, DUCK, ZOO, NIGHT SAFARI Etc. Not sure if I'll have another chance.
Wednesday, they call them Tapas - I call them Magnifico. Rice, Tomato Broth soup, Beef medalions (size of a quarter and you can cut them with chopsticks) and veggies (no broccoli). Believe me when I say that Broccoli will NOT show up an my plate here.
Dinner. My Project Manager's Chinese wife (Tracy) arranged a great dinner at a place in China Town on Chinese New Years Eve. For folks in the states, Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is more important to the folks here than Christmas is to us. Seriously!!! And the symbolism is pervasive. Mandarin oranges given in pairs because odd numbers are unlucky. Red envelopes with money symbolizes generosity and it's almost equvalent to the Potlatches in the Pacific Northwest .
We stayed out until Midnite to ring in the new year and then returned to the hotel.
Today. No Work????? And Friday? and Saturday? and Sunday?
Had the pastrami at Durty Nellies - what a shock, Skipped Dinner.
Friday, Hokkien Mee at the Marriott in Orchard Road with a HUGE (Eileen please note) CEASAR SALAD.
Evening meal at Pizzaria Giardano's up in Chijmes. Pronounced Chimes.
Tomorrow, HOPONHOPOFF, DUCK, ZOO, NIGHT SAFARI Etc. Not sure if I'll have another chance.
Personal Sea Change
Sometime this week, my attitude changed. I stopped complaining about the heat and humidity, I started being more pro-active about the food I was eating, I actually corrected a taxi driver who was taking "the long way home" and got a reduced fare.
The food, the people, the city......I'm starting to get it. This may be the most complete human venue on the planet.
Recycling is natural here. There is no trash on the streets. I've actually seen someone drop a tissue and the person behind them pick it up and put it in a trash can.
It almost takes an effort to eat an unhealthy meal here. Even the "Touristy" food courts are mostly seafood/veggie (For those that know me, Broccoli is still not on the list), lots of carrots and peppers and so forth.
Aside from my cohorts at work, one German who lives in Germany, one German who lives in Switzerland, two Germans who live in Singapore, I have managed to meet another group of folks. Edwin who was born and raised here. Kat, the bartender at Durty Nellies, Dave and Brian from Bedford GB. Also, John who does the lighting for the LION KING Asia tour and Bernhard who directs the Stage setup for the Lion King.
So the city/nation is comforting in many ways - once you come to grips with it. There is a vibrancy equivalent to Portland, Cosmopolitan as New York, Clean as Zurich and a population as diverse as you can find anywhere.
Ruth, be glad you didn't have a chance to see this place. you would have loved what you saw but you would have been dissatisfied because you couldn't see everything and it would haunt you.
As I have said to my wife (Eileen), this is a city to be a part of, to join with. And having said that, I know I couldn't live here.
I spent 11 months in New York City. Lower Manhattan. I remember when I felt I belonged - a couple asked me for directions - and I knew where they wanted to go and how to get there.
That happened to me today up by Raffles. An older (than me) couple wanted to know how to get to Suntec City.
Singapore, Like New York, Chicago, San Francisco and St. Louis is now MY TOWN.
The food, the people, the city......I'm starting to get it. This may be the most complete human venue on the planet.
Recycling is natural here. There is no trash on the streets. I've actually seen someone drop a tissue and the person behind them pick it up and put it in a trash can.
It almost takes an effort to eat an unhealthy meal here. Even the "Touristy" food courts are mostly seafood/veggie (For those that know me, Broccoli is still not on the list), lots of carrots and peppers and so forth.
Aside from my cohorts at work, one German who lives in Germany, one German who lives in Switzerland, two Germans who live in Singapore, I have managed to meet another group of folks. Edwin who was born and raised here. Kat, the bartender at Durty Nellies, Dave and Brian from Bedford GB. Also, John who does the lighting for the LION KING Asia tour and Bernhard who directs the Stage setup for the Lion King.
So the city/nation is comforting in many ways - once you come to grips with it. There is a vibrancy equivalent to Portland, Cosmopolitan as New York, Clean as Zurich and a population as diverse as you can find anywhere.
Ruth, be glad you didn't have a chance to see this place. you would have loved what you saw but you would have been dissatisfied because you couldn't see everything and it would haunt you.
As I have said to my wife (Eileen), this is a city to be a part of, to join with. And having said that, I know I couldn't live here.
I spent 11 months in New York City. Lower Manhattan. I remember when I felt I belonged - a couple asked me for directions - and I knew where they wanted to go and how to get there.
That happened to me today up by Raffles. An older (than me) couple wanted to know how to get to Suntec City.
Singapore, Like New York, Chicago, San Francisco and St. Louis is now MY TOWN.
More Singapore - Explained
OK, I tried something different and ended up with several Pics that have no captions.
The first couple show a wall of pictures of young athletes and there appears to be an attempt to arrange them so another face shows on the wall. I have to say that the pic shows what is there. Maybe a better artist could achieve better results.
There are also several shots of the Helix bridge. It is a footbridge across Marina Bay and it is supposed to represent Human DNA and in fact it is sometimes described as the fundamentals of life. IT IS IMPRESSIVE!!!
There is also a shot of a stadium - this is where the fireworks were launched.
If I missed anything, I'll circle round and fix it later.
The first couple show a wall of pictures of young athletes and there appears to be an attempt to arrange them so another face shows on the wall. I have to say that the pic shows what is there. Maybe a better artist could achieve better results.
There are also several shots of the Helix bridge. It is a footbridge across Marina Bay and it is supposed to represent Human DNA and in fact it is sometimes described as the fundamentals of life. IT IS IMPRESSIVE!!!
There is also a shot of a stadium - this is where the fireworks were launched.
If I missed anything, I'll circle round and fix it later.
Sea Change for me in Singapore
And I mean it!
For the first couple weeks here I have been a bit tentative and maybe a little testy about the project, the city, the people, the weather, the food and just being away from home.
I still miss Michigan - I especially don't like being away during the BLIZZARD. I missed the last big blizzard in 77-78 having been in Harrisburg. Bummer.
But as far as the Sea Change - things started coming together this week and not only started making sense but started feeling good.
The project gained traction; I managed to get the prime contractor to engage the 3rd party software company to resolve the most serious problem we had and in the process got my company some very positive press and visibility regarding problem solving and defect resolution and escalation processes.
We also completed a critical step that was planned for 5 days in 1 day.
More about the personal Sea Change in a bit.
For the first couple weeks here I have been a bit tentative and maybe a little testy about the project, the city, the people, the weather, the food and just being away from home.
I still miss Michigan - I especially don't like being away during the BLIZZARD. I missed the last big blizzard in 77-78 having been in Harrisburg. Bummer.
But as far as the Sea Change - things started coming together this week and not only started making sense but started feeling good.
The project gained traction; I managed to get the prime contractor to engage the 3rd party software company to resolve the most serious problem we had and in the process got my company some very positive press and visibility regarding problem solving and defect resolution and escalation processes.
We also completed a critical step that was planned for 5 days in 1 day.
More about the personal Sea Change in a bit.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
HAPPY NEW YEAR
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| This is where the five of us had our New Years Eve dinner. It was fabulous - it included a lamb/pepper appetize (Lots of cumin - I'll talk about that later / earlier?) CRAY??? what's that say?? |
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Don Everly Turned 74 today
OK. It's starting to get a little surreal here. Last night I was picking up some German Sausage at Paulaner's here in Singapore and the evening duet started with "In My life" --- the guy sounded EXACTLY like McCartney. (Don Everly turned 74 today). And tonite I flipped my TV past the Chinese, Cricket, Soccer, Korean, Portuguese, Malay stations to a radio channel - and the first song was MOON RIVER by Andy Williams. Oh! and the fireworks for the River Hongbao Opening Ceremony and tomorrow is Chinese New Year's eve countdown.
My plans on losing weight with walking and healthy eating went south (60 miles) to the equator this weekend. Saturday was very good, Cranberry/Kiwi juice for Breakfast, Sushi for lunch andshrimp with rice noodles and veggies for dinner. But I followed it on Sunday with a Sausage egg McMuffin for breakfast (nothing was open) Pizza for lunch ( Project Mnager sent out - what could I do?) and at night I hit the Irish/Chinese Pub and had a burger. - YUM - Better than Red Robin. Didn't lose much weight there.
On the work front - I finally got the 3rd party's responsibility into play and we got the vendor (from Germany) to actually look at their product and provide fixes. They worked but showed another problem which they fixed? tonite.
The schedule shows us working straight thru this weekend and thru the following weekend. That will be 3 straight weeks of 12 hour (or more) days. Not Healthy. I need to have a word with my PM.
Well, I have not heard any more from our team lead tonite so I'll maybe give him a call soon.
My plans on losing weight with walking and healthy eating went south (60 miles) to the equator this weekend. Saturday was very good, Cranberry/Kiwi juice for Breakfast, Sushi for lunch andshrimp with rice noodles and veggies for dinner. But I followed it on Sunday with a Sausage egg McMuffin for breakfast (nothing was open) Pizza for lunch ( Project Mnager sent out - what could I do?) and at night I hit the Irish/Chinese Pub and had a burger. - YUM - Better than Red Robin. Didn't lose much weight there.
On the work front - I finally got the 3rd party's responsibility into play and we got the vendor (from Germany) to actually look at their product and provide fixes. They worked but showed another problem which they fixed? tonite.
The schedule shows us working straight thru this weekend and thru the following weekend. That will be 3 straight weeks of 12 hour (or more) days. Not Healthy. I need to have a word with my PM.
Well, I have not heard any more from our team lead tonite so I'll maybe give him a call soon.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday Jan 28
The tech team got called in early because other tasks completed early (a good thing ). So my plan to order a room service sandwich to take with me went awry. We got Singapore versions of McMuffins instead. They were OK.
We left around 2 PM to try to get a couple hours rest before our evening support session. So I had the second best Club sandwich in the world in my hotel and after sleeping a couple hours had Fish and Lamb in the Cantonese restaurant along with hot and sour soup. All were excellent.
We had a few issues outstanding when the "2nd" shift started tonite. We kindof resolved them and continued. We'll have to revisit them tomorrow. (today)
We left around 2 PM to try to get a couple hours rest before our evening support session. So I had the second best Club sandwich in the world in my hotel and after sleeping a couple hours had Fish and Lamb in the Cantonese restaurant along with hot and sour soup. All were excellent.
We had a few issues outstanding when the "2nd" shift started tonite. We kindof resolved them and continued. We'll have to revisit them tomorrow. (today)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Whoa!!! Weather
Hit the hay around 10:15 and the outside temp wasn't too bad so I left the door open. Rude awakening around 12:30 with wild wind and heavy rains. Still raining.
Monday, January 24, 2011
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