Singapore cont'd

I wanted to buy the girls sarongs off the street on Serangoon Street because Art told me to, but Steve was too hot, so we went to the hotel for an a/c break. It seems this March 2 was the hottest on record in Singapore history – 40C which is about 101 or 102, because if a Cuban baby has “cuarenta de fiebre” it’s time to call in the grandmothers.

Good thing we came back to the hotel because it was time for a manicure, particularly since the nails on my right hand were now curry-colored. I couldn’t justify the $45 manicure at the hotel, so I had to do them myself. And this was supposed to be vacation!

Dinner at Iggy’s at The Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore was out of this world. Ten courses, and as each plate got bigger and funkier, the serving size got smaller and smaller. Their thing at Iggy’s is to break down the food almost to its chemical components, then they work with it and turn it into a work of art. So back in the kitchen, which was open and we could see the chefs in there, plating the food and occasionally taking a bite, they must have both chemists and artists, because it is the most complicated and beautiful food I’ve ever eaten. “Please enjoy,” our server said to us every time. He didn’t say it when he bought us the bill, though. It would not have been so bad if we were stuffed into a comatose state, but we were merely “satisfied.” Back in Miami, we would have gone home after that dinner and had café con leche y tostadas. Actually, it was amazing food, so beautiful, so delicate, so the OPPOSITE of lunch. We didn’t have to use our hands once! We were in the private dining room of Iggy’s, an l-shaped wood table where there were two other couples, but at discreet enough a distance that we wouldn’t talk across the table and say: “what was that I just ate? It sure was purty.”

The Four Seasons in Singapore must have been a Marriott or something, cos girlies and Fernandez family, it looked exactly like the hotel in Atlanta we stayed in for Pablo’s wedding. Except it was fashionably decorated and we would not have gotten away with having a cooler full of snacks in the lobby.

Steve was too tired to go to the Botanic gardens so we turned in early, and a little hungry.



WEDNESDAY MARCH 3, 2010; Singapore

I could really use a bottle of Febreeze right about now.

Forgot to mention that the first night we did the tourist thing (as if everything else we’ve done has not been “the tourist thing”) and had a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel. I almost slipped at the bar, and it wasn’t because of the drink. Here it’s like at Outback or the other place where you throw the peanut shells on the floor. I guess it’s the only place in the city where you’re allowed to toss stuff on the floor, and boy, do people may a go of it!

In the morning, went to the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd right down from our hotel to pray for a bit, and yes, Jesus was in the tabernacle but the church was so ugly didn’t even take a picture of it. Thank God the prayers still count.

From there we visited the Sultan Temple in Kampung Glam, which is next to Little India. There was a field trip of little girls, all about 7-9 years old, that wonderful, perfect age when little girls know they are on top of the world and can do anything. They each and every one had a digital camera and were snapping away during their visit. In the mosque, we were not allowed in the prayer area or even to touch the carpeting.

Went around the shops and bought some silk scarves. The pashminas here are only about $10, just like in Miami, except they say they are 80% pashmina wool (or so they say). I would have bought tons but it is SO DANG HOT! I didn’t even want to touch them. Plus, I found this really cool little box that when you open the top, a snake comes out and bites you. I thought Ryan would really like that one and could share it with those cootie-infested girls at preschool.

The tour at the Museum of Asian Civilization was wonderful, basically covering the religions of Singapore. The museum used to be the registration house for the city, and our German tour guide emphasized the importance of Stamford Raffles who basically developed the city into what it is now. It was interesting how the winds had everything to do with people of different cultures and religions sailing into Singapore for trading opportunities. The winds didn’t change for six months, so they had to stay, and that’s how people laid down roots here, and why Chinese Buddhists, Indian Hindis and the Muslims. Christianity was not mentioned at all, even though Raffles, who developed the town, was a Christian. The reason, she said, is because Christians are only 3% of the population here. I guess it would take someone to donate several million to the museum before a section on the Christian influence would become part of the tour. When she mentioned that Hinduism was the oldest religion in the world, I begged to differ. “What about Judaism? Hasn’t Judaism been around for almost six thousand?” She answered that she thought it was Hinduism. So, in my new role as Defender of the Faiths, I looked it all up. As usual, I was exaggerating by about 1,000 years. Seems she was kind of right, since the Hindu text, the Vedas, was put together in 1500 BCE. However, Abraham was born in 1800 BCE, so officially, God spoke to him first. However, Moses didn’t put the Torah together until 1400 BCE, and that point is considered the beginning of Judaism. That should teach you to write everything down the first time you hear it!

So later during the tour, she took me aside and told me where the nearest synagogue was.

Random observations:

The hotel staff in Asia are always so elegantly dressed. It had been ages since I’ve seen women wearing pantyhose. And it’s just as hot here, or even hotter, than in Miami so that’s no excuse. The uniforms at all these hotels are just lovely, and the Asian women really know how to do makeup. It’s always perfect and they are experts at mascara. Also, on all these trips, there has not been one single male flight attendant.

On the way to the airport we noticed so many American fast-food restaurants: Carl’s Jr., Swensen’s, 7-11’s everywhere, Friday’s, etc. Oh, and did I forget to mention, girls: a seven-storey (yes, they spell it that way here) Forever 21! The shopping here can only be described as orgasmic for those who love it. It’s as if you took Bal Harbour, Rodeo Drive, Aventura Mall, and Worth Avenue and exponentially replicated them, piled them on top of each other, and placed them in a square mile. It’s like a Las Vegas of mega-upscale malls. We lasted about 40 minutes there. I blamed it on my allergies. Lots of people wear masks here and they look at you askew if you’re sneezing.

Another observation is that the moving sidewalks here are called travellators, and they speak to you, telling you when to get off, to take hold of the handrail, and to be aware of when you are approaching the end. Travellators treat everyone as if they were stupid and blind. I thought this as I tripped over the end of the travellator. On to Hong Kong!