Singapore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore

While in Kuala Lumpur, I had researched countless transportation companies to find the most efficient way to Singapore in both the sense of time and money.  Each person we spoke with kept saying the best way was to go to the main bus station and book it right from there that way we could bypass a travel agent and their associated fees.  Once at the bus station, you have your selection of style of travel just like a plane.  Economy, Business, and First Class.  Buses are super cheap in any sense of the word, so if you can, spring for First Class.  It’ll give you much lower quantities of people as well as guaranteed huge reclining seats with solid air conditioning.  After speaking with representatives from multiple bus companies, we selected one that claimed we would arrive in Singapore within 4 hours transported on their top of line coach.  Perfect!

Just over 7 hours and 2 customs crossings later, we arrived in Singapore hot and sweaty.  My good friend Jeff Carroll eagerly awaited us at his posh apartment at the heart of the Singapore’s waterfront courtesy of Microsoft.  Jeff had been in Singapore since the beginning of November after landing the job shortly following the completion of his MBA in Madrid, Spain.  I was excited to see him as it had been just before Christmas since we had last seen each other in Seattle.  Knowing Jeff, many wonderful things were in store during our visit in Singapore, especially since it was now just Friday around 7:00 pm. 

Jeff gave Caleb and I a short window of time to get cleaned up and make ourselves look presentable before we headed out to a nice restaurant to meet one of his female colleagues, Hajin.  Jeff took us to a delightful waterfront eatery where we indulged in some incredible steak and seafood dishes.  He insisted that I order a specific beer called Monster Green Lager.  In the description of this particular beverage it states, and I quote “believed to repress and prevent HIV”.  Day one and I had already discovered a cure for a disease doctors and scientists around the world have been trying to figure out for decades tucked away at a little bar in Singapore!  I’ll have to bring it market shortly!

In no rush whatsoever, Hajin, Jeff, Caleb and myself stretched dinner out for several hours just having a blast conversing with one another.  We discussed if we wanted tonight to be the BIG night or if we should not get too crazy and save our energy for the following night when another one of Hajin’s girlfriends could jump in on the fun as well.  We decided for the latter and hit up just a few more establishments before calling it a night at 3am. 

Noon rolled around rather early on Saturday as we headed out to Jeff’s pool for a hangover-reducing swim.   After our bodies had soaked up the necessary hydration, we put on our running shoes and went for a lengthy jog down the riverfront, Jeff playing tour guide along the way.  He explained many things about Singapore’s history, how it was founded, the struggles they went through, and how all the development we saw around us was made possible.

Unlike the surrounding countries, Singapore is extremely small with a rough size of only 10 miles by 20 miles.  The city itself is incredible with amazing climate sitting only 85 miles from the equator.  As many of you know, I have a slight OCD when it comes to cleanliness.  This city FEED’s my OCD to perfection as I could literally eat off the sidewalks it’s so spotless.  When the country was being formed as a sovereign state in 1965, the powers at be decided to take drastic measures to ensure many of the problems that plagued the neighboring countries wouldn’t hinder them in the same way.  The sale and use of chewing gum is illegal, punishable by heavy fines and lashings, alas, there’s no gum spit anywhere.  Littering carries massive fines and jail time also so guess what, there’s no litter anywhere.  If you decide to purchase a new BMW as an example for $50,000, Singapore has a 150% sales tax on automobiles, plus a $50-$70,000 fee for a permit to drive it that lasts only 10 years, so now that once $50k car is going to cost you upwards of $200k before you ever put it in gear.  The result, slim to no traffic in a densely populated area and the cars that are on the road are all gorgeous pieces of machinery only afforded by the rich.  Some would say that’s unfair however the public transit system is flawless and extremely inexpensive.  There are also 25,000 taxis in the city, mostly made up of Mercedes and Hyundai’s for some reason that are absurdly cheap in comparison with everything else.  There really is no need to own your own vehicle.

All right, little sidetrack, back to the story.  We finished our run, went to a few shopping malls and headed back towards Jeff’s spot to get served a drink from the Philippine waitress working at the restaurant in his building that he’s one day determined to wed.   After a few cocktails and an assurance that I was going to steal the woman of his dreams, we went upstairs to get ready for the evening.  We put on our Sunday best, Caleb and I having to borrow a bunch of Jeff’s finer clothes as we hadn’t packed the necessary dress shoes and swank clothing needed for this sort of occasion.  Luckily, my feet are the same size as Jeff’s, Caleb however might as well have been wearing clown shoes.

We met Hajin and Sabrina at an upbeat Chinese themed restaurant for hors d’ oeuvres and drinks shortly after 9pm.  I introduced myself to Sabrina and began a conversation with her as Jeff and Caleb were busy speaking with Hajin.  She was extremely interesting and very attractive so I loved every moment speaking with her however about 7-9 minutes into the conversation, I realized that the temperature of my body was getting to a tipping point.  The climate in Singapore can vary greatly in a short amount of time.  At this particular moment it was extremely humid and borderline the depths of hell hot.  Normally, this isn’t a factor as everywhere in Singapore is air conditioned, including many streets (yes, outside, air conditioned streets).  I looked around wondering if anyone else was experiencing this sudden influx in temperature but all I noticed was people smiling, laughing and most notably, not sweating.  I was starting to bead up on the forehead but I was able to play it off discreetly due in part to the dim lighting and my finger acting as a windshield wiper when Sabrina turned away from time to time. 

The temperature continued to rise and I started to feel a small stream magically start to trickle down the center of my back.  I think to myself that in her mind she’s saying, “Wow, I hope that sexy American just starts sweating, that’s what ever girl from Singapore dreams about!”.  I snap out of it realizing she’s moments away from thinking “Jesus Christ Jeff, who the hell is this guy you brought out tonight that’s somehow managing to take a shower before my eyes….”.  When she turns away I make a dash for the bar to grab a handful of cocktail napkins.  From the look on the bartenders face, she must have thought I was about to buy a drink for 300 people with the amount I took. 

I attempted to dry myself off but all the cocktail napkins in the world weren’t going to help and the Sham Wow guy was nowhere in sight.  Jeff, Caleb and the two girls were in the midst of conversation when I said frantically, “Jeff, I burning up man, I’ll be back!” and bolted out the door.  I poked my head into multiple bars nearby until I found one that felt like the artic and quickly darted in, looking at the ceiling to make sure I could sit directly under a vent at the bar.  The bartender asked what I wanted to drink to which I responded, “cheapest beer you have”.  He slid me a Guinness and a $22 tab for which I could have cared less.  That vent was like the breath of the abominable snowman and I was loving it. 

Twenty minutes later and a core temperature decrease of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and I was back in the bar with my friends.  I told them the story, much to their amusement, before we headed out to the next place for the evening. 

1-Altitude is a bar at the top of the tallest building in Singapore, 925 feet in the air.  Jeff insisted the views from the open-air rooftop establishment were well worth the astronomical cover charges and drink fees we were sure to absorb.  He was right.  The bar/club holds roughly 300 people.  It’s completely, 100% outside with nothing but 5-foot tall glass walls bordering the triangle shaped place.  On one side of the triangle you have views over countless islands of Indonesia, on another side, you can see way back into the country of Malaysia and from the last side, views of the entire Singapore skyline, truly remarkable.

Link to photos

http://www.1-altitude.com/#gallery_bar

Going out in Singapore is flat out expensive.  The food is expensive, the drinks are expensive, the shopping is expensive, but it for some reason is worth it.  I’d equate it to Vegas prices.  If you were planning a traditionally budgeted backpacking trip, in my opinion, I’d skip Singapore.  Singapore is known for its opulence, its excess, and its incredible cuisine.  Not being able to experience all of the above would shape an incorrect viewpoint on the area, again, in my opinion.

We stayed and enjoyed the views and energy from 1-Altitude till about 2am when the girls decided they were ready to try another place, where Sabrina‘s friend apparently worked and could get us past the line.  Many of the bars don’t close till 4am and several just plain don’t close.  A short taxi ride later and a bypass of the line and we entered a bar that made me feel broke just crossing the threshold.  The girls, both successful at their respective jobs at Microsoft and Johnson and Johnson, took it easy on their new unemployed American friend and insisted on paying for everything for the next several hours much to my appreciation!  Time started blurring together and before we knew it, the sun was up and the clock struck 8am before I finally closed my eyes on a semi-inflated air mattress on Jeff’s floor.  At 27, I can definitely say, I’m too old for this $h**!  

4:00 PM rolled around before I finally forced Jeff and Caleb from their beds.  We got ready and headed to the island of Sentosa, roughly a 15-minute cab ride from Jeff’s apartment downtown.  Sentosa is a 700-acre resort island complete with a Universal Studios them park, the world’s largest indoor skydiving facility, massive water shows, amongst other things.  What did the three of us manly men do you may ask?  We took a nice leisurely stroll together at sunset followed by a photo shoot before going home.  Yes, days later I now realize it was very, very gay.

We went to bed at a reasonable hour that Sunday night as Jeff lives in the real world and had to go to work Monday morning.  The next day after Jeff left for work at 9:15 AM, Caleb and I hopped in a cab and headed towards the Marina Bay Sands, a place I had been waiting to see.  I’m absolutely fascinated with large construction projects that push the limits of engineering and ingenuity.  This particular project, finally completed in 2011 was one of the most expensive commercial construction projects in the world funded by the Las Vegas Sands Company.   Until 2005, gambling was illegal in Singapore so when government officials decided to allow only two gambling licenses to be issued, every major casino company in the world was foaming at the mouth to have an opportunity to get their table games and slot machines in one of the world’s richest markets.  Las Vegas Sands won the bid on a proposed $8 Billion project on 50 acres of prime waterfront real estate in Singapore.  They paid over $1.2 Billion just for the 50 acres alone.  The project included a massive luxury mall that rivaled the world’s best, huge theatre complex’s that seated thousands of people for shows like Cirque du Soleil, and a hotel and casino as large and opulent as the finest in Vegas.  The main structure, the hotel and casino, consists of three 57 story towers topped off with the world’s highest infinity pool that cantilevers off more than 150 feet from the edge of the tower, looking over all of Singapore.

Caleb and I arrived and had an incredible meal at one of the complex’s main restaurants before walking through the mall.  Myself, I’m not much of a window shopper but this place was in a league of it’s own.  Every high-end clothing designer, luxury handbag, watch maker and jeweler was represented.  The window displays in some of these places featured watches that were selling for over $300,000 US, infant’s T-shirts that sold for $250, and a mobile phone store called Vertu that sold cell phones that started at $3,000 and went up to the diamond encrusted phones for $500,000, FOR A PHONE!

All this food is his, he reminds me of that Kobayashi guy!

Caleb deciding which jeweled phone he wants to add to his collection

It was definitely a sight to see but at the same time it was pretty disgusting how wasteful people clearly are.  We continued walking through the main hotel lobby when a storefront caught the corner of my eye.  The name of the place was Ultimate Drive.  I stepped inside to see what all the videos playing and car engine sounds were all about.  After speaking with one of the staff I was told that they rented out exotic cars, particularly Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s.  I felt the little boy with the poster on his wall inside me starting to salivate so I quickly grabbed a brochure and left before I made an impulse decision.  Plus, it was raining outside.  No one likes driving in the rain. 

We headed up to the rooftop where the massive infinity pool reserved only for hotel guests was located and grabbed a drink to enjoy the views of the city.  We took a bunch of photos before deciding to head back towards a movie theatre where Caleb and I caught another movie called “The Devil Inside Me” (never watch this, it’s absolutely horrible, Justin, you’re probably going to think it deserves an Oscar).  After the movie, we met Jeff at his place before following his lead to another wonderful restaurant.  I have to hand it to him, he has incredible taste in places to eat!

An early night again as we still weren’t caught up from sleep from Saturday was welcomed with open arms.  The next day, Tuesday March 6^th to give you a timeline, we slept in pretty good.  I slept on the idea of renting one of the cars, weighing out the options, and cost, before finally deciding to fulfill a childhood dream.  I called the place, only the Ferrari was available as the Lamborghini had been rented out for the week for a corporate event.  I accepted and agreed on a time to meet within the coming hours.  The weather outside was clear blue sky (which according to Jeff hadn’t happened to his memory since he’d been there), 85 degrees with a nice breeze.  It reaffirmed that I had made the right choice.  Caleb decided to spend the day relaxing at Jeff’s as he wasn’t feeling too hot so I jumped in a cab and headed off to my appointment solo.

(Disclaimer:  If you don’t like cars or my humor, the next few paragraphs may not be that entertaining to you)

Let me start by saying the professionalism of this company and their employees are remarkable.  Every detail is thought of to make sure your experience and money is well looked after.  When I arrived at the store I was instructed to fill out the necessary paperwork saying if I wrecked it, they would own my soul.  One of the staff members was to ride in the passenger seat for insurance purposes and also so he could tell me where to go whereas not to be interfered with by the local authorities.  I stepped out of the main entrance of the Marina Bay Sands and there she was, a 2009 Ferrari F430 Spyder, valeted right in front with a crowd of 30 people around her taking countless pictures.  I laughed, so did the employee who was coming with me.  He said “This happens every single time, get ready, these people are going to take a ton of pictures with you because they’re going to think your some famous American with an Asian assistant”.

I even dressed for the occasion.  There wasn’t a chance I was going to drive this rolling piece of art in shorts and a tank top, no, she deserved far more respect than that.  I hit the unlock button on the key fob and she chirped at me as if she was saying, “I’ve been waiting, for a man like you” Foreigner style.  I entered the car on the opposite side, as she was a right hand drive vehicle.  After a quick 60-second instruction speech, I fired up the $70,000 V8 motor, hit the paddle shifter and pulled out of the driveway amongst a hoard of tourists taking pictures.

I’m thankful that I spent the extra money to have the entire drive from start to finish shot in HD video, 1 camera looking inside the car at me and the other guy (and the speedo!), and the other facing over the hood as to see the scenery because I simply got lost in a state of euphoria and couldn’t pay attention myself.  She was everything I had dreamed about as a young boy.   Sleek, Classy, Radiant, that girl at the bar in a long red dress sipping a martini that in an instant, when I nail the gas pedal to the floor, changes to that wild chick slammin’ shots of Fireball and 151 and screamin’ at the top of her lungs the lyrics to “Pour Some Sugar On Me”!

The power was incredible.  490 pure bread Italian horsepower ripped you into your seat as the 8,500 RPM shifting of the Formula 1 style paddle shift gearbox made you feel like Michael Schumacher.  The noise raging from the mid engine supercar sounded nothing short of a mind melting symphony behind my head.  I literally couldn’t stop laughing and smiling as the co-pilot yelled, “over take that car, OVER TAKE HIM!”.  At one point in the drive, and my favorite I might ad, I looked over to him and said, “I want to see what she’s got from a standstill”.  He directed me towards an area he knew of with a long onramp onto the freeway.  We slowly approached a stop sign right before we were to make a U-Turn onto the freeway entrance when we noticed a police officer sitting on the side of the road.  He instructed me to not to look at him and to slowly make the U-turn, which would then provide some space courtesy of some hedges between the cop and us.  As I made the corner, the co-pilot looked at me and said, “Just keep your foot on the floor till I say stop”.  Upon is command, I attempted to shove my foot through the floorboard as we ripped up the inclined onramp onto the five lane freeway, me listening to him tell me which lane to veer into and which car to pass while keeping my eyes glued to the road and shifting at the right points as not to damage the motor.  At the end of what felt like an eternity but in reality was just a few seconds, he instructed me to hit the brakes as I was coming up on the ass end of another vehicle.  He looked at me, smiled and said “138 MPH, nice work”. 

The drive unfortunately had to come to an end at some point and when it did I was saddened.  As I exited the vehicle, she looked at me with those stunning eyes, motor still idling as if to say “Really?  That’s all I am to you?  A one-night stand?  Some afternoon delight?”   While I inevitably wanted a relationship, I knew it just couldn’t be.  We came from two different worlds, her an Italian princess, me a small town boy, but I assured her, she would see this American again, someday.

I made it back to Jeff’s place and relaxed in the pool until he got home from work.  Caleb still wanted to lay low while Jeff and I went for another evening jog around the riverfront.  Afterwards, we got cleaned up and Jeff informed me one of his close friends had flown in from London to spend time with his brother who lived and worked Singapore.  His friend, Peter, also had to tend to some business matters while in town.  Caleb decided to stay in so Jeff and I met up with the two guys at an amazing restaurant called Luke’s Chop House.  I almost vomited when I saw the prices of everything but Jeff insisted he was going to take care of this one.  We had an incredible meal, some great wine, and amazing conversation with his friends who were both raised in Paris.  He had met them through a mutual friend while attending graduate school in Madrid.  Time flew by and before we knew it the hour had come to call it an evening.  We said our goodbyes and headed back to the apartment around midnight. 

Wednesday the 8^th was spent planning my next place to visit.  I originally had wanted to head to the northern tip of Indonesia to go to some highly reviewed dive spots but the flights literally sold out in front of my eyes that afternoon.  I decided instead to book a ticket for Bali, departing the next morning.  The one really nice thing that differs Asian airlines with that of US airlines is it doesn’t matter if you book a flight leaving later the same day or three months in advance, the prices are always very similar, from our and the people’s experiences I’ve spoken to.

At the time of this writing I’m currently in the air on my way to Bali, Caleb completely asleep and drooling on himself behind me (not really) at 4 AM Seattle time on Thursday, March 8^th. 

I will be back to Singapore, within a couple months for a few reasons.  It has been confirmed as a place that I could see myself calling home for a while.  The melting pot of culture intrigues me.  The cleanliness and organization of the city and its infrastructure puts my mild OCD at ease.  Most important of all though, I’ve met some wonderful people through Jeff that have called Singapore their home for many years, from all sorts of backgrounds, that all say they absolutely love it and the opportunities here are endless!

For now though, I’ve got to run, the flight attendant is yelling at me in a foreign language to put my tray table up and turn my computer off!  Off to Bali!