Food and stuff

Singapore has 2% arable land and lists "fish and deep water ports" as it's natural resources.  Thus, nearly every whole food is imported.  Just did a shopping trip and have a sampling of items from around the world.

Bananas: Philippines
Beansprouts: Malaysia
Sugar Peas: China
Mushrooms: Japan
Onions: New Zealand
Beef: USA

Also found some chia seeds today, imported from Australia.  They were prepackaged and are insanely expensive compared to back home.  I guess the big health kick that chia seeds are associated with here is energy for runners.  The cashier asked me if I was running a marathon.  It's funny how these markets are created for "superfoods".

The Flat

I don't think my original batch of iPhone pictures did a good job of showing the layout of the apartment.  Here are some that I took on the first night with the camera.  I also did an MS Paint floor plan drawing.  I figure the whole place is about 360sq ft (12' x 30'), so not big, but functional when you don't have any need to store much stuff.

I didn't really take any pictures of the bathroom or closet area.  Maybe after housekeeping comes on Wednesday, I'll take some pictures of the bathroom :P

The apartment is on the 28th floor of a 30-storey building that sits along the Singapore River.  If I hang my head out the window and look to the left, I can see the Marina Bay Sands hotel (the three towers with a boat on top), otherwise my view is mostly all the skyscrapers of the Central Business District, Boat Quay, the Riverwalk, Chinatown, and Clarke Quay.

I also found out the approximate monthly rent for this place.  Fully furnished, housekeeping once a week, no fitness area, no pool.  Put your guess in $SGD in the comments and maybe I'll bring the winner a souvenir :)  $1 CAD ≈ $1.25 SGD
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Kitchen



Kitchen from the front door looking through to the living room.

Bedroom and living room.  There is a big window (almost the entire wall) between the bedroom and living room and there is a sliding glass door if you want to separate the bedroom from the kitchen.  I've yet to use it.

More pictures after the jump.

Picky Potato

Here's an interesting little food stand.  Their specialty is fries.  Fries with different seasonings and sauces, thick or thin cut, etc.  It's like a boring version of the Poutinerie.  The interesting thing is their slogan: "Picky Potato.  The beginning of a friendship between a boy & a bear...".  There's a whole back story to go along with the character (http://www.pickypotato.com.sg/about.php).  I'll copy and paste it after the jump.  I have no idea what they story has to do with anything, especially French Fries, but there's clearly a lot of thought that went into it.  Also, this appears to be the only location.  Maybe they're hoping for franchising, merchandising... a cartoon?
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Tissue Packs!

I mentioned earlier that the hawker stands generally don't have napkins, so you have to bring your own.  Everyone has their own little tissue packs, basically like a travel pack of 10 Kleenexes.  I found a fun set of Japanese tissue packs that I just had to buy!
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Chinatown

Last weekend was my first couple of free days to do some sightseeing.  My apartment is within walking distance to lots of shopping, restaurants, touristy stuff (reverse bungee jump, riverboat tours), and busy neighborhoods.  So last Saturday I wondered through Chinatown, which is to the southwest of where I'm staying.
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Traffic doesn't seem to be an issue.  It's very expensive to have a car here (I'll post something about that later), so most people take public transit.

More pictures after the jump.

Singapore and Brandon have something in common

Moral Authority no more?

So, this exists within a 5 minute walk of my apartment (see picture). I saw a Cosmopolitan magazine without a modesty shield at 7-11. Jersey shore and Fashion Police are on right now and I was able to catch up on an episode of True Blood the other day. And to top it off, there appears to be a bathhouse across the river from me. It's actually close enough that I'm going to use it for my location on this post (but I'm not there!!).

I was under the impression that Singapore was ultra conservative. Is this not the case? Have things changed?

Looks Like Rain

There's been rain in the forecast everyday that I've been here, but I've discovered that means a light shower for 30 minutes in the afternoon. This looks more like there's a storm a-brewin'.

This is the view from the conference room at the Allscripts office on the 13th floor of the Raffles City Tower in Singapore. No superstition about 13 here.

p.s. My apartment is in the first picture, grey building with the triangular-ish top and black windows, second building left of center.  The building on the far left, in the foreground, is the galactic senate -er- Singapore Supreme Court.

At least this isn't blocked

Not that I've run into anything that is yet.

Culture Shock #1

Singapore is a very modern city, with many western influences, but there are some cultural differences and idiosyncrasies when living in a location half way around the world.

One of the most obvious is that they drive on the left side of the road.  Ok, so this isn’t unique or difficult to get accustomed to and I don’t plan on driving while I’m here, but it also influences you as a pedestrian.  For example, if you’re going to get on an escalator and stand still for the ride, you are expected to be on the left side.  You leave space on the right side so people who want to walk up or down the stairs can get by.  Also walking on the sidewalk, people tend to walk on the left whereas I’m still naturally favouring the right side.

Something else that’s interesting is the hawker stands.  They’re like food courts, with different counters for each food vendor.  There’s a variety of options available (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Thai, etc.) that surround the perimeter with seating and a different stand for beverages in the center.  The interesting difference is that they don’t typically give napkins.  Everyone carries their own tissue packs that you can get at the grocery store or sold on the street, usually by the elderly trying to make money.  People will use the tissue packs to reserve a seat while they get their food.  Also, you’re not usually expected to clean up your own tray.  You just get up and walk away.  I would do this in Canada and considered myself a job creator, so not a big change for me :P

I almost forgot, tipping is not required here.  Having just come from a trip to Montreal, this is quite the difference.  I’ve been told if there is exceptional service, you can tip, but it’s not expected by anyone.

Sleeping at a normal hour is still alluding me.  I’m looking forward to the weekend to try to get on a normal schedule and I might try to head out and do some sightseeing as well.

Jet Lag or Walking Zombie

The time change is much more difficult to get used to than I thought. I figured if I made it through the first day and got a good night sleep, I'd be all reset. But all I want to do is sleep by the afternoon and I'm waking up in the middle of the night. I've heard it can take 5-10 days to get on the new schedule and I'm now believing it. I tried taking some melatonin, but it didn't seem to help. Hopefully I can make it through the rest of the week and get caught up on sleep on the weekend.

Any tips on dealing with jet lag?

Happy Birthday Mike!!

Hope you have a great day! Wish you could be here too.

After work drinks

The Project Manager wanted to make sure I didn't go to bed at 6pm today, so we stopped for an after work drink to keep me occupied. Next to the office is the Swissôtel and its 70th floor bar. The views are, of course, amazing. This harbour is full of boats, the three buildings with a 'boat' on top has a casino on the main floor, behind it and to the left is the Gardens by the Bay and the Super Tree Grove, and just across the bridge is the grandstand and entertainment stage for the upcoming F1 race, which is run as a night race through the streets of Singapore. This explained some of the scaffolding with lighting I saw on some of the streets.

Tomorrow, I'll make a visit to the hospital I'll be working with and get to ride the subway system.

Good Morning Singapore

I don't think I had the best sleep, but I feel refreshed. The view helps with that.

28 hours later

I've arrived at my temporary home in Singapore. Smaller than I imagined, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I'm on the 28th floor with a nice view of the riverwalk.

The airport is beautiful here. I suspect it's new as it's literally shiny. Straightforward process at immigration and I didn't even get a pat down to check for contraband gum!

It's late and I'm going to try to sleep so I can have a productive day tomorrow.

That awkward moment when you wonder if Singapore has Q-Tips

Today is the beginning of my trip to Singapore. I say the beginning, since I'll arrive about 28 hours later, around noon on Monday Central Time, midnight local Singapore time.

It's interesting trying to pack for a 4 month trip. I brought everything, just in case, but I suspect I'll do enough shopping that it won't be necessary. I'm pretty sure I can bring another bag home and I will be back for a two week stint in October, so that should allow me to get the new stuff back to Canada.

Other than clothes, I couldn't help thinking "will they have shampoo I like? Maybe I should take a box of Q-Tips. Better pack the Aqua Net." I'm sure it will be fine, but you never know!

The plane is about to take off from Winnipeg. I'm going to update this while with pictures and info about what I find well I'm gone. I hope to be on wifi, so Facebook and email should be the best way to stay in touch and hopefully my phone won't become dead weight. More to come when I arrive!

--Ryan