Dubai's golden sands

Paintballing hurts!! I have bruises the size of chestnuts covering my body. And according to one of the paintballing staff, they take 2-3 weeks to disappear! "2-3 weeks?!!" I squealed. But it was such a rush! And I was on a high the rest of the day. I'm definitely going again (if I can) when I get back to the UK.

Singaporeans are spoilt. They have so many outdoor places to go to. We walked along a "suspension bridge"- Henderson Waves- that was over 5 km long from Alexandra Ave to the Harbourfront, and enjoyed the greenness and modernity that is Singapore.

We then went to the Marina barrage, where there was a cool breeze coming in from the sea and watched the pre-national day fireworks practise-run. Shame that most of the view was blocked by the ugly and heinous "Integrated Resort", Singapore's soon to be version of Las Vegas which will be ready next year. My Unc and Aunt then thought that it might be fun to drive me through Singapore's red light district. Singapore has a red light district?! Who would've thought. But with the economic downturn and rise in H1N1 infection in the country, business was slow on the streets. Thankfully.

I'm in Dubai now. It's 37-40 degs here. But because it's not humid, it's manageable. There's not much I can see here at the mo. The sky is dusty with sand. There was a sandstorm a few days ago, thus masking the skyline with a thick layer of sand particles. They say it should settle down in a week's time. Dubai and Sharjah have been hit badly by the economic downturn. Dubai's super-size airport was empty when I landed and many of their construction sites lie deserted with skeletons of 50-storey buildings waiting to be completed. And the many buildings that have been completed remain unfurnished and unlived. Tough times.

I'm off to a "Dune dinner safari" this evening. I should be expecting some thrill riding through the dunes, some camel riding, watch the sun set over rippling sand and dinner under the stars. I haven't seen the sky, sun or stars since I got here. I did catch a glimpse of the moon last night. Let's see if they can deliver on the last two.

Chinchapore/Singapore day 3

I love cycling. And more so along the beach. As I pedalled away under sun-dappled leaves, the gentle breeze whipping my hair, the waves crashing rhythmically against the sandy shore, I tried to remember the last time I cycled along East Coast beach. I remember cycling with my cousin Aziz, who was also my childhood bestfriend. Along with his older brother Didi, we were like the 3 musketeers, always up to no good. Before Singapore became a city of concrete and lights, houses used to be of the wooden and zinc variety built in clusters in little villages. And that was only about 20 years ago. Each summer when I'd come down to Singapore to visit, the 3 of us would go off exploring in our gran's village- wandering into neighbouring houses, running through narrow alleyways, chasing little chicks, play badminton and football (I was always the goalkeeper) till sundown, drink too much coke........ Good times.

Atikah and I happened to come across a National Geographic store today that had some amazing antique furniture. There was also a photo exhibition. We saw photos of nature and wildlife from the NG archives that make your heart sing.

Paintballing tomorrow at 9 AM. Can't wait!

P.S. Got the insect bite checked out, which is now the size of an orange. Turns out I've managed to contaminate it and now have a subcutaneous infection, which according to the doc is unusual. I am on antibiotics. 30 days in 3rd world level conditions and I get infected in superclean Singapore. Go figure.

On the go in Singapore

Say whaaat?! You want me to get off the train, carry ALL my luggage, go through immigration, and then board the train again? It's 6:40am Man! Of course, seeing as there were sniffer dogs outside the train and I had a stash of illicit gum, I complied with their demands. I got off the train with all my crap, remembering to leave my gum behind. Got my passport stamped. Then waited for a long long time to get back on cos a couple of bozo backpackers didn't understand that when they say take ALL your luggage with you through customs, that it means ALL your luggage, including your super-mondo-only-piece-of-luggage backpack. My overnight train cabin was lush. Ensuite with two to a cabin. And I had it all to myself. I finally got to Singapore at 8:40am and to mark my return to my place of birth, the heavens opened and Singapore welcomed me with big wet open arms. My Uncle says that it hasn't rained for ages. Well, what can I say. I seem to have that effect on places. And people. My gran started sobbing when she saw me.

So after an hour's rest, my cousins Nadiah and Nabilah had a whole day planned for me and took me to what felt like the entirety of Singapore, including Hairloom and Caramel- a super cute cafe fashioned in the style that I would like my cake shop to be one day- and along the riverfront at night to admire the Singapore skyline and lights. ..... 

I can't help thinking that I could happily just spend my time taking beautiful photos, baking delicious cakes, travelling loads loads more and writing about my travels. This life of course is dependent on whether I find that elusive pot of gold that I have been searching for for so long. And whilst buying tix for an exhibition, I got mistaken for an 18 year old. I'm going to be 27 next month! 27! How did that happen? And in 3 years time I'm going to be 30! Just kill me now. I know that many of you are 30 and I always say that 30 is not old, which is true and I mean it. It's just that at 27, I'm only just starting my first proper job next month, and I have yet to decide what I actually wanna do and where I want to do it. Plus, I am a drama queen. I always have a "what am I doing with my life" crisis before each birthday since turning 24. And I'm going off track. This is meant to be a travel blog.

Singapore is a city for young people. There's so much going on and so many places to go to. You could go out to a different place each night and still have many more to go to the rest of the year. These places of course are mainly of the eating, shopping and some theatre-going variety. Like KL, it's a shopaholic's dream and there's a place along the river called Clarke Quay that's just lined with restaurants and pubs. For outdoorsy stuff, there's loads to do along the coast. And if you want to go biking and trekking through the forests, a short boat ride to the surrounding islands will get you there. Atikah, another cousin of mine is taking me biking tomorrow. I can't wait. I really need some cardio exercise.

Anyways, for today Atikah was determined to help me find a wedding present for my friend and we stumbled on a cutesy little street, Haji Lane, filled with indie boutiques and vintage shops housed in old Chinese shophouses. We then found a dinky "Little Museum for Children" on Arab Street that sold stuff from the 50s, 60s and 70s. I found my dream scooter and Kelvinator there. 

For a laugh, we dropped by The Raffles Hotel, the super exclusive and expensive hotel of Singapore. I even contemplated pretending to be a guest at the hotel so that we could get into the "Resident's only" areas. It was like walking into a Merchant Ivory film- white colonial architecture with green lawns and stone fountains. I nearly expected someone dressed in cricket whites to come strolling along the corridor with a glass of Pimms, possibly on his way to the dining hall for a spot of high tea. Next was the Singapore Arts Museum (SAM), which had some fantastic paintings and photographs on display, and what I needed at this point in my trip. Strangely, in addition to my bike and the gym/exercising, the only other thing I've really missed on this trip are art galleries. Weird huh? I miss the coolness and quietness of them and being able to just walk around and look at art. I would highly recommend SAM to anyone visiting Singapore. And the Night Safari too. You were right Tristan, it was fun.

My uncles have been trying to sell me Singapore and convince me to work and move here. Which is fine if I liked super perfect-regimented-pristine-sterile cities. I don't know. I've never been very good with perfection and following instructions. I think I'm more of an edgy, slightly rough, gum-chewing kinda city girl. Or something. Whatever. What I do know is that I was bitten by some critter yesterday that has caused my right arm to slowly swell to double it's size. Bugger.

El Muchos Stoopido

Si, that's what I should be called. El Muchos Stoopido. Why? Because I got to the KLCC (= Petronas towers) yesterday only to find that it was closed to visitors on Mon. Well, ok. That's an easy enough "overlook" anyone could make. What happened next qualifies for the title. So KLCC is also a mondo shopping centre. So I figured I'd just wander around for a bit, possibly find a dress to wear to my friend's wedding in a couple of weeks. Of course, if I was not El Muchos Stoopido, I would've had a dress made specially at Hoi An by one of the master tailors. Instead, I go and get 3 other dresses made while I was there, none of which are remotely suitable for a fancy occasion being held at Blenheim Palace. I then proceeded to buy a pair of sandals. Yes, sandals. It's not like I have enough footwear as it is. And now I go and buy a category of footwear that will only be of use for like what? 7 days of the year in England. Smart move bozo. I then wandered to Zara, determined not to be sidetracked and then zoned in on this gorgeous canary yellow handbag. Oh oh you say? Well yes, for a whole 15 mins. I even did the whole exchange rate thing and finally realised that there was no way ever I would've forked out 80 quid for a handbag from Zara. I placed the handbag back on the shelf, stroked it longingly and gave it one last glance before exiting the store. Sigh. There is something wrong with me.

According to my Unc, the last time I was in KL was in 1997. That's almost 12 years ago! I don't remember much from then but the current KL has surprised me. I have a good feeling about this place. As a modern city with high rises and too many shopping centres, it's really quite pretty. And despite the numerous signs reminding you to be aware of pickpockets, I feel safe wandering on my own. This city is a haven for shoppers. From the cheapest and tackiest, to the most overpriced and covetted, KL has it all. And the food is delicious! Apart from the rubbish brownie I had yesterday. That was a let down. Joma! I miss your brownies! So after getting bored with window-shopping and getting disappointed by the brownie, I headed to the Islamic Arts Museum. It was such a treat. The building is super modern with sharp angles and wide white open spaces, fused with Islamic blue tiles and carved in domes. 

                                                                                                                                                                          

            

For anyone interested in Islamic history and art, it's the perfect place to get educated. For anyone looking for a place to chill and get away from all the noise, the outside space is the perfect place to unwind and listen to the chirps of the birds from the neighbouring bird park and the tinkling of the water from the decorative fountain. I contemplated dropping by the bird park but then thought better of it. Last place you wanna be during an Avian Flu pandemic is somewhere with a high concentration of birds.

It is already 1:15pm. My plan for today: KLCC and KL tower. Later tonight I am taking an overnight train to Singapore. The journey will take me 11 hours. I hope I'm not sharing a cabin with a psycho killer. Not sure how I will entertain myself. No GAPpies. No laptop. No Yatzee. I may actually have to read a book. Or sleep for most of it. And I've decided, no Oreos. This trip is looking to be a lot of fun already.

From KL with love

It's official. My Indochina adventure has ended. Waahhh!!! Why God? Why? I nearly missed check-in yesterday (and quite possibly my flight) due to my automatic presumption that I was taking a domestic flight to Kuala Lumpur, until Steve pointed out that KL was in fact in Malaysia, a different country, and under every circumstance flying there from Thailand is always classified as an international flight. I replied with, "But it's in Southeast Asia!" He looked at me like I was one of those slow kids he may have had the misfortune to teach in Taiwan. Why am I such a bimbo sometimes? So I jumped into a taxi with only 3 mins to spare before the counter closed, wasted 35 Baht for a sealed bottle of mineral water which I had to throw into a bin 10 steps later because somehow it was potentially dangerous even with the seal on, and finally be informed that my flight was delayed after running to the gate. Aaahh!! If that bottle wasn't dangerous, I definitely was. The flight was uneventful, apart from witnessing a lightning storm. In the sky! On the plane! How cool is that?

I am now in KL, suffering from a mild bout of food poisoning. After having eaten from dodgy street stalls and even dodgier restaurants in countries that I doubt ensure that all food preparation outlets abide to HSA/FSA conditions, I am struck by waves of intensely painful stomach cramps in KL. Thankfully, it has only been that, stomach cramps. I tried not to double over as each wave of pain hit me while wandering around the UNESCO heritage site that is Melaka. I think I may have to write to UNESCO and request that they review this status, because apart from a few buildings, which I have to admit were very beautiful old buildings, there wasn't much to the rest of the place.

 

My 10 year old cousin informs me that Melaka was first colonised by the French (?), then the Dutch, then the Portugese. He mentioned dates as well but seeing as remembrance of historical dates has never been something I like to do, you will have google this info if you're particularly interested. I also asked him for tips on how to be an ace teacher. He suggested that I be firm but not too strict, fair but not too nice, and to always listen to both sides of the story. Yeah baby. I'm going to be the most coolioso teacher in Germania.

Tomorrow I'm free to explore on my own. Tristan suggested the Petronas towers and the Islamic Arts Museum. I might also squeeze in the Colonial District and Chinatown. Or I may just hang around my Uncle's and Aunt's and watch some DVDs. Ooh what to do?

Last days in Bangkok

I'm missing my travel buddies already. Is it possible to miss people who were complete strangers to you a month ago? I decided to spend a couple of extra days in Bangkok to unwind before flying to Malaysia and Singapore tomorrow to see the relatives. I'm spending 7 days in total there...I think....

After the tranquility and serenity of Laos, Bangkok is a blast of unexpected adrenaline to the senses. I was planning on visiting the Grand Palace yesterday but after being defeated by the heat and losing the motivation to find the entrance to the palace, I spent an hour in the beautiful public park opposite the palace. The hustle and bustle of Bangkok disappeared and all I could hear was the rustle of the leaves. I strolled to the back of the park and discovered an open air free-weights gym where scary looking men were pumping iron. How random is that? I also saw a man jogging round the park, completely covered up from head to toe, wearing a balaclava, hat, gloves and boots too. Military-style training maybe? Who knows? I then wandered to Chinatown where they sold tat and stuff that I have not seen the likes of since my pre-teens. And just round the corner from there was Little India. Amazing how these two nations have succeeded in establishing a presence in practically every country in the world. It's all down to their entrepreneurial nature I suppose.

I was supposed to go to kickboxing today. Instead I had lunch. I'm going to try to go tomorrow morning. So I spent my day practising my bargaining skills and trying to buy as many gifts as possible for my cousins with the little money I have left. I have a very strong feeling that I am going to be terminally broke for the rest of the year. I then went and had a traditional Thai massage to get rid of the kinks I still had from my kickboxing session 2 days ago. The Thai massage was INTENSE. There were definite cracking sounds during my session. I feel fine. Now. As for tomorrow? I'll let you know.

Stuck in Chiang Mai

The trains are on strike. So no overnight train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, which is perfecto as it means we now actually get to stay the night in Chiang Mai as opposed to swing through it for a laughable 4 hours. FYI: I have had 3 mozzy bites since I logged onto my blog a few minutes ago. And they ain't looking too pretty. They're actually swelling up and looking quite horrible. Anyway, to more important things. I went to Muay Thai Kickboxing with Stevo. The dude who was teaching LOVED Steve. "Steve, 100 swing kicks!" "Steve, 50 jabs!" "Steve." "Steve." "Steve." At school, he would be dunked into a toilet for being a teacher's pet. I think the teacher thought he'd found his ultimate fighting champion. Even worse (for me) was that he didn't even remember my name. Instead he proceeded to call me "Lady" for the next 3 hours. But I had a lot of fun. Kick-boxing is always fun. The gym was an open air kinda setup with a boxing ring, some floor space and a few punching bags, all shaded by a metal roof. Saying that it was warm is an understatement. But the heat kept us loose and nimble. I think I drank too much water too quickly and still feel kinda sick from it. Quite a few holidaymakers turned up later as well. I guess the locals train early in the morning or late after work. I think I might give it a go again when I'm in Bangkok for a few days.

Ok, I think I should go and take some anti-histamines to deal with this abnormal bite-reaction swelling issue. I feel heat emanating from them. That's not a good sign right?