So i had a little jaunt to Singapore on Thursday, it is a right of passage ( and also a governmental neccesity) to get a visa and do a visa run to Singapore so you can legally work in the country. Crazy I know. Now, you might ask why I say right of passage.......it is an intense day, you get the first flight out and the last flight home all the time spending the day in a mega city in 34 degree heat.
Now I have been in Bali for almost 2 weeks now and it gets HOT here but none of the buildings are over 5 stories so there is always at least somewhat of a breeze coming through... But I digress. Yes, Singapore....
So I woke up at 2:30am so I could get to the airport in time for the check in and all that jazz. It turns out that the main roads in Bali (especially the bypass to the airport) might be jam packed during the day rendering it almost useless trying to get anywhere in any timely fashion, this is not the case at 3am. So I got to the airport in record time and I know it is surprising but there is nothing open at an airport at 3:45 in the morning. I know, I was shocked too. There was soccer/football (I provided options depending on where you are reading this from) on a tv though- Netherlands v someone. Hey, it was 3:45am I can't be expected to remember everything.
I will save you the non-events of Ngurah Rai International Airport at 4am....I read my book. It was thrilling :) And then like that we were airborne...ok yes other stuff happened but it really isn't noteworthy.
So on the plane, one would think that would be the perfect time to catch a little nap, right? Well let me tell you that my body doesn't react to things like most other people's do. This was the type that my mind went into overdrive while my eyes couldn't stay open- it was fun. Now the flight itself was pretty ummmm interesting- people reading in England, it was basically an Asian Easyjet but cheaper. Now if you have never flown Easyjet, it is a low cost budget airline where all the basic things like water, food and assigned seats inside the plane cost you money. Yes, now imagine that in Asia...........
I am going to leave you with that that thought because I have now landed at Changi Airport in Singapore and since my school gave me an allowance to spend on transport and meals in Singpore I decided to travel into the city in style so I splashed out on a shuttle bus instead of the subway/skytrain/metro/underground (again I gave you options depending on where you live) Kate's Singapore MISTAKE #1. So apparently Singapore is quite a large city and with large cities comes large traffic (oh yeah I am an English teacher btw lol). And where a train would have taken about 30 mins the freaking bus took almost 2 hours. I got to see a bit more of Singapore than I would have on the train but hell it's all apartment buildings anyway.
FINALLY I made it to the rendezvous point which was a McDonald's on the main shopping street in Singapore. My instructions were to meet a man at McDonalds, I would know him by the giant stack of passports and visa papers in front of him. Yes, go with that thought and imagine that you have to hand over your passport and information over to this guy. But thankfully it is all above board and Mr. Wahab works as an agent specializing in working visas and it lessens the hassle that people applying for the visas have to deal with because apparently it is a pain in the ass to do by yourself. So thanks Mr. Wahab.
After leaving my only way out of the country in the hopefully trustworthy hands of Mr. Wahab I went a wandering in downtown Singapore. Is there a not downtown Singapore? Damn confusing city states. Anyway....Orchard Road is a shoppers paradise if you tend to like Chanel, Armani, and Hermes or even if you pretend like you can afford them and just walk in a gawk. Most of you reading this blog know me pretty well/fairly well/not at all and should know that 1) I am cheap 2) I don't really give a flying fuck about labels on clothing 3)I need to be in the right mood for shopping. And that right mood doesn't involve getting up at 2:30am and walking around in 34 degree heat. So me and Singapore got off to a bad start. Not wanting to be sneered at for wearing flipflops in Chanel (also I didn't really care), I toddled off to the "historic" part of town. Getting off the train into ANOTHER fucking shopping mall I managed to claw my way to the surface. This so called historic area comprised of a Presbyterian Church and some reno-ed office buildings. By this point I was pretty hot and my patience was wearing pretty thin so I decided to chill and maybe nap in a movie.
Oh the movie KATE'S SINGAPORE MISTAKE #2- so the only movie that was starting at 1pm was Snow White and the Huntsman. WHAT A PILE OF SHITE! Whatever genius who heard the phrase "Fairest of them all" and thought of Kristen Stewart deserves a slap with a tuna covered in nails. This woman has a face that looks like a slapped arse and is about as fair as slapped arse as well. Yes, it is a retelling of Snow White but Snow White leading an army in to battle after having no military training, not to mention that she has spent about 15 years locked in a tower with no exercise and we are meant to believe that she has no long lasting muscle damage. Yeah okay. Sorry about the spoilers :P
After that atrocity, it was thankfully time to go back and pick up my visa. And it was all gravy. Mr. Wahab didn't run off with my identity and sell it on a black market somewhere. With my passport and work visa in my possession I decided it was time to celebrate with a few drinks. It's me what do you expect I celebrate the opening of a letter with trip down the pub (That one's for you, Christa). I found an Irish pub across the street from McDonald's and went for a drink. Walking down the stairs I realized that women in Singapore might not go drinking by themselves at 4pm on a Thursday afternoon when every person (man) in the place turned and stared at me. I got my beer and I was happy. At one point on that trip I was sitting in an Irish pub in Singapore eating a quesadilla watching Sweden vs Bulgaria play soccer/football. I love globalization :)
Then I got on a flight and came home......bribing a Customs Officer in Bali to get my extra duty free in the country.
What a finish eh? Okay some final thoughts on Singapore. As much as I didn't really see the appeal in the city state I can say that they are prepared for the end of the world. The entire city is connected by a series of underground shopping malls and tunnels so there is enough stuff down there to sustain a lot of people for a long time if they manage to seal it off in time. And in case of a devastating flood or the like they have the huge skyscrapers for people to rebuild their lives in a village in the sky. Any bird people or mole people out there, head to Singapore. You will be welcomed at the Rapture. Maybe you will be the new Gods for a ruined civilization?
AAAAAANNNND on that note...I am going to drink more duty free gin.
See ya later xx
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