Boracay, Philippines

Sing Hallelujah! My work visa FINALLY got approved, which to me means two important things: 1. I can legally stay and work in Singapore, and 2. I can now begin to start making travel plans for fun holidays! Obviously the second one is the one that I am really excited about.

I was invited to go on a trip to Boracay, Philippines for four days and three nights and wasted no time booking my travel. All I knew about Boracay was that it has beautiful beaches and sunsets and was a six hour flight from Singapore. Since there are no direct flights from Sing to Boracay, I took the redeye out of Sing which landed me in Boracay around 8am in the morning. The airport was teeny tiny and gave me a clear picture that this was going to be a real island holiday.

Once we deplaned, the hotel that we were booked at had an agent to escort us to a shuttle to the shore front. We then had to get on their private boat and take a 10 minute boat ride to the hotel. Boracay is divided in to three parts: Station 1, Station 2, and Station 3. Station 1 is the most expensive area of the island, Station 2 is moderately priced, and Station 3 is very inexpensive. Discovery Shores was the hotel we stayed at was in Station 1. The hotel is nice and looks pretty lit up at night.

As soon as we checked in, a hotel staff member arrived to give foot massages and book anything else we might need. What better way to get in to the holiday state of mind than a 2 hour body massage? Done. It was booked and the massage therapists were awesome. After unpacking, we went and grabbed a bite to eat at one of the hotel restaurants. 

I definitely needed to work my lunch off so a long stroll on the beach was in order. It was a really good way to see most of the beachfront in Station 1 and catch an amazing sunset!

I found a beach puppy to play with!

These island kids were adorable. 

Found this along the beach with a candle illuminating the sand. 

The next day was all about activities. Jet skiing was definitely a must and we rode out to the middle of the ocean to a floating hut to rent jet skis. I have to admit I was a bit nervous as the last time I was on one was in Hawaii and was thrown off while not wearing a life vest. This time I was extra careful and made sure that my life vest was on. None-the-less I still tipped over mid-ride. I'm beginning to see a pattern...

As if jet skiing isn't fun enough, there was an excursion where you can walk along the ocean floor. Yes, you read it correctly. Obviously that was next on the list. They have you get on a ladder that is attached to the side of a boat and lower yourself in to the ocean until just the top of your head is above the water. They then place this yellow helmet on your head that weighs 70 kilos (154 pounds) and immediately you start to sink the rest of the way (still holding on to the ladder for support) to the ocean floor. They warn you not to bend forward because if you do your helmet will fill with water. I had no intention of bending any which way because I did not want to drown! 

Let's describe this helmet as I'm sure you are wondering what it looks like. It is bright yellow and the top of it has a tube that attaches to an oxygen tank on the ship. Since there is limited oxygen in the air bubble inside the helmet, they want to make sure that you don't pass out from exhaling co2. The cord tube is really long so you can walk pretty far away from the boat and explore all the different marine life undersea. As soon as I saw the helmet I had flashbacks to the episode of Scooby-Doo where Scooby and the gang had to solve the mystery of the underwater sea monster. Much to my dismay I did not see any sea monsters but did see a lot off cool fish and other marine life. I ended up feeling nauseous and motioned to the guide I wanted to get back on the boat. It turns out the underwater currents were strong that day and I was getting motion sick under water. That's a first! 

My friend Anna that knew I was going to Boracay told me I had to go to her friend's restaurant for dinner at least one of the nights, so that was on the agenda for the evening. The restaurant was close to the hotel and was called Dos Mestizos. It's a tapas restaurant and I was excited for a good meal. We hopped in a rickshaw and were dropped off at the end of a tiny street. The driver said his 3-wheeled rickshaw couldn't go any further down the road and we would have to walk a short distance to the restaurant. A minute after getting out a deafening crack of thunder sounded and it began to downpour! I'm talking straight-out-of-the-movies downpour. My natural reaction was to begin running and find the first awning to duck under for cover. I was soaked by the time we got to a patio that had a little awning, and coincidentally it was the front of Dos Mestizos! We hurried in and sat down hoping to dry off. Everything on the menu looked great and I was beginning to forget about the huge storm that was still continuing on outside, and the fact that my hair and dress were sopping wet. 

The chef came over and introduced himself and gave us a tour of the restaurant. Chef Andre was amazing at explaining the menu and went through the wine list with me. Just after the bottle of wine arrived, the entire restaurant went dark! The storm knocked out the power in the whole place and the lights remained off for a while. The staff seemed unfazed and quickly brought over more candles and continued taking orders. 

The power came back on by the time our meal arrived, and truth be told I could have cared less if it had or not. The restaurant experience was great and I'd go back in a heartbeat. 

In the morning we decided a great way to see the rest of the island would be by renting ATVs and roaming around. So that is exactly what the day consisted of. We went to Pukka Beach first. The beach is known for all of the pukka shells that are near the shore, hence the appropriate name. I don't know anyone who still wears pukka shells but if you want to take a ride back to 1993 be my guest! 

After Pukka Beach we rode to a look out point where you can see the entire main island from all angles. It is a straight upwards hike and then you climb up to a rickety look out tower that is made of very questionable wood/bamboo. You can feel the whole tower sway which is not comforting to those afraid of heights! The views are 100% worth it though. 

After the hike/look out point we were off to a small animal habitat. There were tons of cool birds and best of all a full sized bat! I mustered up all the courage I had and held it from wing to wing! 

After the bat-tastic experience, it was time to ride around the rest of the island and get ready for my last night in Boracay. I booked a facial at the hotel spa and then got ready for another great sunset and a cocktail before dinner. 

Dinner was at a Moroccan restaurant right on the beach. When we walked up there was a performance going on by a local island group. They played some good island beats and played for the first 30 minutes of dinner. 

The food was really good and was served in hand painted pottery. Everything was so fresh and steamed just right. 

The tide started to come in and some of the tables had to be moved so they wouldn't wash away. By the end of dinner, the tide was under our table and I took my flip flops off so they wouldn't get wet. I have to admit, sitting at a dinner table beach side with a glass of wine and bare feet in the sand as the tide laps back and forth was a huge highlight. It was the perfect way to end an island holiday!

Singaporean Taxi Drivers

In any major metropolitan city, hailing a taxi to get you to your destination of choice is a daily norm. Singapore is no exception to this. However, one will quickly learn the perils of using a taxi service in the Lion City. There are a few things that everyone, both visitors and residents alike, should know when calling for a cab.

1. The taxi driver will not know how to get you to your destination.

Think that it should be a requirement that all taxi drivers take a test that ensures they know their way around the city? If you answered yes, we are on the same page. Singaporean taxi drivers, however, are not on the same page as you and I. In fact they aren't even in the same book as us. While I'm in the book of Get Me Where I Need to Go As Quickly As Possible Without Telling You How To Get There, the taxi drivers here are in the book of If You Don't Know How To Get There, Why Did You Get In My Cab? Let me tell you, I'm not a huge fan of the latter book. Enter Google Maps. I swear, I don't know how people used to find their way around when lost before Google Maps. It has been the best aid in getting me around Singapore when I've been lost, and that has been a lot! 

2. The taxi driver will not care for your well being.

I can officially cross off being in an accident in a taxi off of my list of things to do. I was on my way to meet a friend on Sentosa (an island off of Singapore) and to no surprise the taxi driver didn't know how to get me to my final destination. I used my trusty aid Google Maps to find the way and we were off! However, navigating your way around Sentosa at night is really difficult because the service is spotty and the roads are all intertwined without a lot of signage. When I politely told the driver that we had missed the turn that we were supposed to take, he slammed on the brakes and shifted the taxi in to reverse. I'm all about a sense of urgency and efficiency ("why keep driving until we reach a street that we can safely turn around on?" he probably thought to himself) but safety is also important. Well, to me at least. My driver failed to look to see if anyone else (pedestrian, vehicle, animal) was in the way, speedily started to reverse, and SLAM! We crashed right in to another taxi. The worst part was that I saw it coming and couldn't do a thing to stop it except brace myself between the window and the head-rest in front of me. The driver got out of the car without asking if I was okay, and began surveying the damage. The taxi I was in and the one behind us were so entangled, both drivers couldn't separate them.  

What transpired next was sheer comedy. My taxi driver, the one that was responsible for the accident, began to yell at the other driver for getting in the way! I'm sorry, did I miss something? Was it not you who reversed on a one way street? Was it not you who failed to listen to your passenger in the first place when she told you the turn was coming up? Oh, wait... it was you! I must admit, I was a bit scared to get out when all I could was this...

Mind you, my driver failed to turn the meter off and by the time I decided to get out of the taxi the meter was up to S$42.50. I asked if he could call for another taxi as I had no idea where in the jungle I was, and there was no service. His response was, "No! I cannot! No phone!" Ohhhhh, okay. How silly of me to think that he would have a phone. It's only 2011. The next logical option would be a radio to transmit to taxi headquarters to call for a back-up taxi, right? Nope. No radio, no walki-talkie, no Morse Code, and dare I dream no Bat-Phone. Here I am, stranded in the middle of NO WHERE. I'm on the phone with the taxi service desperately trying to explain where I am, when I see a faint green light in the distance. Thank God! It's an unoccupied taxi! I explain to the driver what happened and he agrees to take me back to the city. Call me crazy but at this point the last thing I wanted to do was try to get to the beach bar. As I am about to get in, my lunatic taxi driver starts running towards me screaming, "You! YOOOUUUU! You must pay the fare!" WTF?! Is he serious? Yup, he was dead serious. I explained that 1. He tried to kill me, 2. He failed to stop the meter, and 3. I shouldn't have to pay when he didn't deliver me to my final location. All of this fell on deaf ears. I threw S$20 at him and got in the new cab and told my new driver to go. Clearly, there is no regard for a passenger's well being.

3. Don't be alarmed if your taxi driver has an attitude.

As seen in points 1 and 2 above, clearly the customer is not always right. Do not be offended if your driver gets irritated that you want to pay with a visa or a large bill. I've learned that I will not let a taxi driver ruin my mood or moreover my day. It's just not worth it. 

For every taxi driver out there that has a huge attitude for no reason, there is one that will make you laugh and enjoy your ride. Like Feng Hew (my driver from a few nights ago) who tried to sing MoTown's greatest hits to me once he found out I was from the States. Why MoTown? Beats me, but hearing "Super Freak" By Rick James and "Hello" by Lionel Richie in an Asian accent is enough to keep me happy. 

 

The Search For The Perfect Condo

Searching for a new place to live can be both exciting and extremely frustrating. The real estate company that all of us expats are working with picked us up and took us on a tour of Singapore so that we could get acquainted with the different areas of the city. I was really excited to start looking for a place that I could settle into and I could make my own. Call me crazy but I was getting the feeling that the people at my corporate housing didn't really want to take the time to get to know me. 

"Dear Mr. Amisha Narendra Rathod" Really?! 

We got to explore a lot of the city and it helped give me a really good gauge of what Singapore is mapped out like. Most of the districts are within walking distance of each other, and if you don't care to brave the heat and humidity you can take a short MRT ride to wherever you need to go. I'll be the first to admit I don't frequently use public transportation, but it's completely different here. It's air-conditioned, fast and clean largely due to the fact that people aren't allowed to eat or drink on the MRT. We stopped by Chinatown and walked all through the market place. The streets are all lined with shops and strung with lanterns. 

There are a ton of wet markets where people bring in fresh produce, meats, and fish to sell at a fraction of the price that the local grocery stores sell them for. Look at the building from the outside I would have never guessed that there was a whole market inside.

I double checked with our broker to see if it is safe to buy produce from the market and she assured me that both locals and expats frequent the wet markets because everything is fresh and it helps out the local businesses. 

After the wet market we walked by the biggest and oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. I thought it was odd that the Hindu temple was in the middle of Chinatown and not closer to Little India. However, I was told that when Singapore was originally being developed, Chinatown was not expected to grow and expand as far out as it did. There are big beautiful statues all around the facade of the building and the front is adorned with a massive depiction of a part of the Ramayana. 

After Chinatown, we took a ride to the East Coast and walked around the beaches. It was quite shocking that as clean as Singapore is, the beaches were not tended to and there was trash littered everywhere! Looking out past the shore there were a ton of cargo ships waiting to pull in to harbor. 

We ended the day by quickly visiting Holland Village, Robertson Quay, and Dempsey. Dempsey was a really quaint pocket of restaurants and shops that I think I'll be spending a lot of time in. There aren't any residential buildings in the area, but it's a short taxi ride and really close to the Botanical Gardens. 

I had made an appointment to tour condos on Tuesday and was excited to get the ball rolling. The first couple of units the broker showed me were completely awful. I thought to myself, why would anyone in their right mind want to live in a place that smell like old food and has furniture from the 80's? I finally had to show her pictures of my old place for her to understand that I did not want to waste my time or hers touring places that were not close to my standard. I asked her if any of the places we had left to see looked like my old place and she said that they were not comparable. She started making calls to other brokers and setting appointments up as we drove around. The first building that I saw was in the financial district and was exactly what I wanted. It's a brand new high rise called The Clift and is only 4 months old. The condo that I liked has never been lived in. We went and toured two more buildings and I couldn't stop thinking about the condo I saw at The Clift. I asked to see the unit one more time and ended up making an offer that night and the owner accepted it! Now I just need my work visa to be finalized before I am able to move in to the unit. I am getting a bit worried because I'm not sure how long the owner will hold the unit for me before he puts it back on the market. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my work visa comes through soon and that I can get out of corporate housing and in to my new condo!

My First Week In Singapore

I've done it! I've officially made it through my first week in Singapore and am finally starting to feel settled in. Leaving Portland was probably the hardest thing I've had to do in a long time, and saying good-bye to my family and friends was heartbreaking. We got to the airport early enough for a few last drinks and a round of shots before I had to get on my way. 

I think the TSA agents thought there was something seriously wrong with me because when the agent that checked my ID asked the simple question, "How are you Miss?" I burst into tears. He, like most men, got all awkward and shooed my over to the x-ray screening without any further questions. I looked back to wave to Asit, Bindu, Mookie and Falkor and they had started to walk away. Again, tears started falling when I saw Falkor's fluffy tail disappear around the corner. I wanted to scream, "Itty, come back!" but realized I already looked crazy enough.

The flight over was long! I strongly suggest taking a red-eye flight and a sleeping pill. I connected in Hong Kong and thought that I'd grab a quick Starbucks before boarding my next flight to Singapore. I learned my first valuable lesson in moving to Asia: Check the price on things before you make a purchase. I'm not sure why it's taken 30 years to learn this, but none-the-less I now know. My beloved Skinny Vanilla Latte was not so beloved when I found out I paid $34.00 US for it. Did they fly the cow in from Seattle to help make my latte? I think not. 

When I landed in Singapore the first thing I noticed was that everything was immaculately clean. The airport is so modern and unlike any I've been to before. I'm not sure if anyone else has seen a forrest inside of an airport before, but it was definitely a first for me.

Passing through customs and immigration was almost too easy. They just asked how long I was visiting for, stamped my passport, and waved me through. I'm not saying I look like a felon, but I stated that I was visiting for 30 days and had 4 full suitcases, one carry-on roller bag, and a huge handbag. It was pretty apparent I was going to be staying longer than 30 days. Trying to be a rule abiding resident, I even wheeled all of my luggage over to the CTX scan so they could verify I had nothing to declare. They took one look at me and said, "No need, you're fine. Enjoy your stay Miss." They obviously are not affiliated in any way to the Canadian immigration and customs officials. Following their direction I passed through and was greeted by my driver who was ready to take me to my corporate housing. 

Walking outside I immediately realized that Singapore really is just a few degrees north of the equator. The humidity is UNREAL out here. The only thing that took my mind off of the heat and the fact that my clothes were stuck to my body was that everything is so beautiful. The ride from the airport in to the city is lined with trees and flowers. 

After arriving to corporate housing I quickly showered and grabbed a cab to the office. The first day of work felt long but I made it through and managed to get on to Singapore time with in a day. Training at work was going well and after work on Thursday I checked out a German pub in Clarke Quay. I was hoping to find Singapore's version of Feierabend, but I'm still on the hunt. The pub I went to was called Brewerkz but should have been called This.Place.Sucks. The food is awful, along with the service. I ordered the featured pilsner only to be told it wasn't on tap. How is that possible if it's featured? I decided on a glass of red wine and got a 4 oz. pour for S$23. Needless to say, I will not be returning to This.Place.Sucks. nor will I be bringing any friends or family that visit me there.

Friday after work, one of the other District Managers, Owen, and I decided to go out to Clarke Quay for dinner and a few drinks. Clarke Quay is a popular spot for going out to clubs and bars. We stopped in to an Irish pub called Mulligans for a beer. After that we bounced around and decided to head home around 11pm as we had to work the next morning. On our walk home, we realized that there is a Rolling Stones dive bar called Sticky Fingers around the corner from our corporate housing. We decided to stop in for a drink and quickly realized that the whole bar was a cover for pimping out hookers. The name should have been a dead give away. I don't care how big of a Stones fan you are, naming your bar Sticky Fingers is just not right. One of the bar owners magically appeared and sat down at out table. He kept trying to get Owen and I to separate from one another, and at one point told Owen that he should feel free to check out the bathroom. I'm not sure what that was "code" for, but I took it as we should leave ASAP. So we did. No need to go back there. Ever.

Saturday night Owen wanted to check out a bar called BeerMarket on the back side of Clarke Quay. The concept of the bar is pretty cool; it's just like the stock market where each kind of beer's price is dependent on the demand of it. When I got there a bottle of Bud was trading at $9.80 and by the time I left it was selling at $29.85! The more people that order a certain brand of beer, the higher the price goes up. They have a ticker board just like at the NYSE that tells you the price of all the beers and if they are going up in price or down in value. I met two British guys there, Kelso and Rob. Kelso has lived in Sing for 6 years and Rob has lived in Sing for 3 years. They are both in finance and know each other from back in England. Both of them are such cool guys. When I walked up to them to introduce myself they were super welcoming and made me feel comfortable right away. It reminded me of being back home around good people. They bought me and Owen a bunch of beers and it was fun to keep comparing beer prices on the ticker board. After a few beers Kelso told me that he thought Owen and I were married and he was thinking, "Oh great, here comes a boring married couple that wants to know about Singapore." I started laughing and told him we were not married or together. 

After BeerMarket we all went to Mulligans. We were sitting at a table outside and a girl that they know from work walked by and said that she was going to a place called Le Noir. We finished our pints of beer and walked down to the club. They introduced me to a girl named Liz that they work with and we began chatting. She and I talked for a long time and she introduced me to a bunch of her friends as well. They seem like a good group of girls and were a ton of fun! 

Rob and Kelso kept buying me drinks and just like classic Rathod style I had a new drink in my hand before I was done with the current one. At one point Kelso walked up and said, "Down the hatch love. Go on, here's your new one." After we all left Le Noir, Owen and I went to McDonalds and got some food since we hadn't eaten dinner. I passed out as soon as I got home and was really hungover on Sunday! 

Sunday was my first full day off and I slept in and then took the MTR to another German bar that I walk by everyday on the way to work. Still not on the same level as Feierabend! 

I went to a bar/restaurant called LeVel 33 that night that has AMAZING views of the city! I took pictures at sunset and the entire horizon was glowing purple. I haven't altered or enhanced the photos below at all; it's really what the skyline looks like at sunset when there is a fog hanging in the air.

After leaving LeVel 33, I walked down to Marina Bay and had dinner at a really good pizzeria called Verve. The food and service was great and the waiter even persuaded me to order a bottle of wine instead of just a glass. Both LeVel 33 and Verve are on my list of places to come back to. 

My first week here has been great and I'm excited to start finding my way around the city more than I have already!