I am a little embarrassed to say that it was June before I realized that everything here is priced in $.05 increments—they do not use $.01 anymore in Singapore. However, in Indonesia I don’t even believe they get down to the 1 rupiah level. We had a very big and lovely lunch for 7 of us for only 785,000!!! It was like back in the day when brokers took us out for steaks and wine! However, it was only US $80. Leon was thrilled to take out more than 1 million from the ATM machine—twice!
Have I told you before that there are NO police anywhere here. I have seen a few people in uniform in the airport and have seen police stations and know that it is said that “oh, you don’t see them because they are in plain clothes…but they are there!” I do wonder if it’s only a marketing ploy and there are like 6 guys in three shifts and that is the entire police force.
You NEVER hear sirens here. There are no police cars. There are very few ambulances. I bring this up because I heard an ambulance the other day and I was shocked. I try not to think about the fact that if I never hear any there probably aren’t any around for me if I need one….
The climate here is fantastic for my skin. While the gravity is the same as everywhere else—or maybe even getting stronger the older I get—my skin looks clearer and healthier. It must be because it is virtually living in atmospheric water the humidity is so high.
I would like to add again that Singapore’s airport being the finest in the world. I have entered or exited through the airport 6 times in the last month (which means that there were 3 other airports that I went to/from) and really, it is a work of art and science. I recommend you come here. Even if you just come to the airport!!! Siena always asks if we are going to live there because she knows I love the place and thinks it is funny to ask me if I am going to live in an airport!
Summer is in full swing—and it is no different than March. The days are the same length, the same temperature, the same humidity. I love the warmth—I love that it does not get dark early ever. I am about finished with humidity, but I think it might be a little too much to ask them to a/c the whole country!
I looked back at some of the things I wrote before to see if I had addressed the things that are most obvious to me. Here are some updates on those:
There are not as many non-Asians as I thought at first. We were in the Orchard Road area and that is a mecca for tourists and expats so it seemed like there were more than it now seems. Leon always says how everyone is Chinese or Oriental. I am still surprised at how many non-Orientals there are though!
I did mention the bank log in nightmare before—you are required to have two separate “secret” codes—only one of which is your password and the other is one they give you at the time of log in-via your cell phone. But, if you don’t have that they can do it by phone or they can give you a little code generator thing—but you have to go to the bank office to pick that up….It may actually be more secure, but it is driving me absolutely insane to not be able to do online banking in anything less than 40 minutes and 2 secret, under-cover methods of insuring that my cell phone is at least stolen by the same person who got my password.
I have also told you how unfathomable the cabs are—they just click their light to “Hired” when they don’t feel like picking you up or perhaps they are just going to wait for a call so they can charge a dollar more…not that they know how to get to your destination of choice anyway….
Here is something I am surprised about: there is not a requirement for car seats or kids in the back seat. How odd in a place where everything is mandated to save people from themselves….Also, there are smoke alarms only outside each apartment—none are required or included inside the apartment, let alone in bedrooms….
We just spent a week in England and the English summer was a heavenly break from the weather here. It was a bit of a chore to get pants that fit Siena as she has not worn anything with long pants or sleeves in 6 months and grows like a weed. Luckily, we had a lot of hand-me-downs from friends and cousins that were too big in December in NYC, but are perfect now.
Faith
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